Product development - Essay Example

Product Development Introduction Product development is a systematic commercially oriented research to develop products and processes satisfying a known or suspected need of the consumer. It is a combination and application of natural science and processing with marketing and consumer science into one part of integrated science whose aim is to develop a product. The design brief of a product development is made up of the following systematic steps; Idea generation and screening. Market research.

Product specification. Feasibility study. Product process development. Development of a prototype. Testing of product prototype. This study is based on the first two stages of product development (menswear) i.e. idea generation and screening and market research. Idea generation and screening. Idea generation is based on the available opportunities in the market. The menswear products could fall under the following categories; Line extension products – this occurs when the product is an extension to a sales company by in cooperation of a new product.

In this case, a sales company for female products would consider in cooperating a menswear accessory in their line of sales. New – to – the world product – a company due to consumer change in lifestyle and new technology would prefer to develop a totally new product to the market. In this study anew product like a shirt attached to its own vest would be developed, in consideration of use of little time by men during dressing, if the manufacturing company has the required technology to develop such a product.

Me- too- product- these are products manufactured by one company because one or many other companies are developing this product. A company would consider producing a me-too product if the demand in the market for this product is still high to accommodate the new product. This would prevent failure of the product in the market. MARKET RESEARCH The basis for the market research was based on the need to come up with a menswear that would accessorise a female’s only store, to identify unique selling points for men’s range of products and to identify market positioning.

Different types of sampling method for data collection were considered butt only one type was used due to its appropriateness to the study. Non-probability sampling was first considered, this is because with it, convenient, volunteer, judgemental, quarter sampling systems were possible. The nature of the customers to be interviewed included; Family and friends Volunteering consumers Selected consumers due to special characteristics which make them suitable for the study. The other, Probability sampling method, had heavier considerations than the non-probability sampling because on its specificity in data collection and market research.

In probability sampling specific locations were considered for sampling i.e. shopping malls. The nature of data collection was also non-bias e.g. random telephone interviews and random telephone interviews. Research findings. Interviews method was used to collect the data that will be discussed. The simple random sampling method was implemented. The interview questions were short structured because the sampling was done at a shopping mall and through random phone interviews to women’s only store hence the need for the short and few questions were evident.

The questions included the following; 1. Which men’s accessories do you think should be included in a women’s only store? 2. What do you suggest should be the unique selling point for men’s range of products? 3. What other products should be included? From the above study the following issues came up. Men’s accessories that were preferred to be included in the women’s only store were; Shirt cuff lings – many women will buy these for their men if they were to be placed in the jewellery section in a women’s store.

Their design and material used in their manufacture is the almost the same. This was suggested by 78% of the interviewees. Phone interviews to the sales shop revealed that most women asked for these most often when they are shopping for jewels in the store. Male ties- women these days are fond of wearing ties. This is because the change in fashion in women’s wear is leaning towards the male clothing. Most women complained of not having these in their own stores and would sometimes have to go to the men’s shop to get these items.

Selling points for men’s range of products. Generally, men are not into shopping like women and the positioning of a range of their products would be very important to ensure that the frequency of their purchase is increased. The major suggested locations were; 1. Shopping malls- these are open for whole family shopping. Male accessories should also be included at these strategic places. 2. Men’s boutiques located next to those of women- this would make it easy for men to shop for their accessories in their own stop shop.

The location next to the women’s is significant if both of them went shopping at the same time or together. 3. Next to homes- the survey indicated that men would not like going for shopping far from their homes, locating what they need next to them would make their shopping easy and at the same time enlarge the market for the manufacturer. Product - suggested. Male clothing-official and casual wear (jeans, t-shirts etc.), inner wears e.g. vests. Men’s shoes and socks Men’s ties. Men’s cuff links, chains, rings necklaces among others.

Men’s bathing soaps, colognes, sprays, shaving machines and such requirements. Position of the retail market to the consumer must merge with the targeted market location and the demand for the particular product. The manufacturer must be able to have a suitable distribution channel/ network to the consumer. The company also has to have the knowledge of the chain the product will enter. Market research is important in predicting the success of the product. It assesses the likely hood of how the consumers are going to take the product.

This stage is important in giving direction to the concept stage by determining what the consumers want. BIBLIOGRAPHY Amerine et al., 1965.Principles of Sensory Evaluation .Academic Press New York. Ford, D., 1990.Understanding Business Markets: Interactions, Relationships and Networks. London. Academic Press Sewart-Knox , B.,&Mitchel,P.,2003.What Separates the Winners from the Losers in new product development ?Trends in the apparel business,pp.58-64. Malley,L., and Tynan,C.,2000.Refraining Relationship Marketing for Consumer Markets.

Interactive Marketing. pp.240-246. Miller, W.L. ,and Morris ,L.,1998.Fourth generation R&D: managing knowledge ,technology and innovation .John Willey &Sons .,New York.pp.347