Consumers Can't Recall Product Launches
January 20 2006
57% of US consumers could not recall any new products launched in 2005, despite a 2.6% increase in ad spending on launches. The figure comes from the fourth annual 'Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey', conducted by InsightExpress.
The survey, conducted for media and marketing firms Schneider Associates and Stagnito Communications, names the top ten launches of the year as:
- Microsoft's Xbox 360 and McDonald's Fruit & Walnut Salad - both winning 23% of respondents' votes.
- Coca Cola Zero (19%)
- Hummer H3 (18%)
- Coca-Cola with Lime (18%)
- Apple iPod nano (11%)
- Tide to Go (10%)
- Apple's new iPod and Budweiser Select (both at 8%)
- Clorox BathWand (7%).
Despite 30,000+ new product launches in 2005, 57% of respondents said they could not recall one new product launched during the year. This compares with 56% last year, 50% in 2003, and just 33% in 2002, when the survey was first carried out.
Respondents were asked to name the three main factors that influence their product awareness. The factors are rated as follows:
- TV, mentioned by 80%, compared with 70% in the 2004 survey.
- Free samples, mentioned by 55%. 81% said they sometimes buy new products after receiving a free sample, while 10% always do so.
- In-store display, mentioned by 62%, compared with 53% last year.
- Recommendation by family or friends (52%).
- Coupons of flyers (47%).
- In-store free samples (45%).
- Articles in magazines or newspapers (37%).
- Magazine ads (33%, compared with 39% last year).
Just 16% of consumers class themselves as early adopters, while 46% buy newly launched products only when they need them. 62% said that, if they do buy a new product, they usually buy from already trusted brands.
Joan Schneider, author of the study and President of Schneider Associates, says: 'All is not rosy for marketers launching new products. They need to appeal to the 84% of consumers who don't want to try or buy their new products.'
Schneider adds: 'It is becoming more and more difficult to attract consumer attention as the nation's mass market decreases and the cost to reach multiple niche markets increases across diverse media channels.' She advises companies to use 'a variety of public relations and marketing tactics that get new products into the hands and minds of consumers to motivate them to try and buy'.
The survey was based on feedback from more than 1,000 consumers nationwide. The companies involved in the study are online at
www.launchpr.com ,
www.stagnito.com , and
www.insightexpress.com
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.
