The art of product development
Joe Harper
?? Founder, Just Bee ★ Creator of Vitamin Honey ★ On a Mission to Save The Bees ??
This week has already been a very fun and challenging week – totally focused around new product development. We (@justbeedrinks) have been working on a couple of projects including a new range of drinks with our awesome developers, who are experts in nutrition, costing, shelf life and of course TASTE!
When you’re developing food/drink products, these are the 4 levers you are constantly battling with. A bit like Whack a Mole… when you make something taste better, you often make it less healthy. When you make the shelf life longer, you may need to use less desirable packaging or a preservative which is less natural. When you reduce the cost, you usually reduce the quality and therefore reduce the nutrition and/or taste too.
You only have one hammer, so (in my experience) there is ALWAYS A COMPROMISE, perfect does not exist. The answer? Work out what is most important to most of your customers. Sounds obvious? Well, the thing is, consumers will tell you they want it all: a healthy, great tasting product with a long shelf life, environmental and convenient packaging at a really cheap price! Oh, ok then! Me too! But what do you really want?! Thing is, we are all compromising all the time, in everyday life, weighing up pros and cons on loads of things. Here’s the thing though - it’s all happening mostly subconsciously. We don’t even know we’re doing it!
Your job as a product developer is to cut through and work out those subconscious decisions. In reality, some people won’t even care about, or notice the compromises. Others will care a lot. Make the product as good as it can be for that specific customer set and focus on selling to those people, whilst accepting it won’t be right for the others.
Get this right and you’ll massively reduce friction in your sales and marketing process – saving time, money and stress! Like the difference between sliding down a slide naked vs. sliding down after pouring warm water and fairy liquid down the slide first. Less friction, a smoother, faster ride and probably more exciting too. Not sure where that last bit came from lol. Let me know if you agree?!
Director | Business Recovery and Insolvency
5 年Interesting article - sounds like a world away from what you were doing a few years ago (and more interesting for it).? I just wish you hadn't left me with the mental image of you on a slip'n'slide!
Impulse & New Business Controller @ Moju Drinks
5 年Fab article Joe. Look forward to seeing what comes next.
Founder - Marketing & Innovations Director at Healthier Brands & Naturelly;
5 年Is the needs / wants of selling to the trade different from selling to consumers on those levers you mention? I.e. do the trade want one thing but consumers say they want another??