Concept Testing Product Discovery
Product discovery for a drink brand through concept testing
Hard seltzer brand exploring product demo ideas
Lemon Squeezers need ways to produce interest in their alcohol product through online engagement.
26% of consumers mention ‘flavor’
Interest in seeing flavor varieties, unique flavors, and common flavors.
‘Ingredients’ and ‘recipe’ mentioned by over 10%
The details of how the drink is made along with health information was mentioned by many consumers.
Business Challenge
Lemon Squeezers Hard Seltzers faced the challenge of effectively engaging customers on their website and differentiating their brand in the competitive hard seltzer market. They needed to identify what content and features would most appeal to their audience to enhance their website’s impact and drive better consumer engagement.
Timeline
The concept test was executed over the course of 48 hours, in which the Lemon Squeezers team identified a need for consumer feedback and the Helio team helped them craft and run a survey to gather open-ended responses.
Research Goals
The main objectives of the research were to:
- Identify key content and features that resonate with the target audience.
- Explore consumer preferences related to product transparency, such as ingredient and nutritional information.
- Assess interest in additional content like recipes and interactive elements like tasting videos.
Methodology
We used a concept testing methodology that involved gathering qualitative feedback through open-ended survey questions. This approach allowed for a broad range of consumer insights and creative ideas for website enhancements.
Research Panel
We helped Lemon Squeezers connect with an audience of 200 Alcohol Consumers in the US within 24 hours:
Test Setup
We asked participants an open-ended qualitative question in order to understand what type of content they might react positively to while exploring a new alcohol brand online:
Analysis and synthesis
26% of consumers mention ‘flavor’
flavors, types, ways to mix it, simple recipes to try with the spirit.
For me it has to do with flavor, try something new. If it’s blend that I haven’t seen before, I would definitely want to give it a try.
The flavors cause I only like certain flavors.
-Alcohol Consumers (US)
Interest in seeing flavor varieties, unique flavors, and even familiar flavors.
‘Ingredients’ and ‘recipe’ mentioned by over 10%
Nutritional information because I need low carb. A local brand also makes me more likely to want to try it. A variety of fruity flavors and seasonal offerings.
I would be interested in how the product is made and what do they use in the process
I want to see the ingredients, calories, and where to buy the product. I would also want to know price, but that might not be possible on the brand’s site if selling at retail through other stores
-Alcohol Consumers (US)
The details of how the drink is made along with health information was mentioned by many consumers. Along with these ideas, the team also surfaced some unique concepts mentioned by just a few participants, such as video reviews of people trying the product for the first time, or suggestions on how to mix the product with other popular drinks.
Using this simple concept testing, new hard seltzer alcohol brand Lemon Squeezers was able to drum up dozens of new ideas that they can begin to validate and explore adding to their new consumer website.
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Outputs/Deliverables
The survey data from Lemon Squeezers audience of Alcohol Consumers (US) is held in Helio’s data report:
The Lemon Squeezers team is easily able to share the survey or individual observations with their team to show where these concepts have been validated:
Using Helio’s heart feature, the LS team was able to track their favorite responses from participants (which keeps their audience engaged by sending ‘thank you’ emails as a bonus):
Next Steps and Recommendations
Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made to Lemon Squeezers:
- Integrate detailed ingredient and nutritional information into the product pages.
- Develop a series of authentic tasting videos featuring diverse consumers.
- Expand the website to include a recipe section with mixology tips and seasonal drink ideas.
- Highlight the brand’s commitment to being animal-friendly in their manufacturing process.
Reflections
This case study demonstrated the effectiveness of using concept testing to capture detailed consumer preferences and generate actionable insights. It also underscored the importance of engaging directly with consumers to tailor digital content to their interests and needs, thereby enhancing brand engagement and loyalty.