Monthly Archives: March 2023

by | Tuesday, March 14, 2023 · 7:14 am

What’s Wrong with Fluffy? Do the Test at Home.

We all know that the pet industry is booming. There are more pets in homes than ever before!

And that means people need more pet products such as foods and toys. According to Morgan Stanley financial services company, the pet industry is expected to grow to an estimated $275 billion by 2030!

This growth also means that having more pets bring on more pet illnesses for owners to be concerned about. And visits to the veterinary clinic can be quite costly and time consuming. What if pet owners could get a diagnosis for their furry friends at home? It has the potential of diagnosing pet illnesses earlier, and at a lower cost.

That’s the premise behind a Minneapolis-based company named ‘My Simple Pet Lab’. The company makes in-home pet diagnostic tests for dogs and cats including stool tests, ear infection tests, and more. The tests were designed by veterinarians and can be used by either vets, groomers, or pet parents. Tests can be done at home, sent to the lab,  and results are emailed to you within days. It gives a test result easy to understand and share with your vet automatically online.

Distribution is a key goal for the company and tests are being added to Target stores in addition to Walmart and Amazon, plus through various vet clinics, boarders, and groomers.

A healthy pet means a happy home.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:  

  1. Discuss how to build and use a SWOT analysis grid: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (internal and external factors).
  2. For MySimplePet products, break students into teams and have each team build a SWOT analysis grid.
    1. Strengths: what is company good at?
    1. Weaknesses: what needs work?
    1. Opportunities: what is going on in marketplace?
    1. Threats: what should company be wary of?
  3. Based on the analysis, what are the issues and risks that might occur?
  4. Debrief by building SWOT analysis grid on the white board.

Source:  Williams, N. (15 December 2022). Make of in-home diagnostic tests for pets ready to grow. Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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by | Thursday, March 9, 2023 · 8:10 am

How to Apologize in Business

Everyone makes mistakes. Every company makes mistakes. It happens. But what should happen after the mistake? Should apologies be made? How should the apology happen?

It’s not unusual for mistakes to happen inadvertently. This past holiday season Graza, a startup company that produced squeezable bottles of extra-virgin olive oil, made a mistake. It shipped holiday gifts late – and badly packaged – disappointing many customers and turning away prospective new customers.

The company’s chief executive decided to take the apology into his own hands and apologized to every customer who had purchased the products within the previous 60 days and asked for a second chance. He sent a 835-word apology to more than 35,000 customers. He wrote it honestly and didn’t worry about crafting the perfect letter. It came from his heart.

The results were also heart-warming. Within minutes of sending the message, hundreds of customers responded, thanking him for his honesty. Most of the customers also pledged to continue to support Graza and buy its products.

What makes a good apology?

  1. Say you’re sorry for what you did.
  2. Show you understand why it was bad.
  3. You can explain, but don’t make excuses.
  4. Say why it won’t happen again.
  5. And offer to make up for the mistake.

Mistakes happen. Apologies should follow.

How would you apologize?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:  

  1. Discuss what happens when a company makes an error in its marketing or business.
  2. Check out Graza’s website: https://www.graza.co/
  3. Show the Graza apology letter: https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/GrazaApologyEmail.pdf
  4. Divide students into teams. Have each team research a time a company made a public mistake that annoyed its customers.
  5. Another example: Southwest Airlines flight cancellations over the holidays: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/04/1146865858/southwest-airlines-apologizes-and-then-gives-its-customers-frequent-flyer-points
  6. Now have each team craft an apology.
  7. Include the wording, the placement of the apology, and any potential remedies for customers.

Source:  Cohen, B. (12 January 2023). What happened when the olive oil startup apologized. Wall Street Journal.

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by | Tuesday, March 7, 2023 · 8:01 am

The Cheetos Duster

And now for something completely different…. Not all new products need to involve high technology. Sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that make us happy. Like Cheetos.

Has your food been tasting bland? Have you tried all types of spices and flavors but still crave something new and tangy? Well then, the Cheetos Duster might be just what the doctor ordered!

It’s simple. Just grind up some Cheetos in the Cheetos Duster and voila! Orange dust that can be used in all your foods. The Cheetos Duster grinder can be purchased on Amazon – well, it was available but it quickly sold out (no word on restock date). The device is bright orange and is priced at $19.95. (But if you can’t find the Duster, go ahead and use a food processor or knead a bag of Cheetos to smash them up for the dust.)

Put the orange dust on any food to liven up the taste. The dust is called “Cheetle” and can be used in a variety of ways. Check out the Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Farmers Market Gratin for a sample of using the dust in a dish. Or use it on Mac n Cheese. Or in cookies or ice cream. Thirsty? Try the Mountain Dew Mule with Cheetos dust. Special occasion? Put it into cakes or cupcakes.

Cheetos is often releasing new promotions. A few years ago there were pop-up Cheetos restaurants with recipes from L.A. chef Roy Choi.

How will you serve Cheetos dust?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:  

  1. Discuss how new products are developed and the product life cycle.
  2. Where is Cheetos in the PLC? How can Cheetos reinvent itself?
  3. Show Cheetos website: https://www.cheetos.com/
  4. View video: https://youtu.be/6fCfhSGhG8I
  5. Show Cheetos Duster and video on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Cheetos/CheetosDuster/page/51614514-9947-4428-83EB-24F5602D448F#/
  6. Recipes: https://www.cheetos.com/recipes
  7. Discuss how Cheetos is using the product to promote its snacks.
  8. Have students put together a marketing plan for the Duster.

Source:  Chin R. (21 December 2022). The etiquette of edibles. Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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