Question 1

What is the Spark No. 9 methodology?

Accepted Answer

The Spark No. 9 methodology is heat-testing: a behavioral market research and strategy validation approach that measures what real audiences actually do, rather than what they say they'll do. It was developed by Spark No. 9, published in Harvard Business Review in 2022, and has been applied across B2B, consumer, and enterprise product launches worldwide.

Question 2

What makes heat-testing different from other market research methods?

Accepted Answer

Most market research methods — surveys, focus groups, consumer panels, and AI-generated personas — ask people to predict their own behavior, producing unreliable 'Say' data. Heat-testing instead runs live ad campaigns with real audiences and measures actual behavioral responses, producing decision-grade 'Do' data. This bridges the Say Vs. Do Gap: the systematic difference between what people claim they'll do and what they actually do when making a real decision.

Question 3

What strategic questions can heat-testing answer?

Accepted Answer

Heat-testing is designed to answer: Which audience actually responds to this product or strategy in the real world? What specific framing or positioning drives real behavior? Where is demand strongest across all the audience and strategy combinations tested? It is used for new product launches, repositioning and rebranding, go-to-market strategy validation, audience discovery, and pipeline prioritization.

Question 4

What is heat-testing used for?

Accepted Answer

Heat-testing is used to validate new product launches, de-risk rebranding and repositioning decisions, identify untapped audiences, prioritize product pipelines, and pressure-test go-to-market strategy before committing significant budget. It is not tied to any single stage of the product lifecycle — companies use it before a launch, after a launch, and anywhere in between.

Question 5

Who developed heat-testing?

Accepted Answer

Heat-testing was developed by Spark No. 9, a market experimentation and growth strategy consultancy. Spark No. 9 introduced the methodology 14 years ago and published it in Harvard Business Review in December 2022, where it was recognized as a substantive alternative to conventional market research approaches.

Question 6

Has heat-testing been independently recognized?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In December 2022, Harvard Business Review featured heat-testing as an alternative to the market research methods most companies default to — including MVPs, focus groups, and surveys. The methodology has since been applied across consumer, B2B, and enterprise product launches worldwide.

The Spark No. 9 Methodology

Our Heat-Testing Framework

Heat-Testing for New Product Launches

Heat-Testing for Rebranding

Heat-Testing vs. Traditional Market Research