Turn ideas into winning concepts.
Concept development and testing is not a single method. It is a strategic process. Haystack guides you from the very first raw idea through to a fully validated concept, combining qualitative depth, quantitative rigour, and sensory expertise at every stage of the innovation funnel.
About the solution
What is Concept Development & Testing?
A strong concept is the foundation of every successful launch. At Haystack, we don't simply test your concept. We help you build, pressure-test, and refine it through the eyes of your target consumer, from early idea generation all the way to final validation.
Our approach starts with a thorough understanding of your business question. Qualitative, quantitative, and sensory experts work together from day one, so no dimension of the concept experience goes unexamined. Whether you need to screen ten rough ideas or fine-tune one finalist concept before launch, we design the research around your objective, not the other way around.
Integrated by design
Qualitative, quantitative, and sensory capabilities work as one team at Haystack, not as separate departments handing off to each other. This means sharper alignment, faster concept iteration, and recommendations that hold up across every dimension of your concept.
Built for the full funnel
From first-stage exploration to final-stage validation, our research setups adapt to where you are in the innovation process. Every decision is grounded in the right kind of evidence, at the right stage of development.
Why concept testing gives you the edge
In a market where most new concepts never make it to shelf, evidence-based development is not a luxury, it's a competitive advantage. Haystack's concept testing frameworks give marketing, innovation, and insights teams the clarity to move faster and with confidence.
Marketing teams
Get consumer-validated concepts you can build campaigns around, not assumptions. Know what resonates, what falls flat, and why, before the brief ever leaves the room.
Innovation & R&D teams
Stress-test early-stage ideas and prototypes against real consumer reactions. Identify which directions have genuine potential, and which ones to let go of early.
Insights teams
Integrate qualitative depth and quantitative scale in a single research framework. Get outputs that speak to both the boardroom and the development lab.
Brand & category managers
Anchor concept choices in category context. Benchmark against competition, identify white spaces, and validate positioning before you commit budget.
Build concepts from consumer truth, not internal assumption
At Haystack Consulting, we don't default to a template. We build the concept testing setup that answers your specific development question, at the right stage, with the right method, and with full integrated expertise.
Ideal Partner
Why partner with Haystack Consulting for concept development and testing
Since 1974, Haystack has built its reputation on a single conviction: understanding the consumer is the foundation of commercial success. That belief drives every concept test we design.
We bring qualitative moderation, quantitative analysis, and sensory science under one roof and apply them as one team, not as separate handovers. The result is a richer, more integrated picture of what drives consumer preference at concept level.
We have validated our integrated approach across categories, markets, and client types, from fast-moving FMCG brands screening fifteen rough ideas to innovation teams validating a final concept before market launch. Whatever stage you are at, our cross-functional setup delivers the clarity to move forward with confidence.
Unique process
One team. Every stage. Every method that matters.
Concept development and testing at Haystack is structured across three capability streams, qualitative, quantitative, and sensory, each designed to answer a different dimension of the same question: does this concept win?
QUANTITATIVE — 3 METHODS
- Monadic & Sequential Concept Testing
- MaxDiff & Importance Ranking
- Conjoint Analysis
QUALITATIVE — 3 METHODS
- Focus Groups
- IDIs & Duo Interviews
- Online Communities
Brand aligned
A partner who keeps the full concept picture in view
A concept is never experienced in isolation. Consumers read positioning, packaging, benefit claims, and category cues all at once.
Integrated expertise
Qual, quant, and sensory specialists work as one team from briefing to reporting, no handover gaps, no seperate outputs, no lost nuance between methods.
Stage-appropriate design
Every setup, exploratory or validatory, monadic or sequential, focus group or community, is chosen to answer your specific business question at your specific stage of concept development.
Concept-to-product congruence
We test concept, positioning, packaging, and claims together. Because the consumer experience doesn't separate them, and neither do we.
Speed without shortcuts
Haystack's integrated team structure and research platforms allow faster concept iteration without sacrificing the research quality or depth your decisions depend on.
