Innovator Issues.

Consumers view the market in very simple terms. They want a product that will help them complete the job in hand. If the innovator can understand the job that consumers are trying to complete, design a product which aids in the completion of that job, and positions it so that consumers know that it aids in completing that job, then consumers faced with that particular job will purchase the innovators product in order to complete the job.

A number of innovators don’t approach the innovation process in this way however. One issue stemming from this, as noted in a number of academic articles, is that companies focus on the wrong issues when they are developing new products. This leads innovators to “improve” products by developing new features and functions which they believe will lead to sales and market share, but fail to do so as these “improvements” are irrelevant to consumers needs.

An issue which also stems from innovators approaching the innovation process from the point of view of the product, and not the job, is that any improvements made will only ever be incremental improvements to the product itself. This may make the product easier to use or slightly more aesthetically appealing but it will never lead to a breakthrough that will revolutionize the way that the task in question is completed. If the added cost to consumers of this new product outweighs the value they place on the improvements, then they will not adopt it despite it being an improvement on its predecessor.

Another issue that innovators have to overcome is consumers’ natural resistance to change. Consumers tend to find comfort in familiarity and so overvalue the benefits that current products offer them. Another example of when a consumer resists change is when the new product on offer requires them to change their behaviour. This resistance can lead to consumers failing to adopt products which are superior to the ones they are using, simply because of the learning curve involved. This typically occurs with technological products. For example, if a new tablet was developed, which outperformed the ipad but was significantly more difficult to use, consumers may be unwilling to adapt the new technology.