All successful new product efforts start and end with the consumer. The simplest recipe to guarantee a successful new product process is to acquire a key Insight pertinent to the category, directly from the consumer. And then, at the end of the new product cycle, to return that key Insight to the consumer in an easily identifiable and credible product.

At the end of the new product cycle, successful new product developers return the Insight to the consumers who loaned it to them in an easily identifiable product and package. It’s important to keep in mind that the Insight originated with and ultimately belongs to the consumer. Returning key Insights to consumers in identifiable and credible products that meet the originally identified needs, is what makes new products “Brand Ownable.”

Success lies in the ability to tie the Insight into the brand in such a way that current brand equity is used to make the proposition stronger. Otherwise, you will have done nothing more than introduced a “change” to the category and any innovation will be quickly copied. While you will have the advantage of being the first into the marketplace with this “change,” this will not ensure any lasting advantage, especially over brands with deeper pockets.

The past six Consumer Insight articles have provided several examples of successful new product and messaging Insights, including Listerine Pocket Packs, Folger’s “Best Part of Wakin’ Up” campaign, Tide To Go, Tide with Downey, and Lipton Hot-Brewed Iced Teas.

These — and a few other — very successful product innovations were brought on by identification of key consumer Insights that then returned the Insights back to consumers in the forms of products that triumphantly meet not only needs originally identified, but are truly delivered in such a way that they are uniquely “Brand Ownable.”

In the past seven articles the word Insight has been highlighted to ensure that, if no other message is received, the importance of focusing attention on this basic new product building-block comes across as the single best way to upgrade new product efforts. By basing new products on sound consumer Insights, chances of success are vastly increased.

In the world we live in, somewhere between 80 percent and 95 percent of new product introductions fail. It’s not that hard to postulate that you must do virtually everything right to successfully launch new products. Therefore, intelligent new product marketers arm themselves with the discipline to not only find and evaluate key Insights, but to effectively execute all the elements to both deliver and communicate these Insights in introducing compelling new products.

It’s imperative to concentrate all development efforts on finding, identifying, delivering and communicating new products with great consumer Insights. This will save not only time and trouble, but focusing efforts on the big ideas will move brands forward.