The complexity of product design

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Poor product design can lead to a great innovation that no one uses.

There are several things which are crucial to pay attention to in the process of creating good product design, but the most common factors are aesthetics and ergonomics. Other factors might be materials, sustainability, and also the product’s packaging & assembly.

However, these considerations mostly come from the engineer’s or manufacturer’s perspective, and it’s not always the case that the consumer’s view is considered early on in the process.

Although design considerations may vary according to the type of products, consumers in different cultures have different priorities when it comes to product usage.

Take for example household appliances. In some countries, consumers might hold the safety features of a product in higher regard compared to other features. They might prefer a product which is not only easy to use but, most importantly, that is safe to use. On the other hand, in some other countries, the consumers’ number one priority might be hygiene. They might prefer a product which is easy to use and easy to clean compared to products with a lot of safety features.

Additionally, household size may also play a role in consumers’ buying decisions when it comes to home appliances. Consumers in countries with smaller household sizes might prefer smaller products.

Bottom line, there are a lot of things to take into considerations when designing a product. Pinpointing these considerations and getting the right answers for each of them could make a significant difference in creating a product that matters and successfully communicating the product’s value to the end-consumers.

Contact Nimrod to know more about our approach to gathering insights for product development.

Healthy vinegar-based drinks

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In the last two years, we are experiencing a megatrend for healthy living, which not only includes healthy eating but also healthy drinking. Vinegar-based drinks have risen in popularity – with large numbers of people now talking about the health benefits of consuming apple cider vinegar every day.

In the past, vinegar has been used as food preservative and part of cooking recipes. Distilled white vinegar is still commonly used for pickling and many cooking recipes in Japan use sweetened rice wine vinegar or mirin.

Many believe that vinegar has some health benefits such as controlling blood sugar levels and improving metabolism which can help with weight loss. However, due to its acidic nature, vinegar might also have some negative side effects when consumed too much. Dentists have said that vinegars could inflict damage to tooth enamel which could cause dental erosion. Furthermore, in some cases vinegar could also cause indigestion.

As a result, many people dilute vinegar with juice, water, spices, honey, and herbs to reduce its acidity and improve its flavour, creating healthy vinegar-based drinks.

Why is this interesting?

Drinking vinegar for its health benefits is not new. However, ready-to-drink vinegar-based drinks are. With the rising awareness about healthy living and the popularity of vinegar-based drinks, the market is open to new, palatable, convenient and easy to consume formats.

Contact Rob to know more about our experience in this space.

Finding the right market for your brand

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Market entry and expansion can be challenging for even the biggest and most renowned brands. History is sadly littered with flops and failures, with reasons varying from a poor understanding of the competitive environment to go-to-market plans that miss the main chance.

Although reasons may vary, one of the recurring themes for failure is the lack of insight into the desired market. An in-depth understanding of which target group to aim for or which channel strategy to adopt is the key to much higher rates of return.

There are of course some key elements to consider when entering new markets such as the market size, market growth, consumer demographics, and competitors’ presence. However, there are some other things to consider such as:

  1. Cross-cultural dimension of the market

We can all agree that different markets have different cultures, even among neighbouring countries. Take for example the uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) for a comparison. A lower UAI indicates that the country is more accustomed to ambiguity and usually has fewer regulations.

Countries such as The Netherlands, Denmark, and Singapore with UAI under 55 are more open to try new products and brands compared to countries with UAI above 85 such as Japan, France, and Greece.

It’s crucial to take culture into account when selecting the desired market for your market expansion.

  1. Socio-economic environment in the defined market

Socio-economics is concerned with the factors that influence how a particular group of people behave within society, which also includes their actions and considerations as a consumer.

When selecting the desired market for your brand or product expansion, it’s crucial to understand the consumers’ purchasing behaviour. Knowing the right buying triggers and key decision-making criteria for each target group will make a difference in optimizing your brand and communications strategy.

How can we help?

As an international consumer insight specialist, we explore new markets and scope initial opportunities for your brand with a holistic view. Our specialty in conducting multi-market projects allows us to further compare various market profiles and to tailor differentiated market entry and expansion strategies for your brands. All the insights we generate are compiled into concise ‘market potential’ reports, for our client’s direct use.

Contact Nimrod to know more about our approach to analyzing market potentials.

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