Marketing Plan - Solarium Helios

Presents

H ELIO S

Marketing Plan

Presented by: Anatoly Shcherbatko, Alex Likhterman, Supriya Krishnan, Ana R.
Alvarado, Ervin Tong, Sasha Ghovanlou

Table of Contents

Section Page Number

1.0 Executive Summary – Sasha Ghovanlou and Alex Likhterman 3

2.0 Industry Analysis - Anatoly Shcherbatko 4-5

3.0 Product Description - Anatoly Shcherbatko 6-7

4.0 Competitive Analysis – Alex Likhterman 8-9

10-13
5.0 Product Advantages – Alex Likhterman
14-16
6.0 Target Market - Supriya Krishnan
17
7.0 Factors Regarding Sales- Supriya Krishnan
18-19
8.0 Desired Customer Response- Ana R. Alvarado
20-22
9.0 The Marketing Mix and SWOT Analysis – Ana R. Alvarado
23-27
10.0 Advertising- Supriya Krishnan
28-29
11.0 Pricing and Bundling- Ervin Tong
30-31
12.0 Distribution and Promotion - Ervin Tong
32-33
13.0 Brand Name, Packaging, and Warranty - Sasha Ghovanlou
34-36
14.0 Works Cited- SashaGhovanlou

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1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Los Angeles, CA 94043 Phone: 425.555.0155 Email:
solarium.llc@gmail.com

1.0 Executive Summary

Solarium is proud to present Helios, a product that will revolutionize the solar charger
industry and morph people’s ability to use their electronics while traveling. Helios is a flat,
portable 14’’ solar charger that can be connected to an individual’s laptop through a USB
cable, and comes with adaptors that can fit most cell phones. It can be charged from solar
light, indoor light, or even while it is plugged into a laptop if the laptop is using its own
power source. Helios then holds that charge, and whenever individuals find themselves in a
position with no power outlets and electronics that are running out of battery, Helios can
conveniently provide ample charge to extend use for hours. Helios contains advanced solar
panels that provide unmatched efficiency enabling the user to get maximum use of their
electronics with shorter recharge times, and its petite size makes it perfect to be placed
under one’s laptop. Superior in its design and quality, and unprecedented in its
functionality, Helios pushes the limit of what a solar charger is able to provide. Our target
market of traveling business people ages 25-50 will find unparalleled benefit from our
product, especially when compared to competitor’s unattractive, bulky, and inefficient
solar chargers. Our low price of $150 will provide additional competitive advantage, made
possible by our exclusive distribution straight to the consumer. We will reach our target
audience through our website and select advertising in airports and hotels. Advertising in
various magazines such as BusinessWeek, Golf Digest, Skymall, Men’s Health, Forbes, and The
Economist, along with our aggressive online marketing will help the Helios to get
widespread awareness toward the consumer. By catering to a specific audience and having

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a well-designed, exclusive product, Helios will make its user feel sophisticated, ahead of the
technological trend, and that they have a product that is more functional and reliable than
others in the market. The combination of its superior attributes and powerful marketing
and distribution will make Helios a market leader and trend-setter in no time.

2.0 Industry Analysis

The Solar Panel industry is one that converges with many other product industries and powers
many products. Although far from being nascent in its development, solar technology has come
to be a staple in many mainstream products, especially in regard to the recent push to maintain
sustainability from Earth’s resources. From digital road signs to pocket calculators, the solar
panel has become a key component of many industrial-level products, as well as many
consumer-based goods.

In regard to consumer grade products, the solar charger industry is rife with various products
claiming to recharge batteries on devices using various charging techniques. We have found
products as recent as 2009 in production, as well as those that have been in mainstream
production since as early as 2004. Because the integration of solar panels into popular consumer
electronics has been around for quite a while, these products have not changed drastically over
time, and most of the innovations made have been in terms of size and compatibility. Each
product essentially differs in terms of their solar panel placement, and as newer products emerge,
each creates new innovation.

According to the 2010 Global PV Industry Report, much of the solar industry within the regions
of the Asian Pacific, Europe, and the United States will see a vast increase in the demand for
solar products in the next five years. We aim to gain market share by providing a product which
will fill the niche for business consumers within the industry of portable solar chargers.

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2.1 Innovations in the Industry
I. The Voltaic Solar Backpack, released in 2004.

