Objective of This Case Study

Objective of this Case Study There are some objectives of this case study. Such as, • Know the history of Trap Ease. • Sought outing the problems. • To find out target market. • Proper segmentation. • Re-positioning trap ease product. • Defining the trap ease marketing mix • Identifying the competitors. • Re-arranging the old and new strategies. Swot Analysis Strength 1. Very innovative and engineered product 2. Highly environmental. 3. Long lasting product because of re-usability. Opportunities 1. High potential market. 2. Attractive product. 3. Ease to use product than other. 4. Less competitors. Weakness 1. High price. 2. Less promotion. 3. Not proper segmentation. 4. Product oriented strategies. 5. Lack of marketing people. Threats 1. Any company that can create mouse traps. 2. Insecticide.

In order to evaluate their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity the investors need the information ifthere’s another more sophisticated tool of fighting against mice. If there are - theiropportunities are not so high. But ifanother tool haven’t been invented yet and the Trap-Easeis the only innovative mousetrap on the market, Martha and investors are able to use this opportunity. Group would write mission strategy like “we are making innovative mousetrap that traps mice easily”. I suggest writing it as: “to get rid of mice in the easiest, cleanest and safest way – you can achieve it with the Trap-Ease mousetraps”. 2.I also think that the best target is women, as mostly women are doing housekeeping. The otherconsumer target can be vessel-owners or docks because in ships there are usually problemswith mice and rats. Moreover, docks will buy traps in large amounts improving the sales of the company. 3.The company’s positioning is that the Trape-Ease “traps mice easily”. I think that thispositioning is too broad and not catchy. I would rather position it as “the TrapEase traps micecreating no clean-up problems”, or “traps mice leaving your hands clean”. 4. Product: - Innovative mousetrap – the Trap-Ease. Price: - $2.49 per 2 units Place: - National grocery, hardware, and drug chains such as Safeway, Kmart, Hechingers and CB Drug. Promotion: - $10,000 on advertising in Good Housekeeping and other “home and shelter” magazines. - $50,000 for travel costs to visit trade shows and to make sales calls on retailers

Considering the Place, I think, Trap-Ease can be also distributed through supermarkets (likeWal-Mart and others), because housewives often visit these kinds of supermarkets. Other itemsof marketing mix, in my opinion, can be remained the same. 5.The Trap-Ease America’s competition is the producer of traditional, spring-loaded trap as its price is cheaper than Trap-Ease’s and it is the perfect substitute of the Trap-Ease. 6.The company is facing marketing myopia and its marketing strategy is too product-oriented butnot customer-oriented. Martha cares about how to sell expected units of traps rather than caringabout how to meet customer needs and create value for them. I would change the marketingstrategy in the following way: Case 1. Trap-Ease America: The big cheese mousetrap. Prepared by Akmaral Shotbayeva, Finance The Trap-Ease America’s marketing strategy is based on product differentiation and widening thetarget. Primary consumer target is women, esp. housewives. Secondary Consumer target is docksand ship-owners. Product Strategy. The Trap-Ease America will introduce new tool fighting against mice (for example, the spray which smell frightens mice off so that they wouldn’t like to “enter” the house) or improve theTrap-Ease. (For example, the plastic tube can be blacked out (toned) so that a mouse inside the trap isnot seen as women are afraid of mice and would prefer not to see them at all). Distribution Strategy. The Trap-Ease will be distributed in national grocery, hardware, drug chains, and supermarkets as well. Orders will be delivered strictly on time. Control. The Trap-Ease America will strictly monitor customer service satisfaction and control the time of delivering the orders to retailers, especially to docks. The company will also control that sample mousetraps are used by retailers to demonstrate them to consumers.

Summary The Trap-Ease is a simple yet clever device, manufactured by a plastics firm under contract with Trap-ease America. The trap works simple efficiency. This Trap-Ease had many advantages for the consumer when compare with traditional spring-loaded traps or mouse poisons. Trap-Ease has much strength that others don’t. Trap-Ease mousetrap win first price in the National Hardware Show. TrapEase America should use this reputation to persuade consumers to buy their product without wasting time. But lack of information about the current market situation is a problem for Trap-Ease. Trap-Ease should try to convince their customer that using their product will be safer and no mess. In order to success in such an aggressive market, Trap-Ease America should have a better product launching technique. ... ” “... to let the consumer look and try for themselves and build up the customer mind about this product is better than others method of mousetrap. If Trap-Ease is lack of marketing expertise they should get help from the marketing professional. With pure marketing expertise, a series of effective promotion and advertisement can be done. This will help to “boost up” the sales and deep into consumer mind about benefit of this product and keep on using it in the future. By using proper marketing methods, Trap-Ease mousetrap should be success in the market in the future.

Trap-Ease America: The Big Cheese of Mousetraps

Case study Introduction:➢ The Trap-Ease is a device, manufactured by a plastics firm under contract with Trap-ease America. ➢ This Trap-Ease had many advantages for the consumer when compare with traditional spring-loaded traps or mouse poisons. ➢ Trap-Ease mousetrap win first price in the National Hardware Show. Trap-Ease America should use this reputation to

persuade consumers to buy their product without wasting time. ➢ Trap-Ease should try to convince their customer that using their product will be safer and no mess. ➢ Trap-Ease is lack of marketing expertise they should get help from the marketing professional. This will help to “boost up” the sales and deep into consumer mind about benefit of this product and keep on using it in the future. ➢ The trap ease had won the contest by beating out over 300 new products.

Marketing Assignment#4 Case study#1 ➢Course Code:-MKT-301

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Submitted to:-MAM Shahla Submitted Arshad

by:-Mariam

➢ID NO:-093344 ➢Submitted on:-2/10/10

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

CASE STUDY ANSWERS

Q1:-Martha and the Trap-Ease America investors feel they face once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What information do they need to evaluate this opportunity? How do you think the group would write its mission statement? How would you write it? ANS:-They face once in a lifetime opportunity means that they are talking about the potential for profit and growth.In this case Martha(the president of Trap ease) had not done enough research about its product in the market to assess whether the demand for her product would be there or not.It seems that Martha and its investors were too focused on how amazing their product was and not the actual needs or wants of the customers that would be buying it. The information they need to evaluate this opportunity are the following:➢ Make effective Marketing plan. ➢ Apply effective skills to customers. ➢ SWOT analysis. ➢ Salesman must be friendly

convince

➢ Evaluate customer complain and profitable customer relationship. ➢ If trap ease used Societal Marketing Concept then they would be successful in achieving their goals. I think that group would write its mission statement centered around their innovative product because they are too concentrated on their product.They would write something like,”Making a better mousetrap so that all those who trod down our beaten path will benefit” or group would write mission strategy like “we are making innovative mousetrap that traps mice easily”. I suggest writing it as: “Striving to better satisfy pest eliminating needs of our customers through innovation and quality”. Q2:-Has Martha identified the best target market for Trap-Ease?What other market segments might the firm target? ANS:-Martha has targeted women for her product.She feels that