ABSTRACT
Nowadays in western countries, a new product rarely constitutes a ground-breaking innovation. When a new product is launched onto the market, it often displays new functions that need to be compared with those of its competitors. Currently, feedback of this type of information is slow; it is provided by specialised consumer journals. This situation is likely to change with the advent of on-line benchmarking, enabling access to up-to-date information. For companies, the challenge is now to improve overall design quality, bearing in mind differentiation. The choice for the consumer in the future will be complicated, as the number of alternatives will continue to increase. The pertinence of all the factors which contribute to the success of an innovation will (therefore) be determinant.
