Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Morgan Downing
Sara Lee
Joanna Manoleras
Vince Speroni
Executive summary
In a world that is constantly on the go, those without 24/7 access to light are vulnerable to
falling behind. Not only this, but with light comes the opportunity to expand skills, intelligence,
and many other things. This is exactly what our solar-powered transportable lightbulb offers to
the people of Tanzania. Employing a positioning strategy based on price and simplicity allows
our target market to not only desire our product, but they can afford it as well. By entering the
market below market price, our company can establish a solid base of consumers who will help
advertise the product through word of mouth. In addition to this, we will be able to gain the trust
of our target market which will make for a smooth transition as we begin to raise prices to bring
profit out of the negative. The upward trend of GDP in the country shows signs of a growing
economy which will facilitate the sale of our low-price, high-value product.
Table of Contents
Company Situation
Market Situation
Consumer Situation
Macro-Environment Situation
SWOT
WOWparts
Original Defense
Objectives
Targeting Strategy
Marketing Research
Product Strategy
Positioning Strategy
Price Strategy
Distribution Strategy
Promotion Strategy
Controls
Conclusion
Appendix
References
Current Marketing Situation
With solar energy being the most affordable, accessible, and widespread than ever before,
the focus on a solar-powered lightbulb allows for continued growth as more and more people
will begin using solar-powered products. The solar lighting system market was valued at USD
4.35 billion in 2018 and is projected to grow to $13.48 billion by 2026. This industry is growing
at a CAGR of 15.29 from 2019-2026 (Solar Lighting System Market by offering). Markets for
solar energy are maturing rapidly due to solar electricity now being economically competitive
with traditional energy sources. According to Appendix A, the Solar Lighting Systems Market in
RoW (which includes South America, Africa, and the Middle East) has been and is projected to
grow at an increasing rate annually (2017 - 2024). WOWparts’ solar lightbulb is a standard-sized
light bulb that combines a lithium battery, photovoltaic panels, and multiple LED lights to create
that can withstand the elements if needed, and boasts 3-5 hours of light after being charged. This
bulb can be used both inside the home and outdoors to provide bright light for a multitude of
tasks without requiring the use of electricity. Major drivers of the market are the increasing use
of renewable energy for lighting, decreasing cost of LEDs, and growing demand from
developing and emerging countries. These drivers help support our choice of introducing a
solar-powered light bulb into Tanzania as they are developing and have a major focus on solar
power.
Company Situation
The company that produces our product is WOWparts, a division of Neoteric Solution,
Inc. WOWparts was founded in 2006 with the goal of becoming the premier destination for
online electronic accessories. WOWparts is currently selling the TSV solar-powered Lightbulb
through Walmart and they have been selling on the Walmart Marketplace since 2016. They are a
employees and an employment growth rate of 15.4% since Q4 of 2018. They are headquartered
in Fremont, CA and under the NAICS Code 3343; 33. Their current annual revenue is
$5,980,000 with a 0.01 variance of revenue growth. Since their founding in 2006, they have had
an annual revenue growth of $373,750 (Kona Equity - WOWparts). Their revenue growth
fluctuates yearly with decreases around the start of a new year. There was a huge growth
between 2020 Q4 with a revenue of $5.328 million and 2021 Q1 with a revenue of $5.98 million
and since then revenue growth seems to be stagnant. The current revenue per employee is
Currently, they do not offer international shipping from their website itself, but they do
sell their products in other countries through online shopping websites. Some of the countries
that currently sell their products are Haiti, Aruba, Nigeria, Togo, India, Luxembourg, and many
more. Major websites that supply WOWparts internationally are Desertcart.com and Ubuy.com.
Ubuy.com is offered in Mena, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South
America. Desertcart.com is offered in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, and
Bahrain. The ability of WOWparts to sell their product internationally through the internet will
Market Situation
Although Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest economies, there has been data in recent
years to suggest that their economy is trending upwards and business opportunities are
increasing. They have low rates of inflation, a promising tourist industry, and an increasing
growth rate. Relevant socio-economic data related to our product are electricity statistics,
starvation rates, and the percentage of the population that has access to technological forms of
media.
