Stop Guessing: The Lean Method La Laitière Used to Validate a New Product
La Laitière was stuck between a disruptive idea and corporate constraints. This case study breaks down how we used structured, agile product testing to de-risk the launch and gain rapid executive approval.
The Challenge: Disrupting a Saturated Market
The dairy sector is mature, hyper-competitive, and often suffers from innovation fatigue. La Laitière, a market leader, faced a critical business imperative: secure new market share and re-energize their category with a truly differentiated product experience.
The Constraint: Traditional R&D cycles are slow, risky, and prone to internal misalignment, delaying market entry by months.
The Mandate: Design and rapidly prototype a superior fruit yogurt that not only tastes incredible but could also be successfully scaled within existing manufacturing constraints, all while securing rapid, enthusiastic cross-functional buy-in.
Our Objective: Provide a structured, agile path to product launch, ensuring we maximized investment and minimized time-to-market.
Faster
Than their usual development timeline
Target Consumers
Preferred the final prototype over current category leaders (Strong evidence!)
Less than 4 Weeks
achieved for full cross-functional executive sign-off (Speed of alignment).
The Playbook: A Proven Framework for Fast, Low-Risk Launches
Step 1: Alignment (Get Everyone on the Same Page)
We start by bringing Marketing, R&D, Operations, and Leadership together on Day 1. Through collaborative workshops, we align everyone on the project’s constraints and goals. This simple step prevents expensive late-stage disagreements and vetoes.
Step 2: Customer Truth (Stop Guessing, Start Listening)
Innovation requires understanding what consumers truly want, not just what they say. Our process uses deep interviews, online communities , and focused groups to find the “white space“—the core desire (in this case, for “natural intensity”) that existing products failed to deliver. This knowledge gives you a unique advantage.
Step 3: Fast Testing (Build, Measure, Learn)
Speed is survival. We use Quick Prototyping to ensure ideas are tested, refined, and potentially failed—cheaply and rapidly—before committing major capital. This iterative approach allowed La Laitière to find the perfect taste and texture in record time, significantly reducing their financial risk.
Ready to De-Risk Your Next Big Idea?
The success of this project proves that even complex markets benefit from a structured, agile approach. Your biggest constraint isn’t ideas—it’s getting internal alignment and execution right. Let’s discuss how we can apply this proven methodology to your challenge.
Don’t just launch a product. Transform your category.
Let’s discuss how we can apply this proven methodology to your next business challenge
