How can you use survey research to measure the impact of a new product?

To gauge the impact of a new product through survey research, design targeted questionnaires assessing customer satisfaction, usage patterns, and perceived value. Include metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) to evaluate overall satisfaction and likelihood of recommendation. Collect feedback on specific features and improvements. Implement pre-and post-launch surveys for comparative analysis. Analyze the gathered data to identify trends and insights, providing a comprehensive understanding of the product's reception and areas for enhancement.

For a new product, you need to make sure research impacts many areas: -new customer reach/lead generation -product performance (issues/defects, benefits) -pricing (margins, expenses) -how much will product be used -customer service -NET promoter score -potential for upselling/issues for upselling -general feedback for improving product

As with all research studies, defining the objectives is the most critical stage. Based on 20 years experience of using research to assess the impact of a new product launch, here are the most popular research objectives that clients have in such a scenario: - Awareness/Saliency of the new product and that of its launch communications - Consideration: How many are open to purchasing the product, if they have not done so yet? - Trial: How many have purchased it at least 1x? - Repeat: For FMCG products, how many have repurchased it? - Satisfaction level: How happy/unhappy are they with their product usage experience? - Recommendation/Word of mouth: Have they already/are they going to recommend to others? - Lapsers: What are the barriers?

Determine what you want to learn from the survey. Are you measuring customer satisfaction, gauging interest in product features, or assessing the overall market reception?

Defining objectives seems simple but is often rushed. Based on my experience, if enough time is not set up clearing defining and aligning on the objectives, the surveys impact is minimized. When measuring and understanding the impact and performance of a new product, I like to start with verified buyers of the product. From there, I seek to understand: 1. Experience with the product 2. Repurchase intent Based on responses to those two questions, I'll tailor the rest of the survey for deeper understanding of those answers.

Think about mirror-testing your inquiries. Assume a colleague is your target audience and ask them to complete your survey. Did they fully comprehend everything? Did it come naturally? Their opinions will be invaluable. Before going public, a small-scale pilot test is conducted. Excellent surveys are concise, interesting, and worthy of everyone's time just like excellent conversations.

AI's write-up is too generic and not useful for this specific scenario - measuring the impact of a new product launch. Key research design consideration here is: How do I find those few people who have heard about and or used the product? Most new launches' fates are sealed within first 3 months of launch so the marketers have a short window to fix any issues post-launch. They need research to know it. Since almost all new launches have very limited penetration in the first few months, it's quite challenging to find people who have used the product so that they can be researched. Hence, non-probabilistic sampling methods e.g. convenience sampling (e.g. recruitment at purchase points), customers lists based sampling etc need to be employed

You should be taking your survey respondent on a journey. Of course, don't lead them on that journey with biased questions - that will backfire. Appropriate & structured questions in phases in the best approach. Always start of with simple multiple choice and dine into more complex grid, ranking and agree/diagree style questions. Open-ended questions are very beneficial but should be limited to just a small # of questions - otherwise you'll have too many responses to interpret and this can lead to error.

Design Your Survey: Create a well-structured survey that captures the necessary information about the new product's impact. Overview: Develop a questionnaire that aligns with your defined objectives. How to do it: Craft questions that explore different facets of the product's impact, considering both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Benefits: Ensure your survey gathers comprehensive data to assess the desired impact. Challenges: Keep the survey concise to maintain participant engagement. Examples: Include questions about product usage, satisfaction, and likelihood of recommending to others.

After the objectives are clearly defined we can design a survey. Should it contain close ended or open ended questions. How much of multi level probing in required. In what form should a survey be taken. Likert scale can be used here. We should also avoid leading questions as this would push respondents in a certain direction. Also make sure 2 questions shouldn't be clubbed in a single question.

Again the AI's write-up is too generic and not useful for anyone looking at measuring the impact of a new product launch. In fact it's almost incorrect in stating that "your sample should be representative of your target population". Need for true representation is valid for most research studies but post-launch research is unique. In the early period post launch, there is such a small pool of consumers/customers in the population that trying to get a representative sampling within them is in reality an impractical wish. The best the researcher can attempt to do is to ensure that the sampling method is not so biased that it starts to impact the reliability of the findings

The sample population for a new product-focused survey starts with a larger group of respondents than you need. Then, you can remove those who aren’t a perfect fit and your new audience will be focused and ready for the comprehensive research study. Email and phone recruitment remains at the forefront of this type of research and social channels are slowly gaining momentum. The surveys need to be clear and quick - easy to understand.

Select Your Sample: Choose a representative group of participants for your survey to ensure accurate and applicable results. Overview: Decide who will participate in your survey based on your target audience. How to do it: Use demographic information and customer profiles to guide your sample selection. Benefits: Obtain insights that reflect the views of your broader customer base. Challenges: Ensure diversity in your sample to avoid biased results. Examples: If your new product targets a specific age group, ensure your sample includes participants from that range.

