Concept testing asks people what they think of an idea before it is built or launched: a product, a pack, an ad, a name or a claim. Numbers tell you which concept wins. Reactions tell you why. On Zolensa, participants see each concept on their phone, as a picture, a video or a link, record a short video reaction, and answer the same ratings and grids, so you get both in one study and can show the client the real faces behind the scores.
When to use concept testing
- Early ideas: which territories are worth developing.
- Product and pack concepts: appeal, clarity, believability and fit with the brand.
- Advertising and messages: first impressions of an ad or a message, what people take away, and what puts them off.
- Names and claims: what a name suggests, and whether a claim is believed.
- Several markets: the same concepts in different languages and cultures.
How a study runs on Zolensa
- One concept per task. Upload the concept board, pack picture or ad to the task, and write a short line about it in the instructions. Participants see it above the questions and can tap a picture to see it larger. The first question asks: "What is your first reaction? Record a short video."
- Ask the same measures each time. A rating for appeal, a grid for clarity, relevance and believability, and a choice for purchase intent. Use a 0 to 10 scale for a recommendation score.
- Rotate the order. Put participants into groups and give each group the concepts in a different order, to reduce order effects.
- Ask why. Show a follow-up question only to people who rate low, such as "What would make this better for you?"
- Compare at the end. A last task asks people to choose their favourite and say why in a voice note.
- Analyse. Export ratings to CSV, see grid answers counted on the Analysis tab, and let AI suggest themes for each concept with quotes and clips.
Zolensa features that help
- Pictures, videos and links in the task. Upload boards, pack shots and ads, or link to a page. Show each market its own version by choosing a language for each picture.
- Video reactions. Facial expressions and tone add what scores miss. Set a short maximum, such as 60 seconds, to keep reactions spontaneous.
- Grid questions. Several attributes rated on the same scale in one question, quick to answer on a phone.
- Conditional questions. Show a question only after a matching answer.
- Groups. Different concept orders or concept sets per group.
- Translations. Translate tasks, questions and options with AI, and check each language on a phone preview.
- Highlight reels. Put the strongest reactions to each concept into one video for the client.
Plan for these
- Design for a phone screen. Boards with large text and one clear picture work best. Participants can enlarge a picture, but long lists of benefits are hard to read on a phone. Videos can be up to 10 minutes; short ads work best.
- First reaction first. Ask for the spontaneous video before any rating, so the scales do not shape what people say.
- Same wording in every language. Translate the concept text with care and have a native speaker check it. Upload a board for each language when the text is on the board itself. Zolensa shows every language on a phone preview.
- Mind confidentiality. Unlaunched ideas are sensitive. Put confidentiality in your consent form as a required tick box.
