Uncovering your customer's hidden needs

Capturing the ‘voice of the customer’ is an essential stage of any new product development. However, the way companies ‘listen’ to their customers is changing as managers realise end users are often unable to articulate their needs and focus groups seldom lead to breakthrough product ideas. The SONY Walkman is a clear example of a new product that resulted from insights into customers’ hidden needs rather than from market research. It is not that market research is bad per se, rather that it is in need of a complete overhaul in many orga