Applied Marketing Science to Exhibit at IIR/PDMA Service Innovation Design and Development Conference

Applied Marketing Science (AMS) will be an exhibitor at the "Service Innovation Design and Development" conference, co-sponsored by the Institute for International Research (IIR) and the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) from March 31-April 3 at the Westin Hotel in San Diego. AMS will also be running a workshop on "Gathering the Voice of the Customer for Services" on Monday afternoon, March 31st.

Waltham, MA (PRWEB) March 21, 2008 -- Applied Marketing Science (AMS) will be an exhibitor at the "Service Innovation Design and Development" conference, co-sponsored by the Institute for International Research (IIR) and the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) from March 31-April 3 at the Westin Hotel in San Diego.

AMS Executive Vice President Gerry Katz will be presenting a pre-conference workshop on "Gathering the Voice of the Customer for Services: Are You Being Served?" The workshop will examine ways that gathering the Voice of the Customer for services differs from traditional VOC methods. Specific issues that will be addressed include:

- What are the key differences in new product development for manufactured goods versus services?
- Which VOC techniques work best for services, and which should you avoid?
- Why is it harder to translate VOC data into technical specifications for services compared to manufactured goods, and what can you do about it?

Another highlight of the event will be a talk by Columbia Business School Professor Olivier Toubia, who, as an MIT graduate student, spearheaded the research on which AMS' IDEALYST brainstorming tool is based. His talk, "Involving Consumers in Idea Generation and Idea Screening," will be presented on Tuesday, April 1, from 1:45-2:30 p.m.

About Applied Marketing Science

Applied Marketing Science, founded in 1989 with roots in the MIT Sloan School, is a leading new product development consulting firm with cross-industry expertise and global capabilities. AMS applies proven methodologies to gather and interpret the Voice of the Customer, develop technical specifications from customer needs, facilitate brainstorming and idea generation, and test new product concepts. The firm has helped hundreds of clients in a broad range of industries discover new insights about their customers, through market research, consulting and training.

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