These utilities also tell us the extent to which each of these attributes drives the decision to choose a particular flight. That range represents the maximum impact that the attribute can contribute to a product. Using the hypothetical utilities presented earlier, we can calculate the relative importance of each of the three attributes. These ranges tell us the relative importance of each attribute. Cost is the most important factor in product purchase as it has the highest range of utility values.
Cost is followed in importance by the duration of the flight.
Based on the range and value of the utilities, we can see that seat comfort is relatively unimportant to this consumer. Therefore, advertising which emphasizes seat comfort would be ineffective. This person will make his or her purchase choice based mainly on cost and then on the duration of the flight. Conjoint analysis will identify the relative contributions of each feature to the choice process. This technique, therefore, can be used to identify market opportunities by exploring the potential of product feature combinations that are not currently available.