In my research, I found a famous product that flopped called The Apple Newton. While this product was released 30 years ago, some people argue that it was the precursor to the iPad and all of the other iDevices that use touch interfaces (Baguley, R. 2013).

Product name: The Apple Newton

Company: Apple

Year Introduced: 1993

Where: 1992 Consumer Electronics Show

Market Research Process:

Step 1: Problem definition help define the research objectives. In apples case, they were looking to replace the traditional pen and paper note pad with something that could fit in your pocket.

Step 2: Research design helps to solve a research problem. For the Apple Newton, the idea was that graphic interface would be the wave of the future and would not require a keyboard for any type of input.

Step 3: Data collection involves the collection of data from all sources to solve the problem definition and research design limitations. Apple did not collect information on what people would like or could like. They simply relied on a group of engineers to create a replacement product.

Step 4: Data analysis determines if there are any suitable substitutions on the market for that product. While there was nothing like this on the market, the technology was so new that it could cause consumers to be reluctant to purchase the product.

Step 5: Report representation the knowledge gained during the market research was that the product would be successful. While we now know that it was a flop, this development 30 years ago changed the consumer electronics world forever.

Where was the failure in your products market research process?

The product that was pitched and designed by Apple was something that if executed right would have changed technology forever. The price point of the product was far too high to try and replace a traditional pencil and notepad. At the same time the handwriting recognition was not adequate for consumers to use and was ultimately what led to the failure of the product.

Which step was missing, not followed correctly, misinterpreted, or misrepresented?

Based on multiple articles, Apple Newton was misrepresented in their marketing strategy. As documented by one the engineers of the project, Larry Tester begged the marketing team to not use the phrase it recognizes your handwriting (Baguley, R. 2013). This misrepresentation in the marketing strategy made the failure of the Apple Newton inevitable.

What solution are you going to share with management to correct the gap in the market research process, if you could you go back in time?

If I were to go back in time to correct the flaws of the Apple Newton, I would have made sure that all aspects of the device were fundamentally sound. If the device was not meeting the market research requirements, I would have never introduced it to the consumer. It is great to get people to want your product, but at the end of the day it has to deliver what the consumer wants. Along with the misfunction of the device, the price of nearly $700 was just too steep for the average consumer.

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