A product that has solar charger cells being mounted onto a backpack.
With this potential charging solution, the cells are always exposed to
the sunlight, and do not have to be left out on a window or table in
order to function.
Figure 1

II. Solio Multifunction Solar Charger, released in 2006.

Figure 2

The Solio Multifunction charger utilizes a unique design to maximize solar charging capacity
within a small form-factor design. Being one of the more popular products within the Consumer
Solar Charger Industry, the Brand has created an artistic-type product which appeals visually as
well as functionally.

III. Verizon Motorola Droid Cell Phone Charger, released in 2009.

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Figure 3
This tool uses the conventional idea of charging using a simple cell the size of a small book. The
technology is the same, but the company has chosen to make it compatible with only one device-
the Motorola Droid.

3.0 Product Description

Helios©

Figure 4

Helios features a fully functioning interface resembling that of a conventional solar panel. The
front face consists of a series of mono-crystalline cells that have been spread throughout as much
of the surface as possible, in order to maximize solar ray absorption. Each cell has been
interlaced with tiny mirrored surfaces in order to further increase the amount of solar

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consumption taking place by creating reflections of the solar rays onto the panels. The entire
surface is covered by a thin layer of durable Plexiglas, which has been enhanced as a medium of
magnification. The cooling fan is situated in the middle of the pad, in order to create optimal
airflow into the laptop when it is connected via the included cable while in powering mode,
regardless of where the ventilation ports are located on the laptop. The entire panel is less than
one (1’’) inch thin in order to allow the consumer to carry it along with their other business
essentials. The panel is fourteen inches on the diagonal, and will complement most standard size
portable laptops ranging from 10’’-16” quite nicely. The casing is made of a stainless steel shell,
one that is reminiscent of the material Apple uses in its popular products such as the iPhone.

Figure 5

The Helios has advanced functionality due to its diverse set of connectivity options. Each Helios
comes with a specialized adapter,one that includes connections for all major brands of laptops, as
well as those of many popular cellular devices. No further products are needed in order to fully
enjoy the potential of the Helios.

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4.0 Competitive Analysis
4.1 Current Solar Charger Products
The solar charger industry consists of a number of companies that sell chargers for phones and
laptops, with a large variance in size, functionality, and price. A large part of the market consists
of solar chargers that can only be used with cell phones. Therefore, solar chargers that can be
adapted to laptops form a much smaller and less competitive market. Laptop solar chargers range
from very small handheld devices that can extend a laptop’s use for several hours, to larger
bulkier products that can hold a charge for as long as a regular laptop battery (See Figures 6-8.)

Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8

These products also greatly vary in price, ranging from low-end chargers for around $100, to
better designed, more efficient chargers that can cost almost $700.
The following is a price comparison among the leading laptop solar chargers:

Helios $150

SolarRolls $655

Voltaic Generator $599

Amorphous 13 Watt $160 ($90 introductory price)

Notepower $262

SolarGorilla $259

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4.2 Common Customer Complaints
Although there are many different solar chargers currently in the market, there is a common
pattern of consumer complaints about these products. They are usually unattractive in design,
and are made from plastic and other cheap looking materials, which makes them appear
unsophisticated. A lot of the chargers are very bulky in design, creating an inconvenience when
it comes to carrying them during travel, or even having a place to set them during use. The
smaller and more portable devices are usually more expensive, and because of their smaller size
can hold a lot less charge that will only extend laptop usage for a few hours.
Probably the most widespread complaint about a majority of these chargers, however, is the fact
that it can take a very long time to fully recharge them, with some of the more compact ones
even taking as long as two to three days of sunlight to recharge. A lot of people do not have this
kind of time, especially when traveling, so this creates a huge inconvenience as far as
functionality. Another common complaint is the frequent failure and breakage of these devices
and the general lack of reliability due to their poor design or use of cheap parts such as cheap
internal batteries.

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5.0 Product Advantages and Consumer Benefits
5.1 Low Price
The low $150 price of Helios will be a major advantage over the competing products. By
distributing straight to the consumer and avoiding retailer mark-ups, manufacturing overseas to
keep down costs, and keeping a low profit margin in the beginning while our brand name is
spread and our product becomes more well known, we will undercut the price of most of our
competitors and be at the low-end range of the pricing spectrum for laptop solar chargers. Such a
low price for such an efficient and functional solar charger will give our product a major edge
over the competition.

