Launching a new product requires a creative and analytical approach that will embrace the needs of a variety of customers. Therefore the key to success, during the launch stage of a new product, lies in finding those customer segments which are most disposed to become early adopters. Once the new product has been launched and is widely accepted, the more conservative customers will be easier to sell to. This study proposes the launch strategy of an aerosol spray paint which is designed for the use in a DIY market of the automotive refinish segment. The study take a form of an assessment survey involving a literature review and a survey of managers and sales representatives of selected automotive dealerships and body repair shops. The literature review identified best practices that should be followed to launch a new product: starting with assessing the market potential of the new product, followed by a series of activities including pre-launch and then a full launch. The strategic marketing approach required to launch a new product is also described throughout the process. The empirical survey and research methodology employed in the study is described. This is followed by the survey questionnaire used for gathering the data needed for analysis. The research findings of the empirical survey are then analyzed and reported on. Various recommendations flowing from the results of the empirical study are presented in the final chapter.

M. Tech. Business Administration / In today's advanced technological era, new products are developing rapidly and market competition is increasing. It is important for technology-based companies to invest more in research and development to increase their development and design capabilities so that they can provide innovative products to an ever-changing market. Product development refers to the complete process of bringing a new product or service to the market. It has been an on-going journey for companies to find answers to the question why some companies are more successful with product development than others. Therefore there is a need for identifying and understanding the factors that influence successful product development to ensure that organisations remain the leaders in client and partner technology. This study was based on the company Internet Solutions and was aimed at exploring and identifying the success factors in their product development process. The objective of the study was to review the current product development process being followed in Internet Solutions and identify any gaps in the process. A SWOT analysis was done to achieve this objective.

From Introduction: While companies in their initial stages may well produce only one product, most established companies produce a number of products. Reference can therefore be made to their product mixes which serve as their source of revenues and profits. The product mix must be carefully planned. Inherent in such planning is the monitoring of the mix to determine whether or not it strikes a good balance in terms of factors such as sales growth, sales stability and profitability. The product mix must be optimal vis-a-vis the opportunities and threats present in the external environment at any point in time. Since the latter changes over time, so too should the product mix change in order to maintain the required balance between the environment and the product mix, as well as the required balance in terms of sales growth, sales stability and profitability.