Week 7 EOC: My Pitch

"Dirt with Worms", what is it? Sounds gross? I promise you it is NOT gross, out of the ordinary and certainly not simple, but simple is boring and boring is not fun. Dirt with Worms is a combination of chocolate pudding, crushed cookies, and white chocolate worms. The lower "Dirt" is the chocolate pudding that you spread across the bottom of the dish, the upper more visible "Dirt" is the crushed and crumbled cookies that you spread across the top of the chocolate pudding, and the final part is the "Worms" which is the white chocolate worms you place inside of the chocolate pudding, under the crushed and crumbled cookies. If you are craving something more sweet than your average everyday snack then Dirt with Worms is perfect for you. It is definitely not your average everyday snack and/or dessert, which makes it even more wonderful, and Dirt with Worms can even be made at home reaching an even larger crowd of people. It is perfect for middle and high school students and even for young adults who need a quick bite that is not messy but will fill them up so they can get back to work. If you are still asking yourself what is “Dirt with Worms”, it is a fun tasty pudding snack that is cold, crunchy, chewy, and different from your average quick fix snack.

Implementation Evaluation Control

If I were to create “Dirt with Worms” right now I would first begin with advertising through social media (Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Vine, Facebook, etc.). I would use my family and friends, at first of all ages, and then target the young adults and teens in school (college or high school). After about a week or two of advertising on social media I would then display my website within the tweets or instagram posts. The website is designed for people to think, “Wow this is a legit things, I should give it a try” or have the viewers think that it is more popular than it actually is. By all means I do not plan on tricking the consumers on how my product is being displayed.

I would probably have to give “hand outs” and let people taste it before they actually buy it so they themselves can spread the word on how amazing it is which will then allow me to introduce the price and have it displayed within the stores (or even the in school student stores for even more promotion from within the audience).

After the popularity of “Dirt with Worms” rises I will then modify and evolve the product giving them options and varieties of how they would like to have it.

Price

The price of the product will always and forever remain the same. Obtaining and keeping customer loyalty can easily be achieved by staying true to the value of your product even when it becomes widely known and vastly popular throughout the world. “Price is a component of value (a $4,000 handbag is perceived as being more luxurious and of higher quality than one selling for $100), but low price is not the same as good value. Instead, customers value goods and services that are of the quality they expect and that are sold at prices they are willing to pay.” –MKTG Page 7.

Even if the competition falters or completely disappears the price will always remain the same (unless it is sold in bulk or bundle). “Some attributes of an attractive market are high profitability, rapid growth, a lack of government regulation, consumer insensitivity to a price increase, a lack of competition, and availability of technology.” –MKTG Page 19.

The goal of “Dirt with Worms” is to keep and hold onto customer loyalty so that the product will always remain “future proof” and move with ease along each generation that is to come. “An organization must understand what drives that loyalty and then take steps to ensure that those drivers are maintained and enhanced.” –MKTG Page 50.

Promotion

“Dirt with Worms” will primarily be promoted on social media, which includes: Youtube, Vine, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, etc. As a 21 year old male in college I know exactly how to reach the target market and it is definitely not through television commercials or flooding the user with advertisement on social media sites. “For example, aware of the aging population's health fears, the retail medical imaging centers Heart Check America and HealthScreen America advertise that they offer consumers a full body scan for early detection of health problems such as coronary disease and cancer.” –MKTG Page 112.

As the product will grow and become more popular then will it be advertised more prominently on social media sites with the promotion of popular users showcasing the product on their profiles and channels. To even further improve the product the popular users will also introduce the product to a whole new audience as friendly. “Because target consumers have incorrect beliefs about 24 Hour Fitness's attributes (the number and variety of classes), the gym must advertise and do other forms of promotion (such as an open house) to correct the misimpressions.” –MKTG Page 114.

Distribution

The primary focus for “Dirt with Worms” is the location and not so much worried about packaging. Because it is being advertised to young adults and teens still attending school the location placement of the product will be in traffic areas around campuses. “Place, or distribution, strategies are concerned with making products available when and where customers want them.” –MKTG Page 28.

The product will have to be in a fairly refrigerated or moderately cold area of the store but near the register so they can easily grab it and go. There may be a small number of sales in the beginning because there is only one product being advertised solely through social media but that is to be expected. “Also, marketing costs may be lower when there is only one product to promote and a single channel of distribution.” –MKTG Page 145.

Until the product becomes widely known and more abundant to the targeted market then we will have to rely on consumer awareness and convenience of the pricing and location within the store to boost the popularity of the product. “New products fall into this category until advertising and distribution increase consumer awareness of them.” –MKTG Page 176.

Product

“Dirt with Worms” will enter exactly as advertise before it receives any upgrades or modifications. “The key to consumer purchasing lies beyond labels proclaiming sustainability, natural ingredients, or “being green.” Customers want sustainable products that perform better than their unsustainable counterparts.” –MKTG Page 6. Advertising as “this” product then giving the consumer something completely different than “this” product will make them feel cheated out of their purchase and they may refuse to purchase or even speak down on the product.