5.2 Design

Helios will have a sleek, sophisticated, and compact design that will differentiate it from the rest.
The elegant design will give it an appearance of quality, reliability, and sophistication so that our
target market will feel like they have a superior product and are technology savvy, staying ahead
of the trend. The better build quality will attain customer trust and increase brand loyalty through
brand equity similar to that of Apple products which are perceived to be very “high quality.” If
the consumer is reassured that Helios represents quality, sophistication, reliability, and eco-
friendliness, then they are more likely and willing to purchase the product. This brand equity will
have numerous benefits, such as allowing Solarium to have more trade leverage when bargaining
with distributors and retailers in the future, since the consumers will expect them to carry our
products.

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5.3 Size and Portability
Our product will be quite compact, enabling its users to easily carry it around while traveling.
The thin, sleek design will make it very portable, allowing an individual to place the Helios in
their laptop carrying case. While using it to run their laptop, they can place it underneath the
laptop so the charger doesn’t take any additional space, whether they are on an airplane or sitting
at an airport. The product is 14 inches measured diagonally, which is a perfect fit under most
portable laptop computers ranging from 10-15 inches.

5.4 Superior Technology
The breakthrough technology used to make Helios will make it more functional and efficient
than its competitors. Our patented “mirrored glass amplification” technology, in combination
with highly efficient mono-crystalline cells, will allow our product to hold more charge than
other solar chargers, as well as have a shorter recharge time, making it much more user-friendly
and convenient to use.

5.5 Recharge Options
Users of Helios will have several options as to the way they recharge the panel. They will be able
to use natural sunlight, which will be the main source of energy for the charger. In addition, the
user will also be able to recharge the battery, although at a slower rate, from indoor lighting, as
well as through a USB port from the laptop when the laptop is plugged into a wall socket and is
using its original charger. These various options will further the functionality of Helios, as well
as giving the user options to ensure they will always have a convenient way to recharge the
panel.

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5.6 Bonus Features

The additional bonus features further differentiate our product and add to its functionality. Our
product will contain a small, efficient electric fan that will help cool a laptop to prevent it from
overheating. Since Helios will often be placed underneath a laptop, this additional measure
ensures that the laptop will not be affected in any way, and will further our message about the
quality and functionality of Helios. Helios will also have various adapters for the different cell
phones out on the market, so at any time the user will be able to switch adapters and charge his
or her cell phone as well, ultimately increasing the efficiency and useful functionality of our
product.

5.7 Consumer Benefits

Helios will provide numerous benefits to our customers. The price of $150 is be a low price
option and will allow our product to compete with replacement laptop batteries selling for around
the same price. By purchasing our product, consumers will not have to spend a large amount of
money, and will be enjoying the convenience of environmentally friendly wireless power. The
unique design will make the product stand out and give our customer a feel of sophistication
simply by owning it. The small size of Helios will make it easy to travel with, and will not take
any additional space during use as it can fit underneath a laptop. With the added convenience of
portability, the user will not have to sacrifice any functionality because our superior technology
will allow for almost 20 watts of output power, which is almost equivalent to a fully charged
laptop battery, as well as a recharge time of only 8 hours, which is among the shortest recharge
times in the industry.

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The graphs shown below are comparisons of functionality between Helios and the leading laptop
solar chargers

Figure 9

Figure 10

When compared to the leading laptop solar chargers in the market, Helios had one of fastest
recharge time at 8hrs, while being one of the lowest priced chargers. The rest of the chargers had
recharge times ranging from 7 hours to 12 hours. When testing for output power, Helios once
again one of the leaders with just under 20 watts of output at one of the lowest prices, compared
to the rest of the chargers, which ranged from 5 watts to 27 watts of output power. With this
superior functionality, our customers will be able to power their laptops for longer, and wait less
to recharge the solar charger.

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6.0 Target Market

6.1 Demographics

Our target market will be comprised of business travelers between the age of 25-50 that make
$70K and upwards. We will also be aiming our product at men, since they comprise 77% of the
business traveler population (U.S. Business Travel). This segment is the most likely to use Helios
because they travel a lot and may not always have access to plug outlets to charge their laptops
and phones, yet they have important work that they must attend to while on business trips. Helios
enables them to never have to worry about finding a plug outlet again. We estimate our target
market to be around 35 million people.

