MBA 5240-WINTER 2023—WEEK 9-- MAJOR ASSIGNMENT 8-CHAPTER 15—8 ESSAYS

1. Dormentor Inc. produces, converts, and markets packaging products including boxboard, container
board, and numerous other specialty packaging products. To increase its organic growth, the company
decides to introduce new products. It asks the managers and employees to send in ideas for new
products. (A) Why are employees are good sources for new ideas? (B) Before launching new products
(conceived based on employee inputs), what are the stages that the company must go through and why?

Employees are good sources for new ideas because, when the products are developed employees
see them first and most of employees are also customers for their own companies. They get benefits
from the company they are working for so there is no reason why they would not take advantage of it.
Similar in this case employees also look at these products from the eyes of the customer and can spot
the mistakes or things that can be done better before “real” costumers see them.
Before launching the new the company need to go through stages of:
 Screening- As different suggestions are received from managers and employees, they go through
a screening stage where the best and most pertinent suggestions are shortlisted among the rest.
 Concept testing- is an evaluation process used to determine whether customers will accept the
final product once ideas are selected for further consideration during the screening test.
 Product development- Concepts that pass concept testing are eliminated and sent to product
development, where work on development, design, marketing, etc. is done.
 Test marketing- The completed product is tested here to see how customers react in actual stores
and in real life. If it passes this stage, the product is then released onto the market.
These stages are necessary to go through because they make percentage of products success go
up.

2. How does the PLC concept focus on the long run as opposed to the short run?

The route a product makes from its introduction to its eventual removal or demise is referred to as its
product life cycle (PLC). Product life cycle analysis examines a product's costs throughout every stage of its life
cycle and is specifically related to the product. Launch, development, maturity, and decline are the four stages
of a product's life cycle, according to product life cycle analysis. Many factors and at different times have an
impact on the length and shape of the product life cycle, including customer demands, technology, financial
needs, and incentives. The product life cycle is a well-known marketing concept that helps companies assess
their marketing plans and determine the conventional evolution of products in the market.
 As a result, it makes it possible for businesses to plan for long-term as opposed to short-term. The life
cycle of a product starts with its original release and ends when it is rendered obsolete. Introduction,
development, maturity, and decline are the four stages of the life cycle. During the introduction, the product is
described. Revenues grow quickly when a business expands.

3. What is the main objective of PLC analysis from: 1) the producer’s perspective? 2) the customer’s perspective
and 3) from society's (government’s) perspective? PRODUCT LIFECYCLE (PLC).
The main objective of PLC analysis from:

 The producer's perspective- main objective is to maximize the profit. producers know really eventually
die out so while it's alive so you want to maximize the profit.
 The customer's perspective- Expense versus gain It implies that they should receive the greatest benefit
or return possible from the product for the money they invest in it.
 Society’s perspective- minimize life cycle externalities, which indicates that society's or the
government's primary goal is to reduce the harmful effects that a product's life cycle has on society or
the government.

4.Interno Computers Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal
computers and mobile communication and media devices, as well as sells related software, services,
peripherals, networking solutions, and applications worldwide. The company is planning to launch a
high-end portable digital music player worldwide. What is the best way to plan and implement this
product launch?

These days, e-commerce and e-retail firms are growing. Every day, a sizable portion of their
client base visits their website and application. A product advertisement that is prominently displayed on
an e-commerce website might assist attract a lot of clients. Using various alternatives, such discounts,
freebies, and other accessories, can increase conversion. Yet the finest impact might be debuting on
some auspicious days with amazing plans that can fascinate the client visiting the e-commerce portals,
leading to increased conversions.

5.Caribou Coffee Company Inc. operates coffeehouses primarily in the United States. The company
wants to launch a new brand of specialty coffee and it has created a few hypothetical combinations. The
company wants to select one of the combinations after obtaining customer opinions. Suggest or design
an experiment that will guide in the final selection.

I have seen a lot of brands promoting and experimenting their new products in stores like Costco,
Walmart and so on. It would be great if they could offer sample of the coffee for a feedback from the
customers. This will also make the customers’ remember the product and also help company gather the
data.

