Research Article
New Product Development and Marketing Process of a Korean SME: The Challenge of Watos Corea
1 Optimum Consulting, 2 Korea University, 3 Watos Korea
Published: January 2008 · Vol. 12, No. 2 · pp. 71-93
Full Text
Abstract
New product development (NPD) is one of the most important marketing activities in the age of limitless competition. However, there are only a few studies of NPD for small & medium enterprises (SMEs) that usually do not have an organized NPD process and a detailed marketing plan for the new product. Watos Corea, founded in 1973 and manufacturing various parts for bathroom products, plans to advance in consumer market to overcome the saturation of domestic market in existing products and the declining business cycle of construction industry. This case study is about the development and marketing plan of 'Toothcare', a new consumer product of Watos, and covers several topics such as a real SME's NPD process, the marketing mix strategies for the new product, the conversion from industrial marketing to consumer marketing, and the impact of NPD on the company's long term growth strategy.
