Northwest Research Group, Inc.
Seattle
Boise
400 108th Ave. NE
Suite 200
Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 635-7481
225 North 9th Street
Suite 200
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 364-0171
www.nwrg.com
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Concept Development:
The Researcher’s Perspective
Presented by Jeff Etherton - Vice
President Qualitative Research, Northwest
Research Group
From ‘98 QRCA Conference - Kathryn Alexander
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Seminar Objectives
Examine Process of Concept
Development
Review Different Research
Techniques to Test Concepts
Experience Concept Development
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Agenda
Purpose and Definition of
Concepts
Creating and Building Concepts
Concept Testing

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Why Do Concept
Development?
 To Develop the Communication of an Idea
to the Consumer
 To Understand Its Importance to
Consumers -- Is It Something They Want
and Need?
 To Determine if the Need Is Sufficiently
Widespread to an Acceptable Level of
Business
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Definition of a Concept
Marketing Application
A Promise Made by a Product to Resolve an
Unmet Consumer Need
The Reason It Will Satisfy the Need
A Description of Portrayal of Any Key
Element that Will Affect the Perception of
the Product
A Concept Answers the Consumers’
Question….
What’s in it for me and why should I
believe it?
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Concept Versus Copy
Development
 Concept Development - Done to Identify a
Potential Winning Strategy
 Copy Development - Done to Execute a
Winning Strategy
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Concept Versus Copy
Development
The Concept Development Phase is
NOT to Develop Advertising Copy, but
to Develop and Optimize the Core
Product Idea.
What is the consumer need and
how will the product satisfy that
need?
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Create / Build Concept
A Concept is...
A promise a product makes to resolve
an unmet consumer need / end
benefit
The reason why it will satisfy the need
/ Reason to believe
A description of any key element that
will affect the product perception
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Strong Concepts Have:
Headline - Expresses the Most Important
Idea in the Concept
Accepted Consumer Belief (ACB) Expresses the Target Consumer’s
Frustration or Unmet Need
Benefit - The Promise - “What’s in it for
me?”
Reasons to Believe (RTB) - Part of
Concept which Gives Credibility to the
Product Promise
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Headlines
Its Role:
 The Headline Expresses the Most Important
Idea in the Concept
Examples:
 Competitive - New Jif Tastes More Like Real
Peanuts than Any Other Brand
 New and Improved - Maximum Strength Pepto
Bismol --Now you Can Have Twice the Pepto
 Unique - New Pert Plus, the Only Shampoo
and Conditioner in One Bottle
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Headline Guide
Guidelines:
 Benefit-based Headlines Are Most Effective - Most
Important Idea Is Usually the One That Answers
“What’s in It for Me?”
 Treat Headline Like It’s the Only Statement
Consumer Will Remember
 Make Headline Clear and Single-minded
 Since It Summarizes the Concept’s Main Idea,
Write It Last
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Accepted Consumer Belief
(ACB)
Defined:
What Is an ACB? - A Statement That
Expresses the Targets Consumer’s
Frustration or Unmet Need
What Is Its Role in a Concept? - To
Create a Context or Perspective for the
Rest of the Concept; That Is, the Primary
Benefit and Support Statements
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ACB - Cont’d
Guidelines:
 Use consumer language
 Focus on One problem or belief at a time
 Stay realistic (don’t set up a problem you
can’t solve)
 Try not to say anything nice about the
competition
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ACB Cont’d
Examples:
Statements of Existing Beliefs or
Perceptions:
Dyed Hair Doesn’t Look Natural
Soap Dries My Skin
Detergents Strip Away Dyes, Leaving
Colored Clothes Dull and Faded
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Benefit Statement
Defined:
 A Benefit Statement Is a Promise That
Answers the Target Consumer’s Question - “What’s in it for me?”
Its Role:
 Addresses the Frustration or Unmet Need
Described in the ACB and Describes the
Primary Advantage of a Specific Product to
the Target Consumer
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Benefit Statement Cont’d
Guidelines:
 Use Consumer Words
 Focus on a Primary Benefit (Also Known As
a Single-minded Proposition)
 Benefit Must Be Distinctive (for Category)
and Important to Target Consumer
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Benefit Statement -- Cont’d
Examples of Two Basic Types of
Benefits:
 Product Benefits - Describe the Product
Advantage in Objective Terms:
 Crest Reduces the Formation of Tartar
 Downey Softens Clothes
 Bounce Controls Static
 People Benefits - Describe the Product in
Subjective Terms (Above Examples Converted
to People Benefits)
 Crest Makes Dental Check-ups Easier
 Your Family Will Notice Downey Softness
 No More Embarrassing Static Cling With Bounce
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Reason To Believe (RTB)
Defined:
Gives credibility to the Product
Promise
“What’s in it for me and why
should I believe it?”
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RTB -- Cont’d
Its Role:
Explains to the Consumer Why a
Product Will Deliver the Promised
Benefit
Completes the Logic in the Concept
and Can Become a Distinctive
Element of Advertising
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RTB Cont’d
Guidelines:
Create Ideas Out of Consumer’s
Experience -- Their Problems, Their
Beliefs O How Thing Work
Supports the Main Benefit Statement
Don’t Be Too Technical
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RTB Cont’d
Types:
Logical Explanation:
Uses a logical argument to describe
why the product will solve the
consumer’s problem
Toilet tissue is softer because it’s
quilted
Jif tastes better because it has a
freshness seal
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RTB Cont’d
More Types:
Ingredients:
 Crest With Baking Soda
 Puffs With Aloe
 Cover Girl With Clean Noxema Ingredients
Lack of Ingredients:
 Fat-free Corn Flakes
 CheerFree - Free of Dyes and Perfumes
 Charmin - No Dyes, Inks, or Perfumes
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RTB Cont’d
More Types:
Special Ingredients:
 Cheer with ColorGuard
 Chlorinal in Comet
Quality of Ingredients:
 Folgers Mountain Grown Coffee Beans
 Brownie Mix with Real Hershey’s Chocolate
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RTB Cont’d
More Types:
Product Aesthetics / Special Feature:
 Jif Smells More Like Fresh Peanuts / Freshness
Seal
 Instant Folgers Is Darker in Color
Technical Performance:
 Pepto Coating Action
 Cascade Sheeting Action
 Dawn Cleans Glass After Cleaning Greasy Pans
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A Strong Concept
 Offers an Entirely New Benefit Not Offered
by Existing Products
 Has Strong Comparative Claims Versus
Competition
 Eliminates an Important Negative in
Existing Products in Category
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