R&D/marketing linkage and innovation strategy: some West German experience

In focusing on R&D and marketing departments within the same business units in 31 German companies, data were obtained on the success rate of innovations, causes for failure of innovations, marketing and technology strategy, and the dynamics of the technological environment. Semistructured interview protocols were used for obtaining the data. Although marketing was mentioned as the most important cause for innovation failure, it was found that the reasons for the failure of product innovation were embedded in complex multidimensional factors related to the fit between strategic behavior and the demands of the competitive environment. Four different technology strategies were identified: defensive imitator, process developer, aggressive specialist, and aggressive innovator. Four different marketing strategies were identified: defensive imitator, market defender, market penetrator, and innovative marketer. The data did not show any relationship between the technology and marketing strategies