Talk About Sex-2 Trojan
The article focuses on the effects of sex education in America, the use of contraceptives, and Trojan’s roles. To enhance the usage of condoms in the prevention of the spread of STDs and prevention of unwanted pregnancies, the responsible stakeholders are supposed to transform the way sex education and condom usage promotions are undertaken in the US (Burns & Bush, 2009).
To achieve this, the author asserts that a combination of efforts by condom producing companies such as Trojan and responsible health organizations is indispensable. The author maintains that the above combination can be made possible through an understandable and distinct movement. Through the movement, all the stakeholders will be required to focus their efforts on tackling the major challenges that prevent improved sexual conversations.
As the article progresses, facts about contraception, teen pregnancies, and sex education issues are addressed. Equally, the article focuses on how the existing condom market affects the company’s sales. The article provides important information on how to tackle unwanted pregnancies and the spread of STDs. However, the article focuses more on how the company should increase the sales of condoms instead of concentrating on sex education. The author should have focused more on sex education because through it people will be informed on important sexual issues (Bell, 2011).
Analysis of Data for Plan Trojan
The article focuses on enhancing Trojan’s growth. To improve this growth, the author recognizes that the company should analyze condom conformity among women in society. The author asserts that the statistics from the CDC indicate that more than half of the pregnancies in the US are unplanned. The statistics prove that many people in society are engaging in unprotected sex (Burns & Bush, 2009). Equally, the author asserts that a number of unmarried women are ignorant or have little information about the use of contraceptives. The statistics indicate that up to 30% of women in our societies have scarce information about the use of the condom as a contraceptive (Burns & Bush, 2009).
In the article, the author has highlighted a number of myths associated with hormonal contraception methods. Through this, the author argues that the existence of these myths has provided more opportunities for the sale of condoms. In addition, the author provides attitudes about the use of condoms. By doing so, he or she points out that younger people prefer having sex using a condom because they believe that condoms provide peace of mind.
Other facts offered in the article include areas where the company could maximize on to increase their growth. The author illustrates that the company should exploit the existing myths about hormone contraception to sell more condoms, emphasize to the public through adverts that sex is enjoyable with the use of a condom, encourage women to buy condoms, and encourage the use of condoms by partners before they are screened for STIs.
Based on the above illustrations, it is apparent that this article is informative. The article is useful to any person wanting to learn more about sex education. However, it was wrong for the author to advise the company to exploit the existing misconception about the use of hormonal contraception to enhance the sale of condoms. The author should have advised the company to help the public shade the existing misconceptions for the benefit of sex education. Through this, the author could have encouraged the company to encourage the public to use condoms whenever they have sex rather than exploiting the existing misconceptions (Rees, 2009).
Brand Extendability for Trojan
The article focuses on Trojan’s brand, its identity, and its growth. The article was produced in September 2004. In the introductory part of the article, the author asserts that Trojan as a brand should focus more on sex. The brand links and products should be reasonable and be direct (Burns & Bush, 2009). Through this, the author avows that Trojan should be described as the act of sex, spontaneity, a condom, responsible sex, and not a pharmaceutical company. Equally, the article emphasizes the company’s core functions are to prevent pregnancy and not to facilitate it.
In the article, the company’s building blocks of branding have been highlighted. These blocks are attributes, functional benefits, emotional end benefits, and signups for something bigger. Attributes refer to tangible products. Functional benefits refer to the benefits derived from the attributes. Emotional benefits refer to the feelings through which the clients perceive the brand.
On the other hand, something bigger refers to how the company’s brand signups for in the livelihoods of the clients. The article illustrates useful information on how the company should position itself to make the most from the sex industry. As such, the author has illustrated on the measures the company plans to put in place to outweigh its competitors. However, the author has failed to illustrate how the intended measures are going to benefit the clients. The customer should have focused more attention on the benefits of these measures to the clients.
Whitespace Buckets for Trojan
The article is an outline of a new development plan for the company. In the article, the author has listed several buckets of explorations. The buckets can be divided into three phases (Burns & Bush, 2009). As such, phase 1 comprises of information capture. Phase 2 comprises of the creation, primary research, and plan to model. Phase three focuses on convergence to commercialize. In the article, the author points out that in the future the company plans to come up with new sex products such as condoms.
The products will be designed in a manner that will ensure their users get maximum pleasure unlike it is today. In the article, the author has outlined with clarity the products the company plans to come up with in the future. Through this, the audience is informed on the ongoing researches aimed at adding more pleasure to sex products. However, the author fails to provide more information about these products in the article. The article only provides a list of the products and services being developed without providing more information about them.
