Consumer Satisfaction New Product Development: Nestle Company - Research Proposal Example

Consumer Satisfaction New Product Development Name: Consumer Satisfaction New Product Development Course: Tutor: Institution: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Background 3 3.0 Aims and Objectives 6 4.0 Research Methods 6 4.1 Sample and Sampling Size 6 4.2 Data Collection 7 4.2.1 Interviews 7 4.2.2 Questionnaires 8 4.2.3 Focus Groups 8 4.3 Data Presentation 9 5.0 Ethical Issues 10 6.0 Limitations 11 7.0 Timeframe 13 8.0 Brief Summary 14 References 15 1.0 Introduction The research study is a development covering the packaging and wrapping up of a new product developed by the Nestle Company. As already evidenced in previous market ventures, despite the presence of viable products ready to resolve existing market needs and gaps, ignorance and lack of enough market and product knowledge by the consumer base, often leads to eventual products introduction failure. As such, this forms the basis for the development of appropriate products packaging that is attractive as well as informative to the consumer base. In this regard, the development of such a packaging and new products branding approach increases its overall market success rates and probabilities (Chang, 2008, p.223). This research proposal develops a framework through which the consultancy firm wishes to conduct a market survey and research study on behalf of the corporation to establish the ideal and appropriate packaging and branding procedures and products for its newly developed children healthy breakfast meal product. The consultancy is well positioned to conduct this research on behalf of the organization due to a range of factors. On one hand, the corporation has enough and well trained research workforce making it ready and capable of cost effective project execution. In addition, experience and market contacts and networks gained over the years will benefit the proposed research through its sampling and sample acquisition processes. 2.0 Background The global market is changing with increased technological and social changes in the consumer bases. In this regard, the changes have fundamentally implicated on the overall organizational selling, production, marketing and sustainability structures. Feldmann and Frank (2002, p.21) argued on the implications of technology changes to organizational processes. The study established that with increased technological developments, communication has been enhanced leading to increased consumer base knowledge, a component lacking previously in the traditional market set up. Increased market knowledge implies that the consumer base becomes increasingly conversant with production processes and products implications on the society as well as their health. Consequently, in order to overcome competition and achieve consumer base loyalty, organizations are required to align their products and production process with the changing global demand needs. This has been the case in the fast foods industry especially in the production of children products such as breakfast meals. In this regard, reports and news have in the recent decade criticized the processes and approaches used in the production and marketing of such products. In this regard, much emphasis is laid on the marketing aspect of the products. Critics of these products argue that children are gullible and thus vulnerable to influence by attractive media and marketing campaigns. Consequently, they are swayed into the consumption of goods and products harmful to their health in the long run. Consequently, the media as well as consumer activist groups emerged with campaigns to limit these advertisements. On one hand, the consumer organizations mobilized their members into boycotting such products, as a move to influence the producers into producing healthy children products. As a result, this move has influenced organizations into hiding these calls and subsequently developing alternative products. Initially, a majority of the organizations argued on the calorie contents in children breakfast foods. Calories if unused by the body as energy are converted as fat and stored in the body. Medical as well as industry review journals linked these calories contents with unhealthy populations. For instance, Tan, Devinaga and Hishamuddin (2013, p.38) conducted a study evaluating the implications of the popular breakfast children meals considered to contain high calories levels. In its analysis, the study established that children consuming these foods encountered increased obesity risks more than counterparts who did not consumer the foods. Therefore, these findings confirmed media campaigns that the increasing obesity cases in Europe and USA could be linked with the foods consumption. Indeed statistical reviews between Europe, USA and Australia can illustrate this trend. Both USA and Europe developed minimal regulations against such unhealthy fast foods for children. Consequently, as Lohrmann, Youssefagha and Jayawardene (2014, p.67) reported, children obesity rates had increased significantly in the last decade. On the contrary, the Australian government developed regulations against such marketing campaigns exposing children to unhealthy breakfast meals. Consequently, statistics demonstrate that Australia has low levels of children obesity compared to USA and Europe. Based on this theoretical and statistical analysis, it is