Dinesh J

(1501013)
A.Putoukho (1501028)

Anand K
(1501067)
Shilanand Vaibhav (1501106)

General Mills Inc. Yoplait Custard-Style Yogurt

The salient aspects of the yogurt category bearing on the new product development are:

Product
Development
Yogurts
consistency
or texture
Truly natural
(no artificial
ingredients)
New
flavouring
System

Positioning
A Meal
substitute
A Snack
A Dessert

Naming
Yoclaire
Yofleur
Crme de
Yogurt and
Yogurt
Classique

Size
4 oz
6 oz
8 oz

Business Development Group decided on the 7

options available and gave top development
priority to Custurd -Style

Concept test- A concept had to be in top quartile

in anticipated unit purchases for both Yoplait line
and the test product line. Out of 26 product
concepts tested 7 met these criterias.

Idea generation sessions resulting in 26 product

concepts

Q2b. As the head of Yoplait USA I would rate Beckers performance as Director of New Business
Development as more than satisfactory and meeting the expectations because he takes into account
all the aspects of the product development and screens out the different ideas based on the
anticipated unit purchases.

Dinesh J
(1501013)
A.Putoukho (1501028)

Anand K
(1501067)
Shilanand Vaibhav (1501106)

Key questions faced by Becker at this time are:

RESEARCH
STEP

BASES test
A Full-Scale
Test
A MiniMarket Test

DECISION

MARKETING
MIX

Snack positioning/Vercon
cup/6-oz
Dessert positioning/Traditional
cup/4-oz
Yoplait Custurd Style Yogurt

NAMING
Yoclaire, Yofleur, Crme de
Yogurt and Yogurt Classique

Pros

Cons

BASES
Low cost($29,000)
Quick completion time
(12 weeks)
Provides scientific sales
volume estimation,
suitable for new
product
Dynamic, (account the
timing of marketing
expenditure)
Full simulation with
error range of 5%-10%.
No real market
experience

Full Scale Test

More realistic result
valid and reliable.

Huge budget (approx.

$1.7 million)
Large and long process
(finishing time of about
1 year)

Mini-Market Test
True market experience
Moderate cost (approx.
$200,000)
True market Experience
Effective control over
marketing variables

Limited trade area

Good measure for
cannibalisation.
Regional representation

Q4b. We would like to go in first with the BASES method because we can evaluate alternative
marketing scenarios by varying media weight, distribution build and sales promotion expenditures and
it also helps in analysing the impact of these adjustments on trial rates, repeat rates, total sales volume
and cannibalization which are the major aspects of consideration for any company while launching a
new product line in the market. As we know that the BASES test does not give an accurate test and
has an error range of 5-10% we would like to go with the mini-market test so that the product line
may go through a true market experience and also minimize the error occurred in the BASES test. In
addition to these the combined cost involved in conducting the tests is still less than the Full- Scale
test.