Food Product Development
1. You work for a company that makes liquid ice-creams. These are dairy based frozen liquors which are sold in liquor stores to individuals over the legal drinking age. Your product line is currently very limited. It includes an orange creamsicleflavour and a chocolate banana flavour. You want to extend the product line to include more flavours. You have decided to not conduct any market research because you know you are the only company producing these products.
a) Select 3 idea generation techniques from the following list:
brainstorming, focus groups, slip card writing, nominal group
Briefly describe how these methods can be used to come up with new flavours for these liquid ice-creams.
b) List the screening factors that you would consider essential to use during the screening process of the ideas that you generate.
The following information may be helpful for you
• Your target market is young females between the ages of 19 and 25
• The liquors are 4% alcohol
• Marketing has decided that since they have received many complaints about the calorie content of the current beverages that this product must be a "diet" product
• This product is to be marketed as a drink to have after the meal is over (an alcoholic replacement for dessert) so the flavour should reflect this
• The product sells for $15.00 for 4 x 150ml bottles. Marketing has decided that the price of the new flavour must be the same as this price
• The product must be shelf stable for 3 months in the fridge
• The flavour cannot lead to curdling or off flavour development during storage
2. You work for a chocolate manufacturer. The president's wife has come up with an idea for a new product and the President has told you that it must be developed. The idea is very simple: "a crunchy white chocolate bar". The president claims that his wife and all her friends would love to buy this product. You have to run a focus group who would be your target market and why?
b). After running the focus group, you come to the conclusion that the market is saturated and "a crunchy white chocolate bar" is not a good idea for your company to pursue. However the President of the company keeps pushing it and says we have spent too much money on the project already, so you have to keep going. How would you reposition this product?
3. A major vegetable processor based in Nova Scotia has decided to develop a pre-prepared vegetable pack to be sold in supermarkets. This pack would have a selection of cleaned and chopped vegetables (most likely carrots, onions, potatoes and squash - these are only suggestions) which would be BBQ'd in the container that they are sold in. The vegetables will be blanched to ensure that they all finish cooking on the BBQ at the same time. The company thinks that such a product could be sold as a convenience product for those individuals who do not want to buy each vegetable separately and prepare them themselves for the BBQ. Each BBQ pack will have a flavour packet sold with it to add during BBQ'ing.
• The company wants their product sold in the vegetable section of large supermarket chains.
• The raw materials must be locally (Annapolis Valley) produced.
• The company has facilities for cleaning, cutting and packaging all of the ingredients. They would like to use their present equipment and not buy any new equipment.
• They would like to produce the product to have a shelf life of 3 weeks.
• The product must be appropriate for BBQing: cooked in fifteen minutes and served in the foil package it is sold in.
• The company does not want to invest more than $1.5 million in this project.
• The company already prepares vegetables for sale as fresh, bulk vegetables. They are sold as "fresh" products and are distributed daily. They do not sell any branded retail products.
a) Detail the aim, objectives and constraints for this project so that they show a clear direction for the project.
b) List the steps of the product development process that you would use to complete this project. After each step, explain why each step of the process is necessary for you to successfully develop this product.
4. You work for a company named "Radical Extreme Food!" and your currently boss is kind of a free thinker.
a) He has asked to research the diapers market and apply what you have learned to sell jalapeno poppers. Think of the trends of that would be applicable to both product categories and how the diaper market could help you sell jalapeno poppers.
b) Your boss has another idea he wants you to research and find two hot trends on the food market today (use references) and then he wants you to create a jalapeno popper that would fit into both trends.
5. You work a company called "Funky Flax", you have designed a survey for a new flax product (seen below). Please critique the survey and state what you like or dislike about it. Identify things you would do differently if it was your survey
Questionnaire on Flax
1.) Do you currently consume any products that contain flaxseed (for example breads, cereals, chips, waffles, etc.)? Please place a check in the box that applies to your answer.
Yes
No (If no, please skip to question 5)
2.) What is the main reason that you consume this flaxseed product? Please place a check in the box that applies to your answer. (choose only one).
You like the flavor
Vitamins and Mineral content
Fiber content
To lower cholesterol
Omega 3
Other (please specify _______________ )
3.) In which form do you currently consume your flaxseed product? Please place a check in all boxes that apply.
Whole flaxseed
Ground flaxseed
De-shelled flaxseed
Cereals
Breads
Waffles
Pasta
Flaxseed oil
Corn chips
Trail mix
Other (please specify _______________ )
4.) How often do you currently consume products containing flaxseed? Please place a check in the box that applies to your answer.
More than once a day
Once a day
Several times a week
Once a week
Several times a month
Once a month
Less than once a month
5.) How interested are you in the following product?
An all natural, de-shelled savory flavored flaxseed product that is rich in omega 3 and fibre.
1 = extremely interested
10 = being not interested at all
Please circle the number that best describes your interest.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6.) Please rate each of the uses of this product on the following acceptability scale by placing a check in the box that corresponds to your answer.
Potential Uses Very Unacceptable Somewhat Unacceptable Neutral Somewhat Acceptable Very Acceptable
In baking
As a yogurt topping
As a salad topping
As a meat coating
In cooking or stir-frying
Sprinkling on a food
As a snack by itself
7.) How likely would you be to purchase this product if it were sold in each of the following flavors? Please place a check in the box that applies to your answer.
Definitely Would Not Buy Probably Would Not Buy Maybe, Maybe Not Probably Would Buy Definitely Would Buy
BBQ
Cajun
Garlic
8.) For 175g, which is approximately 1.5 cups, how much would you be willing to pay for this product?
$4.99 or less
$5.00-$5.99
$6.00- $7.99
$8.00 - $9.99
Over $10
9.) Please indicate your gender.
Male
Female
10.) Please indicate your age.
18 years or younger
19-30 years
31-50 years
51-70 years
70 years or older
11.) On average, how much do you typically spend on groceries for your household per week?
Less than $50.00
$51.00 - $100.00
$101.00 - $150.00
$151.00 -$200.00
More than $200.00
12.) How many people are in your household?
Just you
2
3
4
5 or more