How do you tell someone their baby is ugly?

It's not easy to tell someone their baby is ugly - and why would you want to when their parents love them so much? Researchers face a similar dilemma when asked to provide feedback on client concepts. From the researchers’ perspective, a lot of concepts we see are unloved and not given the time and attention they deserve. Concepts are the reduction of a product or service to its most distilled form, giving everyone - the consumer included - a clearly defined explanation of why they should stop in their tracks and take notice. Without this how will any new innovation cut through into the consumer repertoire, let alone challenge the exalted status of their 'most often' category purchase? Without a clear explanation of why a consumer needs 'product X' in their life, how it differs from what else is out there and how it justifies its price, a concept stands little chance of surviving. Fitting everything into 150 words in compelling, resonant language is a skill in itself. When you love your child, and everything about them, how can you sum them up in such a short space? With concepts, don’t think of it as doing them a disservice: see it as focusing on their best quality. If you can’t write it succinctly, or when you do write it, it looks like other products that already exist… well, you’ve probably hit the nail on the head, as that’s likely how consumers will react. All too often concepts struggle for attention in the development stages when up against their better looking sibling (packaging), or the louder one (advertising). Unfortunately this path leads to a disappointed consumer - influenced by pack and compelling advertising it’s likely to lead to a trial purchase and no more, with an outside chance of long-term in-market success as consumers revert back to their most often bought product. Concept development isn’t easy, often travelling well-worn paths (a healthy/pocket-sized version of product X), areas that are immediate turn-offs for the target consumer (such as 'me-time' for mums) and the often relied on tactic of 'brand-propping' - using a brand to keep the concept afloat when it would otherwise sink without a trace. Research is often the necessary evil to justify decisions - the 'safety in numbers' approach to the world, grudgingly invited to the party but only because it has to be there. Research just isn’t seen as being as exciting, sexy or fun as the other aspects of product development. But the numbers are there to be a proving ground, not to hinder innovation: get out there and test the kernel of the idea as two or three sentences for consumers to respond to. Be as radical as you like, ideas that don’t work right now are likely to be worth returning to in the future - nothing ventured, nothing gained. Consumer research can then nurture these to the next stage, to add value and notice the watch-outs from consumers as the idea goes from development to product.

The right research can help your concepts thrive - after all, who doesn’t want to watch their beautiful babies grow up and find their place in the world?

Jonathan Weeks is a director at Ipsos Marketing . This article was originally written for Brand Republic's Think BR blog.