PANASONIC
When Panasonic India wanted to expand into the volume segment of air-conditioners, the maker of consumer electronics and appliances conducted a feasibility study among middle income consumers who had fitted window ACs in their house; the team also met non-users who didn't have ACs but aspired to buy one.
"The idea was to understand their lifestyle (including the size of the house), usage patterns, and features they expected but that weren't available," explains Panasonic India managing director Manish Sharma. Big AC dealers were also surveyed to understand the trade's view, the competitive scenario, requirements of the stores as well as consumer behaviour in them.
Panasonic then went on to establish a Volume Zone Marketing Research Center in India to gather more customer insights. The centre's researchers visited households to gather feedback and identify gaps that could help in developing a tailor-made product for India.
The Indian arm of the Japanese consumer electronics and appliances maker zeroed in on a couple of key insights: one, window ACs are noisy, noisier than the more expensive split ACs; and they tend to block valuable window space. "This feedback suggested that we had to give consumers the benefits of a split AC at a lower price point," points out Sharma.
With this challenge in mind, cross-functional teams in Panasonic across R&D, manufacturing, design, product planning, sales & marketing worked together to generate a basic concept of a box-shaped split AC. From market survey to design to product development took around 16 months.
Result: a brand called Cube was launched in January 2011. Today, says Panasonic, the Cube is an integral part of its AC line-up, and accounts for roughly a fifth of the company's AC sales. Panasonic is now considering a launch of this product in south east Asian markets.
LG
When LG was looking to launch a well-differentiated refrigerator, it turned to its potential customers for help. After an initial round of market research, the third-party experts along with specialists from LG's R&D, design and marketing teams directly interviewed the customers to understand their needs.
Despite the rash of refrigerators in the market, customers still had a few needs that weren't being addressed. LG was quick to seize the opportunity. For instance, in a country that has a large number of vegetarians, LG produced refrigerators equipped with a large vegetable tray to hold more vegetables; and a convertible box with independent temperature control for vegetables and fruits.
Another insight led to the development of a 'beauty & care box' as many Indian consumers tend to keep their cosmetics and medicines in the fridge to keep them cool amidst humid conditions.
While LG doesn't share the exact figures, it says such innovations have helped increase refrigerator sales by about 30% since 2009. Models customised for India are also being exported to markets in the Middle East.
When Panasonic India wanted to expand into the volume segment of air-conditioners, the maker of consumer electronics and appliances conducted a feasibility study among middle income consumers who had fitted window ACs in their house; the team also met non-users who didn't have ACs but aspired to buy one.
"The idea was to understand their lifestyle (including the size of the house), usage patterns, and features they expected but that weren't available," explains Panasonic India managing director Manish Sharma. Big AC dealers were also surveyed to understand the trade's view, the competitive scenario, requirements of the stores as well as consumer behaviour in them.
Panasonic then went on to establish a Volume Zone Marketing Research Center in India to gather more customer insights. The centre's researchers visited households to gather feedback and identify gaps that could help in developing a tailor-made product for India.
The Indian arm of the Japanese consumer electronics and appliances maker zeroed in on a couple of key insights: one, window ACs are noisy, noisier than the more expensive split ACs; and they tend to block valuable window space. "This feedback suggested that we had to give consumers the benefits of a split AC at a lower price point," points out Sharma.
With this challenge in mind, cross-functional teams in Panasonic across R&D, manufacturing, design, product planning, sales & marketing worked together to generate a basic concept of a box-shaped split AC. From market survey to design to product development took around 16 months.
Result: a brand called Cube was launched in January 2011. Today, says Panasonic, the Cube is an integral part of its AC line-up, and accounts for roughly a fifth of the company's AC sales. Panasonic is now considering a launch of this product in south east Asian markets.
LG
When LG was looking to launch a well-differentiated refrigerator, it turned to its potential customers for help. After an initial round of market research, the third-party experts along with specialists from LG's R&D, design and marketing teams directly interviewed the customers to understand their needs.
Despite the rash of refrigerators in the market, customers still had a few needs that weren't being addressed. LG was quick to seize the opportunity. For instance, in a country that has a large number of vegetarians, LG produced refrigerators equipped with a large vegetable tray to hold more vegetables; and a convertible box with independent temperature control for vegetables and fruits.
Another insight led to the development of a 'beauty & care box' as many Indian consumers tend to keep their cosmetics and medicines in the fridge to keep them cool amidst humid conditions.
While LG doesn't share the exact figures, it says such innovations have helped increase refrigerator sales by about 30% since 2009. Models customised for India are also being exported to markets in the Middle East.
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