Monthly Archives: July 2024

by | Wednesday, July 31, 2024 · 7:32 am

The New Air Conditioner Hits its Spot

It’s summer time and the living is easy…  Or so the song says.

That is unless you are too hot! Then the summer can be rough – unless you have an air conditioner. But if you live in an older apartment or house, there may not be a central air conditioner, or there might be older window units that don’t work very well. What to do?

As one of the hottest years on record, it might be time for a new air conditioner. And we’re not talking about the ancient, ugly, square window units. Today’s window air conditioners are sleek and smooth, maybe even a little sexy. They are also more expensive (fashion costs more). Air conditioning units range from a few hundred dollars to $400-$500 each. They have remote controls and are WIFI-enabled.

The new units tout themselves as being more efficient and energy conscious. They sport simple displays and can be automated to cool your room down just before you get home. Many of the new units are easier to install than the old clunker units, as well as much quieter.

Ready for summer?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the importance of clearly defining a target market.
  2. View July’s website: https://july.ac/?variant=48805219926310
  3. View Midea’s website: https://www.midea.com/us/air-conditioners/window-air-conditioners
  4. View Windmill’s website: https://windmillair.com/
  5. Show Consumer Report’s review of window air conditioners: https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/air-conditioners/best-window-air-conditioners-of-the-year-a1095244181/
  6. Wirecutter’s review: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-conditioner/
  7. Discuss the various promotional tactics that can be used for launching a product.
  8. Have students come up with tactics and list all the tactics on the white board (ex: billboards, print, direct mail, etc.).
  9. Divide students into groups to work on this exercise.
  10. Have each team select a different air conditioner units and develop three different tactics. For each tactic, explain why it was selected and how it will be used.

Source: Dunn, T. (17 May 2024). The Best Air Conditioner. New York Times-Wirecutter; Holtermann, C. (30 June 2024). The great air-conditioner glow up. New York Times.

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by | Thursday, July 25, 2024 · 7:29 am

Chew on this – Declining Gum Sales

Do you chew gum? The odds are that you probably used to chew gum, but have fallen out of the habit. One reason for the sales decline – Covid-19 lockdowns hit our snacking sales and impulse buys at stores. Gum is one of those products that people tend to pick up at check-out at the last minute. Closed stores equals no sales.

According to research firm Euromonitor, the pandemic hit gum sales hard – global gum sales fell from $19.5 billion in 2019, to $16.1 billion in 2020, and are still low at $19.7 billion. But a new $50 million ad campaign from Mars Wrigley hopes to increase gum sales with a new approach. The campaign will run in 70 countries, with a heavy investment in Europe.

Previously, chewing gums were positioned along the lines of fresh breath and long-lasting taste. But now Mars is taking a new approach – that gum can help with mental wellness by quieting the ‘mouth in your mind’. In other words – a stress reliever. Indeed, some research has shown that chewing gum can help with focus and stress. But will linking gum to wellness work?

Ask me when I’m done chewing.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students about their gum-chewing habits.
  2. List all the gum brands on the board that students can recall.
  3. Why has chewing gum fallen out of favor?
  4. Where is chewing gum in the product life cycle?
  5. Show new ads: https://www.youtube.com/@ExtraOfficialUK
  6. What are student opinions about the ad?
  7. View Mars Wrigley website: https://esp.mars.com/en/made-by-mars/mars-wrigley?language_content_entity=en
  8. Review key aspects of developing a product positioning map, including determining the axis labels for positioning.
  9. Divide students into teams and have each team develop a positioning map for chewing gum. How can gum be re-positioned?

Source:  Deighton, K. (12 June 2024). Gum sales peaked in 2011. Can Mars Wrigley get people chewing again? Wall Street Journal; Mahdawi, A. (14 March 2024). Stressed out? Get chewing. The Guardian.

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by | Tuesday, July 23, 2024 · 7:26 am

A Different Type of Phone – The Light Phone III

Want to kick your social media addiction? Then try The Light Phone III with its minimalist design and approach. And when we say ‘minimal’ that’s what we mean. This phone does not have access to social media, the Internet, or email.

If this sounds opposite of other smart phones such as Apple and Google, you are right. Instead of building more technology into a phone, Light is subtracting apps from its phone and packs a lot into a small footprint. It’s about the width of an iPhone, but shorter – like a BlackBerry.

This is the third generation Light Phone which originally started as a Kickstarter campaign; the company has sold more than 100,000 phones to date.

Lest you think the Light Phone is devoid of all usability, it does have maps, music, texting, notes, a calendar, timer, alarm, calculator, and a flashlight. It also has a large OLED display, plus a camera and an NFC chip for future payment tools. What is doesn’t have is pesky social media apps, clickbait news, and Internet browsing. In other words, it’s a ‘non-smartphone’ that gets users back to the basics of communication without a lot of distractions.

Call me.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: How do they use their smartphones?
  2. What could they live without? Would they be interested in a simpler phone?
  3. Show video about The Light Phone: https://youtu.be/RnltPjVK9wk?si=9dVZytMj7x3OvT2h
  4. Show The Light Phone website: https://www.thelightphone.com/
  5. Divide students into teams. Have each team define a target market, including psychographics, demographics, lifestyle, etc.
  6. Have teams identify how to reach this target market.
  7. What promotions should be used?

Source:  Karcz, A. (18 June 2024). Light Phone III challenges what is means to have a smartphone. Forbes; Perez, S. (11 June 2024). Light introduces its latest minimalist phone, now with an OLED screen but still no addictive apps. TechCrunch;  Pierce. D. (11 June 2024). The Light Phone 3 is a little less light – but a lot more useful. The Verge.

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