About NewProductWorks

NewProductWorks®, our on-site innovation resource center, houses the NPW Collection and is integral to GfK’s mission of helping client organizations grow quickly, profitably and sustainably.

History and Formation of NewProductWorks

NewProductWorks was formed by the acquisition of the New Products Showcase and Learning Center (NPSLC) of Ithaca, New York, by the Arbor Strategy Group (ASG). The two firms combined in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the spring of 2001.

Both firms had been helping clients advance their new product work, relying on different core assets: NPSLC on the product collection, developed data and innovation expertise, and ASG on rigorous strategic marketing approaches and consumer insight expertise. Combining the two created a unique resource for firms and individuals interested in market-driven innovation and new product development. When ASG was acquired by GfK in 2008, GfK Strategic Innovation was formed; the new practice area includes NewProductWorks, which is the hub of innovation thought leadership and activity.

The New Products Showcase and Learning Center

The New Product Showcase and Learning Center originally started by Robert McMath in 1968, as an offshoot of Marketing Intelligence Service (MIS). MIS provided specialized monthly bulletins to overseas clients for information about products on the U.S. market that weren't available in their home markets. Often, actual samples were procured and provided.

The business evolved into "product procurement" services along with a weekly new product bulletin, Product Alert. Thousands of actual products were purchased as part of the process.

As Product Alert expanded, procurement "shopping” increased, resulting in a vast collection of products.

New product developers found this collection of interest - either to study their own categories or to provide stimulus for solving a difficult new products problem. And so, the New Products Showcase and Learning Center was born, with a Collection that grew to almost 70,000 items.

The Collection Today

When NewProductWorks was formed, the Collection was moved to Ann Arbor, and is housed in a contemporary 7,400 sq. foot state-of-the-art facility. Approximately 70% of the Collection is on display at all times, with the remainder in accessible storage. This proprietary resource provides one-of-a-kind insights and a distinctive, interactive leaning environment for creating world class, sustainable innovation.