Creating New Beverage Concepts from First Principles: Bottom-Up Conjoining of Need-states and Features

This paper presents a rapid-development paradigm for new products at the early stage of development. The approach uses conjoint measurement to identify what features of products are both highly acceptable and fit end-uses. The number of respondents participating in a study about the product for a particular end use becomes a de facto measure of latent interest in the product for that particular occasion. The utility values for the ‘fit`-to-end-use` allow the developer to select the best features. The data from ‘interest` in the product in general (without an end-use stated) allows the developer to check whether the product concept is sufficiently acceptable. Concept-Response segmentation reveals new subgroups to whom the product should be targeted. The self-defined profile through a classification questionnaire reveals what general considerations the respondent has about the product, and is used to help marketing. The paradigm for developing the product from first principles is illustrated with a study on carbonated beverages for a new occasion (breakfast).