Concept-to-product congruence
We test concept, positioning, packaging, and claims together. Because the consumer experience doesn't separate them, and neither do we.
Speed without shortcuts
Haystack's integrated team structure and research platforms allow faster concept iteration without sacrificing the research quality or depth your decisions depend on.
How we set up and run your concept test
From first briefing to final recommendation, every step is designed to keep your innovation question at the centre. We combine methodological precision with genuine category immersion, so the insight you receive is grounded in what your consumers actually think, feel, and decide.
Alignment
We define the business question, concept stage, testing objectives, stimulus format, and the right methodology mix.
Fieldwork
Consumers engage with concepts via focus groups, IDIs, online communities, monadic tests, MaxDiff, conjoint, or a hybrid, designed around your concept and timeline.
Delivery
Outputs range from topline go/no-go reports to full strategic concept analyses with clear next-step recommendations for every stakeholder in the room.
Stimulus preparation
We review concept stimuli and, where needed, advise on how to sharpen communication before consumer exposure. A bad stimulus produces misleading data.
Analysis
Data is integrated across qualitative, quantitative, and sensory streams into a single, coherent insight set with a clear concept hierarchy and actionable development directions.
Alignment
We define the business question, concept stage, testing objectives, stimulus format, and the right methodology mix.
Stimulus preparation
Every setup, exploratory or validatory, monadic or sequential, focus group or community, is chosen to answer your specific business question at your specific stage of concept development.
Concept-to-product congruence
We test concept, positioning, packaging, and claims together. Because the consumer experience doesn't separate them, and neither do we.
Speed without shortcuts
Haystack's integrated team structure and research platforms allow faster concept iteration without sacrificing the research quality or depth your decisions depend on.
Fieldwork
Consumers engage with concepts via focus groups, IDIs, online communities, monadic tests, MaxDiff, conjoint, or a hybrid, designed around your concept and timeline.
Analysis
Data is integrated across qualitative, quantitative, and sensory streams into a single, coherent insight set with a clear concept hierarchy and actionable development directions.
Delivery
Outputs range from topline go/no-go reports to full strategic concept analyses with clear next-step recommendations for every stakeholder in the room.
Don’t just take our word for it
"Great team to work with. Always innovating research agency for sensorial research!"
"Haystack brainstorms with us as a partner to create challenging, innovative, and custom-made projects."
"We have great professional experience with Haystack! They are reliable, dynamic, pleasant and highly flexible. They are specialised in sensory research among others."
"Haystack has a critical approach embedded in their company culture and methodologies. That is why we prefer to work with Haystack."
Ready to shape your concept's story?
The strongest launches are built on the clearest consumer understanding. If you are ready to explore how an integrated concept testing setup can take your idea from promising to proven, our team would love to connect.
Frequently asked questions
How many concepts can be tested in one study?
n a monadic design, each respondent evaluates one concept — meaning the total sample size scales with the number of concepts. For qualitative work, three to four concepts is typically the productive range per session. For MaxDiff and conjoint, larger concept sets can be tested efficiently using fractional designs. We advise on the right approach based on your specific portfolio.
Can Haystack support concept testing across multiple markets?
Yes. Our online communities and quantitative setups are built for multi-market deployment, with local-language moderation, integrated translation functionality, and fieldwork networks across key European and international markets. We align on market differences and cultural nuances during the briefing phase to ensure stimuli and questions land correctly in every market.
What does a concept stimulus need to include for a valid test?
At minimum: a clear product name or descriptor, a benefit statement or positioning claim, and a visual representation (sketch, mock-up, or pack visual). The more developed the stimulus, the more actionable the feedback. We advise on stimulus standards during the alignment phase and flag ambiguities that could skew results before fieldwork begins.
Can pack testing be combined with concept and product testing?
Yes — and we recommend it. Consumers experience concept, pack, claim, and product as one moment of truth. Our hybrid setups test the full system simultaneously, giving you the congruence check that single-method studies cannot.
