Many companies rely heavily on successful creative processes. The outcome of these though are worthless if not handled correctly. In this article, we will look specifically at the product development process. As this is something that many companies will have to do over and over in their lifecycle, and the stages directly after the creative input, and how it is critical to the product’s commercial success.
The first step for any successful product development is a well managed creative process. The ideas created need to go through concept testing after this. In short, this is when a concept is put toward members of the public and they are asked a number of questions about the concept. This is the first time in which the public interacts with a product idea. This can sometimes be a brutal affair, as feedback can be a lot harsher from neutral members of the public, than colleagues who share a vision. However, this feedback is critical if a product is going to be a success. It doesn’t matter how much collectively as a company you believe in a product idea, if the public isn’t on board, it’s going to lose you money.
Compiling the survey should not be done in a hurry. There are many factors to consider when writing these questionnaires, and processes to be carried out to check the validity of a survey. While it is also the case that these surveys should only focus on the concept of a product. In other words, keep branding and marketing away from this stage of the process. This ensures that feedback received is not going to be biased (consciously or subconsciously) by other factors. If your company is relatively new to the product development process, or it has been a while since your last product launched, it might be worthwhile looking at a concept testing guide.
It might also be worth considering having a market research company oversee the process, if you’re feeling ill-equipped. This can also have the added benefit of a third party overseeing the surveying process. This means it would be less likely for there to be a spillover in judgement as a result of brand loyalty, previous marketing campaigns, etc.
If this process is executed correctly, it can transform raw ideas into something a lot more commercially viable. Of course, there is still a long way to go in the process, but concept testing provides the concrete foundations in the real world from which an idea can flourish.