The Challenge
A client, Manufacturer X, wanted to accelerate their speed to market, reduce cost of innovation, and drive topline growth based on their trade spend when it came to promotions. In this specific case, they were looking to introduce a display to aid category shopability and wanted to test “good” “better” and “best” display concepts. With “best” being the most expensive option, the client hypothesized it would deliver the highest ROI.
The Method
Manufacturer X planned to order 25,000 displays for the new campaign. Historically, they would hire an agency to develop design concepts, wait for feedback from promotional leadership, and work with the display provider to revise and produce two or three physical prototypes. These would then be reviewed in the office without any context of how they would play out in-store, where they would be merchandised, if they stood out amongst other displays, etc.
Instead, they decided to use VR simulations to test three different display concepts provided by their creative agency. Using ShopperMX™, the client was able to take the three levels of execution designs and test their impact with shoppers before placing the order.
While traditional research methods may cost upwards of $150,000 to evaluate 2 to 3 prototypes and can take months, ShopperMX™ can provide a low cost option with quantitative results related to sales performance in a matter of days.
The Results
Through quick, iterative virtual tests, Manufacturer X learned, contrary to the initial hypothesis, the simple execution performed best. By investing in the simple instead of the complex design, the client saved $40 per display for total savings of $1,000,000.
The client quickly executed the winning concept in stores using video materials for sales teams, maximizing speed to market and quickly capturing topline growth from the display investment.