6.2 Lifestyle
Our typical consumer will be a man or woman that is going up in the business ladder. They have
strong goals, and a good sense of where their life is going. They travel a lot for their company
and therefore pack light and are usually always on the go. Additionally, most of our customers
are sophisticated and enjoy new technology. They read business magazines and most are quite
dedicated to what they do. The older end of the age range will most likely listen to classic rock,
or even classical music, which will include the following; Rolling Stones, The Beatles, YoYo
Ma, Pink Floyd, etc. The younger end of the range will be more likely to listen to the current
chart toppers such as Usher, Jack Johnson, Drake, and Lady Gaga.

6.3 A Day In The Life
To get a closer look at what our target audience is like, meet two of our potential customers;
Ricardo and Lisa

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6.3.1 Ricardo
Ricardo is 35 years old and is moving up in the corporate ladder. He is
married to Linda, a girl he met in college, and they have 3 beautiful children
together; Eduardo, Albert, and Lucia, ages 8, 5, and 2 respectively. He has
been working for a big international company for the past 7 years, and
travels a lot. While he is on a business trip, he still has other projects and
deadlines to work on. He travels with his cell phone and laptop attached at
his hip. Unfortunately, the battery power of his laptop and cell phone cannot
keep up with this hardworking man. Busy airports like O’Hare and LAX have many people
bustling through the terminals, and he cant always get a seat next to an outlet. On flights, it’s
even worse, as he has to work without any outlets to charge his laptop. Not only does he need his
laptop and phone to work on work-related projects, but he also uses it to Skype with his family
while he is away.He makes $90,000/year. He enjoys watching law and order, and various sports,
and is currently extremely excited for the world cup this summer. He also watches cartoons with
his kids on the weekends. When he needs time away from his family, he goes to a golf course
and putts for a while. He reads business and golf magazines such as Golf Digest and
BusinessWeek.

6.3.2 Lisa
On the other hand, meet Lisa, a 48-year old single mother of a 19-year old
college student, Amy. Since Amy is away at college, Lisa has dedicated her
entire life to her work. She has been working for the same firm for the past 20
years, and is one of their most dedicated members. She is constantly traveling

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and uses her laptop to keep in touch with her daughter, while multitasking her work. She makes
$120K per year and is always on the lookout for the latest technology. Her Android and
Macbook Pro are never far. She dresses in a stylish and sleek manner. She is sophisticated,
stylish, and dedicated to her work, which is why, Helios goes perfectly with her. In her free time,
she keeps a close eye on the stock market, and reads Time Magazine, Forbes, and The
Economist. She enjoys shows such as CSI Miami and Larry King Live.

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7.0 Factors Regarding Sales

7.1 Purchase Cycle and Involvement

Many business professionals have high-end gadgets such as Blackberries, iPhones, iPads, and
various types of laptops. For them, purchasing Helios would be a very low to medium
involvement purchase. It would be a fairly short cycle compared to other gadgets that they might
buy. Since it Helios is extremely functional, this will also shorten the purchase cycle. In the
beginning, while people are still getting acquainted with the product, and learning about Helios,
the purchase cycle and involvement might be on a more medium to high scale of about one
month maximum. At this point in time, people will still be trying to understand how Helios
works, and whether it is a high quality product. However, once our brand name is out there, and
there is a good level of brand recognition, both the purchase cycle and involvement of the
purchase will be extremely short; a week or two at maximum.

7.2 Other Possible Factors To Influence Purchase

While our product is primarily targeted at business travelers, you don’t have to be a frequent
business traveler in order to buy our product. Perhaps you are on your way to an important
business presentation and suddenly realize you left your laptop charger at home. Helios would be
perfect in this situation. Our product also works for technology savvy individuals that like to
keep up with the times. We use innovative technology, and have a sleek and sophisticated
product, which will readily attract all the technology savvy people out there.

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8.0 Desired Consumer Response

8.1 Physical Characteristics Recognized by the Senses

Helios will have a sleek, minimalist, sophisticated, and compact design that will appeal to the
sight. Some of the same features that appeal to the sight will also appeal to the sense of touch.
These features include the thinness, sleekness, and simplicity of the solar charger.

8.2 Emotional Attitudes Attached to the Brand

Solarium wants the consumer to attach specific emotional attitudes when they come across any
component or combination of components of our brand including our name, sign, symbol, and
design. As any successful company we want our brand personality to be distinctive and
enduring.Some of the attributes we want the Solarium brand to be associated with are:
affordable, cost effective, well-built, quality, durable, confident, trendy, reliable, and pioneer.

