How do you refill a post-it flag highlighter?

How did 3M's David Windorski get ideas from college students to help him in designing the final commercial version of the Post-it Flag Highlighter?

• Answer:

  David Windorski started by considering what the needs and wants are of potential customers and that is how he developed the new product. David did a lot of marketing research after he developed the concept of the Post-it Flag Highlighter. He talked to a team of college students and he wanted to understand how they study, take notes, and prepare for exams. He took the information they gave him and started developing the product over several years, which is now very successful. Although the product is very great and useful for college students, there is a challenge for 3M and that is putting the product on shelves of college bookstores and retail chains. The product is doing very well in the United States, but that doesn't mean it will have the same positive outcome in international countries. According to our textbook, 3M does have some concerns. Which countries will be the best markets? How would they physically get the product to these markets in a timely and cost-efficient basis? Those are some of the questions that 3M has concerns about to take the Post-it Highlighter international.