Resumo

NASCIMENTO, Paulo Tromboni de Souza; YU, Abraham Sin Oih  e  SOBRAL, Maria Cecília. Low income product innovation. Rev. adm. contemp. [online]. 2008, vol.12, n.4, pp. 907-930. ISSN 1982-7849.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-65552008000400002.

At affluent markets, the literature on product development management tells us to aggregate value and technology, to differentiate products and to launch fast. And at the low-income markets? This exploratory research defines a popular product, characterizes and measures their markets in Brazil, and identifies innovation strategies for them. The results suggest that the effective strategic orientation differs from affluent markets. It includes: to enhance the auto service component; to identify and service the key functionalities to the targeted public; to standardize products and increase the production scale; to extend the product life cycle; to use convenient distribution and marketing channels; to build product images that have appeal in the popular market; to offer longer financing horizons with befittingly lower installments. Data came from market researches and general demographic census. General media published stories were used to identify companies and their strategies. And a few case studies allowed the authors a deeper exploration of the relevant themes.

Palavras-chave : non-affluent costumers; innovation in emergent economies; low income and innovation; innovation and the poor; strategies for low-income markets.