Week Seven

As we get farther along into the semester, I am really starting to enjoy the way this class is making me learn. Instead of feeling like I am forced to memorize certain things for an exam, I am remembering the concepts that are most important, and that will help in the future. I enjoy the fact that I can take these concepts and put them in my "book shelf" in order to use them when I need to.

This past week our classes focused around products. Specifically, we focused on Gato Cafe, a cafe that would serve beverages as well as prepackaged foods to customers while also allowing them to play with cats in the seating area These cats could also be adopted by patrons of the facility. Gato Cafe was not yet a full-fledged business but was seeking the Sharks' investment in order to open their store.

Gato Cafe is a really great example to learn about products from. First, Gato Cafe can be considered a specialty product because the people who would go there and enjoy would most likely do a good amount of research about the establishment. Additionally, once they found they liked Gato Cafe they would most likely be reluctant to finding substitutes. Gato Cafe is a new product in the US, and specifically in Florida; however, similar types of cafes have been opening up around the world.

Something that we discussed in depth was product lines, mixes, and extenstions. Gato Cafe doesn't really have a product line, or similarly related items, but they do have a pretty large product mix if you consider all of the cats and food/beverages they will sell. A great product line extension for Gato Cafe would be to include dogs or create another cafe for dogs. This would diversify not only their product, but their customer base as well.

We also talked about product positioning. There are many ways to position a product including those listed to the right. A great way for Gato Cafe to position themselves would be based on attribute. Their concept is something new to the market so they have something that nobody else currently offers. This is an attribute of their company in the sense that it distinguishes them from other cafes as well as other animal shelters or pet stores. By doing this, Gato Cafe will give themselves an advantage in the market. An example of product class positioning is Pepsi and Coke.

Additionally in class this week, we talked about co-branding. This is a concept that I find extremely valuable to a business, especially one that is just starting out. Co-branding is putting two or more brand names on a product. By doing this, a potentially lesser known brand could partner up with a well known brand in order to get their name out their. A really great example of this that we talked about in class was Gato Cafe partnering with Panera. I thought this would be a good way for Gato Cafe to bring in customers while it would help Panera because they might be able to reach an even more diverse group of people. This strategy would be mutually beneficial for both brands, thus making it a great thing for well established brands to do with a relatively new brand.

Understanding all of these aspects of a product, and many more, will ultimately help us improve our Smart Project. This is because, we will be able to put ourselves in the best position to succeed. For example, if we can determine what the best positioning base would be for our product, we can focus on that specific factor to distinguish our product from others rather than just claiming that ours is better. Additionally, by understanding our product as a concept, and potential line or mix of items, we can see the bigger picture of what effect it might have. Although the focus will still always be on our particular product, knowing it's potential in the future will help us make it the best it can be today in order to appeal to a wide range of people.


I think another major aspect of this project will be brand. Although we clearly will not become an established brand in the next two months, we can use the idea of a brand to help us produce the best product possible. What I mean by this is that what makes a good brand will also make a good product. We want our product to be identifiable. We want people to see our logo and know exactly what the product is and does. We want it to be something that people will remember because of the impact or impression that it made.

Along with meeting with our marketing consultant. This week gave my group a great deal of information we can use in order to develop our product effectively. Additionally, it has provided us with the insight we need in order to create and market a product that consumers will be interested in and would want to buy. From thinking about the type of product we are selling to how we should position the product to what questions a consumer might ask, we are ready to take the next step in the development of our product.

Here's to even more improvements next week!

-Kristen