All of these factors play crucial roles in our ability to market and distribute our product.
Only 21.2% of the population uses electricity as their main source of lighting, and since the use
of solar energy is rare in the country, this implies that the majority of people use candles or
torches (Proportion of households with electricity as the main source of energy for lighting), so
there seems to be a great opportunity to break into the market with a truly useful solar lightbulb.
The basics of human nature suggest that people who are starving are not going to worry about
complimentary things such as better lighting. So, the fact that 25% of the population is starving
These statistics provide us with a deeper insight into what most of our barriers to entry
are going to be. Mainly; lack of solar awareness, starvation, and difficulty reaching our target
market both physically and virtually. The majority of lightbulbs can only be bought in large
towns because the country possesses difficult terrain to navigate and there is a lack of
sophisticated distribution tactics. While Tanzania does present an opportunity to break into the
market with a product that is capable of solving the limited electricity problem within the
Consumer Situation
There are a lot of factors affecting consumer behavior in Tanzania. In both urban and
rural areas, citizens are concerned about their health, water supply, education, and the
infrastructure of the roads. This focus on satisfying basic physiological needs is directly reflected
in their lifestyles and purchasing behavior. In rural communities, 51% of citizens own a radio,
but only 26.3% of citizens have a television in the house. While 68.1% of rural citizens own
mobile phones, only 13.3% have internet access. In terms of their home, 29.6% of people in rural
Tanzania describe their personal living conditions as “fairly bad,” and 56.2% of the people in
these communities need to get their electricity from somewhere other than Tanzania Electric
Supply Limited or TANESCO. For 50.6% of rural consumers, this means using solar energy.
This shows a large need for a solar-powered product like the WOWparts light bulb, and based on
consumer thoughts on trade, they are open to a foreign supplier. Fifty-three percent of rural
citizens strongly believe Tanzania needs to open its borders to imports to increase development
through trade. Additionally, 66.4% of those people believe the government should allow foreign
corporations to sell low-cost goods in local retail stores (Tanzania Round 8 summary of results).
These factors all combine to create a target market for WOWparts that consists of
low-income males, aged 18-35, in rural Tanzania. In rural households, 91.6% of people reported
that the responsibility of decision-making falls on a male relative within the house. This provides
WOWparts with an opportunity to market a low-cost, energy-saving product to the head of the
Macro-Environment Situation
Tanzania boasts high levels of tourism as natural parks account for almost 30% of land
which makes it a popular safari destination. There is an abundance of wildlife which is another
factor that encourages tourism in the area. Tanzanians take advantage of their vast country as
64% of the population lives in rural areas. The country itself is flush with natural resources
ranging from natural gas reserves, an assortment of precious gemstones, and a coastline spanning
roughly 884 mi (Tanzania: Country Data and statistic). This has been a major contributor to the
rising GDP of the country which has been on the rise for the past 10 years and shows no
While this paints a picture of great opportunity for the country, there are other areas
where the nation falls behind. Compared with the developed countries of the world, Tanzania is
severely lacking in the human rights sector. For instance, aligning yourself with the LGBT
community is punishable by life imprisonment, school-age girls still struggle with equal access
to education, and people with disabilities such as albinism are either killed or suffer through
forced amputations (World Report 2020: Rights Trends in Tanzania). According to an economic
study that rates countries based on their macroeconomic, financial, and political variables to
determine a level of risk, Tanzania was given a C level or a high-risk rating (Tanzania, United
Republic of). The country has recognized this issue and is currently working on updating its
When looking at the people as a society, they have a strong power distance culture. In
addition to this, they are aligned with a strong collectivist culture which can be seen through the
different tribes, languages, and cultures that coexist within the country. The country displays a
feminine culture in which there is an emphasis on working to live. Unfortunately, this is evident
based on the extremely high poverty rate within the country. This most likely is a contributing
SWOT
WOWparts
Strengths Weaknesses
● Revenue growth is faster than the ● Because they are a private corporation,
● Lower cost of the lightbulb compared they are not listed on the stock
to competitors. exchange.
and delivering top quality for their the west coast of The U.S., they are
Opportunity Threats
● Increase brand awareness and image with the growth due to their small
products that use solar power which ● More companies may emerge into the
could lead to increased sales. industry to capitalize on the growth of
solar energy.
