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Socratic VisualDifferentiatorSM
Description: The VisualDifferentiator provides a tool for screening and grouping numerous design concepts based on similarity or dissimilarity. This tool provides a mechanism similar to a traditional technique used in focus groups wherein respondents are asked to first group things into similar piles, and then describe what characteristics they have in common (i.e. the rational as to why they "belong" together.)
Characteristics: The VisualDifferentiator provides an interface for first viewing then putting "thumbnails" of packages, products, brands or designs into boxes according to some metric devised by the respondent. Following the sorting process, (during which the designs may be moved between groups multiple times) the respondent will be asked to review each group, provide a one or two word "name" for the group, then write an open-ended description about what the elements have in common. Following this step, the respondent might be asked to provide a rating on inter-group similarities or dissimilarity (i.e., "How similar is group 1 to group 2?")
Output: Once analyzed, the output from the VisualDifferentiator provides free-form product and brand segmentation schemes based on numerous user-based criteria. Typical analysis will provide:
- What products/brands are considered to be most alike? Why?
- What are the unique ways that various sub-groups classify brands in this category?
- How different, in fact, are the classification groups? Are we splitting hairs?
- What group attributes are most likely to drive purchase intent?
- Are there any products/brands that are in a class by themselves? Is that good or bad?
Because the VisualDifferentiator uses free association to group things into similar categories; any sets of brands, products, people, words, etc. can be used as variables in this type of test. This tool is often used prior to the construction of a quantitative segmentation questionnaire, because it helps to reveal unique, perhaps unimagined, methods by which people make comparisons and differentiate between elements.
As stated above, the first step in the process is to allow people to sort elements into categories of their own making. The group constituents are, in and of themselves, a deliverable finding from the test. The sets into which brands, products, etc. can be sorted may reveal associations and similitudes that are not always apparent.
The most important aspect of this exercise is that respondents are asked to describe (unaided) the sets that they have created. The labels that are assigned to the various groupings are potential candidates for segmentation attributes. Analysis of the verbiage can also help refine the colloquial conceptualizations of the market segmentation dimensions and may suggest unique ways that customers classify and decide between brand and product options. It can also be used to detect emerging and/or small segment niches.
