FACET 1- Recognize and Quantify the Need
 
Developing a product can be a challenging, but useful asset to companies and small businesses and the way they find the purpose of their products for their customers proves to be just as important.  Finding the needs of the customer or client can be done using several different methods.  Looking at historical data and ways others have introduced new technologies, along with several other techniques done by engineers, offer the type of design needed to ensure the product meets the criteria of not only the company, but the needs of the customer.  Gathering information ensures you will meet both.
 

Market Demand

The purpose of this project is to design a prototype automated rain gauge that will be used by the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) to improve on an existing rain gauge design. Members of the community in charge of reading and uploading the measurements to the CoCoRaHS central database often find themselves in situations where the readings cannot be measured accurately or the rain gauge has not been emptied properly. At the request of CoCoRaHS, a new design of the rain gauge shall be automated to allow prevent the user from inputting the measurement wrongly, in case they have to be out of town for some time, or if the gauge is in a remote location.
Other specifications and requirements include;

• Should fit on a preinstalled bracket
• Should cost less than $100
• Avoid false measurements from external debrief
• Easy installation
• Input of data into the CoCoRaHS servers using the internet

For this prototype, we have decided to modify the existing prototype from the previous team to take on this project, and we will make an effort to come up with a different design in order to fulfill the need of the automated empty of the container.

Assessing Competing Solutions for the Need

The products that mostly meet the requirements asked for the project some of them including self-emptying and send of information via internet. All of them are powered by batteries.
Rain monitoring system with acurite
This is the toughest of the competitors as it can self-empty in a previously chosen period of time. The product consists of the rain gauge and a monitoring system for the transmission of data to a phone app which can be downloaded for free with the purchase of the system. This rain gauge is also capable of sends information at 433Hz which enables the system to act from a big range as long as 100ft. It works sending information via internet and the cost of the system is $159.99.
DIGITAL RAIN GAUGE WITH SELF EMPTYING RAIN COLLECTOR
 
This rain gauge from the brand acurite is capable to send rain precipitation information to a display that comes with it up to a range of 100ft. It is powered via 3xAAA alkaline batteries for the display and 2xAA alkaline batteries for the rain gauge and the battery lasts up to 6 months in normal conditions. It also has an alarm system when it detects rain. This rain gauge cannot send data via internet, all the information recollected from the rain gauge is displayed on the screen. It costs $39.99.
C83100 Complete Personal Wi-Fi Weather Station with AccuWeather
This is a complete weather station system that can measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and precipitation. The system consists of the rain gauge and the temperature, humidity and wind speed meter. It also comes with a screen to display all the information via Wi-Fi. It is powered via 3 AAA batteries, 4 AA batteries and 1 C type battery. The display has to be powered via a power cord. The cost of the system is $165.75.
 
 

 
General focus
The assignments for Clients & Markets involve a real life case study, which will enable you to apply your newly acquired understanding of marketing and customer behaviour to the development of appropriate marketing strategies and marketing initiatives, in both business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) contexts.
 
Company focus

1. The company selected for your assignments in this unit will be presented to you in the face to face and online classes. For background see https://www.nissan.com.au/vehicles/browse-range/leaf.html

 
The selected company offers a particularly relevant and interesting case study, not least since its promotion involves significant B2C and B2B marketing activities that target consumers, as well as businesses.
 
You won’t find the answer on the web and you will need to engage with the unit in order to do well in your assignment.
 
Assignment description
In the early weeks of this unit you will be introduced to the customer oriented market segmentation, targeting and positioning process, as well as relevant models of buyer behaviour and related concepts.
 
Assignment 1 requires you to initially identify and evaluate the range of potential B2C and B2B customer segments that make up the selected company’s market.
 
Having described these you then pick one specific niche B2C, as well as one specific niche B2B segment, for targeting and provide rationale for your selections, as well as insights into the buyer behavior dimensions that should be considered in subsequent marketing mix planning stages.
 
Please note that assignment 1 involves marketing segmentation and targeting stages only. Positioning forms the focus of assignment 2, in which you provide in depth analysis of the behaviour of the chosen target market segments and appropriate marketing mix recommendations.
 
Specific assignment tasks
 
This assignment requires you to complete several tasks:
 
Segmentation & targeting (approx. 350 words)

• Briefly describe the customer oriented segmentation and targeting process, acknowledging its relevance to B2C and B2B marketing.

 
Segment evaluation (approx. 1000 words – 500 words on B2C & 500 words on B2B)

• Identify and describe company’s market, acknowledging the various existing and potential B2C and B2B customer segments in terms of ‘typical’ market segmentation dimensions (e.g., behavioural, psychographic and profile data for consumer markets, and in terms of micro and macro segments for organisations).

 
B2C target (approx. 500 words)

• Identify and describe the specific B2C niche customer segment for the company marketing team to focus on.
• Explain the rationale for its selections in terms of distinctiveness / size / accessibility / stability / match with the company strategic orientation.
• Outline the buyer behaviour concepts and theories* relevant for further investigation (you will apply these in assignment 2) to ensure an effective buyer behaviour focused marketing mix can be developed.

 
B2B target (approx. 500 words)

• Identify and describe a specific B2B niche segment for the company marketing team to focus on.
• Explain the rationale for its selections in terms of distinctiveness / size / accessibility / stability / match with the company strategic orientation.
• Outline the buyer behaviour concepts and theories* relevant for further investigation (you will apply these in detail in assignment 2) to ensure an effective buyer behaviour focused marketing mix can be developed.

 
*Relevant concepts and theories include:

• Stages in decision making process
• Level of involvement
• Decision making unit
• Aspects of psychology theory (Perception, Learning and memory, Personality and self-concept, Motivation & needs, Attitudes, Group and peer influences)

 
Positioning & customer behaviour (approx. 150 words)

• Acknowledge the importance of understanding customer behaviour to the positioning stage of the STP process. This section sets up the tasks you will complete in assignment 2.

 
 
Assessment format
To successfully complete this assignment, you should prepare a report that:

• Is a Microsoft Word document and not a pdf.

• Includes:
  • Title:  “as per the assignment heading on page 1”
  • Student name(s) and ID number(s)
  • Unit title and code
  • Tutor name
  • Date

• Is well written and properly spell-checked and proof read.
• Follows the assignment instructions closely and uses the same headings. (If it does not specifically ask for an Executive Summary don’t include one).
• Indicates the number of words written in each section, as well as the total word count.
• Uses a recognized business journal style of referencing format such as Harvard or APA.
• Is 2500 words long (excluding figures, appendices, bibliography – please note that appendices do not contribute to the marks). There is a considerable amount to cover, so it will be important that you write clearly and concisely.