Comparing brands on attributes (in an AAU study, for example) exposes “need gaps” in the marketplace: places where your ideal consumer has an expectation or desire, but where your brand is failing to meet that need or expectation. These comparisons can also expose areas where your competitors may be falling short. This can help you determine where you can adjust positioning, product features, or even develop a new product, to capitalize on unfulfilled customer desires.
Need gap studies are typically part of a larger AA&U study, but can be done as a stand-alone study. Qualitative research can be done on the front end to determine the list of attributes to be tested in the quantitative study. If the attributes are obvious and well-known, we can go straight to quantitative.