Proposal in response to Request for Proposals –Veggiewash Case study
The social enterprise Veggiewash is experiencing two major problems in the sub-Saharan African market. The first problem is poor customer perception, whereby they assume Veggiewash is not an essential product because they do not need to disinfect their vegetables and fruits. The other problem is that people are skeptical about the impact of Veggiewash. However, the motivation for this approach is based on the fact that food poisoning is a significant health problem in the sub-Saharan region. According to the World Health Organization, 91 million people fall ill, and 137,000 die annually due to food poisoning in the Sub-saharan region (Malangu, 2020). This shows that food poisoning is a major problem in the area, so there is a need for intervention.
This study will use a product adoption framework to propose changes that are likely to change the perception and increase the intake of Veggiewash in the sub-Saharan region. The framework highlights how consumers become aware of a product, get a deep understanding of its value and start to use it. It is mainly broken into four steps: awareness, interest, evaluation, and conversion.
Awareness
The first step is creating awareness of the product in the sub-Saharan market. Since there are no competitors in the market, likely, most consumers are not aware of Veggiewash. One of the methods to create awareness of the product is by inviting influencers to create brand awareness (Maonaigh, 2019). Influencers have an audience that trusts them; therefore, the audience is likely to try out the new product due to influencer marketing. Since the sub-Saharan social norms do not yet advocate for washing vegetables or fruits with chemical substances, using the influencer market would prove that Veggiewash is safe. Therefore, influencers would help break the social norm of washing fruits and vegetables with water only, and people are likely to adopt Veggiewash.
The other method for creating awareness is through social media advertising and other online platforms such as google ads. Unlike in the past, many people in the sub-Saharan region now have access to the internet through their mobile devices. This makes social media one of the most effective sites for creating product awareness (Maonaigh, 2019). Therefore social media platforms can be used to demonstrate to the public through pictures and videos how to use Veggiewash.
Interest
The second step is creating interest in the minds of consumers to like the product. This will involve activities such as decreasing the fear of uncertainty of the new product (Maonaigh, 2019). The sub-Saharan market has skepticism about the product and its impact. Therefore, this would be the best time to show them that the product is safe and kills 99% of bacteria. This can be done by creating adverts and providing demonstrations to prove to the public that Veggiewash is very safe. The consumers will also be persuaded to try the product to feel its value. In addition, it will be essential to highlight the benefits of using Veggiewash. Some of the benefits include reducing the chances of food poisoning, killing bacteria in vegetables and fruits, being relatively cheap, and being more effective than water in cleaning vegetables and fruits. Veggiewash has significant use in maternity to save small children and their mothers from taking contaminated vegetables or fruits, proving that it is essential in loss aversion. Since sub-Saharan is a dry region with a scarcity of water, it is necessary to highlight that it will also help save water in the area, which can be used for other purposes. Therefore due to these benefits, people are likely to make Veggiewash a habitual product such that they will be using it to wash all their vegetables and fruits.
Evaluation
The evaluation process will be based on different factors. The first factor to consider will be the awareness of Veggiewash in the sub-Saharan market. Influencer marketing will be evaluated through conversion rate. The influencers will be given a discount promotion code for all their clients to purchase using them in order to determine their suitability. Google ads will be measured through click-through rate whereby if it has an overall of above 5%, the strategy will be effective (Maonaigh, 2019). This means that five will click on the ad to visit the page every one hundred people. The number of likes will be used to evaluate social media advertising such as Instagram and Facebook.
The evaluation of interest will be done differently based on perception. After the first three months of the campaigns, surveys will be conducted to determine consumer perspectives on Veggiewash. These surveys will be based on knowing if the social norms have changed, whereby consumers will be more willing to use Veggiewash instead of water to wash their vegetables and fruits. It will also address a question on the frequency of consumers using the product and whether the perception of the people on its side effects.
Conversion
This part will use consumer feedback to ensure that the product fits their expected needs. For instance, if the consumers prefer the diluted Veggiewash to when it’s concentrated, the company will supply the diluted one. The feedback provided by the consumers will be used to convert them into buyers. After implementing this product adoption process, Veggiewash will be successfully accepted in the market.
References
Malangu, N. (2020). Risk Factors and Outcomes of Food Poisoning in Africa. Significance, Prevention and Control of Food Related Diseases. Web.
Maonaigh, G. Ó. (2019). What is Product Adoption? 4 Examples to Increase Adoption. Inside Intercom. Web.