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Product Placement and In-Home Use Tests
In-home use tests run end to end: category-user recruitment, blind-coded product delivery, diaries, recall surveys and compliance checks.
- Feasibility and costs in 24 hours
- One project manager from brief to data
- ICC/ESOMAR and GDPR compliant
- Best for
- Food, drink, beauty, personal and household products
- Designs
- Monadic, sequential and paired comparison tests
- Logistics
- Product coding, delivery, washouts and returns
- You receive
- Diary and recall data, compliance notes and clean files
Overview
People judge products at home, over days, in their own routine. Research and Metric runs in-home use tests and product placement research that capture that real experience, from recruiting the right category users to collecting recall data.
We handle the logistics that make or break a product test: blind coding, delivery, usage instructions, washouts and reminders.
For example, in-home product testing shows how a product fits into daily habits. As a result, you get real-world product evaluation rather than a first reaction in an artificial setting.
What our product placement research includes
- Recruitment of category and brand users to your quotas
- Blind coding, packing and delivery of test products
- Monadic, sequential and paired comparison designs
- Online diaries, recall surveys and follow-up focus groups
- Central location taste tests through face-to-face fieldwork
How we keep product tests on track
A product test is only valid if people use the product as intended. For this reason, the checks below run throughout the test.
- Clear usage instructions in the local language
- Usage and compliance checks during the test
- Managed washout periods between products
- Reminders that protect retention across multi-week tests
- Replacement of drop-outs within quota
When to use product placement research
Product placement research suits consumer product testing where the experience builds over time. For example, a shampoo or a snack may feel different on day one than after a week. Extended use testing therefore shows whether first impressions hold.
However, one test design does not fit every question. Product usage studies can judge one product alone, several products in sequence or two products side by side. As a result, the design should follow the decision you need to make.
Step by step
How an in-home use test runs
- DesignWe agree the test design, products, quotas and timings.
- RecruitmentWe screen and confirm category users.
- PlacementWe deliver coded products with instructions.
- Use and diariesParticipants use the product and record their experience.
- Recall and deliveryRecall surveys, checks and clean data files.
Why agencies choose Research and Metric
- Product logistics handled for you
- Strong retention on multi-week tests
- Blind coding and compliance checks
- ESOMAR-aligned processes and GDPR-compliant data handling
See this work in practice
Get a quote
Send us your brief
Tell us who you need to reach, where and how many. We reply with a plan.
- Feasibility and costs in 24 hours
- One project manager from brief to data
- ICC/ESOMAR and GDPR compliant
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Cannot find your answer? Ask our team or email contact@researchandmetric.com.
What is an in-home use test?
An in-home use test, or IHUT, places a product with consumers to use at home for a set period, then captures their experience through diaries and surveys.
Can you run sequential tests with several products?
Yes. We manage the order, blind coding and washout periods so each product is judged fairly.
Do you handle product delivery?
Yes. We pack, code and deliver products, and can collect unused product at the end of the test.
How do you make sure people actually use the product?
We give clear instructions, run usage checks during the test and follow up with reminders and recall questions.
Related services
Other ways we collect data
Combine methods in one study, with one project manager and one timeline.
Not sure which you need? Tell us about your study and we will suggest the right mix.
Fieldwork managementOne project manager running your recruitment, interviewing, quotas and quality control, across online, telephone, face-to-face and in-home methods.Learn more
Online data collectionOnline surveys programmed, hosted and fielded to your quotas, with blended panel sample, fraud controls and clean data delivered on time.Learn more
CATI telephone interviewingComputer-assisted telephone interviewing for B2B, professional and consumer studies, with trained multilingual interviewers, call recording and live quota control.Learn more
Face-to-face CAPITablet-based face-to-face interviews in homes, streets, stores, venues and central locations, with GPS stamps, timing checks and back-checks.Learn more
Multi-country coordinationMulti-country studies run to one timeline and one standard, with local-language fieldwork and a single project manager coordinating every market.Learn moreCase studies
Projects we have delivered
Anonymised client projects and examples where this service was part of the work.
Client project, FMCG & Consumer GoodsSequential in-home shampoo test
Client project, FMCG & Consumer GoodsReady-to-drink coffee taste test and focus groups
Client project, FMCG & Consumer GoodsIn-home test and focus groups for a luxury skincare brand
FMCG & Consumer GoodsIn-home snack test with 400 households
FMCG & Consumer GoodsIn-home use test of a household cleaning productNext step
Planning your next study?
Send us your brief and get feasibility, timelines and costs within 24 hours.