US, German MR Firms Partner to Address 'Say-Do Gap'

Chicago-based Orchard has teamed up with German purchase intent and price validation specialist Horizon, integrating the latter's software into its suite of solutions.

Social media-based product and message testing firm Orchard aims to close the 'Say-Do' gap between what respondents claim and their actual behavior, using behavioral science to capture real, in-the-moment consumer engagement - this it refers to as 'testing in the wild'. The firm secured an unspecified amount of investment from Thornapple River Capital, at the end of last year.

Mainz-based Horizon's B2B SaaS platform helps innovation, product and MR teams predict the market success of strategic product decisions before launch, tapping real behavioral data from simulated go-to-market tests.

The firms say 'hooking attention' and converting purchase intent are 'two of the most emotionally driven and complex decisions consumers make' and are difficult to measure with confidence using traditional research methods, given the influence of unconscious drivers and contextual cues. The partnership aims 'to bring more analytical rigor and real-world relevance across the full consumer journey - from stopping thumbs in a social feed to validating purchase decisions on an ecommerce page.'

Rashed Chowdhury, CEO of Orchard comments: 'I'm particularly excited about the enhanced analytics around purchase intent and the new capabilities for price testing and understanding unit economics of new product ideas.' Daniel Putsche, co-founder and CEO of Horizon, says the alliance will 'combine the best of awareness testing with actionable purchase intent data.' He adds: 'Orchard has established a strong presence in the US market, and by integrating our software, we can now offer brands in both the US and Europe a robust solution that bridges the gap between early interest and final purchase decisions.'

The firms are online at www.orchard-insights.com and www.get-horizon.net .