Business
Administration Department
BA347 New Products Management
Dr. Geoffrey Lantos Fall
2007
CASE CLASS DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS
Overview of Case Discussions
During the course of
the semester you will read, analyze, and be prepared to discuss in class seventeen
short cases found in Crawford. Each case
presents a new product problem situation directly related to one or more of the
course topics. The questions that will
be used as catalysts for class discussions for each case appear below. You need not prepare a written analysis,
although you will probably find jotting down notes on your answers to each
question to be helpful as you prepare for class discussion.
Objectives
The purposes of these
case class discussions are for you to:
1. Gain experience in defining new product
management problems and in applying problem-solving techniques to real-life strategic
new product development situations;
2. Develop your ability to think critically,
creatively, and analytically; and
3. Improve your oral communication skills.
Case Questions
Specifically, you
should be prepared to answer the following questions for each case as a
framework for your analysis in the classroom discussions:
Chapter 5:
1.
What success/failure factors led to this product’s
demise? What might
developers have done differently, if anything?
Chapter 2: Tastykake Sensables (9/24) - The New Product Development Process
1. Briefly outline the new product
development process (NPDP) used by Tastykake for this new product line. How does it compare with the process
discussed in Chapter 2?
2. What omissions or possible problems do
you spot in this process?
3. Do you believe this product will succeed
in the marketplace? What problems did
you spot and what, if anything, would you have done differently?
Chapter 3: New Product Strategy at Kellogg’s (10/15)-
Product Innovation Charter
1. Write out a PIC for one of the Kellogg’s new products for 1999.
2.
Describe future products for Kellogg’s
for the next several years out from 1999 that would be
consistent with your PIC and would
offer potentially lucrative opportunities for this corporation.
Chapter 4: Concept Generation in the Toy Industry (10/17) -
Concept Generation
1. Do you think it is true that this is a
mature market, pretty much beyond creative ideation?
2. How do new toy ideas actually come
about? Have you ever had the idea for a
new toy, and if so, where did you get it?
Do or could children themselves play a role in ideation?
3. How about technology? Could we study various technologies (e.g.,
chemistry, computers, and fabrics) to see if they applied to new toy
possibilities?
4. What is the chance that a consumer will
send in a worthwhile new product concept?
What should a toy company do with such concepts?
5. Could any firm in this industry depend on
its own staff of creative people? And
could they create a motivating environment (without roadblocks)?
6. Are there any PIC considerations of
importance here, such as special customer groups that could be focused on or
innovativeness strategy (pioneer, adaptive, or imitative)?
Chapter 6: Dell Computers (A) (11/5) - Analytical Attribute
Analysis
1. Describe the positioning of Dell and its
three major competitors. Is Dell
favorably positioned?
2. Which competitor should Dell be most
concerned with and why?
3.
What additional competitive and
marketplace data could better help you to assess Dell’s competitive position?
4.
How could a weaker competitor (out-positioned
by Dell on both attributes) effectively compete
with Dell?
Chapter 6: Dell Computers (B) (11/5) - Analytical Attribute
Analysis
1. Which brands will each ideal segment
prefer?
2. What are Dell’s strategic positioning
options? Which one do you think will most
successful?
Chapter 6: Dell Computers (C) (11/5) - Analytical Attribute
Analysis
1. What, if anything, should Dell do to
react to HP’s anticipated repositioning?
2.
Should Dell wait to see whether HP
actually implements the expected repositioning or should they
react
ASAP?
Chapter 7: Rubbermaid, Inc. (11/5) - Attribute Analysis and
Fortuitous Scan Techniques
1.
Notice from reading the case that Rubbermaid
doesn't make much use of attribute analysis and other fortuitous scan
techniques. Given their products and
markets, which attribute analysis and fortuitous scan techniques discussed in
Chapters 6 and 7 and in Appendix B could be used to develop new product ideas
for the Rubbermaid Inc.? Select a couple
of methods and see what you come up with.
