nagement should undergo Concept Testing, or Pre-Testing of the product idea (Rix, Peter, 2001, Marketing, A Practical Approach). This consists of three steps: identifying product features; estimating market demand, competition and the product’s viability; and establishing a program for which to further develop the product. Management must now assign more responsibility for study to further examine Pepsi Au Naturel’s feasibility.Stage Four: Prototype DevelopmentPepsi Au Naturel will now be developed into a physical product. Prototypes or pilot models should be manufactured, along with laboratory tests amongst other technical evaluations to further determine product feasibility: can Pepsi Au Naturel be made to meet the quantity and quality standards required of it?Stage Five: Market TestsPepsi Au Naturel must now face it’s last test before it has made the cut and can be officially launched. Pepsi will run a series of market tests to examine consumer interest in the product. They will conduct strategic marketing ploys including product sampling, where samples of Pepsi Au Naturel are given to the public at sample stalls, and Test marketing where Pepsi Au Naturel shall be placed on trial sale in certain geographic areas. Any necessary fine-tuning of the design and production variables, due to results of the Market Tests shall now be conducted, and Management are now faced with the question of whether or not to proceed to market Pepsi Au Naturel commercially.Stage Six: CommercialisationIn this, the final stage of the new-product development process, production and marketing programs are put in place, and Pepsi Au Naturel is now ready to be officially launched and released to the market. It is no longer at the mercy of Management, rather to the external competitive environment which shall manipulate and control the destiny of Pepsi Au Naturel. ...