These attributes will translate into emotional and functional benefits for our customers. An
emotional benefit Solarium customers will derive from the delineated attributes is that they are
ahead of the trend and are paving the way for a new method of keeping one’s laptop powered. A
functional benefit suggested is that Helios will not have to be consistently replaced and has taken
into account the consumer and consumer needs.

In addition to attributes, we also want the company’s values to come across our brand. Solarium
stands for quality, sophistication, and practicality. We wants these values to resonate when
customers come into contact with any component of our brand. Solarium will also project a
sophisticated, technology savvy personality. People that use Helios are trend-setters and always

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looking for new innovations. Solarium’sconsumer can be expected to be a 25-50 year-old
business traveling male executive.

8.3 What We Want the Consumer to Notice

Solarium wants the consumer to notice we have taken into account the three most important
factors in their decision-making: size, power, and price. We have designed, built, and priced this
product to meet their needs. The size and design of the panel makes it almost unnoticeable to the
consumer while maintain its practicality. In addition to the solar technology, we are including a
cooling fan within the solar panel. Not only are we considering size, power, and price we are
including the added benefit of component integration. We want the consumer to notice that with
Helios there are three practical options to charge their laptop. Users can charge it with natural
lighting, indoor lighting, or wall socket energy.

8.4 What We Want Them to Believe:

We want users of Helios to believe that our product is superior in functionality, ease of use,
transportation, and is adequately priced. Consumers should believe Helios is a better way to
address their charging problems compared with our competitor’s solutions. We also want them to
believe that the utility of the device will outweigh the one-time charge.

8.5 What We Want Them to Feel:

While using Helios we want consumers to feel relaxed about their battery consumption, efficient,
sophisticated, modern, and unique. Relaxing about their battery will make consumers lives more
calm and enjoyable. Users should feel efficient because they are able to use their laptops hassle-
free. Regarding their image, using Helios should make them feel sophisticated, modern, and
unique because the technology used in Helios is the most currently advanced technology.

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9.0 The Marketing Mix and SWOT Analysis
Solarium will be using market segmentation and product differentiation to tailor the marketing
mix for our target market. We will focus on demographic, psychographic, and behavioralistic
characteristics to segment the mass consumer market. Since we are a small start-up company
with limited resources, we will be using a single-segment target marketing strategy where we
will be serving a selected segment with one marketing mix. Our target market is made up of male
business travelers between 25-50 years of age with an income of $70,000 and above. Helios is
differentiated from other products on the market by its powerful technology, compact size, sleek
design, and affordable price. Our marketing mix for Helios is as follows:

Product: Product Differentiation
 There are similar products on the market but we will focus on features that distinguish
Helios from other products on the market.

Price: Penetration Pricing and Bundle Pricing
 Our product’s price is set initially low to increase sales and market share.
 We our bundling our product with Dell and HP laptop purchases to reduce our price and
make the purchase more attractive to customers. A rebate will be given with proof of
purchase of a Dell or HP laptop and a Helios charger.

Place: Direct Sales, Indirect Sales, E-Commerce
 Our product will be available in selected airports, our company website, through the Dell
and HP website, and selected Dell and HP stores.
.

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Promotion: Individual Communication, Mass Communication, Brand Management, Corporate
Identity

Figure 11

Figure 11 above shows the copy platform,
including: target audience, objectives, key
benefit, support, claims and promises,
reassurance, and tone.

9.1 SWOT Analysis

Strengths:
 As a small start-up company there is no red tape hindering our decision-making. We can
change and respond very quickly to needs since we don’t need higher management
approval.

 Our superior technology in solar power production gives us a competitive edge over our
competitors.

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 Change in current customer environmental ideologies will lead people to change from
coal energy to solar energy. Making them more likely to choose solar powered chargers
over replacement batteries.

Weaknesses:
 Solarium has a weak brand.Strong brands require time. As an emerging company
Solarium is in the early stages of to building a strong market presence and reputation.

 Our company’s capital and resources are limited. Since most of the resources have gone
to research and development, the marketing department has a restricted budget.

 We do not have credibility or negotiating power with distributers and retailers and
therefore lack access to key distribution channels.

 Though we have superior technology compared to competitors, traditional outlet charging
is still more effective.

 We are part of a very competitive market.

