Companies are constantly under pressure to put out the next, best product or service. Along with that pressure comes the temptations to skip certain essential steps in the product development process. But one thing that you should never lose sight of: your customers. Consumers are essential and can make or break the success of a …
Read MoreConsumer market research taps into six main questions you want to ask for product development: who, what, when, where, why and how. If your company can’t answer all six critical questions pertaining to your product, how can you assume it will resonate with consumers? Making assumptions, rather than conducting consumer market research, will hinder your …
Read MoreAt the recent Front End of Innovation conference in Boston, we learned a lot from the key opinion leaders who presented their thoughts and concepts around innovation. One of the common themes was the mission-critical role of the customer. Specifically, how placing customers at the forefront of a customer-centric strategy was imperative for the success …
Read MoreWho is your target customer? What do they need? How does your product meet those needs? These critical questions are the essence of a customer analysis (also called “customer profiling”). It’s one of the most important aspects of marketing and product development. How you conduct market research to gather data regarding who the customer is …
Read MoreCustomers know what they want. In this era of nearly infinite choice coupled with on-demand access, they won’t be your customers for long if you don’t offer what they need – or want. Competitive advantage can be conferred not only from having a unique or a superior product, but from branding itself. Product research informs …
Read MoreLet’s cut to the chase. The one big oversight missing from your new product launch plan? Thinking that market research is a “one and done” effort. It’s not! Keep your customers front and center at all times. Engage them. If you stay engaged, your customers will, too. You learned from experience after the last launch. …
Read MoreIn the not-so-distant past, the product development research process largely ignored the needs and wants of the customer. The collective mindset was “we work for the customer since the customer can’t think or do so for themselves”. Executives would “freeze” the ability to submit any change orders. Key decision makers would dictate orders based on …
Read MoreThe resounding theme behind user feedback tools is collaboration. It’s as critical of a component to change management as it is to market research and co-creation. Collaboration drives innovation. When your partner, customer or provider feels like both sides are equally invested, and that their opinion will not only be heard but will make a …
Read MoreProduct Development, as a process, is an integral part of building the longevity of a brand. When developing and launching a new product, each company establishes its own series of steps to move through the product development process, from idea to concept to commercial launch. It is that process, often adapted from standard practices and …
Read MoreProduct development is a rather broad process with a number of components, phases and stakeholders. It is defined as the creation of a product which, by design, will provide customers with a solution to a problem they need to fix. In other words, product development is the process of creating a product that is either …
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