Vibrator Segmentation
This article focuses on the understanding of thoughts, desires, and behaviors of vibrators users. The article’s main objective is to provide Trojan’s company with the appropriate targeting and positioning techniques. Through this, the article illustrates the users of vibrators whom the company should target with their products, what the company should communicate with their clients about their vibrators and the marketing channels to be utilized. The research employed 1019 participants. The research was conducted between 26 March and 1 April of the year 2010. After the completion of the research, the key drivers for vibrator segmentations were identified.
The article provides detailed information about vibrator segmentation. However, the article is too broad and professional for a non-professional to understand the subject matter being analyzed (Burns & Bush, 2009).
Review of the Proposal
Trojan Brand, Belief Dynamics, New Product, and Marketing Strategy Study is a proposal written by M&D Research Associates in the year 2010. The article focuses on how the current market changes can be dealt with in order to achieve specific results in the market.
The problem explored
Unlike in the past, teenage pregnancy is on the increase. A number of teenagers are getting pregnant at an alarming rate. The results show that the situation not restricted to any social class unlike before. The same results indicate that two out of every five adults who engage in sexual encounters use condoms. As such, the author asserts that a number of adults believe that sex is pleasurable in the absence of the use of a condom. Surprisingly, a number of learned adults have trust in the withdrawal method. The results indicate that a number of sexually active adults are not scared by the fear of contracting STDs. In addition, the results imply that a number of women are not worried about unwanted pregnancy.
Another problem explored in the proposal is that a number of sexually active individuals believe that having sex without a condom is not reckless, women who contract HIV virus are from the lower class, herpes is spread with or without the use of a condom, and unprotected sex is not the cause of pregnancy.
Based on the above information, it is apparent that the public should be educated about sex issues. In the same way, condom manufacturers and other contraceptive manufacturers should come up with appropriate marketing tactics and strategies to target such an audience. Through this, they will be able to increase their sales by tackling the above-described obstacles to the acquisition of their products and identify the motivation for their new products or service expansion efforts.
As described above, the existing marketing condition depicts failure in the relevant health organizations and contraceptive industry’s failure to enhance awareness among the members of the public. Therefore, the company should not perceive the situation in the market as an opportunity (Diamantopoulos, 2004).
The objectives of the research
The proposal’s direct objectives are to come up with awareness about white space prospects resulting from Sexual Health New Products and the client perception segments, which will guide Trojan Inc into prioritizing the development of its new products. Another major objective of this proposal is to develop an understanding of new condom marketing prospects and their implementations.
The proposal’s minor objectives are to determine teenagers’ desires with respect to their sexual activity and how and when teenagers and adults consider the ramification of sexual acts. Equally, the proposal tries to highlight the young women’s thoughts about the importance of significant others and how beliefs about the use of condoms have acted as prevented the couple from enjoying maximum sexual pleasures.
Based on the above goals, it is apparent that the proposal’s objectives are precise, detailed, clear, and operational. Similarly, it should be noted that the objectives are operational because they can be tested. In addition, the objectives indicate that sexually adults were targeted groups in the study. The units of measurements employed in the study were obtained with the help of a rating scale.
Action standard
Action standard refers to the option that can be taken in each situation. Action standard aids the researchers augment the methodologies to be used in evaluating each condition. In the article, the action standard has been provided because the proposal has detailed how the scenarios described in the research’s problem are going to be tackled through the introduction of their innovative products.
The action standard used in the proposal is a quantitative monitor. The standard is created and executed after the end of the engagement to track feelings, values, and protection behavior. Despite its presence, the above action standard is not explicitly clear because the author has not illustrated how each situation will be tackled with the help of the standard.
Basis of the problem
The basis of the problem at hand is the lack of appropriate sex education by the public. The proposal identifies major problems in the market. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that most sex beliefs about sex held by the public are misleading. One of the misleading beliefs is that most women who contract HIV are from low-income families. The above belief is unscientific. As such, it is a fact that the HIV virus does not discriminate based on social class.
It is unfortunate that youth are embracing this belief. Because of peer pressure, and the need to prove that they do not belong to this low social class, young girls, especially those in colleges would always engage in irresponsible sexual behavior. It is even more worrying that this group believes that it is not reckless to engage in sex without protection. Another belief that has affected the perception of this group towards the use of condoms is that pregnancy and death are not necessarily caused by engaging in unprotected sex. They claim that cancer, malaria, and even accidents are the causes of death.
