Identifying Unmet Demand

Brand preferences and marketplace demand are a reflection of the importance of underlying needs of consumers and the efficacy of product attributes for delivering value. Dog owners, for example, may look to dog foods to provide specific benefits for their pets (e.g., shiny coats) that may not be available from current offerings. An analysis of consumer wants for these consumers would reveal weak demand for product attributes resulting from low efficacy, despite the presence of strong latent interest. The challenge in identifying such unmet demand is in distinguishing it from other reasons for weak preference, such as general noninterest in the category and heterogeneous tastes. We propose a model for separating out these effects within the context of conjoint analysis, and we demonstrate its value with data from a national survey of toothpaste preferences. Implications for product development and reformulation are explored.