A short presentation from Brand Genetics on how to develop compelling new product concepts by reverse engineering the Nielsen BASES concept test

1. How to Beat Nielsen
BASES Concept Tests

2. Nielsen BASES is the market leader in new consumer product
concept testing (50%+ market share)
SIMULATED TEST
MARKETING

3. So innovation teams need to understand how to beat BASES
concept tests to get their innovations to market
Concept test for quantifying new
product potential and optimizing a
consumer proposition
Concept + Prototype test for
quantifying new product
potential and optimizing a
consumer proposition
Concept test for assessing new
product potential and optimizing a
consumer proposition (Concept
Potential Score)

4. Beating BASES concept tests improves the chances of innovation
success because test results are linked to future sales

5. BASES tests can rank different product concepts based on market
potential and predict 1st year sales (+/-20%)

6. In essence BASES tests are simple: show concepts to an online
panel of consumers and ask ‘would you buy this?’

7. BASES is based on the insight that ‘intent to purchase’ is the best
predictor of future buying behaviour (vs. attitudes, values or needs)

8. This insight is a useful starting point for concept ideation. Build
new concepts around top category purchase drivers!

9. This means doing three things; first ideate around what makes
people trial new products in your target category

10. Then to identify new opportunities, generate ideas around what
prompts brand switching and lapsing in your target category

11. Finally focus ideation on what prompts people to buy in greater
volume or more often (purchase volume and frequency)

12. To understand and ideate around these purchase drivers, you can
research and co-create with category experts and consumers

13. Since intention to purchase is an imperfect predictor, BASES
calibrates test scores based on normative (SAMI-Burke) data

14. In calibrating scores, BASES also uses perceptions about fair price
(value rating), believability, distinctiveness and likeability

15. So after a first round of ideation, develop concepts to ensure
believability, likeability, distinctiveness and value

16. Then, when you have candidate concepts, run a concept
optimisation workshop with experts and consumers

17. This concept optimisation workshop should focus on the above
questions, drawn from the BASES test itself
How could we improve this concept so it appears more
new, distinctive or different from other products?
How could we modify this concept so people will want to
buy it more frequently?
How could we tweak this concept so people would want
to buy multiple units?
How could we help this concept appear more believable?
How could we update this concept so it appears better
value for money?
Overall, is there anything we could change to make the
concept more appealing and likeable?
How could we present this concept so it matches closer
to top category purchase drivers?

18. That’s it! Follow this simple plan and you’ll be creating BASES-
beating new product concepts!

19. To find out more about developing BASES-beating
innovation concepts, talk to us at Brand Genetics.
It’s what we do.
Brand Genetics Ltd
31 Windmill Street • London • W1T 2JN
http://brandgenetics.com @brand_genetics
andrew.christopers@brandgenetics.com
tom.ellis@brandgenetics.com
+44 (0)20 7700 2700

20. References:
Clancy, K, Krieg, P Mcgarry Wolf, M (2006) Market New Products Successfully: Using Simulated Test
Market Technology (Lexington)
Korotkov, N. and Occhiocupo, N. (2011) Simulated Test Marketing in FMCG
Nielsen (2009) Winning with innovation: An introduction to BASES http://faculty.msb.edu/homak/
homahelpsite/webhelp/Nielsen_-__BASES_Overview.pdf
Nielsen (2011) How Companies can Select Winning Ideas and Forecast Sales Before Launching New
Products www.case-club.ru/files/presentations/Nielsen_BASES_presentation.ppt
Nielsen (2012) The Breakthrough Innovation Report http://nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/
campaigns/select-summit/BreakthroughInnovationReport_2012.pdf
Nielsen (2007) BASES SnapShot http://nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsen/en_ca/documents/pdf/
fact_sheets/SnapShot.pdf
Nielsen (2009) BASES I http://nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsen/en_us/documents/pdf/Fact%20Sheets/
Nielsen%20BASES%20I.pdf
Nielsen (2009) BASES II http://nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsen/en_us/documents/pdf/Fact
%20Sheets/Nielsen%20BASES%20II.pdf
Neilsen (2009) BASES E-Panel http://nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsen/en_us/documents/pdf/Fact
%20Sheets/Nielsen%20BASES%20ePanel.pdf
Neilsen (2004) BASES See Tomorrow Today http://indiana.edu/~jobtalk/ppt/SCOOPs/2004.../
ACNielsenBASES.ppt
Wherry, J.S. (2006) Simulated Test Marketing: It’s Evolution and Current State in the Industry MIT MBA
Thesis
Willke, J. (2002) The Future of Simulated Test Marketing ESOMAR