Written by The Say-Do Gap is real. I used to think it was all about whether people were being honest about their behavior—but now I realize it’s more about how unaware we actually are of what we do. And that gap gets even wider when we try to predict what we would do in the future.
More than anything, this reality highlights why we are the in-context research unicorn that we are.
I recently heard this comment, “…because the say-do gap is real, transactional testing is required.” While in-market tests are an amazing way to learn how sales perform in a current state, they are a massive investment of effort and time to test something likely suboptimal. Additionally, they don’t answer the most important question: Why is the product performance what it is? Is it a visibility, understanding, or wanting issue? What would keep this strong concept from being a successful launch?
Out of the hundreds of innovations we’ve tested, fewer than 10 were truly ready to compete as-is. The rest needed refinement—or in some cases, a complete re-think. With odds like that, it’s clear that what brands need most is an efficient way to optimize in a real-world context.
So, what is the solution? In-store, non-saleable, at-shelf test & learning with REAL Insight.
A real environment, real shoppers in the right mindset, and realistic prototypes. This requires some logistical support, but 35 years of doing this work has equipped REAL Insight with the store relationships, prototype partners, and know-how to make this simple and easy.
We combine observed behavior, immediate intuitive ‘System 1’ reactions, and just enough conversation to understand the “how” and “why.” By layering these together—what people do, how they feel, and what they say—we’re able to uncover the nuance and separate the say from the do. Can you tell if someone would spend their own money on it without it being saleable? Yes, because they don’t know it isn’t for sale until we are done speaking with them. The shopping behavior and decision process is real.
When the conversation is over, we implement analysis and benchmarking. The goal is to triangulate an understanding of what the truth is and what is driving it by integrating the data points with our frameworks, design principles and benchmarks to develop a strong point of view on performance and clear next steps.
The say-do gap is REAL. So is our ability to overcome it without requiring transactional testing. It takes the right methods and expertise.