Views from the Hills by R. E. Stevens, GENESIS II (The Second Beginning) E-Mail views@aol.com

The world will beat a path to your door if you build a better mouse trap - not necessarily.

We have all heard the above saying. Hopefully, we all agree that there is a great deal more to a successful product than just that it is better. From a Market and Consumer Researcher's point of view, there are a number of other positions that are just as important as the product. Such as:

Need -- Is there a real need for the product? Are the current solutions to the need just fine? Without a real consumer need the product is irrelevant. Even if it is better than current solutions.

Awareness -- If the consumer does not know your brand exists they cannot be expected to purchase it.

Reason for Being -- If the consumer does not know "why" your brand exists you cannot expect them to be interested. The solution (your brand) must be understood and appreciated. The customer must know they should want or use it.

Reason to Believe -- The consumer must have a reason to believe your brand might be a better choice or they won't give it a second thought,

Does it have a Positive Emotional Value -- How does its use reflect on the user? How is the consumer's life better with this product?

The above points should be key points in your concept or brand positioning. The following elements are relevant in the market introduction.

Value -- Is the "better" really important or is the consumer's current product "just fine thank you"? Is the consumer's investment in your product worth the return?

Efficacy -- Does the brand really solve the need? Is the end result seen and appreciated? Is your brand free of new problems?

Availability -- The brand must be available to the consumer and easily obtainable. The demand would have to be really strong for the consumer to go out of their way to obtain it.


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