We report on a survey of the innovation activities and characteristics of 153 users of outdoor-related consumer products. We find a high level of innovation by these consumers. Thirty-seven percent report that they have developed ideas for new or improved products, and more than 9% report...

The author reports on a survey of the innovation activities and characteristics of 153 users of outdoor-related consumer products. He finds a high level of innovation by these consumers. Thirty-seven percent report that they have developed ideas for new or improved products. The results also...

Manufacturers usually benefit by dividing their innovation processes into distinct phases in order to ensure that the development activities are performed efficiently in an appropriate sequence. Users usually do not apply such structured processes. They follow a more intuition-driven approach....

"Close orientation with the market is essential for innovation success!" Although both academics and market research practitioners would generally agree with this statement, alignment with the needs of the customer often results in conservative innovation strategies. Due to their focus on what...