In-Home Usage Test (HUT)
In-home usage test is a research method where products are provided to a respondent's house for a certain period to be used and evaluated, which is perfect when assessment is needed after the long-term use of cosmetics, daily life products, seasonings, etc.What Is In-Home Usage Test?
This test enables consumers to evaluate products in a real-life setting by providing them directly to respondents' homes, which allows researchers to have more chances to collect data reflecting the actual conditions in the market. Due to the characteristics, including family members, people living with respondents can also join and take the test. In-home usage test is suitable for products that obtain stable evaluations by being continuously used since this research is often conducted for a long time, where researchers can observe the process. Products suitable for this test are cosmetics, daily life products such as shampoo, health supplement products, etc., because they are likely to be used constantly in actual life.
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Features of ASMARQ's IHUT
Management of Confidential Information on Products
ASMARQ recruits only those who signed a non-disclosure agreement and agreed to return products after they try them. We will count and check the number of products when we receive them from your company and confirm it with a checkup list when we collect them from respondents. Trust us for your in-home usage test. We have dealt with a good number of surveys of this type.Know-How for Packing, Sending, and Picking Up
We take care of all the delicate process of packing, sending, and picking up. Your test products will be delivered safely and securely with our know-how for treating, packing, and sending products becuase we cooperate with logistics companies, and safety and hygiene control is heavily focused. Let us deal with preparations including blinding, printing enclosures and label stickers, stapling, numbering, preparing return envelopes and COD invoices for returning, sticking stickers, enclosing and packaging test products, etc.Precise Instructions to Target Respondents
Our precise instructions guide respondents to use your test products properly. With our know-how accumulated through top-class performances in this field, we design and send proper instructions to respondents and lead them to use and rotate products in the right way that matches your intention.Large Scale Questionnaire Panels
With our top-level scale of survey panels, including ASMARQ's private panels consisting of 1,000,000 panelists and affiliated panels composed of 18 million members, we can connect with the target survey respondents hard to recruit.Occasions for Making Use of IHUT
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Evaulation for Acceptability of New Products
The in-home usage test will show the acceptability of new products. This survey enables researchers to evaluate how much your customers will accept the products (purchase intentions).
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Concept and Peformance Testing
This method shows you how much the performances of your new product matches the concept.
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Making Consumers Switch from the Products of Competitors
When there are multiple product candidates, the in-home usage test allows you to analyze which one can be accepted and if it is possible to make users switch from competitors' products, which leads you to choose the best product from the candidates.
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Comparative Evaluation of Competitors' Products and Yours
By evaluating both competitors' products and yours comparatively, you can check how the competitors' products perform as well as yours. Having respondents try the existing products on sale enables you to figure out what is needed to be improved to grow their strengths.
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Checking What Is Needed to Be Improved In the Existing Products
Having respondents try the existing products on sale enables you to figure out what is needed to be improved to grow their strengths.
Example projects
In-home use test on food
| Research topic |
Blind tests to evaluate the taste of the client’s product and the competitor’s product
(proto-monadic method) |
|---|---|
|
Product collection after research |
no |
| Criteria |
women aged 20-39 who are living in Tokyo and buy snacks at least 3 times a week at a convenience store or supermarket
(also check if they have any allergies) |
| Products | 2 products, with rotation |
| Number of samples | 108ss |
| Quota | even quota per generation |
| Period | 3 days |
| Deliverables | Raw data |
In-home use test on beverages
| Research topic |
Blind tests to evaluate the taste of the client’s product and the competitor’s product
(sequential monadic method) |
|---|---|
|
Product collection after research |
yes |
| Criteria |
men and women aged 20-40 who are living in Tokyo and drink a particular beverage once or more a week
(also check if they have any allergies) |
| Products | 3 products, with rotation |
| Number of samples | 220ss |
| Quota | 36 or 37ss for each generation |
| Period | 3 days |
| Deliverables | Raw data/simple tally/cross-tabulation/ /results of the tests |
In-home use test on everyday products
| Research topic |
Evaluation of the client’s hair-care product
(Sequential monadic method) ※With preliminary research in the form of an online diary and an interview by phone |
|---|---|
|
Product collection after research |
yes |
| Criteria |
women aged 20-40, nationwide,
who experience an itchy/irritated scalp |
| Products | 3 hair-care products with rotation |
| Number of samples | 220ss |
| Quota | 73 or 74ss per generation |
| Period | 9 days |
| Deliverables | Raw data/simple tally/cross tabulation /test results |
Some examples of
products suitable for IHUT
- Products participants should use at home, e.g., shampoo (something to clean) or black tea (which the consumer usually enjoys in a relaxing environment)
- Products participants should constantly use for several days, e.g., daily care products like body cream or an electronic device like a microwave
- Products family members should use, e.g., baby products like a baby bottle, or foods and spices
