New Product Blueprinting is a process that combines the foundational principles of front-end innovation with the best practices of B2B marketing. It is a Voice of the Customer system, but one that is optimized for needs of B2B and includes a product development tool set and process support to ensure success.
Typical innovation processes for new product development do not differentiate between a B2B and a B2C market. B2B marketers have always had to deal with this gap in methodology, trying to adapt the generic processes to their individual situation. They know that B2C methods often fall short by failing to nurture customer relationships, by ignoring the challenges of recruiting the B2B customer, and for the many things that make B2B innovation unique.
For example:
- How far down the value chain should a B2B marketer execute VoC interviews?
- How can interviews be executed so that they actually engage customers to buy?
- What special considerations should be taken into account for highly concentrated markets?
The book
New Product Blueprinting is a practical "how to" guide for execution - covering the seven steps of Market Research, Discovery Interviews, Preference Interviews, Side-by-Side Testing, Product Objectives, Technical Brainstorming and Business Case creation. It is a must-read for everyone responsible for B2B growth from engineers, developers, marketers, product managers and most of all - B2B leaders.
