Assignment 15a
Figuring Out
Buyer Behavior #2
In correlation with last weeks assignment, the market segment
I chose to represent is the younger demographic found on college campuses at
the ages between 18 and 22. I chose this segment because it is the age group
that is most affected by the vaping and e-cig epidemic in our society. They are
also an easy market segment to reach out to, here at UF.
I interviewed three individuals, two of which were from
mutual friends and one found walking in the street. I started by asking about
their vaping habits to see where they would stand on the issue and their habits
ranged from occasional use to everyday frequent use.
As I questioned them about their alternative evaluations, I
tried to see what type of service would be most attractive to them. Most of
them agreed that for a service made to help individuals quit smoking and
vaping, price had to correlate mostly with the success rate. They would focus
on the services provided, the aesthetics of the area of the services, which
would include the website, and most importantly use reviews from others to
really see if the service was made for them. This is a very personal service,
so receiving reviews from others’ experiences would really make them empathize
and feel what it would be like to take part in this service.
The purchases for the service would most likely be mad as a
membership fee instead of a consultation fee. The membership fee would include
all the services required for the individuals and would make them feel as
though they are still in control of their destinies. As for the market segment
interviewed, they would most likely do this online since they are technologically
inclined. If it were done through a monthly membership fee with a one-time free
trial, individuals could easily find the service appealing and not very overwhelming,
to which my subjects all agreed with.
The individuals all agree that the defining aspect of this
purchase would be how successful it is in making individuals stop vaping. If they
feel it is helping them and giving them the needed support, then they will keep
using the service. However, if they feel it is useless and not effective, they
will stop and won’t recommend it to others which is not good for this type of
business that relies heavily on word of mouth reviews.
It is clear that the individuals who will be using this
service are mostly using pricing and reviews to evaluate it since they don’t
always have high financial capabilities and don’t want to waste their money. Also
staying committed to a reasonable membership fee would be easier for them than
paying a high consultation fee. Finally their post-purchase behavior would be
based on how successful it was for them and their personal experience.
Guillaume, I like your response for this assignment. I like the idea of having it as membership fee instead of a consultation fee. However long it takes you to quit, you can be a member. If you are able to quit fast, you wouldn’t have to pay as much as someone that takes 2 years to quit. It seems like you would be able to market this app well and compare the cost of it to how much they would be saving on vaping.
ReplyDeleteGuillaume, I think the points you made about the importance of the reviews should end up being very important to service. Because of the nature of your service, the experience of the customer is wholly tied to the overall success of your business. Each person's situation will be different so as long as you're able to deliver a consistent and quality service that truly helps people overcome their addiction.
ReplyDeleteThis whole time from reading your post I didn't know that the vaping service would be a for-profit plan. This makes me wonder are all or most the programs out there for profit. I mean I understood they have smoking patches that people paid for or chewing gum for nicotine users. Though I never really thought about those places being for profit. Now as I'm writing I'm starting to realize they are. When you are on drugs and you go to the rehab centers. These centers are for profit.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a great idea of your segment, but depending on how your service works, you may work yourself out of business. It may be beneficial to have another segment to your service that focuses on post-quitting behavior or supplements that "gap in their lifestyle" to ensure long-term business.
ReplyDelete