When should trial = purchase on a new product?
Posted by Lyn from Buffalo, NY, US on May 11, 2007
Hi Jesse,
I’ve been sampling a “new” liquor for a year in bars and liquor stores in a select US market . The product is new to the US, but the National shot of Hungary since 1790! Our target consumers LOVE it, prefering it to other shot brands, but are not calling for it yet.
This is my first product launch and I would like to know how long before we see sales. Where can I find info on other brands and the time it took for sales?
Thank you!
Typically you should see a lift after a normal category purchase cycle. That is, if a product is typically purchased every two weeks, you ought to see a lift after consumers have consumed their current supply and need to replenish.
Some considerations:
First, how many people actually tried your samples? You need to hit a critical mass, enough people to create a real demand for a product. As a rule of thumb, you should generate trial among no less than 20% of your target (and within a reasonable period of time.)
Second, is the product readily available at either retail or on-premise? Can consumers easily find and purchase the product? Your consumers may need a trigger to remind them how much they liked the product.
Last, we always have a healthy skepticism about consumer responses, especially if captured at the time of trial. If they "love it", in reality, they "liked it"; if they say they "liked it", it was probably somewhere above average.
