Developing New Financial Services within UK Building Societies

Today′s British building societies face intense competition in the marketing of financial services to consumers, and accordingly the risks attached to new product failure are high. Nevertheless, a study of these financial institutions demonstrates an alarming lack of strategic planning in their attempts to gain larger shares of an increasingly volatile and sophisticated market. Reviews the strategic focus of new product development, examines related management issues, evaluates the new product screening and preliminary assessment techniques, and explores market research practices. The results of this study suggest that, although approaches to new product development vary, building societies do not make extensive use of commonly accepted development procedures.