Qualitative methods for identifying latent needs for new consumer technologies

Abstract

In spite of the importance of staying close to their buyers, many marketers feel it is impossible to identify needs for new products through marketing research. They feel that consumer respondents simply cannot describe their wants and needs for products which are not currently on the market. This paper describes two qualitative approaches for co-creating new product concepts with consumers. The two approaches involve (1) mini-concepts (verb-object combinations representing new product functions), and (2) casting ideas as "CADWOs" or, new products people feel they cannot do without.