Solutions Implicit testing for brand teams

Go from what consumers say to how they truly feel

Traditional surveys capture the rational mind, but consumers have a lot going on beyond their stated beliefs. Implicit testing measures the split-second automatic reactions in the moment they encounter your brand, before the conscious mind has a chance to filter or second-guess. By combining both, you get a fuller understanding of how consumer decision-making works in the real world.

Implicit testing is particularly valuable when:

  • Stated and actual preferences don't match (e.g. consumers said they choose green packaging, but sales data showed otherwise).
  • Brand positioning is competitive (e.g. to find out who actually owns "premium" in your category).
  • Creative and messaging must trigger specific emotions.
  • Your brand or product touches on sensitive topics where consumers are hesitant to share their honest opinions openly.

Speak with a researcher to design a study tailored to your brand’s specific needs.

Solutions Implicit testing for brand teams

Go from what consumers say to how they truly feel

Traditional surveys capture the rational mind, but consumers have a lot going on beyond their stated beliefs. Implicit testing measures the split-second automatic reactions in the moment they encounter your brand, before the conscious mind has a chance to filter or second-guess. By combining both, you get a fuller understanding of how consumer decision-making works in the real world.

Implicit testing is particularly valuable when:

  • Stated and actual preferences don't match (e.g. consumers said they choose green packaging, but sales data showed otherwise).
  • Brand positioning is competitive (e.g. to find out who actually owns "premium" in your category).
  • Creative and messaging must trigger specific emotions.
  • Your brand or product touches on sensitive topics where consumers are hesitant to share their honest opinions openly.

Speak with a researcher to design a study tailored to your brand’s specific needs.

Core benefits of Implicit Testing

Strengthen product and concept testing

Complement existing research methods by measuring automatic consumer reactions to new products and concepts.

Optimise brand image and positioning

Uncover and measure the strength of subconscious associations with your brand compared to your competitors.

Understand instinctive consumer choices

Identify the emotional and intuitive drivers of consumer decision-making to develop more compelling offerings.

Discover the honest truth

Minimise the risk of respondents giving "acceptable" answers instead of their true opinions.

How implicit testing reveals what consumers won't tell you

Implicit tests are highly adaptable, with formats tailored to your specific research goals. In a typical study, respondents are shown a brand logo or product visual paired with key attributes, such as premium, trustworthy, or outdated, and asked to respond as quickly as possible.

The core of implicit testing is reaction time. Faster responses signal stronger automatic associations, revealing consumer perceptions hardwired beneath conscious thought.

How implicit testing works

Identify the brand associations that actually stick

Not all associations are equal. Implicit testing measures depth, separating the attributes consumers genuinely link to your brand from those easily stolen by a competitor. This clarity helps you decide where to invest, what to protect, and which positioning claims your brand can truly sustain.

Measure the strength of consumer associations through reaction time

A custom, full-service implicit testing solution

Raw implicit data only delivers value when it’s translated into a clear narrative for your stakeholders. Conjointly handles the entire analytical process, transforming complex reaction-time data into a story your team can use.

Whether you need a full presentation or a concise summary, we deliver the clarity your brand strategy demands.

A custom, full-service implicit testing solution

Map your brand against the competitive landscape

Visualise exactly how your brand sits alongside competitors across positive and negative associations. By identifying which brands cluster together in the consumer’s mind, you can see your true competition—regardless of price point or category. This clarity helps you sharpen your creative briefs, defend your pricing, and choose the positioning worth fighting for.

Compare the associations toward multiple brands or products

Test what you need, however you need to test it

Implicit testing works across brand positioning, advertising pre-testing, pack and concept research, and category-level association mapping. The stimulus type, the attributes, and the competitive set are all built around your specific questions.

Conjointly's research specialists work with you the entire process, from designing the study to fielding the sample, and delivering analysis you can take directly into a brand or product decision.

A versatile, fully customisable implicit testing solution

Source the exact sample you need swiftly and reliably

Consumer surveys often require a sample of hundreds of consumers from your product category, including current users and potential buyers. With access to millions of survey participants from around the globe, Conjointly provides high-quality sampling options to match your specific needs.

Conjointly has achieved ISO 20252:2019 certification for its sampling services (Annex A), confirming that both fully-managed Predefined panels and automated Self-serve sample meet international standards for market research quality.

Source the exact sample you need swiftly and reliably

Trust expert researchers at Conjointly to deliver advanced product and pricing research

From experimental design and setup, data collection, analysis and presentation, Conjointly’s experts are here to help.

Conjointly support team