The idea of “Dirt with Worms” does seem a bit far-fetched or even ridiculous at first but there will always be people who will never appreciate or give something a chance because they are afraid or even envious. Some consumers may not like it because of how it looks or they price is not high enough for them so the quality seems to be lacking. “Customer value is not simply a matter of high quality. A high-quality product that is available only at a high price will not be perceived as a good value, nor will bare-bones service or low-quality goods selling for a low price.” –MKTG Page 7.

As time passes and the product becomes more popular then will the option to modify “Dirt with Worms” with different packaging and larger proportions. Feedback is always appreciated and will help improve the product and the company as a whole. “Companies have set up online communities with the sole purpose of getting feedback and ideas from teens.” MKTG Page 55.

Target Market Strategy

A target market strategy will not only identify you are advertising to, but also gives you a potential area of interest. “The target market strategy identifies the market segment or segments on which to focus. This process begins with a market opportunity analysis (MOA)—the description and estimation of the size and sales potential of market segments that are of interest to the firm and the assessment of key competitors in these market segments.” –MKTG Page 27.

The targeted market for “Dirt with Worms” are young adults and teens who are attending school (high school or college). It will be set at a low price and sold as packs for busy students who do not have a lot of money to spend or time to have a large meal. “Any market segment that is targeted must be fully described. Demographics, psychographics, and buyer behavior should be assessed.”-MKTG Page 27.

Situation or SWOT Analysis

“SWOT analysis identifying internal strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) and also examining external opportunities (O) and threats (T)” –MKTG Page 22. A SWOT analysis will help you identify what your product flourishes in and what it is lacking.

The STRENGTHS of “Dirt with Worms” are: Dirt with Worms is a combination of cookies, chocolate pudding, and gummy worms, there is a variety of how you want it, it is different and offers more than your average pudding snack, and it is new. Identifying your strengths helps you discover your advantages over your competition. “Performing a SWOT analysis allows firms to identify their competitive advantage. A competitive advantage is a set of unique features of a company and its products that are perceived by the target market as significant and superior to those of the competition.” –MKTG Page 23.

The WEAKNESSES of “Dirt with Worms” are: New, we have to establish who and what we are before we can go anywhere or do anything. Social Media, our business becomes word to mouth relying on mainly social media for advertising. It may also seem weird to others and they will not be willing to try it.

The OPPORTUNITIES of “Dirt with Worms” are: New, it is something new so people will want to try it first so they can give their opinion on it and the opportunity to introduce something people may be familiar with.

The THREATS of “Dirt with Worms” are: Normal pudding, people may think to themselves “well why do I need this?” if they are used to eating what they are familiar with. It is crucial to evaluate your surroundings and your consumers when using a SWOT analysis. “When examining external opportunities and threats, marketing managers must analyze aspects of the marketing environment.” –MKTG Page 22.

Objectives

The objectives of a business is another crucial point because it says “We’re here, now what?” It let you, your business, and your consumers know exactly what you are trying to do without any confusion. “By specifying objectives and defining the actions required to attain them, you can provide in a marketing plan the basis by which actual and expected performance can be compared.” –MKTG Page 20.

The primary objective for “Dirt with Worms” is to establish itself as a new, creative, and innovative product that is here to stay and bring something new to the table. I also plan on creating milestones to motivate the employees and give us a progress bar. “Carefully specified objectives serve several functions. First, they communicate marketing management philosophies and provide direction for lower-level marketing managers so that marketing efforts are integrated and pointed in a consistent direction. Objectives also serve as motivators by creating something for employees to strive for.” –MKTG Page 26.

An objective I will always look after is the consume happiness. You cannot have a product if you have no customers right? Consumer happiness is one of the most important objectives this company will focus on, along with employee satisfaction. “First, it is a philosophy, an attitude, a perspective, or a management orientation that stresses customer satisfaction. Second, marketing is an organization function and a set of processes used to implement this philosophy.” –MKTG Page 2.

Business Mission Statement

A business mission statement is crucial for any and every business. It defines what your business is and it tells you what direction you plan on going. “The foundation of any marketing plan is the firm's mission statement, which answers the question “What business are we in?” The way a firm defines its business mission profoundly affects the firm's long-run resource allocation, profitability, and survival.” –MKTG Page 21.

There is already a load of chocolate related products in the world but not very many chocolate pudding related products. I want to create something new but something that not so “out of the norm”. I’m more so aiming at the markets and then the people. “A mission statement should focus on the market or markets the organization is attempting to serve rather than on the good or service offered.” –MKTG Page 21.

I aim to create a product that can evolve and adapt to the new world and become “future proof”. I want it to be recognized all around the world like Oreos, but I do not want to throw it in your face every time you see it. To make a long story short, I plan on create a product that is different from the rest. I want to make it recognized around the world and provide something for people who want to add a new “flavor” to their daily lives rather than push my product in their faces and telling them they need this. I designed my mission statement to come across more friendly to the public eye rather than a corporate office. “Many companies are focusing on designing more appropriate mission statements because these statements are frequently displayed on the companies' Web sites.” –MKTG Page 22.