Marketing strategy and customer involvement in product development

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of a firm's marketing strategy on involving customers in new product development. Special attention is to be paid to three facets of a marketing strategy: product differentiation, competitor orientation and brand profiling emphasis. Design/methodology/approach – A survey with quantitative questionnaires was used in the context of relationships between Norwegian suppliers and international buyers. Findings – Two facets of marketing strategy, product differentiation and competitor orientation, positively impact customer involvement. Furthermore, specific investments dedicated to the relationship are also positively related to customer involvement, and customer involvement increases customer profitability. Research limitations/implications – The study relies on data from the suppliers, and future studies should also include customer data to explore possible effects of the customer's marketing strategy on joint involvement in new product development. Practical implications – The study shows that managers seeking to involve customers in product development should carefully develop their marketing strategy and build commitment through specific investments. Originality/value – Previous studies show that firms can benefit from involving customers in new product development. This paper extends knowledge in the field by exploring how different facets of the firm's marketing strategy can increase or decrease the possibilities for involving customers.