New Products
New products have difficulties getting into the market. Customers are often choosy and would rather go for those products that they are used to, rather than those that they are not familiar with.
In this case, our backpack, which is new, is expected to experience these problems. Since it has several aspects that it looks to fulfil, there are several methods that can be used to promote the backpack. Jonathan, Patrick & Peter (2004) and Boxwell (2010) have come up with several ways that producers use to promote their new commodities and build popularity over the already existing products. Firstly, packaging and proper presentation of the commodity is important to market a new product. Attractive and brightly coloured products are likely to attract more customers than dull ones.
The backpacks would, therefore, be packaged in well designed and good-looking packets since they are only 14.5×20 inches when folded. A photo of the backpack should be availed on the packet it is sold in with the manual inside. Commercial launch is the stage that the producer brings out his product to the public. He presents the product to the wholesalers and consumers as well as retailers.
Since it is the first time that the product is coming into the market, the launch should be vibrant and reach as many people as possible. One can use trade shows and inform the public that you have this new ‘wonderful’ product. Good investment should be made here, since if poorly publicised, the commodity could as well lose customers from the beginning, where it is hard to restore the lost faith by customers. Demonstration of the backpack would include demonstration of folding and unfolding as well as its efficiency in obtaining power from cars and old batteries. This would show its superiority and attract more attention.
In public new product launch, the producer and sales team should develop strategies to reach people in masses. The producer is, therefore, needed to use mass media to achieve this. Jonathan, Patrick & Peter (2004) and Boxwell (2010) give good examples in internet. He appreciates that almost everyone in Australia uses intenet. One would reach a significant number of potential customers. A decent html and a website with details about the product would prove priceless in the launch.
One can also use blogs, advertising and affiliate marketing. The use of videos is also a commendable strategy, especially in a product like the backpack that has to be folded and unfolded in order to get an idea of what it is all about. One would easily buy something they have seen perform. Though not as effective as other methods, the use of radio and print media should be used to ensure that everyone within the countryside is informed or at least has a chance of getting to know about the product. A song over the radio can strike the minds of customers and make them like the product every time they hear it.
Large print media pages as well could lead to the increase of people interested in the product. The most efficient way to advertise such a product as the back pack is through audio-visual channels due to demonstration (Teixeira, Wedel & Pieters 2012). The backpack has to be environmentally sound for it to effectively replace any other source of energy sustainably. Our main aim is to ensure that there is a new product in the market that provides the population with energy and reduces the use of fossil fuel. The backpack perfectly fits this definition, since it also reduces the use of fossil fuel in HEP production. It also reuses energy from the sun, which would otherwise have gone to waste.
It also reuses energy from car batteries to ensure that there is maximum use and reuse of energy from car batteries as they drive along. This energy would have been lost. Finally, it reuses nylon that would have been disposed to the environment had it not been recycled in the making of the backpack.Recycling of material is as important as creating new. The backpacks will recycle old batteries, car generated energy, nylon for its manufacturing, and above all the sunlight. All these, apart from nylon which pollutes the soil, would have been lost and energy lost for absolutely nothing.
Epsteinn (2006) explains that a product has three main roles in the market. A complete product has all these and the stronger each of them are, the more the ability of the product to compete with others. The three levels can define how weak or strong a product is in the market. The levels are Core, Actual and Augmented. The core product of a gadget using sun’s renewable energy is the ability to use the abundance and free energy from the sun (Gordon 2001).
The backpack has this since it depends on the sun, though it is sometimes extract energy from other sources such as cars and old batteries. Its actual product is the bag-like commodity that users can buy and take home. Its augmented product level is the provision of knowledge regarding the back pack and its installation. One can as well learn the global warming trends and its significance in our lives and our future generations. The diagram illustrates the different levels of a product as earlier was explained. The diagram shows examples of the level components for a better understanding.
Solis (2011) and Epstein (2006) argued that attractiveness of a new commodity is determined by its packaging units and appearance. The backpack will be delivered to wholesalers in dozen packs. On every individual packet, there will be the photo of the backpack to allow the customer have the idea of the product Meyvis, Goldsmith & Dhar (2012). In the pack the backpack will be folded neatly and directions for use manual provided. All these packs will be made from recycled paper to promote environmental cleanliness.
The only way to reduce the overuse of fossil fuel is by use of solar energy, which is not only in abundance, but free as well. The backpacks are the best times to use to tap this immeasurable natural gift. However, side effects of using nylon cannot be underestimated and need to be addressed to be substituted with biodegradable material. Further, more research to ensure that there is more solar energy produce to be used industrially should be encouraged.
