Research Objective
An international client wanted to test whether a new bar soap designed for delicate washing could be launched in South Africa.
Research Findings
A sample of 200 users of hand soap were recruited and asked to use the product for a number of days. They were asked to use the product as they would their normal bar soap, to evaluate if the performance was on par with their regular brand.
The soap was used mainly for hand washing, cleaning dish towels and baby clothes. The product left a very heavy residue on clothing as well as a lather layer on the water. When ironing the washed items, respondents noticed that they had been stained by the soap.
The product was rejected outright as the colour was radically different to products on the market at present.
The current bar soap products in South Africa are perceived to be much gentler and do not leave behind stains.
Outcomes
The soap was found to be completely unacceptable to South Africans and was not launched, as the client could not change the formulation to suit local water conditions and changing the colour of the soap bar was not an option, as they would need to re-formulate.