Deck 13: Product Use Testing

Question 1

Throughout the new products process, marketing people advise the new products team about how the product development under way fits in with the firm's marketing capabilities and the market's needs.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Devising a method for testing the end users' experience with a new item is called _____.

A) concept testing
B) prototype testing
C) field testing
D) copy testing

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Makers of a building-block set for children put kids in a focus group room and observe how the kids play with the set. This act is an example of _____ testing.

A) use
B) opportunity
C) concept
D) market

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Beta tests are designed to tell firms about meeting customer needs and solving problems.

Question 5

Even though beta testing is the ideal test, firms anxious to save time and money or to leapfrog competitors nevertheless opt to go with gamma testing.

Question 6

Sample size is primarily a function of what is being tested.

Question 7

Beta test implementation can be done at any stage in the new products process as the product design is usually fixed before testing.

Question 8

A batch product should be used for testing alone only if the production process is prohibitively expensive.

Question 9

Firms that simply copy innovative products gain high profits due to price competition.

Question 10

In a monadic test, the respondent tests a single product for a period of time.

Question 11

A triangular comparison is sometimes called a staggered comparison.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of use testing?

A) Analyzing the expected return of a new product by the finance team
B) Technicians putting notebook computers in the hands of warehouse personnel
C) Copy testing the effectiveness of a product ad copy for baby diapers within an organization
D) Studying the attitude of consumers toward a new product idea before its launch

Question 13

Knowing a new item's brand introduces halo-image effects and may distort user reactions.

Question 14

Initial reactions of product users are important, especially on service products.

Question 15

Beta tests are primarily designed to tell if original customer needs have been met.

Question 16

In recording respondents' reactions, a five- or seven-point verbal rating scale is generally used to record basic like/dislike data.

Question 17

Which of the following is true of the use testing of a new product?

A) It should be continued until the firm is satisfied that the new product has solved the problems expressed in the original protocol.
B) It means testing a prototype of the new product under artificial conditions using control groups and focus groups.
C) It is usually stopped once a firm creates a prototype of the new product.
D) Its risks and costs are usually high compared to the loss of the earnings flow from a successful product.

Question 18

According to the "selling concept," the role of marketing was restricted to:

A) assisting in selling negotiations between a firm and a buyer.
B) customizing products as per the retail sellers' requirements.
C) conducting concept development.
D) selling the products that a firm makes.

Question 19

Product use testing is also known as _____ testing.

A) prototype viability
B) concept
C) market acceptance
D) copy

Question 20

A feature of use testing is that the prototype being tested is evaluated under normal operating conditions.

Question 21

In a _____ test, which is especially common for services, a respondent tests a single new product for a period of time.

A) monadic
B) blind
C) paired comparison
D) triangular comparison

Question 22

Beta tests are generally preceded by _____ tests.

A) gamma
B) alpha
C) pilot
D) copy

Question 23

Which of the following is true of a gamma test?

A) It works best for firms which want to leapfrog competitors.
B) To pass this test, the new item must solve the customer problems completely.
C) The test happens in a series of quick steps spanning over a period of one week.
D) Firms which need to save time, like car makers, typically go for gamma testing.

Question 24

Which of the following is a disadvantage associated with use testing?

A) The risk of a competitor obtaining the firm's product and entering the market first
B) The higher costs involved as compared to the loss of the earnings flow from a successful product
C) The high likelihood of choosing the wrong target group for the test
D) The inability of the test to follow a schematic system

Question 25

Which of the following is a disadvantage of mail methods over personal contacts?

A) They are less flexible.
B) They are costlier.
C) They take a longer period of time.
D) They are limited in terms of depth of questioning.

Question 26

Identify the advantage of using personal contacts to reach user groups instead of mail.

A) More flexibility
B) Increased depth of questioning
C) Higher speed
D) Lower costs

Question 27

Which of the following is the first thing managers should decide in a product use test?

A) They should find out the target group.
B) They should analyze the product's marketing strategy.
C) They should decide on what needs to be learnt.
D) They should do a potential problem analysis.

