Martin Löfgren

Idea Generation Customer Co-creation versus Traditional Market Research Techniques

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand the differences between proactive and reactive market research techniques during the development of new market offerings. The study focused on the financial and innovative performance of traditional market research techniques, such as focus groups and in-depth interviews, in comparison to more co-creation-oriented techniques that are designed to capture customers value-in-use. Design/methodology/approach - The study was a two-stage process. Study I, an empirical investigation of 195 development projects in European companies, examined how these companies use different market research techniques and how this relates to the profit margins of new products and services. Study II designed an experiment with 50 users of a consumer good and evaluated the contribution of different market research techniques, based on the degree of originality and customer value. Findings - Significant differences were found, in terms of both content and originality, between the technique based on customer co-creation and the two traditional market research techniques (Study II). These findings can help to explain why the relationship between the use of market research techniques and profit margin (Study I) is stronger for co-creation techniques than it is for traditional market research techniques. Originality/value - Despite empirical evidence that the application of market research techniques based on co-creation can lead to original ideas, there is a lack of valid studies regarding how co-creation techniques perform in relation to more traditional methods of collaboration with customers.

Kano's Theory of Attractive Quality and Packaging

Purpose- To explore the impact of packaging on customer perceptions of quality.Design/methodology/approach - Sees representing quality as additional to packagings function of product protection, d ...

Classification of quality attributes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the different approaches to the classification of quality attributes deliver consistent results. Design/methodology/approach – The inve ...

Two Decades of Using Kano's Theory of Attractive Quality: A Literature Review

Over the past two decades, the multidimensional model of quality attributes that is often referred to as “Kanos theory of attractive quality” (Kano et al. 1984) has gained increasing exposure and acceptance among academics and practitioners alike. Despite this, no research has provided a systematic review of the subsequent development of this theory since its introduction. The aims of this study are: a) to synthesize and organize the extant literature on the subject; and b) to suggest areas that require further research. A review was conducted of 33 papers related to the theory of attractive quality. The content of these papers was analyzed and theoretical and methodological research themes were identified. The study revealed several interesting developments with respect to methodological issues. Many of these, however, lack sufficient scientific rigor to be accepted as valid contributions to the further development of the theory of attractive quality. The findings of the study also provide guidance to managers on how to incorporate the latest development of the Kano methodology available in product development and customer satisfaction studies. The study aims at helping current and future researchers, and practitioners employing the Kano methodology, to examine their methodological decisions in detail.

Winning at the first and second moments of truth: an exploratory study

Purpose – To contribute to the theoretical work on products that contain both tangible (goods) and intangible (service) dimensions, by arguing that the consumption of physical goods and services should be understood as a process with two major steps – the first and second moments of truth.Design/methodology/approach – An investigation of the service perspective and packaging is made based on a literature review. Empirical examples are then presented from an interview study of people working with packaging‐related issues at Procter & Gamble, Schwarzkopf & Henkel, Procordia Food, and Coop. The relationship between theory/concepts and research in the paper can be described in terms of extension and emergent.Findings – Consumers evaluate quality when they purchase an offering and when they consume it. Using the terminology of the present paper, this means that the perception of quality is created at both the first and second moments of truth. The first moment of truth is about obtaining customers’ attention a...

From service for free to service for fee: business model innovation in manufacturing firms

Purpose – The purpose of the present research is to identify how business model innovation can be used to make the transition from service for free to service for fee. In particular, the focus is o ...

Theory of attractive quality and life cycles of quality attributes

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to shed further light on the dynamics of quality attributes, as suggested by the theory of attractive quality. The study aims to investigate the existence of the life cycle for successful quality attributes and to identify alternative life cycles of quality attributes.Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on two surveys in which a total of 1,456 customers (708 in 2003 and 748 in 2009) participated in the classification of quality attributes. In particular, the study investigated how customers perceived 24 particular packaging attributes at two points in time, in 2003 and 2009.Findings – The study identified three life cycles of quality attributes: successful quality attributes, flavor‐of‐the‐month quality attributes, and stable quality attributes. The research also extends the theory of attractive quality by identifying the reverse movement of certain quality attributes; that is, that a quality attribute can take a step backwards in the life cycle of su...

Customer satisfaction in the first and second moments of truth

Purpose – Almost everything consumers buy in a store has a package. At point of purchase, the first moment of truth, the package functions as a silent salesman. Once the purchase is made, the produ ...

Theory of attractive quality and the Kano methodology – the past, the present, and the future

The theory of attractive quality and the Kano methodology were introduced about 30 years ago. Since then, research and practitioner communities have adopted both the theory and the methodology, as they help to explain the roles different quality attributes play for customers. This paper reviews 147 research papers published between 1984 and 2012 and identifies three distinct phases in the development of the research field; Emergence, Exploration, and Explosion. In addition to the review of existing literature, the present paper sets the scene for the next phase of the research – Explanation – to further develop the field.

Identifying ideas of attractive quality in the innovation process

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how new ideas generated by customers can be used in a process of attractive quality creation. In addition, it aims to discover whether ideas identified as attractive early in the innovation process have certain characteristics that separate them from other ideas.Design/methodology/approach – The study involved 30 customers of a company that designs and produces microwave ovens. In a number of experiments, these customers generated over 100 new ideas on functions, attributes and services related to microwave ovens. Company specialists identified the 21 best ideas and these ideas were then evaluated by a large customer group using the theory of attractive quality.Findings – The study shows how the theory of attractive quality can be used in the development of innovative products. It also provides empirical evidence that ideas identified as attractive are more original and of higher customer value than other ideas.Practical implications – The study shows the extent to which and the circumstances in which the theory of attractive quality can be used to evaluate ideas in the early phases of product and service development.Originality/value – Empirical research on attractive quality creation is sparse, and this study represents a rare example of a comprehensive study of attractive quality creation.