Innovation is at the heart of most companies’ growth strategy. Deciding which concepts to progress is critical, as significant investment is required at the product development stage. But traditional approaches to selecting which concepts to progress are flawed.

1. Prioritising winning ideas
Innovation is at the heart of most companies’ growth strategy.
Deciding which concepts to progress is critical, as significant
investment is required at the product development stage. But
traditional approaches to selecting which concepts to progress are
flawed.
Identifying winning ideas for growth Doubling the accuracy of forecasts
Most screening methods focus on the concepts with To predict incremental growth accurately, you need
the highest trial potential, assuming ‘biggest is best’. to understand people as individuals – but traditional
This approach is fundamentally flawed, because the screening approaches are based on aggregate
biggest idea doesn’t always provide the best growth analysis. At TNS we have been modelling responses
opportunity – due to the value destroying menace of and creating probabilities at an individual level for
cannibalization. Concepts with high trial potential are over 20 years. This approach doubles the accuracy
often not the ones that drive incremental growth for of our incremental forecast versus traditional,
a company. average-based approaches.
Analysis of our database shows that in 40% of cases
companies should take different screening decisions
– once they consider the impact of cannibalization.
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©TNS 2013

2. Precise development plans
Identifying and nurturing radical new ideas World leaders in innovation
Research is often criticised for killing breakthrough TNS has been helping clients grow by prioritising
innovation. Aggregate analysis, again, along with winning ideas for more than 30 years. We have
outdated metrics is the cause of this. more than 400 innovation and product development
Basing screening decisions on a measure of experts world-wide, working in a wide range of
incremental growth identifies some of the more sectors and markets that are totally focused on
breakthrough ideas that would traditionally have finding growth for clients.
been killed off – but this is only part of the story. About TNS
You also need to prioritise the views of more future- TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies
oriented consumers – Early Adopters. At TNS, by around new market entry, innovation, brand
identifying the winning ideas among this group and switching and stakeholder management, based on
mapping responses to our Early Adopter database of long-established expertise and market-leading
over 20,000 concepts, we can identify and nurture solutions. With a presence in over 80 countries, TNS
radical innovation. has more conversations with the world’s consumers
than anyone else and understands individual human
Increasing speed to market behaviours and attitudes across every cultural,
Concept eValute prioritises the new product ideas economic and political region of the world.
that will drive incremental growth early in the TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world’s largest
innovation process, and helps to identify and nurture insight, information and consultancy groups.
radical new ideas. But that is not all. It also uses a
range of diagnostic tools to identify precisely how to
improve concepts to ensure success and increase
speed to market. It identifies the elements of For more information, please visit
concepts that most appeal through open-ended www.tnsglobal.com or contact
responses, highlighter tools and understanding the Marta Pavan - Innovation &
elements that are likely to create buzz. Product Product Development Practice Lead
development and targeting actions are summarised marta.pavan@tnsglobal.com
in a precise plan for each concept.
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Innovation & Product Development
©TNS 2013