6.Give two examples of brands (companies or stores) that have been recently repositioned. How has this
been implemented and for what reason? (research required)

Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, the industry leader in Oral Care, has developed an entirely
new segment of "express dental pain alleviation" with the debut of their creative new product "Pain
Out". You now only need to apply one drop straight on the sore tooth to experience immediate
symptom relief. This was implemented because one of the most frequent dental issues is tooth pain,
and a recent survey examining attitudes toward dental treatment found that 37% of adults have
experienced tooth discomfort within the previous six to twelve months. Furthermore, a staggering
62% get toothaches at least once a week. Yet, 47% of the population has never gone to the dentist
according to tribuneindia.com.
Second example I will bring from one of our previous classes which talked about Domino’s
Pizza. Domino’s Pizza was started to develop bad reputation with its customers and was labeled as
“crap Pizza” online. To change this they made sure to redevelop and create new pizza crusts, sauces,
 toppings combinations that would be much better than their previous product which worked out
great for them.

7. Given the two brand names Nabisco and Mercedes Benz, choose several brand-
extensions that you believe make sense and several that do not. Explain.

Brand extension is when the company develops products which are outside of the range of
products that they initially concentrated on, meaning they are outside of its category. For example,
like Nike is main objective is sports shoes developer but they also have, basketball ball, soccer balls,
football, golf and so on.
Nabisco is a company which is main category was cookies. The brand extensions that made
sense for me was developing marshmallows which are sweet and go great with their other products.
Kraker Bran is other great extension for the company, Nabisco. These are all things that can be
associated with cookies or are cookies. For me the brand-extension that did not really makes sense
was developing bacon dippers, corn diggers these products don’t really associate with cookies.
Mercedes Benz is very famous car developing company. Mercedes-Benz first product was
Motorwagen in 1886 and since then they have expanded by developing new models. The brand-
extensions which make sense are developing new type of car products, like buses, trucks,
motorcycles and so on. The brand-extensions that didn’t make sense was creating clothes and
accessories of Mercedes-Benz.
While its true that both of the companies have brand-extensions that don’t make sense it does not
mean that these extensions failed, they are wildly successful.
8. A customer survey at a mall revealed that Zoe is an early adopter. What does this mean? What factors
affect the rate of diffusion and consumer adoption of newly launched products? How about you- where
do you fall in the continuum (innovator 1-------------laggard 5). I know someone who never owned a
microwave oven. Do you know some laggards? Report here.

Early adopters are those who fall under the second group of consumers who purchase a new
good on the market. These individuals tend to be powerful, provocative thinkers with high levels of
education and financial security. In order for the majority of people to adopt the new product on
the market, these people are very active on social media and offer feedback to users.
The rate of innovation diffusion can be different depending on the product. Some products find
widespread market acceptance extremely fast, while others take longer. Many variables, including
socioeconomic, cultural, legal, psychological, and demographic ones, have an impact on how
quickly innovations spread.
As a young, technologically savvy person, I believe myself to be under the early majority in the
adoption cycle of innovations. I recently started a job, so my financial situation isn't the best, but I know
which technologies are worthwhile investments that may be made early in a product's life cycle.
Laggards are those who are technologically unsound, poorly educated, and occasionally even
uneducated, as well as those who have financial limitations that prevent them from treating themselves
to better goods. They are the least socially advanced and have the least amount of financial mobility.
Yes I know laggard person, more than one actually and the thing they have common is that they are of
older generation. When new technology came out they did not find a reason to switch from their
“unbreakable” Nokia phones to new one. One such person is my aunt, and if you visit her house you
would think you traveled back to 20th century.
Works cited

Colgate-Palmolive launches new product

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/colgate-palmolive-launches-new-product-
206889#:~:text=Show%20comments-,Colgate%2DPalmolive%20(India)%20Limited%2C%20the
%20market%20leader%20in,to%20get%20express%20symptomatic%20relief.
Outfits. (n.d.). Mercedes-Benz Classic Store. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from
https://www.mercedes-benz-classic-store.com/en/outfits/