As we look forward to 2022, we believe the new products that will be successful are those that do a job—not just meet internal margin requirements or use ingredients that already are in the supply chain. Consumers will look for products that help them feel like better parents, successful entertainers, more relaxed “go-getters,” or the best of whatever they want to be.
Let me explain. As professionals who study human behavior and are immersed in innovation strategy and new product development, it’s easy to forget that our own behavior can teach us a lot. Sometimes when the researcher becomes the subject, it reminds us that there are human truths that we cannot out-innovate.