Senior undergraduate marketing students in New Product Management apply design thinking and market research to identify unmet consumer needs and develop tested product concepts. Acting as innovation consultants, they deliver insights and recommendations grounded in user-centered research.

Partnering with our students gives organizations:

• Fresh, research-backed ideas for new products or services
• Deep consumer insights derived from interviews and empathy mapping
• Concept testing results from real users
• A clear, actionable business case to support product development or enhancement

Learner Activities (Project Outcomes):

• Conduct secondary and primary research to identify underserved consumer problems
• Engage in personal interviews and empathy mapping to uncover user pain points and desires
• Brainstorm and refine innovative product or service ideas
• Prototype a selected concept using visual and narrative tools
• Conduct concept testing with target users and refine the idea
• Build a business case including market analysis, financial forecasts, and launch recommendations

Deliverables (Submitted to Employer):

• Innovation Strategy Report: A comprehensive report detailing problem analysis, user insights, ideation, prototype development, testing results, and business case
• Concept Prototype: A non-physical prototype such as a storyboard, product narrative, app mock-up/interface, or product/package visualization, depending on the concept type. Presented as visuals or images embedded in the report and/or slides.
• Presentation Deck: A 15–20 minute slide presentation summarizing the team’s key insights, concept, business rationale, and implementation strategy.