Some suggested (but not mandatory) techniques that you might wish to
explore would include determinant gap maps, dimensional analysis, and
checklists.
Chapter 8: The G5 Doll (11/19) – The Concept Evaluation
System
1. Describe the concept evaluation system
you would have used for the G5 Doll. Is
there any hope for this product to succeed?
Chapter 13: The MINI (11/28)- Prototype Development
1. What design
considerations did BMW most likely consider when redesigning the Mini for the
2.
What customer attributes (CAs: features,
functions, and benefits) and related engineering characteristics (: ECs: technologies)
were or should have been considered in formulating the product’s design?
3.
What would have been the key points of
discussion among the designers and other multifunctional team members in order
to ensure these CAs and ECs were delivered?
4.
What potential design pitfalls and
concerns must the team consider when designing a “facelift” product like MINI? How could customer research be helpful here?
Chapter 9: Wolverine Car Wash (11/28) – Prototype Testing
1. Write a clear concept statement for this
product. Then, write an alternative
concept statement. Which one would be
better to use during the concept evaluation process and why?
2. Describe the research format you would
use for consumer evaluation of this concept.
Be sure to discuss the basic interviewing method, respondent group(s),
concept format to be evaluated, and specific questions to be asked (i.e.,
information to be gathered). Justify all
of your decisions.
3. Is prototype testing feasible here? If so, how would you go about doing it? If it is not feasible, why not, and is this a
problem?
4. Do you think that this product has
potential to be a commercial success?
Why or why not?
Chapter 16: Product Use Testing for New Consumer Nondurables
(12/3) - Product Use Testing
1. For which of the products described n
the case would you recommend product use testing? What are the major information needs which
can be realized through product use testing for each of these products?
2. Choose one of the products and make
recommendations for each of the product use testing decisions discussed in the
chapter.
Chapter 18: PepsiCo—Pepsi-Kona and Pepsi One (12/10) – Test
Marketing
1.
Which success/failure (S/F) factors
helped doom Pepsi-Kona and which S/F factors helped Pepsi One succeed (at least
at the time—ultimately it was a failure!)?
2.
Was a test market really necessary to
learn about Pepsi-Kona’s problems? What
kinds of new product tests could have caught the problems?
3. Would you recommend test marketing or any other tests for Pepsi One, or should Pepsi managers simply learn from their mistakes on Pepsi-Kona?
Chapter 18: Square D Remote Lamp Dimmer (12/10) - Test
Marketing
1. Write a core benefit proposition
statement, and briefly describe how this product should be positioned.
2. Is this just a novelty product like a fad
item or does it satisfy an enduring need?
Are there any problems with the product concept?
3. Should the product have been
use-tested? What do you suppose would
have been the results of a product-use test?
4. Should the product have been market tested? If so, how and why? If not, why not?
5. If the product is market tested, what do
you suppose the firm would discover?
Will this product be a commercial success? Why or why not?
Chapter 17: Spiralurgy, Inc.. (12/X) - Prelaunch Control and
Launch
1. Use the A-T-A-R model to describe what
activities this company should undertake to get each of the A-T-A-R
requirements. What problems do you see
them having getting each of these and what can they do to surmount these
difficulties?
2. What percent of the student living unit
(dorms, apartments, etc.) market do you forecast Spiralurgy will capture?
Chapter 18: Levitra (12/X) - Prelaunch Control and Launch
1. What does this case teach us about the
first-mover advantage?
2 Is Levitra’s sustainable competitive advantage
assured? Where is Levitra vulnerable?
3. Prepare a strategic launch plan,
including: (a) a list of potential problems/critical events; (b) control
events, i.e. those critical events for which contingency plans will be made;
(c) contingency plans for the control problems; and (d) a tracking system that
will tell when to implement contingency plans.
Chapter 18: Interfoods, Inc. (12/9) - Postlaunch Tracking
and Control
1. For the Valley Butter project, prepare a
list of critical events (potential important problems), control events (those
critical events for which contingency plans will be made), and tracking events
(those control events which will be tracked), including plans for how to track
them.