How To Write a New Product Concept Statement That Works

Decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place. – David Ogilvy

One of the many types of focus groups I moderate are product and advertising concept tests. Usually the client’s advertising agency will provide  2 to 3 written concept statements for the respondents to comment based on several variables. These concepts from a portfolio of a dozen or so studies are supposedly finalize or on some cases refined further. The concept statements are usually written in an illustration board, whiteboard, Keynote slides (if you’re a Macbook user like me) or Powerpoint. I usually request my client to provide the boards and have it discussed at least a day before the session. I also had experiences when my client would just put it in a bond paper on the day itself. Yup, those pieces of paper coming from the other side of the one way mirror.

What I normally asked my client to produce has a simple visual and a verbal statement that contains the following points.

1. A statement of the problem that the product is meant to solve.

2. A definition of the type of solution that the product requires.

3. Supporting attributes (physical and communications) that adds credibility to product’s ability to solve the problem.

By this I mean that when writing a concept statement you should state the problem the product is proposing to solve. The first paragraph should set the stage for the subsequent solution by defining the customer’s problem. Then tell the customer that your product will solve the problem. Lastly give the necessary attributes to support the facts.

Feel free to email me at ric.cortez@asiaresearch.com.org if you need any assistance, or to just simply share your ideas.

A business with a purpose: Find out what your customers buy

To come to grips with your business purpose and mission is to understand what is value to your customers. Usually we think of quality and price as key purchase factors. Quality is a given, no one buys an inferior product or buys something without a percieved value.

Actually a customer never buys a product. The customer buys the satisfaction of a want. Example, in my case I want my shirt that has a nice fit and design. 

A smart marketer never guesses on what his customer needs and wants. It’s great to have ideas but we should always go back to the customer and ask- “What do my customers consider most valuable about my product and service I provide?”  In case you don’t know find out. Do some consumer research and ask if youre delivering.

How to take your concept test to market

How are concept tests made actionable to help you manage your products and priorities?

• Roadmap of Development Priorities: Development plans are canceled for three new features because of low priority to customers and high associated development costs.
• Scheduling and Launch Priorities: Based on the concept test, your product is given new priority for launch because of the demonstrated greater market potential. The concept test identifies not only market potential, but avoids a potential failure that could have been launched.
• Market Potential: New product uses are discovered through a new product concept test that could double the market potential.
• Product Superiority: New features are added to the existing product to meet the demands of customers before the competition responds. The proposed features of greatest value to the customer receive top priority for development and implementation. Your product or service maintains the competitive advantage by further distancing itself from the competition. Concept tests provide the customer feedback you need to prioritize and implement ahead of the competition.
• Eliminate Product Deficiency: The currently marketed product is evaluated and product performance tests reveal flaws in the current design and implementation. This information is integrated and verified in the new concept tests.
• Promotion Planning: Concept tests combined with market analysis help you to understand who is buying, where they can be reached, and most importantly, what message motivates them to respond to your product.
• Increase Profitability: Concept testing shows that we are delivering the best value in the market and have room for a 10% increase in price for the new product.