Week 12- What's Next?

What's Next

Current Market:

The current market I am targeting is young athletes that train very hard for long periods of time. I believe what is next for my company is a snack pack that is also a hot and cold pack so that fresh snacks can also be stored in the Snack Pack. This new feature will help me cater to a market that is much older than my current market. Older people might not necessarily need energy chews during a workout, but some fruit or veggies would be perfect for them.

I asked 3 people how they thought I could cater to an older market, and they had great ideas!

** I need to add that for the last 6 days I have been home in Tampa with the flu, so I could not go out and interview random people for fear of getting them sick. Instead I texted my friends on a local swim team, told them the question, and asked them to record their responses. This is what I got!

                                         

                                         

New Market:

The new market I am targeting is older people! I believe that older people could still use my snack pack, even if they aren’t athletes or training hard. I think they could use them when going to Disney World, or even when they are doing some light exercising.

**Once again I had to adjust my interviewing, one of my three people is one of my friends who is in his late twenties I simply asked him to give me a hypothetical. The other two are my parents.  Here is what I got!

                                          

-Interview 5: My dad declined to be on camera, and I couldn't do much to argue. I don't have many options here. When I explained to him my product he immediately said that he would never need my product because he does not exercise for long periods of time. When I explained to him that it doesn't have to be just for exercising he thought for a little longer. He then decided again that he would not need my product because he already has Ziploc bags and pockets. I am not surprised my dad said this or declined to be interviewed, he is always the practical one, and is not a person for formalities or luxuries.

Reflection:

          This assignment was super tough for me, simply due to the fact that I have been suffering from the flu. I had some major roadblocks getting the interviews, but I tried to do what I could. So I believe the next market I should cater my Snack Pack to is older individuals that may just need a quick access snack. I suggested that they could use them at places like Disney and for family gatherings, but I got some different responses.
           All of the younger people I interviewed were part of my current market, in fact all of them were at a swim meet this weekend. The first person I interviewed suggested that I change the types of of snacks that I put in my snack pack. I believe this is a great idea, and that is why I believe I will definitely add the hot/cold feature to my Snack Pack. Older people do not need high sugar energy chews, they need fruits and veggies. This new feature will allow this to happen. The second person I interviewed added that no matter what, people need food when they have low energy, so any age person will find a need for my Snack Pack. And lastly, the third person said that I should try to cater the Snack Pack to runners since that is a very common activity among older adults. I think this is a great idea. Maybe the next next idea for my Snack Pack with be a small water bottle/ Snack Pack combo with an easy grip that can be easily carried while running. I think all of the interviews were extremely helpful.
          The older people I interviewed were just as helpful. My mom said that she could really use the Snack Pack when she is in a place that won't have healthy food such as on a boat or shopping. While she may not have known it, my mom helped me a lot. Another way I could market my product is a healthy alternative. If you know you are going that wont have great food, bring your Snack Pack! My dad, while always the cynical one, also helped me a lot. He said that he would not need my Snack Pack because he has plastic bags and pockets. He made it clear that when marketing my product to older men, I have to come about it a different way. I need to find a way to differentiate my product so I can cater to older men as well as older women. Lastly my friend told me I should advertise the pack to elderly people as a way for them to easily carry prescriptions with them. Overall I think all these ideas are great and that I have a pretty good idea as to how I should continue on with my business!