INSIGHT on INSIGHT: Studying the First Moment of Truth (FMOT)

FMOT is commonly referred to as shopping. It is how shopper insight was named.

INSIGHT on INSIGHTThomas TessmerMay 20, 2015Moments of Truth, Competition, Insight Design, Applying Insight

MISTAKE #75: You can’t appeal to the masses without appealing to the masses

Make sure you're not betting the viability of your product (or company) on impossible odds.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerDecember 23, 2014Branding, Marketing, Competition, Barriers, Omni-presence Strategy, Content Creation

OMNI-PRESENCE AND CONTENT CREATION: Be seen and heard

Through an omni-assessment, we discover how the omni-channel revolution is impacting your category.

11 BARRIERS TO GROWTHThomas TessmerDecember 22, 2014Moments of Truth, Competition, Shopper Experience, Content Strategy

MISTAKE #73: You did not take time to find common ground with the buyer

Remember that helping a buyer accomplish his/her objectives is often the path of least resistance to accomplishing your product's goals.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerDecember 16, 2014Retailer Interaction, Expectations, Assumptions, Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Competition, Category Audit, Conversion Optimization

SEGMENTATION & PROFILING: Avoid being sucked into the big middle

New products often fail because they target the wrong shopper. More specifically, they target too many different shoppers.

11 BARRIERS TO GROWTHThomas TessmerNovember 10, 2014Strategy & Planning, Research Techniques, Competition, Prime Prospecting

MISTAKE #60: You think purchase decisions are made in discrete category silos

Make sure you're not operating with tunnel vision, incorrectly thinking your product is an isolated purchase decision not influenced by external factors.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerOctober 28, 2014Shopper Experience, Ignorance, Barriers, Competition, Competitive Evaluation, Concept Refinement, Assortment Optimizer

MISTAKE #59: Your sizing is off

It is worth considering how creative sizing can be used to manipulate cost, perceived value or a better user experience.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerOctober 23, 2014Competition, Features & Benefits, Price and Size Strategy

MISTAKE #58: You think you have a pricing problem, but you really have a value problem

The price a product commands should be a function of the value the product delivers.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerOctober 21, 2014Pricing, Competition, Shopper Insights, Strategy & Planning, Ignorance, Features & Benefits, Price and Size Strategy, Engagement Tracking

MISTAKE #55: Your product is priced too high

It is easy to identify and easy to fix, yet it is one of the hardest for companies to accept. Don't let your greed be stronger than your fear.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerOctober 9, 2014Pricing, Shopper Experience, Competition, Price and Size Strategy, Engagement Tracking

13 Principles to Guide Brand Name Development

A great brand name can communicate numerous unspoken equities, create positive associations, and provide instant recognition.

Thomas TessmerOctober 1, 2014Branding, Product Design, Shopper Experience, Mediocrity, Competition, Expectations

15 WAYS YOU CAN USE SIZE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

You must put intelligent thought into the benefits and consequences of the sizes you sell.

Thomas TessmerOctober 1, 2014Competition, Shopper Experience, Product Design, Packaging, Product Use

MISTAKE #51: Your packaging is completely unremarkable and maybe even repulsive

The few square inches of printing on the package needs to work as hard as it can to close the sale.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 25, 2014Packaging, Shopper Experience, Competition, Excellence, Branding, Expectations, Principle-Based Design Guidelines, Concept Creation, Concept Refinement, Package Qualification

MISTAKE #49: You aren’t preparing for war

Many products eventually fail after early success because they didn't consider the resources they needed to fight off the competition.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 18, 2014Competition, Risky Behaviors, Ignorance, Strategy & Planning, Popular, Time, Conversion Optimization, Pre-emptive Objection Handling, Competitive Evaluation

MISTAKE #48: You think imitation is the greatest form of flattery

It takes more than mimicking an existing product to be successful. While it is smart to copy what others have proven works, it is not enough.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 16, 2014Competition, Shopper Experience, Barriers, Mediocrity, Strategy & Planning, Competitive Evaluation, Principle-Based Design Guidelines, Concept Creation, Concept Refinement, Package Qualification, Omni-presence Strategy

MISTAKE #46: You focus on the wrong competition

Your product will almost always need to displace an existing item already on the shelf or in search results.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 9, 2014Competition, Ignorance, Risky Behaviors, Retailer Interaction, Competitive Evaluation, Assortment Optimizer, Retailer Prioritization

MISTAKE #45: You don’t have healthy fear of the competition

Internally-focused greed tends to overshadow the value of having an appropriate amount of externally-focused fear.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 4, 2014Competition, Ignorance, Barriers, Competitive Evaluation

MISTAKE #44: You don’t study the competition

Many companies make expensive and avoidable mistakes because they are consumed with their own navel gazing, not studying the competition.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerSeptember 2, 2014Competition, Strategy & Planning, Ignorance, Assumptions, Competitive Evaluation

MISTAKE #39: You are static in a dynamic world

Shortly after you stop learning and improving, expect to become viewed as background noise as the competition becomes more appealing.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 14, 2014Competition, Shopper Experience, Barriers, Omni-presence Strategy, Opportunity Exploration, Principle-Based Design Guidelines, Concept Creation

MISTAKE #38: Average is not acceptable

There can be a 25x difference in the rewards for average versus exceptional performance.

NEW PRODUCT MISTAKESThomas TessmerAugust 14, 2014Mediocrity, Excellence, Competition, Opportunity Exploration, Competitive Evaluation