Opportunities
 There is a societal movement towards environmentally friendly practices. As technology
advances we will transform into a true eco-friendly company.
 As the popularity of our product increases and our company grows we will be able to
expand and move into bigger distribution channels.
 With advancements in technology solar energy could become the primary source of
energy consumption.
 We have the opportunity to expand to other niche markets such as students.

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Threats
 With the rapid evolvement of technology, there is a threat of an emergence of a substitute
product that is better than our own.
 Solariumis also part of a marketplace in which customer tastes, views, and ideologies
rapidly develop and change.

10.0 Advertising

We will be advertising on our various websites including our own, in various magazines, and in
airports. For the first year of business, we won’t have much money, and therefore will limit our
advertisements to the two websites, as well as BusinessWeek, Golf Digest, as well as SkyMall,
and the airport booths. Once we have grown larger and have more money to allocate to
advertising, we will expand to the remaining magazines, and to other airports.

10.1 Websites

 www.solariumcompany,com
 Our company’s website, which we will advertise on as well as sell our product on

 www.cnet.com
 We will post up our product on this website, so we can get feedback, and
hopefully positive reviews from customers. This will also get our name out in the
industry and increase brand recognition. Increasing brand recognition is extremely
important as we are still in our beginning phases

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10.2 Magazines
 BusinessWeek
Our target audience is comprised of business travelers that are likely to read
this magazine. Therefore, we wish to advertise here. We will have a one page
spread with an advertisement for Helios
 Golf Digest
77% of business travelers are men. It is also statistically shown that many men
play golf while doing business. What better place to advertise than a golf
magazine?

 SkyMall and other airline magazines
Since our product is targeted at individuals that need to charge their laptops and
phones while in airports and on planes, advertising our products for people to buy
while in planes is ideal. While out of necessity or boredom, most people flip
through all the magazines in the seat pocket in front of them in airplanes.
 Men’s Health
A popular Men’s magazine with various product reviews and advertisements.
Once again, since 77% of our target population is men, this magazine would be
ideal to advertise in. Additionally, many men look to this magazine for advice and
support. Many of these men aspire to be successful businessmen. Our
advertisement will be catered to them, and will show them a successful
businessman, using our product, and meeting all his deadlines. The advertisement
in this magazine will have a feel of a man that other men aspire to be.

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 Forbes
Another business magazine that is considered one of the top ten most popular
magazines (Chicago Tribune).
 The Economist
A popular business magazine, which is also considered one of the top ten most
popular business magazines (Chicago Tribune). While this is predominantly a
business magazine, they also have a section on science and technology. We want
an advertisement in this magazine as well as an article, during our first year in
business. Our product uses highly innovative technology, and therefore the
science and technology sections of this magazine will be greatly interested in us.

 Popular Science
This magazine is known for giving the latest and most updated information on
new technology and gadgets out in the market. Along with reviews that would not
only give us feedback but also attract customers, it will be a good source of
advertising as it will get our name out into the industry.

10.3 Airports

We will be selling our product at booths in airports, and will also have poster advertisements
wherever possible. We will mainly aim at big airports such as LAX, O’Hare, SFO, and JFK. We
will spread out on a wider base after we become a better-known company. In addition, we will
have stands where people can come try out and test Helios. This will help customers become
more familiar with our product. This will build brand recognition and trust.

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10.4 On the Product

The brand name will be engraved in the corner of the actual product itself. This will remind
people of the brand every time they look use it and look at it. Additionally, it will also advertise
for us when other people see what our customer is using.

10.5 Bundling

Through our bundling program with HP, we will get more exposure and will spread our name
out to the public.

Below are two examples of possible advertisements. Figure 12may go into Golf Digest, and
Figure 13 would probably go into one of the business magazines, or Men’s Health.

Figure 12

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Figure 13

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11.0 Pricing and Bundling

11.1 Pricing

Aside from our visually-appealing, portable, long-lasting product that contains a ventilation
system for the personal computer, there is one factor that deeply differentiates the new Helios
from our competitors:our unique pricing.
.
We have a price set to $150.00. This price is noticeably lower than our competitors’ price. Here
is a list of some of our top competitors’ price:

Earthtech – $565.00
XantrexXpower- $357.00
TekkeonMyPowerAll- $568.00
Amstron ASP-10-BLk - $253.99
Our price, Solarium Helios is $150.00

