test market analysis surveys

Test markets are conducted to determine the actual buyer response to a new product offering. Test market evaluation is usually concerned with evaluation of the product purchase process, evaluation of the product, and marketing materials used in the test market.

General Measures That Are Part of a Test Market Analysis

• Product Awareness
• Knowledge Source of Product Information (How did respondent learn about product)
• Expected Source of Future Information
• Interest - Need for more product information
• Motivation for Purchase (Problem to be solved)

Purchase Location and Purchase Details

• Where was product purchased? Where else would you like to be able to purchase the product?
• How was it purchased?
• Intended purchase or impulse? If you intended but didn't buy, why didn't you buy?
• Frequency of purchase, Quantity of purchase, Average shopping basket (size, items), Other items in shopping basket
• What brand or product didn't they buy because they bought yours?
• Were incentives or coupons used?

Specifics of Product Use

• Product use location and situation
• Product performance evaluation
• Likelihood of repurchase (and motivations to repurchase)
• If they didn't buy it, what did they buy instead?

Product Evaluation

• Test Market Analysis (Product Use and Acceptability Evaluation)
• Expectations of product (benefits)
• Evaluation of attribute acceptability (quality, price, trust, performance, importance, value)
• What could be done better?
• Evaluation of product performance relative to regular brand

Product - Marketing Mix Reaction (Promotion, Packaging, Pricing)

• Packaging Questions
• How much did they spend?
• Advertising Reaction Tests