2. WHAT INFORMATION DO THEY NEED TO EVALUATE THIS
OPPORTUNITY?
First we need to decide what customers want and need
The investors depends on they have a mousetrap, which will satisfy customer
needs as it’s safety & cleanliness , So customers will buy it
The investors would need to know the size of the mousetrap market in the
United States ,and need to answer for the following questions :
Who buys mousetraps?
What kinds do they buy?
What prices are charged for the various kinds of mousetraps?
How are these mousetraps sold to consumers?
How do consumers deal with their mice and rat problems?
Answers to these and other “marketing research” types of questions would
give the investors a better feel for the challenges facing them in marketing
the mousetrap..
3. 1)HOW DO YOU THINK THE GROUP WOULD WRITE ITS MISSION
STATEMENT? HOW WOULD YOU WRITE IT?
Mission statement :
We are providing a new innovation with No mice, No Pollution,
in very human way.
4. 2-HAS MARTHA IDENTIFIED THE BEST TARGET MARKET FOR TRAP-
EASE?
Women are the best target market: They are the best group to target
because they don’t like the mess or the risks created by traditional
mouse traps.
They also are concerned about the safety of children and pets that
may be around the home because once the spring-loaded trap has
caught a mouse, one often has a mess resulting from its action. the
mess leads to diseases that may be carried by mice..
5. 2- WHAT OTHER MARKET SEGMENTS MIGHT THE FIRM TARGET?
There are a number of other market segments that the firm
could target.
Any business that handles or stores food and, therefore, is
attractive to rats and mice would be a potential target.
Restaurants should come to mind here, both because of the
presence of food and food products and also because these
establishments cannot use chemicals near food. This also should
suggest food wholesalers or warehouses where large quantities
of food may be stored in the channel of distribution.
Food manufacturers also need rodent protection.
Another potential market is research laboratories. Here,
researchers use large numbers of mice in research
projects,Because they must work in areas where chemicals
would not be allowed and traditional traps would have the same
messiness problem, these companies might be a target market.
These exterminator companies might also sell the traps directly
to consumers with whom they deal.
6. 3-HOW HAS THE COMPANY POSITIONED THE TRAP-EASE FOR THE
CHOSEN TARGET MARKET?
Trap-Ease has been positioned from the point of view of the
customer as meeting safety and cleanliness needs. Because of its
pricing and distribution,
Trap-Ease is positioned for use by the individual homeowner who
has these concerns.
The major alternative positioning for the product focuses on its ability
to control disease. Because the mouse would be trapped in a fully
enclosed device and would be captured live, there is little opportunity
for disease to spread as a result of its capture. It should be noted,
however, that positioning the product this way would make
substantial differences in the entire marketing strategy.
7. 3- COULD IT POSITION THE PRODUCT IN OTHER WAYS?
Trap-Ease could also position the product as causing less waist
because it is re-useable or they could lower it’s cost and make it
more affordable.
By making it “the most affordable, innovative mouse trap” on the
market they could probably gain some more demand.
Another way in which they could position their product would be by
having an incredibly good customer service team that could deliver
services to their customers that were having problems using the
product. By having a good customer service team they could build
better relationships with their customers and increase their customer
equity.
8. 4)DESCRIBE THE CURRENT MARKETING MIX FOR TRAP-EASE?
The marketing mix for Trap-Ease is:
Product: Trap-Ease innovative mousetrap
Price: Retail = $2.99
Place: Large Retailers, Safeway, Kmart, Hechingers & CB Drugs
Promotion: Trade shows, Home-and-Shelter style magazines,
Publicity.
The Trap-Ease is an above average product that provides a much
needed customer solution. There is no variety in the packaging
therefore customers do not have a choice as whether they want a
package with one or two. There is no mechanism to ascertain
whether customers are satisfied with the product.
9. 4-DO YOU SEE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS MIX?
The price is very high when compared to its closest competitors and
from the customer’s point of view that may not be worth the added
value in the product itself. The retailers are given no motivation to sell
the product in their stores and no incentive is offered to entice
consumer to purchase.
Promotion is one in a medium that is not communicating the
message to the correct targeted market. Women are a small
segment of the total “hardware” customers. Good housekeeping and
other home and shelter magazines may not appeal to many persons
in the targeted market.
Trap-Ease is located in the top hardware, grocery and drug chains;
this is not offering enough market coverage. Transportation of orders
to retailers is not being done in a timely manner. The Trap-Ease is
not sufficiently expose to the customer.
10. 5)WHO IS TRAP-EASE AMERICA’S COMPETITION?
Trap-Ease America’s competition is any company that creates mouse
traps.
we face a market in which large volume of low quality low cost
mouse traps are sold. There are also poisons that are sold which are
a danger to pets and animals as well as the mice they are supposed
to kill…. There are also other versions of live catch mouse traps out
there.
one of Trap-Ease’s competition is d-CON who offers both baits and
traps. They actually also offer a version of a no touch mouse trap in
which you don’t have to touch the mouse after you have trapped it.
They are selling higher than the suggested retail price for the Trap-
Ease mouse trap which is $2.99. This would suggest that Trap-Ease
has priced lower then some of its competitors which will give it a
pricing advantage. Companies such as Havahart offer traps which
humanely catch everything from mice to voles and shrews and are
competition for the humane factors of the Trap-Ease trap. Other
competitors include: Victor, JT Eaton and Riddex.
11. 5)WHO ARE INDIRECT COMPETITORS?
1- pesticides
2- pets like Cats
3- Ultra– Sound Repellent
12. 6) )HOW WOULD YOU CHANGE TRAP-EASE’S MARKETING STRATEGY?
The first thing ,Trap-Ease’s marketing strategy would be hiring
people in marketing department. One of the most important things
when coming out with a new product is the marketing because until
you’ve communicated the benefits of our product to the consumer
there will not be sufficient demand for it .
look into the possibility of packaging the Trap-Ease with the bait as
part of the package. Customer may only need one Trap therefore we
would offer packages of one and packages of two and we would
lower the price for the initial market penetration This will help to
increase sales by attracting new customers or attract them from the
traditional product.
In addition we will hire sales person who will be visiting different
outlets informing customers about the product and demonstrating
how it works. They can also do direct sales on house to house visit..
13. 6) WHAT KIND OF CONTROL PROCEDURES WOULD YOU ESTABLISH
FOR THIS STRATEGY?
We would put in operating controls and strategic controls in order to
monitor the marketing team’s progress and make sure that what they
are doing is consistent with the company’s goals and strategy.
These controls would very important for gathering the information
that would form the strategies in the coming years, To motivate
retailers to sell the product
We would offer certain guarantee such as if we do not deliver the
product in time , we will give certain discount
We would also sell the product to wholesalers thus reducing the cost
of promoting the product for Trap-Ease, as the wholesaler would now
have to put measures in place to ensure that he sells the product..
