Marketing Essentials 2012Chapter 30:
Product PlanningeMarketing FeatureOnline Idea Generation
Getting ideas for new products has been made easier due to e-marketing. Companies solicit product ideas from outsiders and customers via their Web sites. Connect & Develop is Procter and Gamble's® (P&G) source for innovation from outsiders. If an idea is selected from P&G's research and development team, the innovator becomes a partner with P&G. P&G also lets Web site visitors share their ideas without compensation. General Electric® and Pepsi-Co® go a step further by sponsoring competitions for fledgling entrepreneurs. General Electric accepts ideas at its "ecomagination" Web site, where other people can evaluate the ideas and vote on them. PepsiCo's competition centers around start-up companies involved in social media, mobile marketing, and other digital platforms. Companies can get immediate feedback about product ideas via the Internet. Social media sites, like Facebook, can even help launch a new product. For example, Ford® unveiled its 2011 Ford Explorer on Facebook and saw its share of SUV shoppers increase dramatically on that day. Innovate & Create
Ask students if they ever voted for a new M&M® candy color or a new Crayola® crayon color. Ask if they ever considered entering a new Ben & Jerry's® ice cream flavor at its Web site. Discuss the benefits of recruiting outsiders and especially current customers to generate new product ideas.  | 
