Research Flowchart #1
| New Product Development Step |
Research Activity/Rough Cycle Time |
| Establish Marketing Strategy |
- Corporate objectives drive marketing strategy
- Marketing strategy feeds new product development process
- New product development process focused on specific areas of interest
|
- Involvement of MRD in strategy development & prioritization process
|
| Establish Knowledge Base |
- Ingoing understanding of marketplace dynamics (share of major brands, demographic trends, category growth trends, etc.)
- Understanding of external forces (economic, political, regulatory, technological)
- Identification of desired end-benefits/consumer needs, current delivery of products in the marketplace, existing satisfaction
- Early identification of target opportunities
|
- Syndicated data sources (scanner, HH panel)
- Secondary data (published studies, news reports)
- Strategic custom studies: A&Us, habits and practices, segmentation (3-5 months)
|
| Idea Generation/Prospecting |
- Internal prospecting by involving key stakeholder functions (e.g., R&D, Manufacturing, Marketing, Agency, MRD)
- External prospecting with consumers or key customers
- Other sources (e.g., creative boutiques, consultants, etc.)
|
- Facilitator-led brainstorming, off-site meetings/workshops (2-4 weeks)
- Qualitative consumer research: focus groups, in-depths (2-4 weeks)
|
| Idea Screening |
- Prioritize most promising/compelling product areas, ideas, or end-benefits
- Select best candidates for additional concept and product development efforts
- May begin parallel development paths for concept vs. product
|
- Concept screening (4-8 weeks)
- Benefit screening/promise testing (4-8 weeks)
- Early stage R&D product screening, or prototype exploration work (ongoing)
|
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