Wal-Mart, Target, K Mart - get your product IDEA onto retails shelves

Wal-Mart, Target, K Mart – get your product or invention onto retail shelves!

“As you walk down the isle of a mass retail store and look at the thousands of products on the shelves you can rest assured that every one of those products started with a vision” -excerpt from  The Caboodles Blueprint

When I first decided to take my ideal to retail. I had no idea where to start or what to do.

30 years later and many products, brands and companies later… I discovered that I had found a “blueprint” – a simple step by step formula for taking a product idea to retail.

Here are some basic steps –

• It all begins with being able to visualize your product sitting on the shelves of 30,000 retail stores… (If you don’t know where you are going – nowhere is where you will end up)
• Expand you product idea into multiple colors/sizes/styles to create a product line (The best selling item is often a hybrid of the original concept)
• Create a product name and brand name (A product’s life is limited – A product line gives credibility – A Brand is your biggest asset)
• Put your idea on paper – Choose the right tools to capture the vision.
• Run focus groups to obtain consumer input and credibility
• Defining your consumer market – Who is your consumer? Are you sure?
• Create your packaging – What are your Packaging options for Retail?
• Developing your product samples & prototypes
• Licensing or Manufacturing? Sourcing your options
• Hiring your reps - What you can expect from your retail rep.
• Researching your retail category and industry - Become an expert in your product's retail world
• Your POP (point of purchase) display options
• Everyday (planogram) vs Promotional
• Marketing and Promotions – Consumer & Trade
• Manufacturing, Distribution, Shipping
• Pricing your product
• Going on the Road Show – Sales materials
• Trade Shows

"The Caboodles Blueprint"

The IDEAS book

 available now 

Paperback • eBook • Audio Book

http://www.leoniemateer.com

If Thomas Edison used focus groups

          IF THOMAS EDISON USED FOCUS GROUPS 

If Thomas Edison used focus groups… he would have created a bigger candle.

When I read this in a recent blog – I realized that there is a misunderstanding about what focus groups should be used for.

I can’t imagine ever organizing a focus group in order to “create” anything.   Focus groups are used to “give credibility” to your ideas.

For example:

 Project:  You have an idea for a new type of cereal -

A. Do you focus cereal consumers on what they think a new type of cereal could be?

Or

B. Do you focus cereal consumers on YOUR IDEA for a new cereal?

The answer is B.

“A” will only give you an insight into what is currently lacking in the existing products on the market.. i.e.. add more fibre to generate a fuller feeling.. or in Edison’s case - need more light so create a bigger candle –

Of course you can always gain good information by asking your focus groups what type of products are they are using now.. and why?

But don’t expect Focus Groups to do the creating for you.  You are the IDEAS person. You are the INNOVATOR and you are the VISIONARY.

Focus groups should be used for three reasons

•  To learn and confirm that you are on the right track with your product idea service or concept.  (It is extremely more cost effective to fix problems in the early stages of development

•  Gain 85%  acceptance for your idea from consumers who will be purchasing and using your product.  (less acceptability than this means going back to the drawing board

• Feature your focus group photos and comments in your sales collateral to establish credibility for your product in order to gain buyer support.  (A picture says a thousand words)

So treat your focus groups with the respect they deserve.

They are there to confirm, endorse, validate, accept,  reject, disprove or invalidate.. they are not there to create…

You are not there to SELL – you are there to LEARN

If you would like more information on running focus groups

check out my other blogs and my new book “The Caboodles Blueprint”

http://www.leoniemateer.com 

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