For those of us blessed enough to work in market research, last minute rush orders and tight timelines aren’t new. In the whirlwind of coming up with a new product design, identity, or launch strategy, it sometimes dawns on even the most rigorous marketing team that a check-in with the target audience is good policy.

Recently a long-standing client in the financial services arena reached out to us when one of their team members expressed concern about the identity being developed for a new product, specifically that it may inadvertently denote a high-end (i.e. poor value) product.

Despite the late start, Concerto developed an approach that would provide them the certainty they desired within the timeline available. Utilizing an online omnibus tool we quickly surveyed a representative sample of Canadian consumers measuring their perceptions of and reaction to this financial product using the new identity (the test) as well as an alternative identity (the control).

Within 48 hours of the survey closing, the Concerto team had analysed the metrics and presented the findings to our client. The results were striking and, to the client’s relief, allayed concerns about the new identity. With only a few day’s delay they were able to proceed with the identity as planned, though with much greater confidence and buy-in from all members of the team.

This study highlights three important lessons about consumer insight and its place in decision making:

1. Vetting a concept, product design, or identity through consumer research is an easy and cost-effective way to increase your product’s chances of success

2. It is (almost) never too late to leverage consumer feedback in pursuit of better decisions

3. Research is highly scalable and solutions exist to fit almost any timeline and budget

For us at Concerto it is further proof that marketing with certainty is the way to go.