Does the product test really make a difference? Evidence from the launch of a new wine

Although both the concept and the product tests are considered important in predicting the acceptance of new food products into the market, there is scant research in the relevant literature comparing the predictive power of both tests, simultaneously, for the same product. To shed light on this line of research, this study compares the explanatory capacities of concept and product testing in the introduction of a new wine. To achieve this, a structural equation model, integrating sensory benefits, social norms and emotional dimensions with two consumer samples (one for the concept testing and another for the product testing) was proposed and tested. The results obtained showed that the modeĺs explanatory capacity did not increase significantly when the new wine was tested (product testing) in comparison to when only information about the wine was presented (concept testing). In both cases, the variables that explain purchase intention are the same. These results have important practical implications and open new research lines that can contribute to the theories that try to explain the acceptance of new foods.