ABSTRACT
The location and evaluation of new product ideas inflicts considerable costs upon the company which undertakes these operations with care. The observation and assessment of buyers' behaviour is, of course, central to any marketing-oriented strategy and management and, in market development, the company is responsive directly to the wants of the ultimate customer rather than as they are perceived by competitors. The manufacturer active paradigm' (MAP) conception conforms to the conventional marketing textbook notion of the role of marketing research, intelligence and planning in the innovative process. The location and initial evaluation of new product ideas are, therefore, managerial responsibilities which may be simplified and rendered more appropriate to the resource capabilities of the firm if they are allied to the dominant strategic mode of the business. The product development process cannot be deemed to have begun in earnest, however, when the preliminary financial analysis of a hypothetical innovation proves sufficiently encouraging to keep the relevant concept alive.
