When it comes to product testing and sensory research, understanding customer preferences needs to evolve beyond simple appeal and purchase intent scales.
Manufacturers need to know which features or products resonate most with their target market to make informed decisions. One effective technique for gaining these insights is Maximum Difference Scaling, referred to as MaxDiff.
What is MaxDiff?
MaxDiff is a survey-based research method used to measure the preference of different items. In the context of a product or taste test, it asks respondents to choose their most and least favourite from a given set. This replicates a real world dilemma... MaxDiff forces consumers to make that choice and reflects this in the data. It has long being used in online survey research to select a preferred marketing message or product feature.
How does it work in product testing?
- In a MaxDiff test, participants are presented with a series of sets of products. For each set, they must select which they consider the best and which they consider the worst. Usually there would be between 3 and 5 samples to choose from at a time.
- As participants go through multiple sets, they provide insights into their preferences. Some of the sets will present them with products they have tested already, but against different products in that set. The choices made across all sets offer a robust view of which items are consistently favoured or disliked.
- The data is analysed using statistical models to produce a preference score for each item. These scores indicate the relative importance of each item to the respondents.
Why Use it?
MaxDiff offers several advantages over traditional rating scales:
- Discrimination: By forcing a choice between best and worst, MaxDiff helps in distinguishing between items more clearly. Respondents are less likely to give noncommittal answers, such as rating everything as ‘important’ to them.
- Simplicity: The task of choosing the best and worst items is straightforward and less cognitively taxing than ranking a long list of items or assigning ratings.
- Validity: MaxDiff provides more reliable and valid results as it reduces bias and better captures true preference.
Applications of MaxDiff in Product Testing
MaxDiff is versatile and can be used in various aspects of product testing:
- Product Concept Testing: Before launching a new product, companies can test different concepts to see which one is most appealing to their target audience.
- Brand Positioning: MaxDiff can help in understanding how different attributes are perceived and valued, aiding in positioning the brand effectively in the market.
- Packaging Design: Companies can test various packaging designs to determine which ones are most likely to attract consumers.
MaxDiff is a valuable methodology to be able to utilise; by revealing the relative importance of different items, it helps researchers and manufacturers make data-driven decisions that align with customer preferences and the decisions both conscious and unconscious that they make every day.
Whether you are developing new products, refining flavours of current ones or creating a new packaging design MaxDiff provides clear, actionable insights that can drive success in the competitive marketplace.