Adequate market research can provide information leading to the solutions of the above situations. Market research will provide a solution to the problem because the research will identify all the factors that have influenced the perception of the customers. Through this, an impressive approach to dealing with the problem can be identified. The approach is to provide products that are in line with this new belief.
The market research is appropriate for the above for the described situation. It is a scientific fact that the above beliefs are false and very misleading. Therefore, the company should find means of ending these misleading conceptions because their consequences may be unbearable in the future. For instance, the company should educate the public on the importance of the use of condoms during intercourse and dismiss the existing misconceptions about the use of hormonal contraception (Waugh, 2003). The firm must be socially responsible to society. For this reason, it should not exploit the public by not educating them.
Appropriateness of the research procedure
The research procedure that will be employed in this research will be belief dynamics qualitative. This is a philosophical approach aimed at understanding how individuals’ behaviors influence their buying decisions. People have different beliefs concerning different things. However, this belief is heavily affected by the influence from peers, family members, and other role models in the society. Although this research procedure is relatively new, the researcher believes that it would be the most suited for the intended studies.
The problem that this industry is facing is associated with the dynamism in the industry. Using Belief Dynamics research would be the most appropriate in enhancing understanding of how the perception of the customer changes and their resultant consequences of their buying behavior. It is a fact that consumers are not driven away from the product because of its price, but because of the changing beliefs. This approach is appropriate in investigating some of the social factors that could have contributed to these changes, how the beliefs are entrenched in this group, and how this industry may find a solution to the problem.
The research method that has been described in the proposal is sufficient in describing the sample population that is to be used in the research. The analysis of the data is also very clear. Data collection strategy and the monitoring approach to be used are also clear. However, it would be appropriate to elaborate timeframe of the research that is to be conducted.
Therefore, it is appropriate to specify the timeline within which each of the set objectives should be achieved. The timeline should also have an alternative approach that can be used when a given approach fails to deliver the expected result. For a researcher, a clear plan that indicates when a strategy should be considered a failure in order to necessitate alternative approaches is essential. However, it is important to appreciate the fact that it may be counterproductive to be too detailed.
When going to the field to collect data, some variables may vary from what was expected. These unpredictable factors may demand that the research approach be changed in order to be in line with the expectation. If the research is too detailed, the method may risk being rigid. Such rigid research methods may not allow the researcher to excise the freedom of choosing the appropriate strategy while collecting or even analyzing the data (Woodall, 2007).
Timeline and proposed budget
Although this proposal is very appropriate in achieving the desired result, its timeline is not elaborate enough. In the documents presented by this firm, it is clear that little effort was taken to explain the timeline for the research. This makes it possible not to determine when it may be appropriate to conduct a follow-up on the research. This needs some amendments to make the proposal realistic. It is not enough to give a colorful discussion of the research that is to be conducted without specifying the timeline of the research. The proposal should not only specify the time when the project will begin, but also the duration within which specific each task will take.
As a marketing manager, a Gantt chart would be appropriate for this research. This will make it possible to carry out a systematic analysis of the project to determine if it is on the right path towards achieving its success (Krieger & Green, 2000). The proposed budget for this research project is also not clear. The proposal presented by this firm does not specify costs that are associated with various activities that are to be carried out. This makes it difficult to for the client to understand the real cost of the project that is to be carried out (Siu & Woo, 2000). The firm should conduct a detailed budget for the cost of the project.
References
Bell, J. (2011). Sex and ethics: young people and ethical sex/Sex and ethics: the sexual ethics education programme for young people/Sex and ethics pack. Sex Education, 11(4), 502-504.
Burns, A. C., & Bush, R. F. (2009). Marketing research (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Diamantopoulos, A. (2004). International abstracts of research in marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21(1), 89-99.
Krieger, A. M., & Green, P. E. (2000). Market Segmentation Involving Mixtures of Quantitative and Qualitative Variables. Journal of Segmentation in Marketing, 4(1), 85-106.
Rees, J. (2009). Celebrating sex and relationships education – past, present and future: proceedings from the Sex Education Forum 21st birthday conference. Sex Education, 9(4), 451-453.
Siu, N. Y., & Woo, K. (2000). Market Segmentation. Journal of Segmentation in Marketing, 3(2), 43-60.
Waugh, P. (2003). Misconceptions about Condom Efficacy Linked to High Risk of Unprotected Sex among Chinese STD Patients. International Family Planning Perspectives, 29(4), 192.
Woodall, T. (2007). New marketing, improved marketing, apocryphal marketing: Is one marketing concept enough?. European Journal of Marketing, 41(11/12), 1284 1296.