Sticky is More Important Than Ever

By Ken Westray, PE, NPDP

In today's market, it's increasingly important to make an impression on existing and new customers and to have it stick. Recently I spoke with a client about their management of New Product Development (NPD). They were concerned that there were too many meetings, the meetings took up to 30% of the work week, and the project manager was telling teammates what to do. In addition, schedules were falling behind, and to stay on schedule, requirements were being compromised.  It reminded me of the definition of insanity -
 
Doing the same thing again and again but expecting a different outcome.

Measure Your New Product Development Effort, Score & Analysis
 
In a recession, bad ideas are still bad ideas. Incremental projects still deliver little or no price/profit improvement, and the customer can be wrong (very wrong) in what they ask for. At the same time, the economy still functions, and businesses continue to spend money, but it's just enough to allow average to poor performance. Take a deep breath and realize that the rules of new product development are still the same. To gauge how your company is doing, complete this evaluation exercise. 

Test Questions to Measure Product Development Effort

1. Simple - Messages are most memorable if they are short and clear. If your PIC/Product chart is long, then the project is not a winner.
   Score 1-7: 1 = your message takes more than one page; 7 = Less than 90 words.
   
   
2. Unexpected - An idea that sounds like basic common sense won't stick. It must be memorable to stand out. Also it must have a clear, customer-centered economic value proposition.
   Score 1 - 7: 1 = no voice of customer; 7 = customer economic value
    
3. Concrete - Anything abstract fails to leave lasting sensory impressions; only concrete images do. Compare "get an American on the moon in this decade" with "seize leadership in the space race through targeted technology initiatives and enhanced team-based routines."
   Score 1 - 7: 1 = no measurement system; 7 = clear measurement that is understandable and objective
    
4. Credible - Will it sell outside your meeting room? Trying to convey an idea which is outside a listener's realm of experience won't stick.
   Score 1 - 7: 1 = only you understand the concept; 7 = even a short voice mail can clearly convey the concept
    
5. Emotional - New products are sticky when people are involved. It is all about people because we are wired to identify with people. It may be counter to our training but it is acceptable to have an emotional attachment to ideas.
   Score 1 - 7: 1 = explanation is all technical language; 7 = communication links people to the technology
   
   
6. Repeatable - We use stories every day to convey ideas. They provide context and content. Ideally new products inspire people to tell others about their product experience via stories. Stories that are easily repeated about using your product allow other users to understand and share their experience about a new product to friends and associates. This promotes faster and better market adoption.
   Score 1 - 7: 1 = stories are never used; 7 = the story is better than the product

Score and Analysis

Irrespective of your score, it's important to realize that there is no reason in recessionary times to make and launch poor new products. People still recognize value and they demand it now more than ever.