apparent that the society has developed a negative perception of the children breakfast fast food meals (Astin and Eddy, 2007, p.114). Consequently, in order to attain an increased market influence, organizations should seek alternative avenues to influence the market rather than through marketing campaigns as has been the market tradition. Shankar (1999, p.328) evaluated on channels and avenues through which organizations could introduce and popularize their new products. The study sought to develop unique approaches that would revolutionize product introduction stage from the traditional launch and marketing campaigns approach. In its analysis, the study established that organizations could adopt the packaging, branding and display approach to venture into new markets. In this regard, such organizations would brand the products with sustainability aspects (Kleef, Trijp and Luning, 2005, p.183). For instance, they would apply packaging products that comply with production sustainability issues like environmental conservation through use of bio degradable packaging materials. Moreover, such packages should not only be attractive but also informative, highlighting ingredients as well as health implications and benefits upon consumption. Based on the theoretical review, it is apparent that there exists a market gap in the fast food s and children breakfast meals industry. As such, the analysis establishes that a majority of the organizations and brands in the market hedge their success on marketing and advertisement campaigns. Evidently, although studies develop the theoretical arguments on branding and the adoption of an appropriate and appealing as well as informative packaging, non highlights on the actual appeal variable in the market. Therefore, based on the existing studies, the organization is unaware of the actual appealing and informative packaging contents. As such, this bars the organization form appropriately branding and packaging the new product to gain the exclusive merits highlighted by the study. Therefore, this demonstrates the existing literature and industry information gap on appropriate packaging and branding tools and approach. As such, the consultancy firm offers to develop a research survey on the market to establish on these new market variables. In this regard, information obtained from the study will be applies in the development of an appropriate packaging and branding approach for the organization’s new product. Further, through sponsoring the survey, the organization will acquire added market knowledge through which other variable can be evaluated on the consumer base, concurrent with the research needs, such as consumer satisfaction levels. Subsequently, the acquisition of this information, as the first player in the industry to posses it will offer the organization an added competitive edge over others in the industry, positioning it for success and increased profitability both in the short and long runs. 3.0 Aims and Objectives The proposed study as already established under the introduction and background analysis segments has an overall objective of deriving and developing an appropriate cereals shapes and packaging sizes as well as themes. In this regard, the research study will majorly focus on key specific issues including 1. Parents opinions on cereals sizes and ingredients 2. Preferences on issues to educate children on cereals 3. Children preferences in cereals packaging and shapes 4. Methods to integrate the information needs with the UK educational curriculum 4.0 Research Methods 4.1 Sample and Sampling Size The proposed research will be a wide scope research covering stakeholders from across the industry both internal and external. In this regard, based on the study objectives, the target group will comprise of the parents in the society, children who serve s the actual consumers a well as education sector stakeholders. Therefore, comprehensive research sampling design is one that incorporates all stakeholders equally to allow for decision making diversity as well as objectivity attainment. Cowan, Fristoe, Elliott, Brunner and Saults (2006, p. 1756) argued on the merits of adopting wide scope target group in a group study. Consequently, the study established that the inclusion of wide scope target populations imperatively increased a research quality and reliability. In order to achieve this objective, the study will adopt a stratified sampling technique, through which each of the stratified population groups will be allocated respective sizes based on the overall study sample size. Upon establishing the respective stratus, the study will adopt simple random sampling techniques to develop a sample base for inclusion into the study. In this case, the samples will be selected randomly form the UK population base regardless of the social or cultural background. The adoption of a simple random sampling technique will serve the study two key merits. On one hand, the approach reduces researcher bias risk, where a researcher may select samples preferentially with the objective of attaining given research outcomes. On the other hand, the approach increases sample diversity. However, despite the merits of this approach, this proposal acknowledges the challenges encountered in attaining a willing sample base for a research. As an incentive, the proposal recommends that the management avails samples of its three low sugar and calorie products