Abstract
PurposeAlthough the literature provides insights into the role of experiential learning based on prototypes in identification of latent customer need, it offers different views on the role of product prototypes in improving the efficacy of learning customer need, and also neglects the role of vicarious learning in prototype-based experiential learning. In a data-rich environment, market big data create new opportunities to learn from vicarious, digitalized experiences that are not observable with prototype-based learning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of product prototype strategies – basic prototype strategy and enhanced prototype strategy – on identification of latent customer needs, and determine how each prototype strategy interacts with vicarious learning based on market big data to identify latent customer needs.Design/methodology/approachWe collected data from 299 Chinese manufacturing firms via on-site surveys to explore our research question. All of our hypotheses were supported by the regression results.FindingsThis study finds that both the enhanced and basic prototype strategies (experiential learning from direct market experience based on prototyping) have positive effects on latent need identification, but the effect of enhanced prototypes is stronger. Furthermore, the enhanced and basic prototype strategies have different interaction effects with market big data (vicarious learning from indirect market experiences) on latent need identification.Originality/valueThis research extends the literature on prototype-based learning for latent need identification. It also contributes to the experiential prototype-based learning literature by exploring the role of vicarious learning based on market big data.