Conference presentation
New product development in the seafood industry: A case study
2012 University Research Conference Program Book, p.21
USC Research Conference, 2012 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 09-Jul-2012–13-Jul-2012)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2012
Abstract
Product innovation is a necessity in today's competitive global food markets (Grunert and Valli, 2001, Costa and Jongen, 2006). However, new product development (NPD) is a risky undertaking (Stewart-Knox et al., 2003, Altintzoglou et al., 2010b); a high proportion of new food products developed never make it to market, and approximately 50% of those that do are 'dead' within a year (Ernst & Young Global Client Consulting, 1999). Seafood NPD faces specific challenges. The seafood industry operates in a highly differentiated market environment where raw material supply can be volatile and tightly regulated (Grunert et al., 2005). The purpose of this research was to develop and trial an accelerated NPD process for the Australian seafood industry, using blue swimmer crab as the case study. The new products were targeted at the food service sector. The methodology used was based on the Stage-Gate® process; a conceptual and operational map designed to move new product projects from idea to launch and beyond (Cooper, 2008). The model consists of a series of stages, each with research and evaluation-and gates or decision points. We began with an ideation stage with key end users, generating 99 product ideas that were reduced to 6 ideas over a four day period. Following pilot commercial production trials, further research was undertaken at a tradeshow to prioritise the new product concepts. Further testing of commercial production preceded the launch of the new product identified as having the greatest potential, crab cakes. An initial production run of approximately 300 000 crab cakes was sold in 2 months with ongoing production runs. Work is continuing on the second product developed through this process. This case study supported the use of the modified Stage-Gate methodology as a viable approach for NPD in the seafood industry.
Details
- Title
- New product development in the seafood industry: A case study
- Authors
- Meredith A Lawley (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Business
- Publication details
- 2012 University Research Conference Program Book, p.21
- Conference details
- USC Research Conference, 2012 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 09-Jul-2012–13-Jul-2012)
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Date published
- 2012
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; USC Business School - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450189402621
- Output Type
- Conference presentation
Metrics
693 Record Views