B7 Innovation has worked with RDSI to develop the first quantitative research technique that puts system 1 thinking at its heart – allowing consumers to intuitively select their favourite ideas much as they do in real life. This initial system 1 phase is followed by a second phase where participants explain what in particular they liked about their favourite ideas to add richness & depth. No other methodology can test so many themes & expressions of themes whilst accessing consumers’ emotional AND rational mindsets. Nor can any other quant technique do so as economically or as fast.
The key to getting consumer system 1 reaction to an idea is to give them too little time to think. In total, 60 Adcepts (a standardised format that resembles a rough press ad) are tested on 800 respondents. Each one sees 30 Adcepts, 5 or 6 per screen. They quickly select their favourite from each screen, with the ‘intelligent’ algorithm ranking the strongest ideas using multiple permutations. This process produces a ‘Golden Score’ for each Adcept, expressing it as an index against the other 59 competing Adcepts.
The Golden Score is powerful because it is based on system 1 thinking, making it a more meaningful measure. Consumers are intuitively combining standout, relevance to them, persuasion/ positive brand message, attractive personality & tone. Golden Scores can be mapped by theme area or to compare different geographical markets researched. However, the killer chart is the one that maps the star performers. On this chart, winning Adcepts are mapped to show three key attributes: Their Golden Score; how different each Adcept is considered; and how much standout each Adcept has. This chart is so powerful because it crystallises at a glance the relative strengths of the strongest Adcepts chosen by consumers in system 1 mode.
These raw scores are then supported with consumer panel reaction to bespoke questions about each individual piece of stimulus. This shows what consumers liked (and didn’t like) about an Adcept or aspect of an Adcept, producing verbatim comments that bring the discussion to life.
B7 partner Paul Tidmarsh comments “For clients interested in finding the most compelling expression of an innovation, brand positioning or communications strategy, there is now a quant methodology that gets inside both consumers hearts and minds, can show an enormous breadth of creative exploration & do all this quickly & affordably. We think your system 1 & system 2 thinking will be very pleased with the results!”