Implementation area
Proposition Research.
Designing propositions customers choose. Research that reveals what customers value most.
Why Proposition research matters
What customers truly care about, measured, not assumed.
What customers truly care about, measured, not assumed.
Organisations frequently face difficult decisions when developing or refining their propositions. Which features should be prioritised? What level of quality or service matters most to customers? Where is the balance between investment and perceived value?
These decisions can have a significant commercial impact, yet they are often made with limited evidence about what customers truly care about.
Rigour’s proposition research helps organisations answer these questions with confidence. By analysing how customers evaluate features, benefits and experiences, we reveal what drives preference and which elements of a proposition create genuine competitive advantage.
The result is a clearer understanding of what should be prioritised, refined or removed to create propositions that resonate in the market.
Key decisions
Questions we
help answer.
Proposition research is designed to support decisions about product and service development. Typical questions include:
01
Which features or benefits matter most to customers?
02
What elements of our offering create real differentiation?
03
Where should we focus investment to improve perceived value?
04
Which aspects of the proposition are expected versus truly valued?
05
How can we design products or services that better meet customer needs?
Nº 3 · customer research
Three ways we work on proposition research.
01
Product Range
Decisions about product range can be complex. Too few options may limit appeal, while too many can create confusion and operational complexity.
Range research helps organisations determine the right balance by understanding how customers evaluate different combinations of products, services or features. This insight supports the development of a portfolio that meets diverse needs while remaining clear and manageable.
- Concept appeal and believability
- Target-audience fit and sizing
- Comparative concept benchmarking
- Refinement and optimisation directions
02
Feature & Benefit Prioritisation
Product and service design research helps organisations understand which features, benefits and experiences customers truly value.
By exploring how customers evaluate different elements of an offering, we identify the attributes that drive preference and satisfaction. This insight helps teams prioritise development efforts and focus on the areas that will most strongly influence customer choice.
The outcome is a proposition built around the elements that matter most.
- MaxDiff feature ranking
- Conjoint preference modelling
- Bundle and tier optimisation
- Hygiene-versus-differentiator separation
03
Pricing & Value
Understanding how customers evaluate price is central to designing a strong proposition.
Pricing research explores how customers assess value relative to cost, helping organisations determine where pricing aligns with expectations and where adjustments may be required. This work can reveal the price points that feel acceptable, the trade-offs customers are willing to make, and how price interacts with perceived quality or service.
The result is pricing that reflects both market realities and customer expectations.
- Willingness-to-pay measurement
- Demand-curve and elasticity modelling
- Price-pack architecture
- Competitive price response simulation
Methods
Methods we use
Many proposition studies benefit from deeper analytical exploration. We apply techniques designed to surface trade-offs and uncover what customers actually choose, not just what they say they like.
MaxDiff
Identifying which features or benefits matter most when customers must make choices
Key Driver Analysis
Revealing the elements of a proposition that most strongly influence preference or satisfaction
Read moreKANO Analysis
Distinguishing between essential features, performance drivers and unexpected delighters
Read moreAdvanced analytics
From proposition to deeper insight
Many proposition studies benefit from deeper analytical exploration.
Rigour’s Advanced Analytics team applies statistical modelling and structured analysis to uncover the relationships within the data, helping organisations understand not just what customers say they want, but what truly drives behaviour.
