Introduction
What Are Pack, Claims, and Creative Tests?
1. Packaging Design (Pack Testing)
Testing packaging design helps evaluate shelf appeal, clarity, and functional understanding. Everything from colors and logos to pack structure and visual hierarchy can influence a consumer’s decision to grab your product or pass it by.2. Product Claims (Claims Testing)
Claims like "All Natural,” “Clinically Proven,” or “Made with Recycled Materials” can enhance trust or drive appeal – but some claims may fall flat or feel inauthentic. Claims testing helps you identify which value messages genuinely resonate with your target audience.3. Brand Visuals or Messaging (Creative Testing)
Creative testing evaluates elements like advertising visuals, taglines, or digital banners to see which tone, message, or imagery connects most effectively. Whether part of packaging or separate campaign content, creative elements are essential to your brand story.Why Combine Them in One Test?
In the real world, consumers don’t evaluate these elements in isolation. When your product sits on a shelf or pops up in an ad, all these attributes are processed together. That’s why combination testing – or multivariate testing – can give you a more realistic and holistic view of what drives preference. You may discover, for instance, that a certain combination of packaging style and messaging claim creates significantly higher purchase intent than other pairings. This type of research sheds light on how the sum of the parts influences overall appeal.Who Uses These Tests?
Pack, claims, and creative testing are widely used across industries – from CPG and retail to pharma, beauty, and B2B. Use cases include:- Testing a new product launch before hitting shelves
- Refreshing packaging to boost brand alignment
- Validating which claim drives trust or purchase intent
- Optimizing campaign visuals and taglines
How to Set Up Multi-Attribute Tests in Toluna
Step 1: Choose Your Core Variables
Start by identifying the elements you want to test. Typically, there are three main categories:- Packaging designs: Different layouts, designs, or formats
- Claims: Messaging that communicates product benefits or brand values
- Creative elements: Taglines, headlines, or visual style
Step 2: Build Your Combinations
In Toluna, you'll use a test design tool that presents each respondent with a curated number of combinations. The platform uses algorithms to ensure randomization and coverage across audiences, keeping results statistically sound without overwhelming participants. Tip: Keep the number of combinations manageable. While the platform can handle complex setups, too many variables can dilute insights unless you have a large sample size.Step 3: Define What You’re Measuring
Your test needs to gather data on what matters most to your business. Common KPIs include:- Overall appeal
- Purchase intent
- Uniqueness or differentiation
- Message believability
- Brand fit
Step 4: Analyze to Identify Drivers
Toluna's analytics offer tools like TURF analysis or regression-based models to deconstruct the results and pinpoint which attribute(s) are driving performance. This is where combination testing goes beyond simple preference – it tells you why certain combos work. You might find that a specific claim boosts appeal only when paired with a minimalist design, or that one package color overpowers even the strongest creative.Step 5: Validate Findings and Apply
Use top-performing combinations to inform design directions, brand messaging, or marketing strategies. If needed, use a follow-up monadic or A/B test to confirm results in a simpler format.Where Expert Support Can Help
Many research teams now rely on agile platforms like Toluna to move fast. But when the stakes are high or complexity increases, it’s easy to miss nuance in the data or design an ineffective test. That’s where SIVO’s On Demand Talent offers value. These experienced professionals can:- Design smarter test frameworks that align with your objectives
- Ensure you ask the right questions
- Analyze outputs to pull clear, actionable insights
- Coach your team to build internal capability over time
Tips for Identifying High-Performing Combinations
When testing packaging, claims, and creative elements together, the goal isn’t just to see what works. It’s to understand what works best – and most importantly, why. That’s where identifying high-performing combinations becomes essential in combination testing or multi-attribute testing using tools like Toluna.
Here are straightforward tips to help pinpoint winning combinations that resonate in consumer testing:
Focus on Isolating Variables
To find the right mix of pack design, claims, and creative assets, structure your test to evaluate individual variables and how they interact. A solid test will rotate combinations strategically, helping you understand whether the appeal comes from the aesthetic, the message, or how they complement each other.
Use a Balanced Design Structure
Toluna allows for controlled rotation in multivariate testing. Using a monadic or partially randomized monadic design ensures each option gets a fair level of exposure. This helps avoid bias and reveals variations in consumer response with greater clarity.
Look Beyond Appeal Scores
Overall appeal is important, but dig deeper. Consider these signals when identifying high-performing combinations:
- Purchase intent – Is the consumer likely to buy this option?
- Clarity – Does your message come through clearly?
- Relevance – Does the claim speak to your target audience’s needs?
- Emotional connection – Do consumers feel something when they see it?
These secondary metrics can be more telling than appeal alone, especially when testing packaging design with claims and creative elements.
Use Heatmapping and Open-Ends (If Available)
Some versions of Toluna concept testing include open-ended feedback or visual tracking. These tools can highlight which visual or textual elements draw attention. For instance, if many viewers are drawn to a sustainability badge, that might inform future messaging or design tweaks.
Imagine a fictional example: you’re testing three beverage labels – each with different pack design, health-focused claims, and creative taglines. One combo ranks moderately on appeal but scores high on uniqueness and clarity. That might indicate potential for refinement and strong in-market performance, even if it’s not the highest-ranked overall.