Original Defense
Strengths Weaknesses
● Offers up to 6 hours of light, which is ● At $34.95 for one lightbulb, they are
household.
service.
Opportunities Threats
● The website has very little information ● More companies may emerge into the
Objectives
Marketing Objectives
1. Increase product awareness and demand by 50% by December 31, 2024, through the use
3. Decrease the sales cycle length by 25% by December 31, 2024, to help increase the
Financial Objectives
1. Our company is aware that we will need to take out at least $40,000 in loans to begin
marketing our product. Due to the nature of the country and the lack of technology, we
will need to invest in traditional marketing types, such as billboards and magazine ads.
We expect to see an initial loss on the balance sheet of $20,044, mostly due to the low
starting sales price and heavy marketing investment of about $40,000. As our sales price
and overall awareness rise, we expect our profits to go up, with the breakeven point being
Marketing Strategy
Segmentation Strategy
For this marketing plan, our company will be targeting two individual markets; a primary
market and a secondary market. When choosing both the primary and secondary target market
we took into account many influencing factors such as age, lifestyle of local consumers, ability
to purchase, budget, consumer spending habits, and their buying process. For the primary target
market, we decided to focus on working-class, male individuals between the ages of 18-28, in
rural areas. According to data.worldbank.org, 64% of Tanzania's total population lives in rural
areas and individuals in these areas most likely have less access to electricity. In addition, we
decided to focus on males because 85% of males ages 15+ are employed, but children ages 16
and below cannot participate in more than three hours of labor a day. Individuals ages 18 and up
are allowed to work in more intense work situations and would be more likely to use the
The secondary target market we decided to focus on is women, ages 25-34, who have at
least one kid and spend the majority of their time tending to the house. In Tanzania, the mean age
for childbearing is 28.6 (Kamer) and women have on average about 6.1 children. Roles are
strictly defined in Tanzania as either masculine or feminine, and women tend to keep the house,
watch the children, and other feminine roles. These women will be more likely to be doing
housework or tending to the family at all hours of the day and would benefit from the
Targeting Strategy
Since we are targeting very specific markets, each being opposites of the other, we
thought it would be best to use a differentiated target strategy because it will allow us to tailor
the messages to each target market. For our primary target market, working-class, male
individuals between the ages 18-28, located in rural areas, we plan to focus on deploying content
and marketing material that focuses on the benefits of having access to light for more hours in
the day. We will implement the use of statistics and testimonials to show that individuals can be
more productive when exposed to greater amounts of light. We will also focus on the ease of
storage and simplicity of the product. If we can show that this product is portable, allows you to
be more productive, and is easy to use, it will in turn motivate individuals to make the purchase.
For our secondary market, women, ages 25-34, who have at least one kid and spend the
majority of their time tending to the house, we will use the differentiated target strategy and
emphasize safety. While women are doing work around the house, they may spend a lot of their
time outside cleaning, cooking, and or doing laundry. If it is dark out, it may prevent a woman
from going out at night and getting things done. We can then in turn promote that with the
lightbulb women will be able to be more aware of their surroundings while also being just as
productive.
To analyze whether our targeting strategies are successful and increasing sales, we will be
analyzing short-term and long-term revenues. In the beginning, the focus will be on short-term
revenue growth. In the ideal situation, if our targeting strategy is effective, our revenues will
increase, and units sold will increase, allowing us to continue selling this product in Tanzania.
We will analyze the revenue statistics every 2-3 months to ensure that what we are doing is
Our market research began with a look at the current state and forecasts of the power
industry. According to a 2022 Power Report, thermal power has historically been the dominant
source of energy in Tanzania. While they have low gas rates of USD0.099-0.102/kWh, these
prices are still too high for low-income residents (BMI Research: Tanzania Power Report). In
general, the country is at the bottom of the global energy pillar in both availability and equity
(Environmental sustainability: Country performance and product claims). With 50.4% of the
population living off an average of USD$1.90 a day, electricity is widely unattainable, creating a
need for alternative energy sources (Society - Tanzania). When looking at popular online retailers
like Impala, Zudua, and Sokoni, there are either no solar options for sale or only outdoor solar
Product Strategy
Creating a product strategy starts with identifying the vision and goals of the product
being sold. People in rural Tanzania have little access to enough electricity to suit their needs.
