Recent Developments in Conceptual Profiling

This chapter describes the nature of conceptual associations and considers how these often-hidden aspects of product, package, and brand might influence longer-term product adoption. It is written against a backdrop that acknowledges that most new products fail in-market, despite favorable research findings prelaunch. Consequently, product developers and research practitioners need to find new ways of exploring what really influences longer-term product adoption and how these might be captured and quantified in evaluative product research. This is where conceptual profiling can make a significant contribution. The chapter begins by explaining the etiology of product failure followed by a description of the fundamental nature of conceptual associations, how these relate to emotion, how emotion delivers reward, and finally how reward influences longer-term product choices. This is followed by a detailed description of conceptual profiling along with several practical applications. The final part of the chapter elaborates upon some new ideas on how conceptual associations can be used to predict the otherwise inaccessible emotional outcomes that finally determine longer-term product adoption.