Selecting a representative sample for a survey is crucial to ensure that the collected data is reflective of the actual population. Most accurate would be customers who have already tried the new product. Locate them in the feedbacks and ratings section and see if they are willing to be respondents in the survey. Convenience sampling may be appropriate, especially if access to the entire population is challenging. However, be aware that this method may introduce bias as it relies on easily accessible individuals.

The AI's write-up is generic for any research and not specific to a study aiming to measure the impact of a new product launch

Checking your survey instrument prior to fielding is a no brainer. Expect a flaw somewhere along the lines and fix it. Next, conduct a “soft-launch” and send the survey to a small population of your estimated total number of respondents. 10% on day 1 is a good target - see how fast/slow they respond and adjust you outreach to new respondents if needed.

Decide how you will distribute your survey. Options include online surveys, telephone interviews, or face-to-face interactions. The method should align with where your audience is most likely to engage.

Conduct Your Survey: Execute your survey following a systematic approach to gather reliable data. Overview: Administer your survey to the selected participants. How to do it: Use various channels, such as online platforms, email, or in-person interviews, based on your audience. Benefits: Collect responses efficiently, considering the preferences of your chosen sample. Challenges: Ensure clarity in survey instructions to minimize misinterpretations. Examples: Distribute online surveys through email links or conduct phone interviews for specific customer segments.

Choose Survey Distribution Channels: Determine the most effective channels for survey distribution. This could include email invitations, social media, your company website, or even in-person interviews. Select channels that align with your target audience's habits. Incentives and Rewards: Consider offering incentives to encourage participation. This could be discounts on the new product. Timing and Frequency: Choose an appropriate timing for your survey launch becomes very crucial as this is a new product launch. Promote the Survey: Create awareness about your survey through various promotional channels. Utilize your company's social media accounts, email newsletters, and any other relevant platforms to maximize reach.

Is there anything unique in the AI's writeup that makes it specific for the analysis stage of a study done to measure the impact of a new product? Unfortunately, No. My advice will be to: 1. Include the findings from the 'incidence-check' which will help answer the key question that the audience would have from a study like this - What proportion of the total targetable population a. Heard of my product b. Tried it c. Will purchase it again 2. Make sure that you are making it very clear what is the definition of the 'sample base' for each of the information area is

Analyze Your Data: Examine the collected data to draw meaningful conclusions about the impact of the new product. Overview: Use statistical tools or qualitative analysis methods, depending on your survey format. How to do it: Look for patterns, correlations, and trends in the data related to your defined objectives. Benefits: Derive insights that inform the success or areas for improvement of the new product. Challenges: Ensure data accuracy and consider external factors that may influence the results. Examples: Calculate satisfaction scores, identify key trends in customer feedback, or compare data before and after product launch.

Analysis is just as important as developing the best questionnaire for the study. I view them equally. One doesn't work without the other. You should be watching the raw data while in field and have an idea of where the trends are. Look at the subset data categories as they hold the key to many of the great findings. If you are waiting for all the data to come in and then develop the analysis - I would suggest changing your ways and watch the data while in field to get more involved in the analysis. Your client is paying for this so it is crucial to review these numbers for as long as possible in order to see the unique trends and patterns.

Once the survey period is complete, analyze the data systematically. Look for key insights and data that can gauge the impact of the new product launch. Consider using statistical tools for a more in-depth analysis. See if the respondents are willing be repeat buyers. Check for improvements suggested. See if you have got your launching strategy right. For e.g. the pricing, availability, have target the right audience and was it launched at a right place etc

Add a narrative or explanation for data tabulation. This should include a detailed description of the data and statistics used to answer the research question or test the hypothesis.

Dive into the nuances of all the data. Meaning - don’t skip out on sharing key findings across industries/sectors, various price point options and much more. Often these types of research projects end up high level and full of raw numbers. That doesn’t help too much. Look to share “next steps” and help guide the client forward.

The survey should help you refine and polish your product/strategy, giving your work more credibility while adding weight to any marketing recommendations you offer.

Question designing, identifying target audience, receiving maximum responses, and analysing all responses, all are the critical steps of the survey. So, survey should have the questions covering aspects of challenges and benefits of the product to measure its impact.

Always look at existing competitors and their products, review those first and then develop the approach research for your client.

To measure the impact of a new product before even beginning the launch it's important to define where you are, so I would recommend running research on your existing position then launching the product and then running the research afterwards in order to accurately measure how much impact a product has had. It's important to conduct research at the beginning because the product can be tweaked in line with the initial feedback to maximise positive impact in line with consumer needs.