Product improvements and new products are pathways to the future, the lifeblood of strategic survival. From our catbird perch, as marketing research advisors to hundreds of different companies, we see some companies that consistently develop and introduce successful new products. We also see companies that rarely ever develop any new products. Here are some things we have learned about new products. A State Of Mind.
Mental rigidity is the antithesis of new product thinking.
A negative attitude is the kiss of death. Bureaucratic calcification is a formidable barrier to new products. Creating new products requires openness, optimism, imagination, freedom, risk-taking and persistence. These psychological qualities must be nurtured within the organization generally, and specifically within the individuals or group responsible for new product development. An Ongoing Activity.