Online Communities in the Product Development Lifecycle
Posted by Jeffrey Henning on Mon, Dec 08, 2008
Sometimes in seems like research communities are only discussed as being useful for product ideation and brainstorming: the first step of the product-development lifecycle. In fact, online communities can actually add value at each step.
Conceive
- Discuss unmet needs with customers and prospects to identify new product or feature opportunities
- Investigate novel uses of the product to identify new segments and their requirements
Design
- Gather reaction to proposed new products or features
- Prioritize opportunities by importance to community members
Prelaunch
- Propose communications themes and messaging for a product launch
- Test reaction to product packaging
Service
- Evaluate early experiences with new product for surprises and disappointments
- Maintain diaries of product usage
For a great case study of using a research community at each step, check out the Novartis brief, Delivering Continuous Insights: Involving Consumers in Every Decision. By using communities for these purposes, organizations can lower the cost of innovation and create a continuous feedback loop that turns online communities into sustainable competitive advantage.