Baby Market Research

I have just completed my first market research on baby products. The researchers paid us $60 to try two trial size packages of baby wipes. It really was nothing to write home about (or blog about for that matter) until I completed the two online surveys at the end of each package. Here are the the highlights.

• One question asked what percentage I used the wipes for "General rectal and perennial freshening on you/family" - I didn't even realized that they would allow us to do this. Dammit, John was even asking if he could use these to freshen his rectum and I told him no.
• Here are some other percentage questions which I got a chuckle out of: -"Remove makeup on you/family" -"Wipe pet(s)" -"General cleaning of body parts of you/family"
• I never thought I'd have to analyze how I use the wipe but this survey stumped me there. I went back through my wipe-clean-baby-bottom movements to determine if I use the center or the outer edge first, and then do I fold the wipe or scrunch it afterward. From this little experiment I discovered I am a center -> fold kind of mom. I wish this was like an astrological sign and the survey spit back my big 5 personality traits.
• Then the interesting question (Synovate- you are sneaky mother effers for saving these for last). Ten graphic images of a doll baby with a mess of shit around its privates. "What kind of BM did you clean up with these wipes?". The options ran from runny/loose -> pasty -> firm -> solid. I got a kick out of it in the first survey that I didn't even notice (until the second survey) that this baby had no other genetalia besides a butthole, which was in a weird puckering position. What kind of sick product developer designed this kind of doll - "Hah, you can only poo, never pee hahaha".

Needless to say my first market research study went well, and for $60, 2 packages of wipes, and a barrel full of laughs later... totally worth the time and effort.