Pricing Research Brief

Example output

Pricing research brief — Fernbrook Granola reformulation

Business question, restated
Before committing to a higher-cost recipe, you need to know the ceiling shoppers will actually pay for a reformulated Fernbrook bag — not just whether they say they like the idea of "better" granola.

Recommended methodology: Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter
Given the question is "what price range is acceptable," not "which specific feature combination matters most," Van Westendorp fits better than a full conjoint here — it's faster to field, cheaper, and answers exactly this question. Reserve conjoint for a future study if you need to know which specific reformulation attributes (protein content, ingredient sourcing, pack size) justify the price independently of each other.

Sample plan
Respondents: current granola category buyers, screened to include both Fernbrook buyers and competitive-brand buyers (60/40 split recommended, since you need both loyalist and switcher price sensitivity). Sample size: minimum n=200 per key sub-group if you plan to cut by loyalist vs. switcher; n=150 minimum if reporting only in aggregate. Confirm exact power with your fielding vendor. Exposure: show the reformulated concept (ingredients, claims, positioning) before asking price questions, so responses reflect the new product, not the current $5.49 bag.

Core question logic (the four Van Westendorp questions, asked in this order)
1. "At what price would you consider this product to be so expensive you would not consider buying it?" (too expensive)
2. "At what price would you consider this product starting to get expensive, but you'd still consider buying it?" (expensive/high)
3. "At what price would you consider this product a bargain — a great buy for the money?" (cheap/good value)
4. "At what price would you consider this product so cheap you'd doubt its quality?" (too cheap)

Price points to pre-test in a follow-up screen
Test open-ended price entry first (the four questions above), then, in a second block, show discrete price points at $4.99, $5.49, $5.99, $6.49, and $6.99 and ask purchase intent at each — this discrete read cross-validates the open-ended Van Westendorp curve and maps directly onto your two named competitors' actual shelf prices.

Analysis approach
Plot the four price curves; the range between the "too expensive" and "too cheap" intersection points defines your acceptable price range, and the point where "too expensive" crosses "not cheap" is your optimal price point. Cross-reference this against the discrete purchase-intent read at $5.99 and $6.49 specifically, since those bracket your likely reformulated cost.

Assumptions to validate
This design assumes shoppers can meaningfully evaluate a reformulated concept without physically tasting it — if the ingredient change is a major taste driver, consider pairing this with an in-home or central-location taste test before finalizing price. The 60/40 loyalist/switcher split is a starting recommendation, not a confirmed requirement — validate against your actual buyer base composition.

Vendor-ready brief summary
Fernbrook is testing a reformulated granola concept using Van Westendorp price sensitivity methodology among n=200+ category buyers, split between current Fernbrook and competitive-brand purchasers, to establish an acceptable price range ahead of a recipe finalization decision, cross-validated against discrete purchase intent at five price points spanning $4.99-$6.99.

Want me to turn this into the actual fieldable questionnaire, question by question?