Tag Archives: market strategy

by | Tuesday, February 23, 2021 · 7:40 am

Doggie Desserts

We love our dogs, always asking them “who’s a good dog?” And then of course, rewarding and treating our very good dogs. One snack that dogs love to munch is ice cream. And now Vermont ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s has introduced a new line of frozen dog treats – Doggie Desserts.

Doggie Desserts is the company’s first movement into the growing markets of pet foods and treats. According to the American Pet Products Assoc., the number of U.S. households with pets grew to 84.9 million homes in 2020. During these trying Covid times, pet adoptions are at an all-time high, meaning that more pets than ever are trying to keep their humans sane. From 2015 to 2020 spending on dog treats jumped 44% to $5.5 billion.

Doggie Desserts follow the Ben & Jerry’s model and are made with fairtrade-certified, non-GMO ingredients. The company stated that it worked with a veterinary nutritionist and other consultants to make sure the non-dairy products are safe and easy for pups to digest. No one wants Spot to have an upset tummy!

There are two flavors sold in 4-ounce cups: Pontch’s mix of peanut butter and pretzel swirls, and Rosie’s Batch of pumpkin and mini cookies. Prices at $2.99 per cup (four for $4.99) and the frozen treats will be placed near popsicles in the frozen food aisles, conveniently located near Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. That’s one pint for us, and one for our dogs.

Now, who’s a good human?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the four primary marketing strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.
  2. Show Ben & Jerry’s website: https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/doggie-desserts
  3. A video can be found at: https://youtu.be/h2lzIEeRVsQ
  4. Which strategy is Ben & Jerry’s using for this product? Why?
  5. Discuss setting SMART objectives (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound).
  6. Divide students into teams. Have each team set three SMART objectives for this strategy.
  7. How would these objectives change if a different market strategy was used?
  8. Have each team determine the marketing mix (4Ps) to support their strategy choice.

Source:  Minneapolis Star Tribune; Washington Post; other news sources

 

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by | Monday, June 18, 2018 · 7:03 am

PepsiCo Buys Bare Snacks

Consumer taste trends are moving to healthy and natural foods.  Organic and non-GMO healthy snacks are a growing industry segment that is particularly appealing to Millennials and Generation Z.

What should a company do to take advantage of the new industry and market segments? While companies can develop new products, market adoption of the new products can take valuable time, and development itself takes resources and money away from a company’s established products. A faster way to enter a new market with a new product is through acquisition. Case in point is PepsiCo’s recent purchase of snack manufacturer Bare Foods Co. to help bolster Pepsi’s health snack offerings.

Bare Snacks was founded in 2001 by a family-owned organic apple farm in Washington. It began by selling baked apple chips in local farmers’ markets. Today, the Bare line of fruit and vegetable snacks are sold at Starbucks, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, and more. The products are made from simple ingredients that are baked (not fried) and are officially non-GMO verified. Bare Snacks is a certified B-Corp and reflects its values statements in its products: simplicity, goodness, be real, and live fully.

Bare and Pepsi – an unusual, but winning combination.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

    1. Discuss the four primary marketing strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.
    2. Which strategy did Bare Snacks use?
    3. Which strategy did PepsiCo using?
    4. Show Bare Snacks Web site: https://baresnacks.com/
    5. Show PepsiCo Web site: http://www.pepsico.com/
    6. Compare the two sites, products, and messages.
    7. Divide students into teams. Have each team select one of the four different strategies and explain why that strategy could be used to market Bare Snacks
    8. Have each team determine the marketing mix (4Ps) to support their strategy choice.

Source: Brandchannel.com (25 May, 2018). PepsiCo adds Bare Snacks to Frito-Lay Portfolio.

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by | Monday, February 5, 2018 · 6:06 am

Mug Keeps Drinks Hot!

It’s a small thing, but a pet peeve of many coffee drinkers is that they absolutely hate it when their mugs of coffee get cold, and have to be microwaved or refilled in order to be hot again. Reheating changes the taste. And then it gets cold again, and has to be reheated yet again, and so on…There should be a solution for the cold desktop mug of coffee.

And, now there is a solution. Enter the Ember Ceramic Mug to solve the dilemma. The mug incorporates technology that helps keep the drink at whatever temperature is needed. Using Ember’s app, the ideal temperature for each beverage can be set automatically. The sleekly styled mug has a change cooling system, micro-processor controlled heating system, and network of sensors – all working to keep the beverage at the ideal temperature!

The innovative design won Ember a coveted TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2017 award. Priced at $79.95, Ember’s mug is not cheap. The white ceramic mug comes with charging coaster, is fully submersible (but wash by hand), and can maintain temperatures for hours on end.

Coffee, anyone?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

    1. Discuss the importance of setting objectives. Explain SMART objectives – specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
    2. Show Ember’s Web site and products: https://ember.com/
    3. Video is available: https://youtu.be/7Vy_y52oZos
    4. Video: https://youtu.be/j9YAvpJTF9w
    5. Divide students into teams. Have each team develop five SMART objectives for this product.
    6. Discuss the objectives. How would the objectives change if a different marketing strategy was used?
    7. Debrief the exercise.

Source: Pierce, D. (12 Dec., 2017). I can’t stop drinking coffee out of this temperature-regulated mug. Wired Magazine.

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