for free offering to the sample population as a cooperation and goodwill gesture. The table below illustrates the proposed stratus and sample sizes for each. Stratum Sample Size Parents 200 Children 300 Education Sector Stakeholders 100 Total Sample 600 4.2 Data Collection Once a sample is established for the study, the research will proceed to data collection. Under data collection, the study will focus in establishing the stratus views individually in order to form an informed basis for conclusions and subsequent recommendations development. Under data collection, a study has a range of alternative tools. Parkhill and Borkowski (2008, p.22) evaluated the merits of incorporating multiple data collection tools in a single research study. The authors argued that the adoption of such diverse instruments provided a research study with increased objectivity and focus. Therefore, in a bid to increase the objectivity and research recommendations quality, the proposed research will adopt range of data collection tools including interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. 4.2.1 Interviews Interviews form the basis for participative interactions between the researcher and the sample population. Through interviews, the researcher asks the respondents a series of predetermined questions and registers the responses in an interview script. The adoption of this approach has a range of merits on a survey. On one hand, interviewers attain the opportunity to scrutinize the respondents’ feedback as well as seek clarifications or in-depth responses on issues they feel were not addressed as desired. Although a majority of the interviews are conducted on a one respondent basis, the proposed research will seek a diversion and incorporate all its target respondents in a single interview session. Mainly, the interview data collection tool targets the children and their feelings on the packaging and cereals sizes in the market. The proposed study acknowledges the indecisive nature faced by children and their fear of talking and sharing with strategies. Therefore, in order to overcome these challenges, he study will sponsor social events such as sports after which he children will be assembled in group and asked to respond to questions raised by the interviewers freely. Moreover, in order to encourage participation, the researchers will offer sample gifts and prizes to active participants in the interview sessions. 4.2.2 Questionnaires An alternative data collection tool in a research survey is the adoption and use of questionnaires. Questionnaires use offers both the researchers and respondents a range of merits and gains. On one hand, the use of questionnaires signifies reduced active participation of the researcher in data collection. In this regard, upon distributing the questionnaires, either manually or electronically, the researcher steps aside and only resumes collecting and analyzing the dully filled questionnaires (Chiu, Lai and Chen, 2009, p.175). On the other hand, the use of questionnaires, unlike interviews, provides the respondents with confidentially though its anonymity filling it options. Therefore, this enables the respondents address sensitive issues, they would be uneasy addressing under interviews. For the proposed study, the research will adopt an electronic questionnaires distribution approach. In this case, the research will focus on distributing the questionnaires to sample parents’ populations through their emails as provided in their organizational consumer profiles. The adoption of this approach will allow the respondents, who are relatively busy with other economic activities enough time to fill in the questionnaires as and when they have time. The increased flexibility offered by the questionnaires will increase the responses quality and reliability. 4.2.3 Focus Groups The final data collection toll to be applied in the proposed research project is the use of focus groups. Through their allowance for critical thinking as well as brainstorming, focus groups are ideal data collection tools for technical and professional issues. Therefore, in addressing the concept of how the themes information can be incorporated in the UK curriculum, the study will engage sampled educational sector respondents into a focus group discussion. Under this discussion, the respondents will debate on the ideal approach through which it could be incorporated into the system. The focus group is ideal as it allows for brainstorming on issues that lack precedence such as the research study focus on the brand and themes inclusion in the curriculum The proposed research study acknowledges the challenges experienced in data collection and the likely negative implications of such challenges on data quality and the subsequent developed recommendations. Therefore, in order to hedge against these challenges, the proposed study will employ a range of counter approaches. On one hand, the study will develop survey and moderator guides for the field personnel. In this regard, the guides will incorporate informative contents on the UK culture, social classes as well as environmental and ethical issues worth consideration. In addition, in order to ensure and guarantee o the objectivity of the proposed data collection tools, the study will conduct a pilot study. Through the pilot study the instrument reliability and data validity will be evaluated through the KR-20 test. As such, any tool with a less than 70% success rate will be reviewed and corrected for improvements (Weiner, 2003, p.432). The adoption of this testing approach ensures that the proposed tools as well as the interviews, questionnaire and focus groups questions are valid and facilitate the achievement of the proposed study objectives in the long run. Moreover, the pilot study will play a significant role for co-joining the three data collection tools to increase their integration and relatedness as well as complimentary levels. 