Run a Purchase Intent test

Which version leaves people more inclined to buy, read strictly as a comparison between the two and never as a sales forecast.

Purchase Intent is the most misread measure in advertising research, so it comes with a rule attached: it tells you which version moved people more, and nothing about how many will buy.

What it measures

The primary question is a 0 to 10 rating of buying likelihood, and the verdict is decided on the average for each version. An opinion-shift question sits under it as a diagnostic. The card labels this set research-backed.

What people are asked

• "How likely would you be to buy this the next time you need one?" on a 0 to 10 scale anchored at no chance and certain. This is the question the verdict rests on.
• "After watching, how did your opinion change?" with three answers: more positive, no change, or more negative.
• "What would make you more likely to buy?" in their own words.

When to pick it

Pick this when there is a real product and a real purchase in the creative and the argument is about which version sells it. Skip it when the piece is pure awareness or a brand film with nothing to buy, because the question has nothing to attach to. If the brand is the subject rather than the product, Consideration and Advocacy asks the fitting question. If the variable is the deal rather than the desire, use Offer Resonance. Understanding usually has to come before wanting, so pair this with Product Comprehension on a new product.

What the verdict looks like

A winner on the intent rating is named when both groups reached the size committed at launch, dropout was balanced, and the gap stands clear of chance. Otherwise a directional advantage, or "too close to call". The report will phrase a win as one version outperforming the other on buying intent, which is a claim about the comparison and not about the market. See Understanding your verdict.

What it cannot tell you

Stated intent overstates real behavior, and asking the question inflates it further. Nobody in the study is spending money, nothing is in a basket, and the price is not in front of them. Read the score as the ranking of two versions on buying intent, never as the share of people who will actually buy, and never as a revenue estimate. It also cannot tell you why one version moved people, because the design measures difference rather than mechanism.

Formats

Purchase Intent is available on video, audio, and image tests.