On average, this is about 34% cheaper than our competitors. It is amazing how our product,
which is far more superior to our competitors, can undercut their price by such a large
percentage, all while allowing a more affordable and efficient solar battery. There are a few
reasons how we made this possible:
1. Our number one and main incentive is to get our name fully exposed and allow maximum
customer awareness through promotion and advertisement. We want to give our brand
Solarium full exposure to the business world. That being our number one incentive, the
factor we worry about is if the profit goes into the negative margin. Thus, we are willing
to lower our prices until it is close to or equal to our marginal cost, at least until our brand

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name gets out into the industry. We are fully aware that there may be great initial risk,
and therefore, losses in profit early on.
2. Technology efficiency is expanding very rapidly, and we are taking full advantage of this
fact. We have harnessed cutting-edge technology and utilized it in a consumer-level
product, thus bringing the newest possible innovations straight to our consumer.
3. Our products’ are going through a selective distribution, while most of our competitors
chose the route of exclusive, and some intensive. Because we sell straight to our
consumers, costs would be much lower in comparison to selling through retailers.

11.2 Bundling

Since we are just starting out, we strategized to have a better known, stronger, and established
brand to help get our brand name out there. With Hewlett Packard, they will have our product
included in their laptop sales, and every sale they make, we will give them 10% off of our
original price. The same goes for Dell, except when people order online, they will have an option
to buy our product, and each sale that is made, 10% of our price would go to Dell funds. This
percentage of our sales gives the two companies an incentive to include our product in their
packaged sale. Historically, this bundling strategy has been used successfully; one of the
companies that used this strategy was Intel Insides.

29

12.0 Distribution and Promotions

12.1 Distribution

The advantages of our selective distribution are that it has more market coverage than exclusive
distribution, and is less costly than exclusive and intensive distribution. We have more control
over our product and we can concentrate on only a few outlets. We realize that this approach
may not cover the whole market adequately but we have full confidence in our
promotions/advertisements, which will be elaborated on later, to direct our targeted buyers to our
product.

We sell straight to our customers through our online website www.solariumcompany.com, and
through booths/stands set up in airports all around the world. Since our target consumers are on-
the-go business travelers, we can find these people lingering in airports. Physically, the location
of our products would lie in the airports, but most of our transactions will come from our website
and two companies that have agreed to bundle our products with theirs: Hewlett Packard and
Dell.

12.2 Promotions

Research shows that rebate coupons are more effective than discounts, so we decided, as a sales
strategy, to give out rebates on all our products. But in order for the rebate to be complete,
customers will have to visit our site and sign up as a registered user. Through this, we will obtain
our customers’ email, phone number, and address for promotional purposes. We will use all
available sources to contact our loyal customers about our new products, and deals. The contact

30

information will also be used as a source of customer service; we will check up on them every
six months and ask them if they are satisfied with our product.
Other means of promotions are through aggressive online advertisements. Our product will be in
business magazines such as Forbes, Fortune, and Fast Money magazine; as well as technology
magazines like Wired and Popular Science. HP and Dell are also a source of our promotional
outlet; in fact they are one of our most efficient advertisement/exposure.

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13.0 Brand Name, Packaging, and Warranty

13.1 Brand Name
The Solarium Helios product name was derived from the Greek sun god Helios in hopes of
creating an immediate understanding of the products eco-friendliness. Consumers will
instantaneously know that this product has something to do with the sun and upon further
investigation it will be apparent that it is a solar charger. The goal is to create brand recognition
from this catchy brand name, which will lead to future brand equity and loyalty. We want the
consumer to hear the word Helios and think about our solar charger. Research was done on the
Helios phones that were released a few years in the past, which had great consumer response to
the company name.

13.2 Warranty

The vast majority of solar chargers on the market offer 1-year warranty against defects and 30-
day money back guarantees if the product is purchased from an authorized dealer. Solarium will
offer a similar warranty if purchased from one of our authorized dealers, however, if the Helios
is purchased as part of a bundle package with a computer then the warranty period is extended to
two full years of defect protection. Helios will also have extended warranty plans that must be
purchased while the product is still under the original 1 or 2-year warranty at a cost of $20 per
year with a maximum of 2 additional years. These warranties are offered in hopes of creating a
sense of brand loyalty because the consumer will be assured that their relatively expensive
investment will be safe.

