It sounds so simple. Ask consumers to evaluate a bunch of names or packaging options and pick a winner from the bunch. Taking a straight forward approach to this type of research is easy and common, but you would be missing potential improvement opportunities and a more complete understanding of how your potential customers are evaluating products and making selections.

With the Engage online research platform, we use a healthy mix of qualitative and quantitative questioning to create scorecards and examine the functional and emotional reactions that people have to your potential product names and package designs. We also provide the ability to react to participant-generated ideas in real-time and send new questions directly to individual participants or the whole group.

Packaging: Our approach to package testing determines the implied and explicit messages that are conveyed to consumers and their subsequent impact on buying behaviors. Using concept rotation, participants evaluate and rank more package designs than in traditional settings without order bias, so you can better understand:

• What the package tells consumers—functionally and emotionally
  
• Brand and category fit
• Visual and text clarity and appeal
• Perceived shelf presence
• Competitive uniqueness, strengths, and weaknesses
• Likely impact of package design on purchase intent and word of mouth
• Category and product usage
• Barriers to trial and improvement opportunities

Naming: Our approach to name testing recognizes that there are essentially two types of product names—descriptive and suggestive or fanciful. If the name is descriptive, we use open and closed ended questioning to determine:

• Clarity and accuracy of message
• Fit with the brand and product
• Product appeal
• Drivers and barriers of appeal
• Relative impact of options on information seeking and trial
  

When testing suggestive or fanciful names (for example, Google) we take a more heavily qualitative approach, using associations and projective techniques to ask potential customers what images, feelings, etc. the name creates in the abstract. We then put the name in context of a product description and category to determine if associations are still prevalent or if they have changed.

Finally, we determine whether or not the names fit the product features and benefits, brand, and target audience so you can maximize your chances of success.