Identifying top performers is about interpreting what’s beneath the surface – and knowing how to apply those findings purposefully.
Why Expert Researchers Improve DIY Tool Results
DIY research platforms like Toluna have made pack testing, claims testing, and creative testing more efficient and accessible than ever. While this brings speed and agility, it doesn’t always guarantee clarity or quality insight – especially when testing complex combinations in multivariate formats.
That’s where experienced researchers bring unmatched value.
Tools Only Go So Far – Skilled Interpretation Brings Meaning
Building and running a combination test isn’t just about clicking through a tool interface. It’s about understanding how to design the right stimulus sets, frame the hypotheses, and interpret the data with objectivity. Even well-designed consumer testing can go off-course if the logic behind it doesn’t align with business goals.
Expert researchers act as translators between data and decision-making. They help teams:
- Clarify what they’re truly trying to learn
- Design tests that isolate variables clearly
- Remove bias from the setup or interpretation
- Spot red flags or inconsistencies in real time
- Turn results into actionable business strategies
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in DIY Testing
Beginner teams often run into issues like:
- Crowding too many variables into a single test
- Relying on top-box scores without deeper exploration
- Misreading what differences are statistically meaningful
- Failing to align research with broader brand strategy
Even with the best market research tools, a lack of experience can limit the full potential of combination testing – from missed insights to poor go-to-market decisions.
Testing Brand Creative and Claims Together Demands Nuance
Testing brand messaging, visuals, and functional claims in tandem requires a thoughtful approach. A seasoned researcher will bring examples from prior studies, category knowledge, and experience in interpreting multi-attribute testing results. This becomes especially important when working with fast-moving timelines or cross-functional input from brand, innovation, or design teams.
With AI, dashboards, and DIY tools becoming more common, it’s tempting to assume anyone can do it all solo. But having a skilled insights expert as part of your process elevates the research and ensures it stays objective, meaningful, and aligned to business impact.
How On Demand Talent Helps You Get the Most from Toluna Testing
SIVO’s On Demand Talent gives you immediate access to expert insights professionals – without the long timelines of hiring or the inconsistencies of freelance platforms. For companies using Toluna and other DIY market research tools, these skilled professionals can bridge the gap between functionality and real business value.
Maximize Your Tool Investment
Many businesses invest in platforms like Toluna for their flexibility and speed. But not every team has the time, training, or capacity to use them to their full extent. Our On Demand Talent can:
- Set up smart, strategic stimulus plans for combination testing
- Guide you in how to test packaging and claims effectively
- Train your team on best practices for using Toluna testing features
- Lead multivariate data analysis and storytelling
This ensures your research doesn’t just check a box – it influences decisions, improves creative work, and strengthens brand communication.
Close Expertise Gaps – Without Permanent Hires
Whether you need support for a few weeks or to fill a temporary role, On Demand Talent lets you scale up or down with flexible, senior-level talent. From testing brand creative and claims together, to evaluating combination results and running comparison tests – our experts are ready now, not in months.
And because they’ve worked across categories – from food and beverage to tech, personal care to financial services – they bring deep domain knowledge that accelerates your team’s success.
Train and Empower Your Internal Team
This isn’t just about borrowing help. Our approach also focuses on knowledge transfer. On Demand Talent professionals mentor internal teams, helping them build long-term capability and confidence in using consumer testing tools. From learning how combination tests work in market research, to scaling DIY pack testing for innovation sprints – we empower your team for today and tomorrow.
In a fast-changing research landscape, your tools matter. But your people – and partners – matter more. On Demand Talent ensures you get the insights, impact, and ROI your business deserves from every Toluna test you run.
Summary
Creating successful combination tests within Toluna – testing packaging designs, claims, and creative elements together – is more than just plugging variables into a platform. It requires a thoughtful design strategy, a sharp eye for what drives consumer appeal, and the ability to translate numbers into clear, confident decisions.
In this beginner-friendly guide, we covered the essentials of pack, claims, and creative testing, explored how to structure effective multi-attribute tests, and shared tips for identifying top-performing combinations. We also discussed why having trained professionals involved – especially when using DIY research tools – is key to achieving deeper, more strategic insights.
With SIVO’s On Demand Talent, you can access experienced insights experts who elevate your Toluna testing projects – building smarter experiments, analyzing results quickly, and supporting internal upskilling while keeping research aligned with business outcomes.
Summary
Creating successful combination tests within Toluna – testing packaging designs, claims, and creative elements together – is more than just plugging variables into a platform. It requires a thoughtful design strategy, a sharp eye for what drives consumer appeal, and the ability to translate numbers into clear, confident decisions.
In this beginner-friendly guide, we covered the essentials of pack, claims, and creative testing, explored how to structure effective multi-attribute tests, and shared tips for identifying top-performing combinations. We also discussed why having trained professionals involved – especially when using DIY research tools – is key to achieving deeper, more strategic insights.
With SIVO’s On Demand Talent, you can access experienced insights experts who elevate your Toluna testing projects – building smarter experiments, analyzing results quickly, and supporting internal upskilling while keeping research aligned with business outcomes.