4.3 Data Presentation Once a research survey collects the required and appropriate data, the next imperative step is the data analysis and presentation. In this regard, the step incorporates the development of appropriate analysis tools. Coulter (2005, p.33) stated that data analysis has two distinct analysis approaches namely the qualitative and quantitative analysis. On one hand, qualitative data analysis tools incorporate analysis of data that cannot be quantified including respondents’ attitudes as well as emotions. On the other hand, quantitative data analysis incorporates analysis of quantifiable data in a research study. In order to widen the study scope as well as offer quality recommendations alternatives, the study will adopt both the qualitative and quantitative data analysis tools. In this regard, for data obtained through the focus groups and interviews, the survey will adopt the qualitative analysis approach to establish the overall feeling and recommendations developed by the respective respondents. On the other hand, for data collected from the actual buyers, the parents, the study will adopt a quantitative analysis approach to quantify the established findings and their respective conclusions. While as the interviewers and moderators logical reasoning will be applied in qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis will incorporate statistical data tools such as the use of the SPSS application software to facilitate data quantification both in the inferential and differential aspects. In this regard, the study adoption will allow for the quantification of obtained data and subsequently allow for a scientific deduction approach. In presenting the analyzed data, the research study will seek to present the data in approaches and forms through which the management and organizational design and new product development functions can easily understand and interpret it. This is based on the argument and establishment of the merits and role of accurate research data interpretation by the project financier. Therefore, proposed research project will present its findings using visual aids and instruments such as graphs and pie charts. In this regard, the figures will represent respective percentage responses on various questions segments. Moreover, for an increased statistical approach, the analyzed data will be presented through histograms to offer frequencies and their cumulative implications to establish individual group as well as integrated groups overall feedbacks. For the focus groups analysis, the study will code the respective responses based on their origin s the groups sessions progress. In this regard, the participants information coding will allow to establish the point of compromise and each fact and arguments that respective participants will be forced to drop and modify in order to establish an overall focus group compromise and agreement. As such, the reviews will play a significant role in establishing individual educational sector groups’ perception and concerns with the brands and cereals education incorporation in the education system as well as the ideal approach and procedures to apply for the collective groups’ satisfaction. 5.0 Ethical Issues In conducting the proposed research study, this proposal is in cognizant of the key issues and challenges facing both the researchers as well as the respondents. On one hand, the researchers in the field will face ethical issues in their identification. Through identifying with the prospective financing organization, Nestle, the researchers will be exposed to contempt and lack of cooperation from consumers who disregard the brand products. However, failure to honestly and truthfully identify themselves, would amount to social and ethical dishonesty, a virtual inconsistent with research and survey ethics. Therefore, in order to overcome this ethical crisis on identification while retaining increased market sample cooperation, the researchers will identify with the consultancy firm. The consultancy poses no competition to existing industry players and thus less likely to obtain revolt and resistance. Therefore, through their identification as working on behalf of the consultancy rather than the client, the researchers will obtain increased market cooperation, An additional market challenge lies with the development and establishment of the organizational product prior to its roll out and launch in the market. The research survey faces the ethical dilemma of exposing the organizational products to competitors prior to its formal introduction into the market. Consequently, this risks competition emulation. Thus, this leads to the need for confidential information with holding. Consequently, in order to safeguard the product design and production recipe, the organization will limit data and information sharing on the product components to a bare minimum on the survey requirements. Moreover, for