Question 28

In the context of product use testing, which of the following designates the ideal product use test, where an item is put through its paces and thoroughly evaluated by the end user?

A) Pre-use sense reaction
B) Beta testing
C) Gamma testing
D) Laboratory simulation

Question 29

If use testing would result in the product being second (or even third) to market, most firms would:

A) rush through a user acceptability test.
B) accept the later entry in return for a guaranteed success.
C) opt for immediate marketing.
D) abandon the product as infeasible.

Question 30

Alpha tests are generally conducted amongst:

A) regular customers outside the organization
B) employees of a firm
C) irregular customers outside the organization
D) employees of a competing firm

Question 31

Case-based research used by some software manufacturers:

A) is a very comprehensive form of product use testing that runs parallel to the software's development process.
B) begins with the investigation stage where users are encouraged to try early prototypes of the new software.
C) involves preliminary beta tests where developers interview users to learn their expectations.
D) provides knowledge from initial reactions of users to color, speed, durability, mechanical suitability, etc.

Question 32

The _____ stage of a case-based research is followed by a preliminary beta test with end users in a real work environment.

A) commencement
B) investigation
C) development
D) initialization

Question 33

_____ are short-term use tests that evaluate a product at selected external customer sites to determine if the product works free of bugs.

A) Beta tests
B) Laboratory simulations
C) Gamma tests
D) Internal alpha tests

Question 34

Which of the following user groups are likely to give more careful consideration, in use testing, than other typical users and express more accurate reactions?

A) Lab personnel
B) Stakeholders
C) Employees
D) Experts

Question 35

The first stage of case-based research is _____ during which the developer interviews users to learn their expectations and how they will likely use the product.

A) alpha testing
B) pre-use sense testing
C) investigation
D) beta testing

Question 36

Which of the following key specifics indicate that a product is likely to work in the market?

A) High levels of ease of use
B) Presence of bugs
C) High complexities of customer needs
D) Presence of target costing

Question 37

In the context of product use testing, a degree of explanation called _______, includes just the information the customer will get when actually buying the product later.

A) commercial
B) identity disclosure
C) tagline
D) full explanation

Question 38

Identify the use test that provides knowledge from initial reactions of users to color, speed, durability, mechanical suitability, etc., of a new product.

A) Reactive beta test
B) Alpha test
C) Gamma test
D) Pre-use sense reaction

Question 39

Firms that copy innovative products:

A) usually commit the innovator's mistakes as well.
B) tend to be the industry leaders.
C) typically have no imitators to worry about.
D) gain higher profits than the innovators due to price competition.

Question 40

Alton Inc. requires competitive comparisons in testing its potential product. The firm should use _____.

A) blind tests
B) beta tests
C) copy tests
D) gamma tests

Question 41

In recording respondents' reactions, the respondent is usually asked to compare the new product with another product, say, the leader or the one currently being used, or both. In this case, _____ score is used.

A) descriptive information
B) a standard
C) a preference
D) like/dislike data

Question 42

Batch product should be used alone only if:

A) information about a pilot plant is not available.
B) the production process is prohibitively expensive.
C) testers prefer comparative figures.
D) testers prefer absolute figures.

Question 43

Describe case-based research.

Question 44

If a firm plans to use only one type of use testing, products selected for testing should preferably be drawn from _____.

A) a batch
B) a laboratory
C) a pilot plant
D) final production

Question 45

Describe the four types of product use tests.

Question 46

Which of the following tests is the most sensitive?

A) Simultaneous form of paired comparison test
B) Sequential monadic test
C) Singular test
D) Side by side monadic test

Question 47

What are the various user groups available for product testing?

Question 48

What are the various disadvantages of copying an innovator's product?

Question 49

Describe beta and gamma testing.

Question 50

In a _____ test, use of the new test product is interspersed with that of a competitive product.

A) monadic
B) paired comparison
C) sequential monadic
D) triangular comparison