Value Proposition, Differentiation, and Target Market Orientation in New Product Evaluation: Evidence From a Focus Group Study of the Television Program Shark Tank.

D. Anthony Miles, Joshua Garcia, d.t. ogilvie

Miles Development Industries Corporation, Palo Alto College, Rochester Institute of Technology

Consumer evaluation of new products is a central yet undertheorized process in the consumer behavior literature, with limited empirical evidence linking core marketing constructs to purchasing intentions and gender-differentiated decision-making. This study addresses that gap through a longitudinal, mixed-method investigation of new product evaluations using the nationally televised entrepreneurial pitch platform, Shark Tank, as a naturalistic stimulus for consumer product assessment. Drawing on a 10-year dataset and a sample (N = 1,355) of professionals and MBA students, we employed a quantitative focus group design in which participants viewed episodes of Shark Tank and completed a validated survey instrument using a five-point Likert scale. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the relationships among four theoretically grounded marketing constructs: (1) Value Proposition, (2) Product Timing, (3) Differentiation, and (4) Target Market. Three significant findings emerged from this study. First, female consumers demonstrated significantly stronger responsiveness to value proposition relative to male consumers, suggesting gender as a meaningful moderating variable in new product evaluation. Second, target market orientation and value proposition exhibited a significant positive correlation, indicating that perceptions of fit between a product and its intended audience amplify perceived value. Last, significant gender differences were identified in the joint evaluation of value proposition and differentiation, underscoring the role of gender as a boundary condition in new product assessment frameworks. Collectively, these findings advance theoretical understanding of consumer product evaluation and offer actionable implications for product managers, brand strategists, and entrepreneurs seeking to align marketing constructs with consumer decision-making processes.

Article link: https://www.asianinstituteofresearch.org/JEBarchives/value-proposition%2C-differentiation%2C-and-target-market-orientation-in-new-product-evaluation%3A-evidence-from-a-focus-group-study-of-the-television-program-shark-tank.-