Kevin McFarthing wrote “Qualifiers and Differentiators in
Innovation” for Innovation Excellence.
Kevin believes “understanding the qualifiers and differentiators
not only allows you to play the innovation game, it gives you a great chance of
winning.”
The qualifier is what makes you competitive and the differentiators
are what make you win the game. For example Extra gum, the gum (qualifier) gets
you in the market, the extra-long lasting (differentiator) gets you winning the
market. Qualifiers are only noticed by the customer when they are absent or
when it has failed. It is important to be innovative and have not only a
qualifier but a differentiator.
When it comes to innovation here is what Kevin believes
needs to be followed…
1. Really challenge yourself to know your consumer and understand what
really makes a difference to them.
2. Match this knowledge against your product development
targets.
3. Decide your “single-minded message”, the one that will truly
differentiate your innovation from that of your competitors.
4. Deliver category standard performance on the
Qualifiers.
5. Focus as much effort as you can to innovate on the Differentiators,
those parameters that will drive preferred purchase.
6. Develop the communication of your innovation to the
same principles.
Although this list seems pretty common sense to most
business majors it is always good to have a reminder.
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