When it comes to ingrained behavior and sensitive topics, most people are not able or willing to say what they really think. To overcome this problem, social scientists use various implicit response measures such as Response Latency (RL) to measure associations at an unconscious level. These methods have been shown to be more accurate in uncovering true thoughts and feelings and to be superior predictors of behavior compared to standard methods of asking consumers about their preferences and beliefs.
The basic RL method primes consumers with a test object, such as a logo or brand name. Consumers then make judgments about stimuli (e.g. attributes or need states) presented on a computer screen. The faster a consumer responds, the stronger the association between the stimulus (e.g., concept word) and the primed test object. These measures provide an accurate portrait of the concepts to which a test object is most closely connected in the consumer’s mind. From this, test objects can be compared for viability, brands can discover which ideas they “own,” and behavior can be predicted more accurately. Because timed-response measures often are more reliable indicators of future behavior, they are considered a valuable new tool in marketing and product development. |
OZA has used RL to assess how consumers relate key strategic concepts to brands, products, ads and other stimuli. Because it is computer-based, RL can be deployed rapidly across multiple markets or countries using online technologies.
Sample Primes: Products, product designs, brand names or logos, prices, storyboards, ad elements, concept statements
Sample Test Concepts: Emotional drivers, reasons to buy, product or brand attributes, intended benefits |
