8.1.7 Understanding the consumer, customer, market and society

If the needs, wants, attitudes and behaviour in the target market and in the society in general are not identified and understood, and then interwoven into product development practice, then product failure can occur either in the short or long term. The food industry has a history of introducing innovations over the years that cause suspicion by the general public and the consumers, so that food regulations are used to control the product. The immediate customer, whether industrial user or retailer, needs to be integrated into the PD Process from the initial stages of developing the product concept to the final evaluation after launch. In developing new consumer products and indeed in all food product development, the final consumer who buys and eats the food is an integral part of product development.

Think Break The authors have summarised what they identify as the basic principles of product development from the preceding seven chapters. 1. Do you agree with their list? Have you identified any other basic     principles? Would you drop some of their basic principles? 2. Compare with other principles in the literature, e.g. Cooper and     Kleinschmidt's (1995) factors found to drive new product success. 3. For your own company, list the basic principles for product development     at the present time. 4. How have these principles changed in the past and how do you predict     they will change in the future? 5. List the basic principles for product development for your company for     the next decade.