What Consumers Really Want - Persuadable Research Corporation
Do you really know what consumers want?
Consumers can be fickle.
To better understand what makes them tick, you need to get inside their heads.
If you had magical powers and could read minds, you’d know exactly what your prospective customers want, and your work as a brand owner would be done.
But you don’t have magical powers. And you can’t afford to just guess, not with the margin for error as slim as it is in today’s competitive marketplace.
That’s where consumer research comes in. Consumer research employs scientific methods to get inside the minds of consumers to understand why they make purchase decisions, and what influences those decisions.
At Persuadable Research, we specialize in four types of customized consumer research that are invaluable for helping you know what consumers want and why.
- Package Testing
- Concept Testing
- Attitudes, Awareness & Usage (AA&U) Studies
- Advertising Pre-Testing
In this article we take a look at Package Testing, and explore how it can benefit brand owners as they seek to grow their business, grow their brand and stand out from the crowd.
Package Testing
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but as humans, we do. We can’t help it. And when it comes to consumer products, we judge a product by its packaging.
It’s not surprising, considering that, since 1975, the number of products in the average supermarket has swelled from 9,000 to almost 47,000, according to the Food Marketing Institute, a trade group.
In such a crowded field, making the right “first impression” is imperative. But what is the right impression? And does it resonate with consumers?
Package Testing help you understand which elements stand out most in your package – in other words, what makes your product “jump off the shelf.”
At Persuadable Research, our battery of packaging diagnostics can help determine which elements, across all of your designs, need to be in place. We assess the colors, the layout, the typography, the terminology – anything and everything that might impact the “first moment of truth.”
For both new and existing brands, package testing can identify which elements of your packaging are driving purchase intent, as well as whether people are able to recall the themes you are trying to communicate. .Best of all, when it comes time to present your new package to a buyer, the supporting evidence of the research will help you win more distribution (or hold on to the distribution you have!).
Package Testing for New Brands
For a new brand, package testing can identify how unique and memorable your package is compared to others in the category.
These insights are critical. A study by Affinnova, a division of the global information and measurement company Nielsen, found that 64% of consumers try a new product because of the package design.
According to the study, “An effective package design is the most cost effective way for an emerging or small to medium food and beverage grocery brand to compete and stay relevant.”
This makes good packaging a secret weapon for new and emerging brands. And it makes the insights gathered from package testing all the more critical.
Package Testing for Existing Brands
Package testing is important for existing brands, too.
The Affinnova study found, again, that 41% of consumers purchase a product because of packaging. This is proof that package design isn’t a gimmick that drives one-time sales, but a powerful tool for encouraging brand loyalty.
For existing brands that are considering a makeover, a packaging study will tell whether your new designs perform better than your current package. You’d be surprised how often a current package scores better than a new one.
As an example, we conducted package testing for a medium-sized brand in the natural over-the-counter medication space. The brand was repackaging all of its products under one unified theme. They were considering three options. The three packages were tested against the current packaging. One package design was clearly eliminated. The other two were close in performance, but within the packaging diagnostics, we could clearly see one package driving home the “natural” positioning the client desired. We also identified elements from the current packaging that needed to be incorporated into the winning package, for maximum resonance with the consumers. Click here to read the case study.
Package Testing at Persuadable Research
Package testing is invaluable for new and existing brands of all types and sizes, across all product categories. It is especially critical for new brands that are looking to make the proper first impression or, at the very least, avoid the wrong impression.
We are experts at package testing. Persuadable Research has conducted dozens of studies over the years. We gather the information you need to know. We can help you understand the tastes, preferences and likes of your ideal consumer, and most importantly, provide insights that save you time, money, and help grow your business.