1. As an emerging expert in consumer behavior, how would you tackle that mystery? • Identify potential customers and understand their needs. • Close the gap between intention to buy and action
What do you think could be going on? • Make opinions leader and current customers attract prospects to buy. • Use promotion to stimulate desire to buy.
What might “evangelists” mention as a cause of their failure to sell TiVo to their friends? • No interest in watching TV. • Want to get the comment from us and experience by using before buying it. • Too expensive to afford. • I can get what I want to see from Internet. What might a “couch potato” say about his reluctance to buy TiVo? • No need to record TV programs. …show more content…
• I will not buy it cause I never got a chance to use it.
What would you expect a top executive at MBC to say about the situation? • Hold activities to let people experience Tivo by themselves. • Use bundle promotions with partners.
What explanation would the founder of TiVo love to hear? Hate to hear? • Want to get the comment from us and experience by using before buying it. • No interest in watching TV. I can get what I want to see from Internet.
2. What hypotheses get supported, what hypotheses get discounted? • Referral by current subscribers is a good and cheap way to eliminate the inertia of prospects • Positioning based on information get from current customers in not enough. Research conducted in other niches such as low or middle income families or people younger or elder
What other insight(s) might help to guide the growth of TiVo? • Persuade opinion leaders and influence reference group - family and friends • Provide potential buyers the opportunity and experience of using TiVo • Make good use of mass-media to build up clear brand position. • Minimize marketing and sales expense to reduce loss.
3. What have been the different stages in their exploratory journey? What conclusion is this journey converging to? • Most businesses or products pass through life cycles which cover from introduction, growth, maturity to decline before they
disappear. In the first stage a new company stars with an idea, tries to provide the products or services serve needs of the customers, and solves up-coming problems. This is known as the exploratory or growth phase. Once those initial challenges are resolved, the business moves into a developmental or growth phase when seeking resource and methods to grow the business to its natural limits then often globally. This is also when successful companies turn in increasing earnings year after year. After that, all customers have our product/ service, and still buy accessory or replace for their product, but growth slows. This is called the mature stage. Finally, there comes competitors with novel products, new technology even lower price, our products got replaced and sales decline, we step into decline stage. Judged by the data provided in the article, I would like to say Tivo is in the beginning of growth period. what would your advice to Keast be in terms of the research they should be conducting?
What will stimulate the buying action?
For example, Will you like to have free trial for one month? If there is 25% off offer for buying two Tivo at the same time, will you buy with your friend?