koncepttester

Concept tester, or koncepttester in Swedish, refers to a family of market research methods used to evaluate new product concepts before development or launch. The aim is to gauge how potential customers perceive a concept, including its appeal, clarity, differentiating factors, and potential purchase intent.

Researchers present concepts through descriptions, visuals, or simple prototypes and collect reactions via surveys, interviews, or online panels. Common measures include overall appeal, perceived value, message comprehension, competitive differentiation, and willingness to pay. Some studies also probe intended use, brand fit, and purchase likelihood.

The typical workflow moves from concept creation and early screening to optimization and validation. In screening, weak ideas are dropped; in optimization, elements such as features, benefits, or pricing are refined based on feedback; in validation, a refined concept is tested at larger scale to forecast market performance. Data and design can range from qualitative insights to quantitative scores, often using Likert scales, conjoint or MaxDiff exercises, and price sensitivity analyses.

Benefits include reducing development risk, guiding positioning and feature prioritization, and informing pricing and go-to-market strategies. Limitations include hypothetical bias, the challenge of translating concept descriptions into real-world behavior, sampling bias, and the difficulty of predicting actual uptake or cannibalization.

Concept testers are widely used in consumer goods, technology, and service sectors to test ideas early and to help decision-makers choose concepts with the strongest potential.