confidentiality needs, the product samples will not be branded or labelled. As such, researchers will use coded names for the products as well as the producer in a bid to reduced competition and probable unethical emulation processes. Further, the research survey faces an ethical challenge in information confidentiality in the market. As already indicated, the survey will adopt both interviews and focus groups as data collection tools. One imperative shred demerit for these tools is their lack of contributors’ confidentiality and anonymity present under the questionnaire format. In this regard, in order to avert the challenge and vice of respondents contribution anonymity, only code names s well as group resolutions will be adopted by the moderators and interviewers in their development and compilation of the final report sent to the project manager for evaluation and conclusions deductions. Therefore, based on the above analysis, it is apparent that despite the ethical challenges facing the proposed study, the development of an appropriate survey plan enables overcoming of such challenges. 6.0 Limitations Despite the wide range o deliverables merits for the proposed survey, this proposal proactively acknowledges a range of study limitations likely to be exposed upon its execution. On one hand, is the targeting of children as a study primary data source. Although the children are the actual product consumers, they lack the ability and capacity to make purchases. Thus, although the study might establish their overall interests and incorporate them in the proposed meals packaging and learning themes, it might yield no benefits to the organization if the parents disapprove of such packaging and cereals size features. In addition, children are generally vulnerable and undecided in the long run. As such, they are easily influenced by changes. Therefore, relying on them to develop packaging features may cause a product failure as their interests and fun perception changes change. Consequently, relying on children as a data source is a major study limitation for the proposed survey. In addition, the study faces a limitation in its adoption of the simple random sampling approach used. In this regard, the approach faces challenges in that although believed to reduce on researcher bias, it exposes a research study to diversity challenges. Due to the lack of a free hand in sample selection, researchers may end up with study samples sharing traits and features. Consequently, such a sample results to biased and non-objective results. In this regard, the proposed study faces the challenge of diversity constraints in its parents and focus group member’s selection. As such, selecting parents based on their purchases in the organization exposes it to the risk of encountering parents with no objection to children breakfast meals, consequently denying the organization the opportunity to attain the desired critic on the product, an imperative component in developing a successful product that surpasses both the loyal customers as well as competitors’ expectations. 7.0 Timeframe Activity Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Data tools development   Researchers’ training     Pilot study   Data collection   Data Analysis     Data Presentation     Report development     8.0 Brief Summary In summary, this research proposal evaluates and describes the application of a research survey to establish desired as well as preferred cereals sizes and packaging for the low sugar breakfast meals developed. In this regard, the research proposal develops key specific objectives which included desired cereals size, packaging features as well as cereal education inclusion in the curriculum. In its research design development, the proposal argues that besides conducting a pilot study evaluating on the features of the adopted data collection tools, the research will adopt the KR-20 test for reliability and validity. With regards to data collection, the proposal advocates for the adoption of diverse data collection tools including questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. In terms of sampling it population, the proposal recommends the adoption of both the stratified and simple random sampling techniques. As such, its proposed sample population will be stratified into children, parents and education sector stakeholders’ stratus. Moreover, a review on ethical issues in the proposed research includes researchers’ safety as well as information confidentiality issues. Finally, the proposal forecasts a range of limitations and challenges for the proposed study which include reliance on children who are unpredictable as well as lack of critics. References Astin, A.M. & Eddy, D.W. 2007, "The changing face of dairy food safety regulation", Australian Journal of Dairy Technology, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 113-115. Chang, W. 2008, "A Typology of Co-branding Strategy: Position and Classification", Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 220-226. Chiu, C., Lai, C. & Chen, W. 2009, "Advantages of Computer Industry Outsourcing in Taiwan", Journal of Global Business Issues, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 173-177. Coulter, K.S. 2005, "An examination of qualitative vs. quantitative elaboration likelihood effects", Psychology & Marketing, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 31-49. 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