Case Study – Choosing the Right Massage Offering with MaxDiff
Case Study – Choosing the Right Massage Offering with MaxDiff
The challenge
Two entrepreneurs took over a commercial space with an attractive lease in a mid-sized Swiss city. They decided to open a massage and wellness center — but with so many types of massages available, they needed to decide which ones to invest in before committing to renovations and hiring therapists. The wrong choices could mean empty rooms and wasted training costs.
The solution
A MaxDiff study was conducted with local residents to measure and rank the appeal of 14 different massage types. The analysis compared overall preferences with the key segment of women aged 30–55, who were expected to represent the core clientele.
Study impact: The entrepreneurs launched with 5 massage types instead of 10, achieving 90% room occupancy in the first 3 months and reaching profitability faster than projected.
ℹ️About the real study behind this case
This case study was derived from a real study conducted by MaxDiffPro. It has been anonymized for confidentiality: the tested options and results shown here do not correspond exactly to reality. The actual study had the following characteristics:
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Country
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Items tested
14
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Respondents
~280
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Timeline
5–6 days
The timeline depends on the complexity of the study and the target audience.
Popularity Ranking of Massage Types
Bubble Chart – Perception Map
ⓘ Understanding this chartThis chart shows how massage types relate to each other in consumers' minds. Bubble size represents overall preference. Items close together are perceived as similar and may substitute each other. Items further apart tend to be complementary.
Bubbles combine preference strength (size) and strategic positioning (x/y) to identify massage types that are both popular and complementary in the center's offering.
ⓘ How to read this chartThis chart identifies the optimal combination of massage types. The first item is the most preferred individually. Each additional type is selected because it adds the highest incremental preference when combined with the previous ones. Bars show the incremental contribution of each type, while the line represents the cumulative preference generated by the mix.
Recommended core offering: Classic Swedish, Deep tissue, Hot stones and Aromatherapy massages cover the widest range of customer preferences with minimal overlap.
Business impact
By focusing on the 5 most demanded massage types, the entrepreneurs optimized their hiring, training, and room setup — achieving strong utilization from day one.
Room occupancy
90%
Break-even reached
3 mo.
Client retention
72%
Run a Similar Study for Your Product
MaxDiff helps teams identify which messages, features, or ideas truly resonate with customers.
Typical study: 15–25 items tested · 150–300 respondents · Results in 3–5 days
