Abstract

This study examines the perceptions and experience of small consumer packaged goods manufacturers regarding the use of test marketing in the new product development process. The results indicate that 42 percent of the small manufacturers test market their product prior to regional or national introduction. The use of test marketing was found to be more prevalent in the food, and pharmaceutical product industries than other consumer product industries surveyed. Cost and time constraints were most frequently cited as the major reasons firms did not test market their new products.