New Product Development research: from opportunity to market.
You want to know early on where the real opportunity lies, which ideas have potential and what is needed for a strong launch. New Product Development research provides evidence for the decisions that matter, from the initial customer need through to market performance.
Make a better decision at every stage.
An innovation process involves decisions that become increasingly costly to reverse. That is why you gather evidence early in the process. You identify needs that offer scope for growth, select promising ideas, refine the concept and product, and validate the launch before major investments are committed.
Who is
this for?
You are looking for your next source of growth.
You know the category, but want a clearer view of which needs, frustrations or usage occasions remain underserved. Research reveals which problems are significant enough to build an innovation around.
There are too many ideas on the table.
The innovation funnel is full, but internal preferences do not tell you what is worth investing in. You want to distinguish early between interesting thoughts and ideas with demonstrable potential.
The investment is becoming substantial.
The concept, product or launch is taking shape. Now is the time to determine what is strong enough to take forward. You want to know what to retain, adapt or let go before investing further.
The approach
From customer need to market launch.
New Product Development begins before the first product idea. First, you need to understand what people are trying to achieve, where they currently encounter friction and which needs remain unmet.
From there, you move forward step by step. You generate solutions, select the strongest ideas and validate the concept. You then optimise features, formulation and price. Ahead of launch, you test the name, claims, packaging and shelf presentation. After launch, you continue to track how consumers respond.
Each step answers a different question. Together, they prevent a single untested assumption from progressing further and further through the innovation funnel.
Our research specialist would be happy
to discuss this with you.
Move faster from question to evidence with the Sprint Platform.
Blauw’s Sprint Platform brings much of the NPD research process together in a single platform. Its tools support different decisions throughout the innovation process and combine proven research methods with AI.
This allows you to screen large numbers of ideas at an early stage, validate concepts, analyse open-ended feedback and quantify product choices. You gain clarity more quickly on what should move forward, what needs improvement and what should be stopped.
Advantages of
New Product Development
Decide
faster.
Research is tailored to the decision at hand. This gives you the insights you need while there is still time to adjust course.
Consumers
within reach.
Involve your target audience early and throughout the development process, from the initial need through to their response to the final product.
Benchmarks
and models.
Put scores into context using benchmarks and proven research methods. This allows you to assess a concept without relying on a single percentage
AI where it
speeds up the process.
Use AI for tasks including interviews, analysis and concept optimisation. The research question and final decision remain the guiding priorities.
One
innovation process.
Combine different research studies within the same NPD cycle. This allows each stage to build on what you have already learned.
Our solutions.
Idea generation.
Identify relevant customer needs and translate them into new development directions. Research, AI-led conversations and ideation workshops combine market input with knowledge from within your organisation.
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Selecting ideas.
Test early which ideas have enough potential to develop further. Tools such as the Idea Screener allow you to compare large numbers of ideas, while the Concept Description Test shows whether the initial concept is understood and valued.
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Concept testing.
Validate purchase intent, relevance and brand fit, and identify where refinement is needed. Benchmarks put the results into context. The AI Concept Advisor then helps turn specific areas for improvement into the next iteration more quickly.
development
Product development.
Determine which features, combinations and price point best suit your target audience. MaxDiff, Conjoint, TURF and pricing research reveal which options add value and which can be eliminated.
development
Go-to-market.
Test the decisions that make a difference just before launch, from the name and claims to packaging and shelf presentation. After launch, the Product Performance Monitor shows how consumers respond and where further optimisation is needed.
development
In practice.
Transavia
Alpine
What is New Product Development research?
New Product Development research helps you shape and support decisions throughout the development and launch of new products and services. You use consumer insights to identify needs, select ideas, validate concepts and test decisions about the product, pricing and launch. This brings uncertainty to the surface before investment increases further.
When should you use consumer research during product development?
As early as possible, whenever an assumption arises that will shape the next investment decision. This may start with determining whether a customer need is relevant enough and continue through to the name, price, packaging and shelf presentation. The method you use depends on the decision at hand.
What is the difference between an idea test, a concept test and a product test?
First, you test the strength of an idea to determine which initial directions have potential. A concept test assesses a more developed proposition on factors such as relevance, purchase intent and brand fit. During product development, you then test specific choices within the concept, such as features, combinations and price. The evidence becomes more specific as the innovation takes shape.
How can you avoid discovering too late that an innovation does not work?
Test the most important assumption before moving to the next stage. Start with the customer need and increase the level of evidence required as the investment grows. This allows you to identify earlier which ideas to stop, which need refinement and which have enough potential to develop further.
How can the Sprint Platform accelerate the New Product Development process?
The Sprint Platform brings together a range of research tools for the innovation process in a single platform. You can screen ideas, validate concepts, analyse feedback and quantify product choices. Proven methods, benchmarks and AI help you gain the insight needed for the next decision more quickly.
WHICH DECISION IS HOLDING BACK YOUR INNOVATION RIGHT NOW?
A research specialist helps you clarify the evidence you need to move forward, from an unmet customer need that has yet to be identified to a product that is almost ready for launch.
TEST AN IDEA, CONCEPT OR PRODUCT FASTER?
The Sprint Platform gives you access to proven research methods and AI when speed matters.