There are not enough alternatives being sold, and our company recognizes that and wants to
provide a solution. WOWparts will provide consumers with a solar lightbulb that will light their
homes for hours with one charge, for only $7.50. These factors cater directly to an underserved
market.
Positioning Strategy
When choosing a positioning strategy for our product we had to put ourselves in the
shoes of our target markets. Based on our extensive research on Tanzania, we decided to position
the product based on price and simplicity. For the price, our product will be priced lower than
competitors at $7.50 per lightbulb. This allows us to cater to our working-class consumers while
also staying competitive in the market. When it comes to simplicity, by this we mean how easy
our product is to transport and use. The solar lightbulb we are marketing is lightweight, has a
removable hanging strap, and can be transported easily. All the user will need to do is hang the
light bulb in the sun throughout the day, and when it comes time for use, they can unhook the
strap and maneuver the light bulb. With our targets constantly either working, traveling, or
tending to the house and children, we need to focus on the simplicity of the product, which will
our website, there will be a dedicated section for tools to assist the consumer. This section will
include how-to videos and guides for using the product, a list of FAQs, and a comment box for
receiving specific questions and consumer feedback. The company will prioritize open
comments, and concerns within 24 hours. In the future, a live, 24/7 chat box may be
implemented if necessary. For those without consistent internet access, there will be a detailed
user manual included with the product that lists FAQs, step-by-step instructions for usage, and a
phone number to call with any questions. Our goal is to create and nourish a customer-centric
Price Strategy
Initially, our company will employ a penetration pricing strategy. We will set prices low
compared to competitors at $7.50 when entering the market to establish a customer base and
increase brand loyalty. The penetration strategy will temporarily provide negative profit as the
product will be purchased at $7.99 per unit. Once sales have increased by 30% after entering the
market, we will gradually begin to increase prices by 6.25% a week to employ a cost-plus
strategy and raise profit. This will allow for profit maximization as the price of the product will
be equivalent to the amount it takes to manufacture and distribute plus a markup for profit. After
4 weeks the final sales price will be brought to $9.99 which yields a 22% profit on all sales.
Distribution Strategy
The distribution strategies employed will be a mix of eCommerce and retail. Products
will be available online for the 8.44 million people in the country who have access to the internet
(The distribution network in Tanzania) and use online shopping regularly. There will be no cost
associated with the creation of the website which makes it a cheap and effective distribution
channel. For those who do not have access to the internet, or prefer to purchase products in
person, there will also be a retail option available. Products will be distributed to local retail
stores in Tanzania at places such as the Kenyan-based supermarket Nakumatt, Kifanya Market
Center, Mitaa Ya Sido, and many others. Once the brand has established itself within the country,
it can begin to move into the smaller locally run markets that are extremely popular in Tanzania.
Promotion Strategies
The promotional strategies the company will be using include advertising, sales
promotion, and digital marketing. Print advertising is currently the leading advertising method in
the country and therefore we will be using predominantly print to remain consistent with other
businesses; however, digital advertising is expected to increase in the country within the next few
years. (Advertising - Tanzania) By entering the market with both print and digital advertising, we
can cover each category. Working with Tanzania-based advertising agency Alliance Media, we
will be able to cover print-based advertising. They offer many different billboard options
including regular, digital, and giant outdoor advertising as well, each ranging in price depending
on size and location. We plan to purchase only one giant outdoor billboard as they are very
expensive but also very effective. For the first 6 months, this billboard will cost $8,406 at $1,401
per month. In addition to this, we will purchase 6 regular-sized billboards. Two billboards each
will be placed in the largest city in the country, Dar es Salaam, the second largest city Mwanza,
and the capital city of Dodoma. Each billboard costs roughly $467 per month and will be posted
for the first 6 months once the product is launched. The combined total for all 6 billboards for 6
months comes to $16,812. (Products). For other print advertising, we will take out ads in local
newspapers Mwananchi, The Citizen, and Daily news, through the use of Tanzanian company
Advertising Dar (Tanzania - Country Commercial Guide). Once a week for the first 6 months,
our company will post a full-page color advertisement in the magazines. The strategy will be
re-evaluated after this point. Each advertisement will cost $175, bringing the total cost for these
long-term strategy that does not see significant profits until well after our first six months. Due to
the difficulty of entering the market and spreading awareness about our brand, we are expecting
to see financial losses during this period. We plan to ask for a $40,000 loan to satisfy our initial
marketing plan.
