The role of the cosmetic scientist is moving beyond the management of notebooks and chemicals into the technological capabilities of the computer. If one is not careful, precious hours can be wasted on minimally productive activities like email, presentation creation and web surfing. However, when used properly, the Internet can be a lucrative source of innovation and new product concepts, while providing access to research, networking and problem solving capabilities. It can even be a place to inexpensively test products before deciding to invest heavily in a launch. In this presentation, we will explore five key areas for efficient and productive use of the Internet. These include:
1. Social media for finding solutions
2. Finding answers with specialized search engines (beyond Google)
3. Using open innovation to solve problems
4. Using blogs and forums to mine for consumer needs and insights
5. How to test product concepts before inventing them