Kawasaki's Revolution
Kawasaki was the marketing person involved in the launch of the Macintosh computer at Apple. His book is full of lists on how to do stuff related to new product launches. Lots of lists. Here's a list on why hiring market research consultants aren't necessarily useful all the time (Kawasaki, 115):
- You probably know - or will recognize - the subtleties that a trained researcher will miss.
- Because you don't focus on research per se, you'll notice more. Hang around places where buyers congregate. Look for what they need. Figure out how to supply it. Kawasaki talks about market research for auto show rooms. Without a Mom on the team, it would forget that Moms would love to have a place to put the kids while they wait for a car repair, pr better, buy a car.
- Sam Walton strolled through lots of competitor's stores. He'd notice it. By the next Monday, it was happening at WalMart. The Saturday management meeting made sure of that. Fast to market. More profits.
- Use folks with lots of different experiences on your market research teams. If they're all the same, you get fewer useful ideas. More ideas, more profits. Makes sense.
Kawasaki, Guy with Michele Moreno. Rules for Revolutionaries. The Capitalist Manifest for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services. HarperBusiness. 1999.