Sidestepping Some Pitfalls in NPD

We've all heard of grocery products that were lovingly developed by the manufacturer and their agencies; but then crashed and burnt when consumers got their hands on them - despite the concepts being researched and the products tested. 

One of the reasons is that consumers don't cook meals the way manufacturers want them to.  (Well, do you read the instructions?).  And many meal preparers don't serve them as intended either.  For such reasons, the classic Qual → Quant research approach can fail to predict the likely outcome until it's too late.

To help get round these problems, Nexus had developed two additional options to complement the NPD process for grocery products.  It can also be adapted for some other sectors.

The first option, at the qualitative stage, is the use of a group room which is more like a kitchen than a lounge.  This is located at our facilities in Richmond Plaza, just a few kilometres from Melbourne CBD and conveniently reached by rail, tram or car.   Respondents can gather round the benchtop containing the preparation area, pots and pans, sink and cooktop.  They can then watch or participate in the cooking process.  Stools are provided, coffee brewed and the informality of the surroundings reinforced.  Yet the room also has full qualitative facilities, enabling viewing, recording and feedback as well as all the equipment found in the average kitchen.  

The result is more insight gained at the critical preparation stage, derived from people being involved in the process - and not just talking about it from another room.   And since the facilities are located within Nexus, their usage costs less than a standard group room from a specialist supplier.

The second option relates to in-home participation – during preparation and consumption, not just placement and callback later.  This level of involvement combines the advantages of direct observation and questioning, as in classical sensory testing, with an appreciation of what really goes on at home rather than in the laboratory.  Nexus has found that relatively small samples of 30-50 households are sufficient to yield insightful yet consistent results on how products perform – and how the meal preparer really behaves and the household reacts.

For example, our researchers have found that people at home prefer to cook chicken a little longer than strictly necessary to be on the safe side, especially in summer.  This can impact on recommended preparation timing.  There's also a tendency to add what's already in the fridge – and some of these can make inspired serving suggestions.  And then there's the age old task of keeping different members of the household happy.

Sometimes these two extra options aren't needed; but on occasion they can make the difference between setting the market alight and delivering burnt offerings.  If you'd like to know more, why not give Nexus a call…