Introduction
Taxi App is a product that focuses on augmenting communication between consumers, who are the passengers, and service providers, who are the taxi drivers. After engaging in extensive research, we identified that people who live in rural areas do not have access to convenient and effective transport services. The need comprised transport services that individuals living in the region required and the absence of a reservation system that connected them with taxi drivers.
Moreover, we discovered that since several people use smartphones to make transport reservations in other areas, the product could be successful in rural areas. As a result, we created the taxi App to help passengers make transport reservations using their smartphones. Therefore, the essay discusses the concept of product protocol in the application of the taxi App.
Discussion
Need Identification and Taxi App Development
Imminently, several individuals in various rural areas cannot access quick and convenient transport services on time. Ineffective and inconvenient transport services make many individuals living in these places spent several hours walking to bus or train stations in order to access the services. Due to the challenge related to the absence of effective transport and communication systems, we identified a need that was evident in these regions.
To solve the need, we developed an App that enables individuals to use their smartphones to access taxi drivers and make their transport reservations. Our taxi App tries to solve the transport need that exists among individuals living in rural areas by creating a platform where they can successfully interact with service providers, who are the taxi drivers. To effectively introduce and apply the product in the market, there is a dire need to employ and utilize the concept of product protocol or product definition. According to Crawford and Benedetto, product protocol is one of the important concepts that determine the success or failure of organizations (287). Therefore, it is vital for organizations to utilize the concept in the development of their products.
Application of the Product Protocol Concept
By employing the concept of product protocol, we can easily match the expectations of people who need transport services in rural areas. Apparently, the concept creates a platform where organizations introduce products that are in line with the demands advanced by potential clients, and hence, win their loyalty. For instance, our product, the taxi App, which helps potential consumers of taxi services, emerged after we identified a need in the market. When marketers use the concept of product protocol effectively, the products delivered fall within the working budget of an organization and yield expected revenues (Hooks and Farry 4).
As a result, the concept is very significant in enabling us to achieve our main objective, which is connecting the consumers with service providers. Besides helping taxi drivers increase their revenues, product protocol also helps individuals in rural areas access easy, convenient, and efficient transport services on-time and when required. The concept also helps organizations communicate to their target clients, sets boundaries within which they should undertake their operations, and helps them identify knowledge gaps that can emerge during its application.
Before employing the concept of product protocol and applying it in the development of our new App, we should undertake extensive research in order to ascertain its feasibility in the market. Well-designed research not only results in minimal expenditure during production but also helps us introduce our App in accordance with market requirements. In the assertion of Crawford and Benedetto, positioning, placement, promotion, and marketing are some of the factors that are critical, and marketers need to consider when applying the concept of product protocol (288).
The essence of considering these factors in the development of our taxi App arises because of the relationship that exists between the product protocol and the factors. Furthermore, the critical nature of these factors transpires because good positioning ensures that our App results in the delivery of exceptional services that match client requirements. As a result, the significance of the concept in product development is something that we need to consider in the quest to achieve the best and succeed in the application of our taxi App.
Stages of product development
From the graph, it is clear that a product goes through several stages after its development and introduction. The stages are realistic and apply even in our new product, the taxi App. Initially, our product will go through the introduction stage, which involves launching and awareness creation in the minds of potential consumers. In the second stage, several clients receive awareness and use the services provided by the new App. The next stage is stagnation, where consumer levels remain indifferent regardless of the rising cost of production and marketing. During the stage, we intend to diversify our services by introducing new product lines or brands that can help our product rejuvenate instead of declining.
Conclusion
Taxi App is a new product that links taxi drivers with their potential clients in rural areas using smartphones. The App helps taxi drivers interact with potential clients in rural areas. The creation of the taxi App occasioned after the discovery of a need in the market and the increasing use of smartphones. The App not only minimizes cases were taxi drivers incur losses due to empty driving, but also helps individuals in rural areas receive superior transport services.
Works Cited
Crawford, Merle, and Anthony Di Benedetto. New Products Management, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.Print.
Hooks, Ivy, and Kristin Farry. Customer-Centered Product Development: Creating Successful Products through Smart Requirements Management, New York: AMACOM, 2001. Print.