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13.3 Packaging
The Solarium Helios will be packaged in a reflective gold and green biodegradable box that will
have the company logo and product name printed largely on the front. The biodegradable
packaging will further strengthen the solarium brand’s sense of eco-friendliness. Frito-Lay has
recently begun to market their new biodegradable packaging in their Sun Chips line, which is a
big hit. They advertise themselves as the first chips with eco-friendly packaging. Dell has also
jumped into the compostable packaging trend with their new net-books. The Helios packaging
will be made of Forest Stewardship Council-certified pulped bamboo from China that has been
certified “compostable” but the American Society for Testing and Materials. The packaging is
made of has been certified "compostable" by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
The packaging will biodegrade similar to known compostable materials when added to a hot,
active compost pile and will be able to sustain plant growth. The packaging is made of Forest
Stewardship Council-certified pulped bamboo from China.

33

14.0 Works Cited

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<http://www.brandeo.com/node/938>.

Anderson, Jason. "50 Best Magazines - Chicagotribune.com." Chicago Tribune Breaking
News, Sports, Weather and Traffic in Chicago - Chicagotribune.com. Web. 09 June
2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-
040615mags,0,2988284.story.

"Brand Personality." Upload & Share PowerPoint Presentations and Documents. 18 Sept.
2008. Web. 10 June 2010. <http://www.slideshare.net/sjhus/brand-personality-
presentation>.

"BTS | U.S. Business Travel." RITA | Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). 10 June 2009.
Web. 09 June 2010.
http://www.bts.gov/publications/america_on_the_go/us_business_travel/html/enti
re.html.

Census Bureau Home Page. 8 June 2010. Web. 08 June 2010. <http://www.census.gov/>.

Fitzgerald, Miranda. "Retail Coupons Can Be More Effective than Discounts - Marketing
News - Marketing Magazine." Marketing News & Marketing Jobs - Marketing
Magazine - Resource for Marketers. Web. 08 June 2010.
http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/878290/Retail-coupons-effective-
discounts/.

34

Heimbuch, Jaymi. "7 Portable Solar Laptop Chargers Worth Considering." TreeHugger. Web.
08 June 2010. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/7-portable-solar-laptop-
chargers-worth-considering.php.

Jones, Brent. "Dell, SunChips Add to Compostable Packaging Trend - Green House -
USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. &
World - USATODAY.com. 18 May 2010. Web. 08 June 2010.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/05/dell-sun-
chips-use-compostable-packaging/1.

Kho, Jennifer. "Solar Temblor: 9 Big Trends : Greentech Media." Green Technology |
Cleantech | Green Energy - News, Research, & Resources. 26 Feb. 2008. Web. 09 June
2010. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-temblor-9-big-trends-
626/.

"Powertraveller Solargorilla Portable Solar Laptop Charger (Cheap Laptop Picker)." Cheap
Laptop Picker. 23 Sept. 2008. Web. 09 June 2010.
http://www.laptoppicker.com/archives/powertraveller-solargorilla-portable-solar-
laptop.html.

Simms, C.D., and P. Trott. "Emerald FullText Article : The Perceptions of the BMW Mini
Brand: the Importance of Historical Associations and the Development of a Model."
Emerald: Welcome to Emerald. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2006. Web. 10

35

June 2010.
<http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Publishe
d/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0960150401.html>.

Smith, Johanna. "7 Portable Solar Laptop Chargers Worth Considering." Breaking News and
Opinion on The Huffington Post. 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 09 June 2010.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/15/7-portable-solar-laptop-
c_n_134917.html.

"Solar Cell Phone Charger - Selecting a Solar Cellphone Charger." Solar Power at Home.
Alternative Energy Solutions for Homeowners. Web. 09 June 2010.
http://www.solarpowerathome.com/solar-cell-phone-charger.html.

Stafford, Byron. "Understanding Marketing Ethics | BNET." BNET Today | Management,
Strategy, Work Life Skills & Advice for Professionals. Web. 07 June 2010.
<http://www.bnet.com/2410-13237_23-168371.html>.

"SWOT Analysis - Management Training from MindTools.com." Mind Tools - Management
Training, Leadership Training and Career Training - Right Here, Right Now. Web. 10
June 2010. <http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm>.

"Target Market Selection." NetMBA Business Knowledge Center. 12 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 June
2010. <http://www.netmba.com/marketing/market/target/>.

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Marketing Plan - Solarium Helios

Marketing Plan - Solarium Helios

Marketing Plan - Solarium Helios

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