Research and develop ideas, new products and services

Establishing a pricing strategy for a new product or service is an important part of the development process. You should consider pricing the moment you decide to take an idea forward as it will determine how much you can afford to invest in the project.

How to price your new product or service

To set the right price for your product or service, you will need to take the following into account:

• the impact of your new product or service on your entire portfolio
• the analysis of its value - eg the benefits to the customer and the likelihood of them paying the price you want to charge
• the competition and their pricing - is your product or service innovative or are you following a market trend
• the selling channels you want to use - this will affect your promotional spend and distribution costs
• how quickly you want to establish your product or service
• the expected life cycle of your product or service
• how much you will need to charge to cover your costs

Make sure to cost all the materials, other inputs, machinery, processes and administrative time realistically. You will need to research different suppliers and the cost of marketing and distribution.

Your pricing strategy should identify an entry-to-market price, a premium price and a minimum sale price as part of your commercialisation plan. 

Commercialisation

As well as a well defined pricing strategy, you will need a clear marketing strategy to commercialise your idea. Find detailed guidance on commercialisation from Innovate NI or watch their short animation to learn the basics of the commercialisation process.