Reflection Paper
- Submitted by: spalex
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- Date Submitted: 04/20/2015 07:50 PM
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IBUS 402:002
Discovering the needs of your target segment is essential when developing a new product. Surveys and questionnaires would be the easiest way to go about discovering the needs of American parents and kids who might like this doll. E-mailing these forms would be easiest; although, in person you can choose your candidates better. Another possibility would be to research the most popular dolls sold to American parents and compare the similarities and differences from those dolls to this particular doll. Market testing would probably be the most efficient and conclusive way to discover your segment’s needs. Market testing is important because as Hornor states “everyone thinks their idea or product is perfect, so you need to test it with real potential customers so they can either tell you it is wonderful or open your eyes to potential issues with your product.”
The biggest issue Americans have reported about their feelings towards toys manufactured in China, and sold in the U.S., is that they are unsafe and dangerous for their kids. These issues have come up because many toy manufacturing companies have had serious public issues. Mattel, the largest toy manufacturer, had to recall over 19 million toys. About half of those toys were distributed in the United States, and all were manufactured in China. (Story and Barboza) These toys were recalled because of problems such as small amounts of lead, which can be extremely harmful to kids. “According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2008), recalls have increased drastically in the 2000s and a vast majority of the recalled products were made in China. Not surprisingly, consumers were outraged at China” (Beamish and Bapuji: 198) proves this point. In the graph below, Beamish and Bapuji show the total toy recalls over the years and the total recalls of Chinese-made toys which goes into play with how Americans feel about the safety of toys manufactured in China. As you can see, the...
Discovering the needs of your target segment is essential when developing a new product. Surveys and questionnaires would be the easiest way to go about discovering the needs of American parents and kids who might like this doll. E-mailing these forms would be easiest; although, in person you can choose your candidates better. Another possibility would be to research the most popular dolls sold to American parents and compare the similarities and differences from those dolls to this particular doll. Market testing would probably be the most efficient and conclusive way to discover your segment’s needs. Market testing is important because as Hornor states “everyone thinks their idea or product is perfect, so you need to test it with real potential customers so they can either tell you it is wonderful or open your eyes to potential issues with your product.”
The biggest issue Americans have reported about their feelings towards toys manufactured in China, and sold in the U.S., is that they are unsafe and dangerous for their kids. These issues have come up because many toy manufacturing companies have had serious public issues. Mattel, the largest toy manufacturer, had to recall over 19 million toys. About half of those toys were distributed in the United States, and all were manufactured in China. (Story and Barboza) These toys were recalled because of problems such as small amounts of lead, which can be extremely harmful to kids. “According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2008), recalls have increased drastically in the 2000s and a vast majority of the recalled products were made in China. Not surprisingly, consumers were outraged at China” (Beamish and Bapuji: 198) proves this point. In the graph below, Beamish and Bapuji show the total toy recalls over the years and the total recalls of Chinese-made toys which goes into play with how Americans feel about the safety of toys manufactured in China. As you can see, the...