Product research
| Product research |
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| See also |
Product research is a part of new product development. This is process which helps develop a new product which can provide profit of company. Product research helps companies define important aspects for clients as a price and design. Moreover, product research can help to avoid expensive mistake.
Marketing and product research as a cross-functional integration in product development
The key of success in a new product launching is cross-functional integration as a marketing plus research and development. One of the most important thing in this process are functions of sales, often avoided. Cross-functional cooperation means the measurement of involvement of cooperation, during creating new product and research product, between salespeople, marketing and research and development during new product development. It is crucial to realize how new product should look like and product research help to realize it, manufacture it and sell with profit (H. Ernst, W. D. Hoyer, C. Rübsaamen, 2010, s.81).
Stages of product research in new product development
Creating new product companies would like to reach needs of their clients. Therefore, the most important thing is to understand their. In literature, it is describing as a voice of the consumer. 'Consumer research can be provided in several parts (E. Van Kleef, H. C. Van Trijp, P. Luning, 2005, s.181):
- opportunity identification;
- development;
- testing;
- launch.
Methods and techniques of analyze customer behavior in product research
Survey of customer needs can be various. According to the task n different methods consumers can provide numerous aspects which can be very important. We can distinguish (E. Van Kleef, H. C. Van Trijp, P. Luning, 2005, s.183-185):
- Information source for need elicitation - it shows stimulus of consumer which driven their needs;
- Product- versus need-driven methods - these methods show the main concept of motivation and needs of buying the products by consumers;
- Familiarity - this method show how consumers evaluate products depends on how many experiences they gained connected with this product;
- Task format of method/technique - differences of tasks show different needs of consumers. During research, it is obligatory to diversificate tasks;
- Self-articulated or indirectly derived consumer needs - in this method consumers are asked in direct way about their preferences and choices;
- Structure of data collection - construction of set question is also important. It is crucial to formulate in proper way of inquiry form. The good survey have obtained responses are directly and open answers.
References
- Ernst, H., Hoyer, W. D., & Rübsaamen, C. (2010). Sales, marketing, and research-and-development cooperation across new product development stages: implications for success. "Journal of Marketing", 74(5), 80-92.
- Peres, R., Muller, E., & Mahajan, V. (2010). Innovation diffusion and new product growth models: A critical review and research directions. "International journal of research in marketing", 27(2), 91-106.
- Van Kleef E., Van Trijp H. C., Luning, P. (2005),Consumer research in the early stages of new product development: a critical review of methods and techniques. "Food quality and preference", 16(3), 181-201.
Author: Karolina Knapik
