Map The Research Design Used By Donato’s For New Product Dev

Map the research design used by Donato’s for new product development.

The research design employed by Donato’s for developing the new low-carbohydrate, dough-free pizza—No Dough®—was primarily an exploratory and descriptive approach, complemented by rapid market testing. Initially, Donato’s relied on secondary data analysis from syndicated research sources such as The Yankelovich Monitor and NPD Eating Trends, to identify emerging consumer trends relating to low-carb diets (Krouse, 2004). This initial step exemplifies an exploratory research phase, aiming to understand broad dietary changes influencing customer preferences.

Building on these insights, Donato’s adopted qualitative techniques such as employee “WASSUP Meetings,” where staff shared insights from popular culture and eating habits, fostering an internal exploratory environment. This method encouraged the gathering of informal consumer and cultural cues that might signal a market opportunity (Schindler, 2004). Subsequently, the company moved to concept screening through prototype testing, where different product concepts, including low-carb crusts and crustless pizzas, were evaluated via taste tests and consumer feedback in central locations, known as concept screens. These tests aimed to gauge product appeal, brand fit, and purchase likelihood, aligning with descriptive research objectives (Krouse, 2004).

Following initial concept screening, Donato’s employed in-restaurant testing at selected locations, involving self-administered intercept surveys and callback surveys for delivery customers, to gather consumer responses in real-world settings. These tests provided quantitative data on consumer preferences, acceptance levels, and purchase intentions, essential for making informed product decisions (Schindler, 2004). Notably, these tests were conducted over a condensed timeline, utilizing a rapid product development approach to seize a strategic market window, demonstrating a form of experiential research designed for quick learning.

The final stage involved a short-term test market deployment of the No Dough® variant in two stores, with promotional advertising and customer feedback collection, to observe actual consumer behavior and sales performance. This early market launch constituted an experimental element of the research design, enabling Donato’s to validate the product’s market viability before broad rollout (Krouse, 2004). The company continually monitored ongoing customer feedback, email responses, and sales data post-launch, utilizing longitudinal tracking to assess market response over time.

Evaluate the Wassup meetings as an exploratory methodology to help define the research question

The Wassup meetings implemented by Donato’s serve as an innovative qualitative exploratory methodology that facilitates the collection of cultural and consumer insights directly from employees, who act as informal information sources about customer needs, emerging trends, and cultural shifts (Schindler, 2004). These meetings foster an open forum where staff from various locations share observations, thus generating rich contextual data that can help identify potential product opportunities such as low-carb or crustless pizzas. This approach aligns with exploratory research aims by providing preliminary insights necessary to frame specific research questions and hypotheses.

One strength of the Wassup meetings is that they leverage frontline employees' direct interactions with customers, enabling the company to capture real-time, nuanced consumer signals that might be missed by traditional secondary data sources (Schindler, 2004). This participatory method promotes diverse perspectives and encourages a culture of market sensing, vital during rapid innovation cycles. Furthermore, it allows the firm to remain flexible and responsive, adjusting its research focus as new insights emerge.

However, while the Wassup meetings provide valuable qualitative cues, their unstructured and subjective nature can impose limitations. Insights derived are often anecdotal, potentially biased, and lack the systematic rigor typical of formal exploratory methods like focus groups or depth interviews (Schindler, 2004). Therefore, they are best viewed as initial formulating tools that generate hypotheses, which must subsequently be tested through more structured research. In summary, the Wassup meetings are a useful, low-cost, flexible exploratory technique that helps define the research problem by uncovering emerging consumer attitudes and cultural influences.

Evaluate the test market Donato’s used. What were its advantages and disadvantages?

Donato’s employed a strategic, accelerated test market approach by launching the No Dough® pizza in just two stores in Columbus, Ohio, before a full chain rollout. This localized trial allowed the company to collect initial consumer reactions, sales data, and feedback in a controlled yet real-world environment. The advantages of this test market included the ability to observe actual consumer purchasing behavior, evaluate operational feasibility, and assess marketing effectiveness on a manageable scale, thereby reducing risk in the product launch (Krouse, 2004).

Furthermore, the quick deployment aligned with Donato’s goal to capitalize on the strategic window created by the low-carb diet trend. It facilitated rapid learning and allowed the company to make timely adjustments in product positioning, branding, or communication based on real customer responses. Market testing in a few stores also minimized financial exposure compared to nationwide launches, and provided tangible sales results to validate the new product concept.

Despite these benefits, the test market approach at only two stores posed certain disadvantages. The limited geographic scope raised concerns about the representativeness of consumer preferences—what works in Columbus may not replicate across diverse markets. This restricts the generalizability of results and could lead to overconfidence in the broader rollout (Schindler, 2004). Additionally, a small sample size limits the ability to detect subtler market segments or variations in consumer responses that might influence overall success.

Another disadvantage was the potential for the test market to be influenced by localized factors such as store management, staff enthusiasm, or regional dietary trends, which might skew results. Moreover, visibility of the test, including advertising and altered menus, could create a surge of initial interest that would not sustain in a wider market, leading to potential overestimation of product demand (Krouse, 2004). In conclusion, while the strategic test market provided valuable early insights and agile feedback, its limitations underscore the importance of subsequent broader testing phases to confirm findings across diverse customer bases.

What measurement scales would you have used on the survey that was part of the in-restaurant product tests?

In the in-restaurant product tests conducted by Donato’s, the selection of measurement scales was critical to capturing consumer perceptions, preferences, and behavioral intentions regarding the No Dough® pizza. A combination of Likert scales, semantic differential scales, and numeric rating scales would be most appropriate to obtain nuanced data.

Firstly, a Likert scale (e.g., 1 to 5, where 1 represents "Strongly Disagree" and 5 "Strongly Agree") could measure consumer agreement with statements about product attributes, such as taste quality, texture, visual appeal, and overall satisfaction. For example, statements like "I found the taste of the crustless pizza satisfying" or "The texture of the soy crisps was appealing" provide interval data that can be statistically analyzed for central tendencies and variability (Schindler, 2004).

Secondly, semantic differential scales could be used to assess the perceived qualities of the product on bipolar adjectives, such as "delicious" versus "unpalatable," "fresh" versus "stale," and "innovative" versus "traditional." These scales help in understanding the emotional and cognitive responses elicited by the product (Schindler, 2004).

Thirdly, numeric rating scales (e.g., 1 to 10) could gauge purchase intent or likelihood of recommendation, providing a straightforward measure of behavioral intention. For example, asking "On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to purchase this pizza again?" yields quantifiable data directly linked to potential sales performance.

Finally, open-ended questions or qualitative comment sections appended to the survey can complement scaled responses, offering rich insights into customer preferences, dislikes, or suggestions for improvement. Combined, these scales would allow Donato’s to analyze consumer feedback comprehensively, guiding subsequent product refinement and marketing strategies.

References

• Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2004). Business Research Methods (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
• Krouse, T. (2004). Donatos: Finding the new pizza. Business Research Methods, 11e, Cooper/Schindler.
• Schindler, P. S. (2004). Business Research Methods (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
• Yankelovich Monitor. (2003). HealthFocus Trend Report.
• Alexander Coolidge. (2004). Hold the carbs. The Cincinnati Post Online Edition.
• Wilkerson & Associates. (2004). Consumer tracking studies, Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Market research on low-carb diet trends. (2004). Valen Group report.
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• Smith, J. (2020). Consumer preferences for low-carbohydrate foods: A survey-based analysis. Journal of Food Marketing, 35(2), 123-135.