Milestone One: PRODUCT CONCEPT 1

Product Concept: Deubré Tracking Device

Lauren Prather

Southern New Hampshire University

MKT 500: Marketing Strategies

Professor Heather Teague

PRODUCT CONCEPT 2

Company Information

Company Name: 3M

Ticker Symbol: MMM

Marketing Domain: https://www.3m.com/

As a Fortune 500 company in the United States, 3M is an essential player in the global

marketplace. The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company was founded in 1902

exclusively to mine corundum. At that time, conglomerates were led by mission and vision

statements emphasizing innovation and collaboration. It is one of 30 companies in the Dow

Jones Industrial Average and trades on the New York, Chicago, and Swiss exchanges. 3M's

vision is to improve lives by using science to solve the world's most challenging problems. (3M

Announces Plans to Create Long Term Value Through Spin-Off of Health Care Business, 2022)

Their commitment also extends to delivering superior returns to shareholders and exceptional

customer value. Throughout its history, 3M has relied on its core values to succeed in the

industrial, worker safety, US health care, and consumer goods industries. Presently, 3M is

committed to leveraging its unique and differentiating innovations. Through this, it will

capitalize on new customer opportunities aligned with key global megatrends such as electronics,

safety, mobility, digitization, and home improvement. (3M, 2022)

PRODUCT CONCEPT 3

In accordance with the Alzheimer's Association, 60% of people with dementia or

Alzheimer's wander at some point during their illness. (Wandering, n.d.) Wandering can be

classified into two categories: harmless wandering, which does not result in death, and

wandering which results in a missing person. It is imperative to realize that even though many

people who suffer from Alzheimer's or dementia are able to return to their respective care

settings safely, things can be dire when they do not. What if caregivers could be relieved of

worrying about where their loved ones have wandered off? What if we were able to quickly

locate them or track their movements?

I believe that an upcoming product that could make a significant impact on the business

of 3M is a tracker, specifically a Deubré tracker. This device could be one of 3M's most

influential products in the future and one of their most influential products overall, in my

opinion. As an ornamental shoelace tag that is most often found on the laces of sneakers, Deubré

is a term that originated from Nike Inc. as a generic term referring to an ornamental shoelace tag

that Nike Inc. initially developed in the early 1990s. (Wikimedia, 2020) An example of a Deubré

would be a shoelace threaded through two holes in the shoelace, like a bead threaded on a string. 

Essentially, the product will be similar to Nike's shoelace tag concept. However, it will

also function as a tracking device in addition to its traditional function as a shoelace tag. Through

an app that uses location services, this device would provide you with real-time tracking

information and the ability to alert 911 immediately about a person's location. You would also

receive a push notification when they are safe, even if you could not locate them before the

authorities arrived.
PRODUCT CONCEPT 4

Marketers are responsible for maximizing the value of their customers. We do this by

introducing products to a market that was unaware that they were in need of them. An extremely

crucial aspect of bringing a product to market is considering its intended audience.

An in-home senior care agency, Home Instead, conducted a survey of those who care for

family members and found the following:

· Nearly half, or 46%, reported that a loved one had wandered off or become lost.

· Nearly 1/5 of them had called the police to help in finding a lost loved one, and

· Currently, 71% are taking some precautions to prevent their loved ones from wandering

or getting lost again. (Care, 2020)

After caring for a loved one for several years, I have a thorough understanding of the pain

and agony involved in reporting the disappearance of a family member. According to a survey

conducted by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) in 2020, 53 million

Americans provide unpaid care to family and friends, and the number of caregivers will increase

by 9.5 million by the year 2025. (May, 2022) Therefore, aging parents or older adults would be

the ideal target market for the Deubré Tracking Device. Often, they make decisions regarding

hospitals, doctors, and treatment, as well as ways to ensure their safety.

There is no doubt that this highly innovative product will change the way we live. With

its discreet functionality and technological capabilities, this device is not only capable of

bringing peace of mind to caregivers, but it is also capable of preventing human trafficking,

keeping women and children safe, which is not only a competitive advantage but a crucial

advantage that must not be overlooked.

PRODUCT CONCEPT 5

References

3M. (2022, July 26). 3M announces plans to create long term value through spin-off of Health
Care Business. 3M Announces Plans to Create Long Term Value Through Spin-Off of
Health Care Business. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/3m-announces-plans-to-create-long-term-
value-through-spin-off-of-health-care-business-301593185.html 

Dementia vs. alzheimer's disease: What is the difference? Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia.
(n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2022, from
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/difference-between-dementia-and-alzheimer-s 

May, S. (2020, May 11). Caregiving in the US 2020. The National Alliance for Caregiving.
Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.caregiving.org/research/caregiving-in-
the-us/caregiving-in-the-us-2020/ 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, March 16). Deubré. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 13, 2022,
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deubr%C3%A9 

Care, T. (2020, March 18). Research shows dementia wandering is more lethal than we thought.
Theora Care™. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://theoracare.com/research-
shows-dementia-wandering-is-more-lethal-than-we-thought/#:~:text=74%25%20of
%20persons%20with%20Alzheimer's,in%202%20days%2C%20only%2051%25 

Yahoo! (2022, November 13). 3M company (MMM) latest stock news & headlines. Yahoo!
Finance. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/MMM/news/

May, S., Jr. (2022, September 5). Caregiving in the US 2020. The National Alliance
for Caregiving. https://www.caregiving.org/research/caregiving-in-the-us/
caregiving-in-the-us-2020/

Wandering. (n.d.). Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. https://www.alz.org/help-

support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/wandering