Halfway Reaction

1) Tenaciousness is a competency

• I would say the biggest skill that I have used with this class is time management. I could not do this class without it. But that is big for me because up until this class my time management skills were awful. But now I understand how to properly space out my work so I do not get overwhelmed.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude

• There have been a few blog posts for this class in which I almost gave up. Some of them I just look how it is only worth one point and just want to shrug my shoulders and have fun with my day. However, I think long term and what that point will do for me. It is not worth missing. So i get that last interview, or do that tedious post, and get that point.

3) Three Tips

• Tip #1... WORK COMES FIRST!! Especially in this class the work does not take long, so why not just finish it and then go out. There is no reason to take the points off for this work. 
• Tip #2... Make friends in the class. It is always good to have friends in any class. People to call when you do not get an assignment or people to complain about the assignments with. Either way it is always great to have friends in class.
• Tip #3... Make sure you are getting something out of the class. Do not just do assignments and not pay attention to what you are doing. If you do that than it is not even worth taking the class.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

My interviews for this post were very helpful in furthering my product. In an interview with Dianne, a mother of 2, she explained to me that the price would need to be right because as good of an idea as it is, it is not a need. She told me that I have an excellent idea that I would like to combine it with a regular microwave. She said no one has room for 2 microwaves. My next interview was with Thomas, a Sophomore at the University of Florida, he really loved the product. He also said the only thing that really mattered to him was price. It seemed to be a trend that people only cared about price, really because my product is not a necessity.

In the end, I learned that no matter who I interviewed, price was the biggest factor. I was able to convince 2 of my interviewees that this product was a necessity for select people. However, everyone feels it should be a feature on a regular microwave instead of having 2. Which was always my intention.

Idea Napkin No. 1

1.     You:

·      My name is Matthew Field; I am a Junior Advertising major at the University of Florida. I am very creative, that is probably my best trait in the business world. I have a knack for innovation and creativity.

2.     What are you offering to customers?

·      I am offering a product that cools down food at your own convince. People hate waiting for things especially for their food to cool down, because they are hungry and just want to eat it. The Reverse Microwave allows the consumer to cool down their food in minutes or even seconds.

3.     Who are you offering it to?

·      I am not marketing my product to a specific group because it can be useful to just about anyone. Besides cooling down food, it can unmelt ice cream for a crying child, making ice coffee for a businessman who doesn’t want to use ice to water down his iced coffee, etc. The opportunities and target markets are endless.

4.     Why do they care?

·      This is a product that you don’t realize you need until you see it. Once the customer sees it they will be intrigued instantly. The average consumer is always interested in ways to do things quicker.

5.     What are your core competencies?

·      There are none and will be none because this will be a patented technology that no one has seen before. I am planning to pair with a company like GE and add it on to normal microwaves.

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

The Who: Throughout all of my interviews I have found groups of people who fall outside of the market of my opportunity. These are people who do not go out or people who go Downtown instead of Mid-Town. These people do not go to Mid-Town so this does not effect them.

The What: Opening up a new bar may not be the answer. Because in the end it all relies on students going out at a later time.

The Why: The need is different because people who do not go to Mid-Town, do not know about going out super early.

INSIDE
Who: People who go out to Mid-Town at UF.

What: People need to go out, but at a reasonable time.

Why: The need exists because of all the recent bar closings and people all go to the same bar and are forced to wait on line all night if they do not get there early enough.

Solving The Problem

As I have stated in the past posts, my problem has to do with students being forced to go to Mid-Town around dinner time. It is absurd and something must be done. The problem can easily be solved in my eyes. Some people would say open new bars, that is a good idea but it would take time for people to grow a costumed to those new bars. Instead my idea is re-open Cantina 101. Everyone was so sad when it closed and that really was the end of Mid-Town. Reopening Cantina would spread out where everyone went in Mid-Town. Lines would be shorter and you could even go out at a normal time again. My opportunity is not really selling a service or a product. I am selling convince and comfort. As well as the ability to have a normal college night life.

Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

Make Mid-Town great again

·      Opportunity: Ever since the closing of many bars in Mid-Town at the University of Florida, many students have been forced to go out as early as 7:30, disrupting their whole schedule.

o   The who: The students of UF

o   The what: Students are ruining their schedules and stressing themselves in order to get out

o   The why: All of the bars in Mid-Town are closing

·      Interview #1

o   In this interview, I spoke with a boy who is currently a junior at the University of Florida. He could not stop talking about how much Mid-Town has changed since his freshmen year. How he used to go out at around 10:00 – 10:30, but now he has to shove down his dinner real fast and go out around 7:30-8:00, so he does not have to wait on a line for the whole night. He thinks opening more bars and re-opening Cantina 101 would fix this problem.

·      Interview #2

o   My next interview was with a girl who is currently a senior at the University of Florida. She explained to me that she has a late class, which forces her to dress for the night before going to class. Once class is done she needs to either grab a very quick bite to eat before in Mid-Town after class or just eat before class. This has caused her stomach to feel terrible on multiple occasions. She really wants this problem fixed if possible.

·      Interview #3

o   My next interview was with a freshman at the University of Florida. He told me that this was not his idea of what night life was going to be like. He said he visited his friends and they at dinner around 8 and went out at like 10:00-10:30. He kept asking me what caused this and if night life here was ever like that. I had to tell him that it just got like this last year. Once Cantina close basically. He was shocked.

·      Interview #4

o   My next interview was with a visiting alumni of the University of Florida. He went out the other night and asked me what happened to this school? He explained to me how when he used to go here all of your friends would be going to different places and you would meet in the middle. Now everyone goes to one place and its depressing. He told me the solution is pretty obvious, re-open cantina and open more bars. I think by now I am seeing a trend.

·      Interview #5

o   My final interview was with a visiting junior from The Ohio State University. He pretty much kept making fun of UF night life. I had to explain to him how it used to be. He told me how late they go out and all their different options. I was very jealous. It just does not seem fair.