How Marketing Strategy Consultants Can Help you Develop Your Product

Marketing strategy consultants are often hired for product development. They provide useful insight into consumer behaviour, preferences and trends.

Marketing strategy is a complex field with many applications. Most people see it as an after-sales product, used only to improve sales tactics. However, in reality good market strategy begins earlier, from the very development of the product. Marketing strategy consultants are often roped in at this initial stages for the following functions:

Insight mining: Marketing strategy consultants often use a mix of quantitative and qualitative research to gain insight into consumer behaviour. Old research as well as focus groups, observation and even social media are used to gain an insight into consumer trends, ideas, expectations and behaviour.

Usability testing: Here a consultant goes beyond bare research. A simple questionnaire can be misleading or inadequate. To accurately test the usability of a product, consultants observe consumer behaviour while they are using the product. Do they find it easy to use? Are the instructions easily understood? What are the frustration triggers? Is the product achieving what it aims, whether entertainment, utility or aesthetics?

Understanding shopper behaviour: Here the consultants undertake actual field research where they observe shoppers on premises. This research involves both passive observation and active research. Does your product stand out in the retail space among competing products? How many shoppers reach out for it? Why does a shopper prefer yours or the competitor’s? What makes it attractive or unattractive at first glance?

Understanding trends: Product development must keep apace with the changing consumer environment. Your market is not a static space and your consumers will often change their preferences. Hence, it is important to understand emerging trends.

Market research consultants map these changing attitudes and preferences of consumers. This includes not just on-field research, but also internet chatter in your field. Understanding trends help you in anticipating consumer behaviour and change your product accordingly.