Molly Fleming: Coca-Cola’s experiment shows crowdfunding can be the fast track to innovation

It can take years to get new products to market. Start with extensive research and development, carry out hundreds of tests, move on to endless focus groups, all before the product even hits the shelves.
However, this month Coca-Cola challenged this traditional route to market in North America by using crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to gauge US consumers demand for premium water brand Valser. By all accounts the campaign went well and the drink is now being piloted in selected restaurants in A