Ten pitfalls of researching new product developments

Research is often criticised for helping to kill off new products and ideas. Laura Morris, senior client consultant at Nunwood, sets out to identify the main pitfalls of innovation research, and explains how best to avoid them.

Ten pitfalls of researching new product developments

Laura Morris

Research is often unfairly criticised for helping to kill off new product ideas before they even reach the concept development phase, and while it is certainly true that great research can help support the often heroic decision-making so vital to innovation, it can also serve to hinder it. Hunch and gut feeling remain vital, but all companies should be performing at least some consumer sense checks to reduce the irrevocable time and costs that accompany new-product launch failures. Even drinks company Innocent, poster-child of UK brand innovation, famously conducted rudimentary research...

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