Innovating in R&D is tougher than ever.
R&D teams are working harder than ever, yet most innovations still fail. Traditional approaches often overlook the user and don’t dig deep enough into product points of difference, leading to generic solutions, costly rework cycles and missed opportunities.
Untapping Innovation offers a smarter way forward. This essential playbook, from the founders of the hugely successful Untapped Innovation, offers simple, flexible tools to help R&D teams build products that users truly love. Discover how to extract deep user insights, craft Ideal Product Models, create Minimum Viable Products and write compelling product stories that resonate with both consumers and stakeholders, to bridge the gap between innovation and market success.
During their 30+ years at Procter & Gamble then Untapped Innovation, Sally Kemkers, Suzanne Allers and Deirdre Walters have relentlessly focused on optimizing tools to help R&D innovators develop breakthrough products and stories.
The first guide designed specifically to empower R&D professionals to bridge the gap between innovation and market success
NTRODUCTION
PART 1 The R&D Need
Five R&D wishes
The missing R&D connections
PART 2 A Connected Solution
The Connected R&D Innovation Cycle
The power of human-led product development
The power of R&D stories for market success
PART 3 The Playbook of Tools
Translating user insights into winning products
Stories to connect winning products back to users
PART 4 Action for Breakthrough Results
Closing the R&D Innovation Cycle
Future-forward R&D Innovation
CONCLUSION
Glossary
Bibliography
Suzanne, Sally, and Deirdre are founding partners of Untapped Innovation, a global consulting and training agency helping R&D teams at companies like PepsiCo, P&G, Unilever, and Reckitt develop breakthrough products and tell product stories. The trio met at Procter & Gamble, where they built deep expertise in user psychology, product insight, and commercial strategy. Their diverse backgroundsSuzanne's scientific PhD, Sally's consumer insight skills, and Deirdres experience in manufacturing and marketinghelped them bridge R&D and business functions. At P&G, Suzanne and Deirdre created the Technical Product Story framework, now used globally as a springboard for product communication. Since 2012 at Untapped Innovation, they continue to optimize tools for breakthrough innovation. They are also co-founders of STEM Untapped, a non-profit connecting underrepresented students with STEM mentors. Regular speakers and award winners, theyve been featured in The Independent, Investing.com, and Business Insider.
Sally Kemkers is a seasoned R&D and product innovation leader with a rare ability to uncover deep user needs and translate them into commercially successful products. She co-founded Untapped Innovation in 2012 after a 17-year career at P&G, where she held senior R&D and Insight roles across the UK, Germany, Japan, and Dubai. Sally is also an active angel investor and supports the next generation of innovators through non-profit collaborations.
Suzanne Allers combines deep scientific expertise with a rare talent for creating compelling product stories that drive business success. With a PhD in Chemistry and a Natural Sciences degree from Cambridge, she spent 15 years at P&G and created the pioneering Technical Product Story methodology. As co-founder of Untapped Innovation, she helps R&D teams connect science, technology, and emerging human needs. Suzanne is also a committed STEM advocate.
Deirdre Walters brings a uniquely cross-functional R&D perspective to product development. With over 15 years at P&G across R&D, Marketing, and Manufacturing, she understands how to turn technical potential into tangible market-ready success. A Chemistry graduate with a CIM Marketing Diploma, she co-founded Untapped Innovation. She also co-created the influential Technical Product Story framework and champions inclusive innovation as a STEM charity co-founder and angel investor.
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