Worksheet+5G

[|[i]] WORKSHEET 5G Marketing Requirements

Instructions
q Using Target Customers (Worksheet 5B), Customer Interest (5C), Success Factors (5D), and Competitor Profiles (5E), and with help from other members of your venture team, answer the following questions. q If you have difficulty answering the questions, you may need to do more market research. _
 * 1. What did you identify in Worksheet 5D as the key customer and marketing success factors for this venture idea?**

The customer success factor:
 * **Customer** School administrators
 * Success factor** Low-cost meal plan
 * Why does this matter to customers?** Even though parents pay part of the meals, the school needs to pay a share. The price parents pay has been set by the Vancouver School Board, so there is no way that the schools ask parents to pay more for the meals. Prices can't be higher to what schools already pay. ||
 * **Customer** Students
 * Success factor** The taste and appearance of the food must be good and appealing to their senses and ideas
 * Why does this matter to customers?** They get to experience a better option during their meal time at school. Students spend the majority of the day at school and away from home, so it is important for them to get the proper exposure to food choices and food options. With capitalism and market economy everything has become a commodity. Food as many other goods tends to give meaning to a specific identity, to a way of living. Fast and junk food is still seen as "cool". Therefore we need to offer a product that is appealing to them while raising awareness about healthy habits and about the impact of our consumption habits in ecology and society. ||

The marketing success factor:
 * **Customer** Parents
 * Success factor** The well-being of their sons and daughters
 * Why does this matter to customers?** We are assuming that all parents want their children to be as healthy as possible and to succeed in school and sports. ||

- Food be "cool" - Educational campaigns are a must. Students, administrators and parents must be aware of the benefits of a healthy life style and of the importance of eating sustainably and of supporting local economy. We could organize movie nights, conferences, networking among youth activists, research competitions, food fairs, cooking lessons, etc.


 * 2. What did you identify about customer interests in Worksheets 5B and 5C that might suggest marketing requirements for this venture idea? Separate by customer segments if appropriate.**

Customer interest:

- Easy to follow meal plan that is good tasting and high in quality. - Variation in the choices that are available for them to choose based on individual preferences. We could consider coming up with variations of meal plans that would demonstrate choice and taste. - Low cost - if the prices are too high, schools might not be willing to adopt this idea. - Meals prepared with food produced locally


 * 3. What communication strategies of competitors did you identify in question 4 of Worksheet 5E?**

- posters informing people of the daily/weekly/monthly food choices and events - announcements over the bulletin, newsletter etc. - once they are in the school, customers are a captive market; they don't do much of an effort to keep costumers engaged.
 * Cafeteria chains** - they could have sampling of free food choices during lunch time.

- they promote the proud of eating locally, mostly through internet and printed media - they organize different building community activities, all of them around food (harvest celebration, etc). - they involve people from different sectors (ages, economic conditions, etc.) - they link food consumption to a wide range of human right, resulting in political advocacy and activism (ie. rallies, letters sent to politicians, etc.)
 * 4. As identified in your research, what communication strategies are used by similar but non-competing firms—for example, businesses in another city, or businesses that target the same customer segments but with different products?**

One of our main proposals is to raise awareness about the great benefits of eating healthy, but we haven’t addressed the benefits this may have on loosing weight. We have to be very careful about this possible avenue, because we value the improvement of the quality of life over the way people look. We don’t want to promote our food plan as a commodity, as a service or good that is disposable; but as a way of building a new relationship with our bodies, with the Earth and with the local community.
 * 5. Now, review your list of competitors (Worksheet 5E, question 1). There were probably several that you did //not// describe as primary competitors (Worksheet 5E, question 2). Considering those secondary competitors (whom your customers will sometimes perceive as their alternatives), are there marketing requirements to increase the odds that they will come to you rather than pursue these alternatives?**


 * 6. What advice about marketing requirements have you obtained from industry experts, trade associations, or consultants working in this area?**

7.1 Marketing Research a. Surveys, in-depth interviews and clinical diagonsis to students and staff: in order to understand what academic and physical issues they might have as a consequence of an unhealthy diet. b. Research on how we can benefit the community by buying locally. c. Network building with other organizations that promote our same values. 7.2 Communication Strategies a. Educational campaigns that are fun, that create a sense of community and that raise awareness of our ecological relationship with the Earth. It could be done through movies, music, conferences, rallies, arts and crafts, etc. b. Posters, performances, games, etc. that show how food is processed by our bodies (ie. how the iron of the spinach becomes part of our blood) in order to support and strength certain physical or mental abilities (ie. how potassium, that comes from bananas, can improve our mood)
 * 7. Finally, how would you translate the above information into a set of marketing requirements for this venture idea? Include requirements for ongoing marketing //research// (e.g., customer surveys, competitor analysis) as well as for communication //strategies// (such as promotional efforts).**

[|]//Copyright 2002 Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Published by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 919 Lafond Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104// May not be copied or altered except for use by organization or individual who purchased this book. May not be resold.