An in-depth cost breakout of marketing specifics can be seen in the figure above. Given that our
company wants to build a good brand image, we are going to launch our initial sale price at
$7.50, with progressive increases throughout the first price until we reach a consistent sales price
of $9.99. We expect our week one sales to be 50 units, with a 6% growth week-by-week. Under
these circumstances, assuming our growth continues at that solid 6% rate, we will be selling just
over 400 units per week. After the first six months, we expect our total unit costs to be $61,188,
and our total revenue to be $78,962. After calculating all the figures for the first six months
related to unit costs and advertising (as seen above in the figure) we are expecting an initial loss
of ($20,044). Given the lack of technology within the country, we believe that it is most
ideal, it is an investment that our company has deemed necessary due to the initial marketing
obstacles that take place in Tanzania. We are confident that we will break even after the first full
year of operations. Once our product gains more awareness and begins to spread through word of
mouth, we will be able to allocate fewer resources to marketing and find ways to better our
business operations which will have a great impact on the profitability of our organization.
Controls
The controls our company will be using to motor progress and ensure we are meeting our
goals include, but are not limited to target market sales, budgeting and analyzing spending, and
customer feedback. Because we will be entering into a new market, we do not have a baseline to
go off of for current solar-powered light bulb sales in Tanzania. To ensure we are making
forward progress, we will analyze our target market sales. Not only will this guide us in the
numerical value but also will provide us insight into whether our marketing strategies are
successful. If we are creating marketing strategies specific to our primary target market, we
should expect them to be one of the higher consumers of this product overall. If we find that our
techniques are not evoking a response from these target markets we can either shift our
marketing strategies or even change our target market. Maybe we will find out that our product is
favored by a different demographic, and with this newfound information, we can move our
It is very important to focus on budgeting when implementing a marketing plan and even
more so in our situation. Since we are introducing a new product into the Tanzania market, we
have to take the extra steps in finding out which allocations of our budget will work best. If we
can monitor our spending and stick to what we have laid out initially, our company should be
able to maximize revenue while minimizing our costs, especially unforeseen costs.
Lastly, we will focus on analyzing customer feedback both directly and indirectly.
Directly we can analyze our progress through customer reviews and surveys. Customers will
have the option to leave a review or individually reach out to our company with their thoughts.
Indirectly we can analyze customer feedback through sales. This correlates to the previous
control strategy, but with sales, we can analyze trends. We can make educated inferences that if
sales are low, our customers either are not interested in purchasing the product and/or they are
not aware that this product is for sale. In both situations, customers are providing our company
with feedback that will help us reach our short and long-term goals.
Conclusion
Overall, we are confident that WOWparts’ solar powered light bulb is a desirable product
that meets the underserved needs of many consumers in rural Tanzania. While the start may not
be profitable, we expect to find success by the end of our first year, and look forward to building
a trustworthy brand that could possibly expand to other Sub-Saharan African countries many
years from now. This project provided our team with the chance to explore the details of a region
many American people are unfamiliar with, and challenged us to grow as researchers and as
marketers. If we were to do this project again, we think it would be important to put more
resources into researching the details of sourcing products and learning about companies. As
marketing students, we were already very familiar with the idea of segmenting, positioning, and
purchasing ads. What we did not know much about was researching unfamiliar products and
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
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