Methodology > Private sector > Product and service tests

Private sector

Product and service tests

The first element to be tested before the launch is the product itself. A product test enables the product to be modified to reinforce its strengths, limit its weaknesses, and enhance/ finalize the marketing mix to match customer needs. The product features to a large extent determine the type of test, which can give quite different results according to the situation:

Comparative test vs. stand-alone test

• A comparative product test compares 2 offerings, for example, an existing well-established product and the test product. Or a “round robin” that compares each product against all the others. The advantage of this method is that it obtains a relative, more realistic measure. The drawback is that the features themselves can potentially influence the product being tested.
  
  
• A stand alone test is used to test the product in isolation. Its own qualities are evaluated without comparison to existing products.