Validating a new product with the Ultra Concept Test
When we present a new product to people, their response does not necessarily reflect how it will perform in the market.
After all, when faced with a new idea, it is easy to express interest, approval or an intention to buy. But how much of this interest will actually translate into a purchase?
The challenge, particularly when it comes to innovation, is therefore to look beyond what is merely stated, understand the extent to which a product can meet demand and identify its potential buyers and the conditions that might transform interest into behaviour.
As part of rEVolution – New Mobility, our syndicated research project dedicated to the evolution of mobility, we conducted a concept test on a new premium BEV electric SUV. This allowed us to understand the level of interest in the proposal and, more importantly, its real market potential.
A well-known limitation of traditional concept tests is that when faced with a new product, people may express a high level of interest without this necessarily translating into a concrete willingness to buy.
In the case of electric cars, this gap can be particularly significant. Range, charging times, price, infrastructure, and resale value can represent barriers that substantially alter the propensity to buy.
The question, therefore, was: to what extent can expressed interest in the new BEV be converted into action, and under what conditions?
The solution
To answer this, we applied Eumetra’s Ultra Concept Test, a proprietary battery of questions developed through years of experience in pre-launch testing.
This approach enables us to distinguish between those who are genuinely interested in the offering and those who are merely expressing nominal interest. It also identifies the conditions that can transform this inclination into a concrete willingness to purchase.
In the BEV concept test, we analysed both the product’s characteristics, such as range, speed, and charging times, and external factors that could influence the decision, including price, incentives, charging infrastructure, charging point availability, and resale value.
Using the ‘What-if’ module of the Ultra Concept Test, we were able to simulate various scenarios by modifying the car’s specifications and market conditions to understand how demand might evolve.
The results enabled us to identify real barriers to purchase, quantify their impact, and understand how changes to the proposal could help reduce them.
Impact on the customer
The concept test included in rEVolution – New Mobility shows how interest levels can change when moving from simple stated interest to an analysis of the actual conditions influencing choice.
In the pre-launch test for the BEV, the initial measurement of purchase intention reveals a nominal level of interest, which often risks overestimating the proposal’s true potential in concept tests.
However, by applying the Ultra Concept Test and incorporating actual barriers to purchase into the analysis, the top two boxes for purchase intention are reduced to just 0.1 per cent. This highlights just how much stated interest can change when subjected to the concrete conditions governing a potential choice.
However, the analysis does not merely capture the current situation. Using the ‘What-if’ module, it was also possible to simulate scenarios for the proposal’s future development. In an initial product development scenario, while keeping the infrastructure unchanged, the top two boxes increase to 1.2 per cent.
The value of the analysis therefore lies in shifting the focus from measuring interest to understanding the conditions that can alter it. Which product features have the greatest impact on demand? What barriers need to be overcome? What developments could help make the proposal more relevant to the market?
The company can therefore progress from asking questions such as ‘How much do people like our new product?’ to asking questions that are more useful for guiding decision-making.
- Who is genuinely interested?
- What is holding people back from buying?
- Which features of the offering could make a difference?
- And under what conditions can demand grow?
Ultra Concept Test transforms stated interest into a concrete understanding of market potential, barriers, and levers for action.
Ad hoc solution: Ultra Concept Test
Ultra Concept Test is Eumetra’s solution for assessing the market potential of new products and services by going beyond mere stated interest.
Through an integrated analysis of interest, behaviour, desired features and offered features, and thanks to the ability to simulate ‘what if’ scenarios, Ultra Concept enables you to:
- Measure the real potential of a new offering.
- Identify and profile the most interested target groups.
- Identify the main barriers to adoption.
- Understand which product features can drive demand.
- Estimate how potential may evolve as product and market conditions change.
It turns intentions into actual demand, helping you to decide how to bring an innovation closer to tomorrow’s market today.
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