Stimulus
Material shown or tried in the session: a concept, an ad, a package, a product or a price.
Why does it matter for a brand?
People react differently to something they see or touch than to a description. A well-chosen stimulus turns an abstract question, such as "would you be interested?", into a concrete reaction, and shows what is understood, what is believed and what bothers people. Order matters too: the first stimulus colors how the next ones are seen.
How does WAV handle it?
We choose the stimuli with the brand, starting from the decision, and the guide sets when each one is shown. When there are several, rotate the order across groups so the first does not color the rest, and each person writes down their first reaction before talking. Examples by decision in campaign and message.
What should you ask before a study?
- Which stimuli answer each part of my decision?
- In what order are they shown, and does the order change across groups?
- Does each person leave their first reaction in writing before talking?
This term is part of the qualitative research glossary, which defines the fifteen terms that come up in any study; it is most closely related to discussion guide, nominal group technique and moderator. To see it applied, browse the sample report, built from a fictional study: it is the same format a client receives.