Cool product idea to introduce in Mexico (Marketing Project)
November 15, 2006 4:35 PM
What is a good idea for a hypothetical product to introduce in Mexico (for a marketing project)?
I have to think of a product and company to use as the basis for a marketing plan in my college marketing class. The product must be introduced in Mexico. I have done a lot of general research on Mexico, but never having been there, it's hard to know what to introduce.
Project is due in a couple of weeks and I am having trouble deciding. Anyone have any ideas?
Not asking for help with the project, just a decent idea to get started with. Thanks a bunch from a poor, starving college student.
I have to think of a product and company to use as the basis for a marketing plan in my college marketing class. The product must be introduced in Mexico. I have done a lot of general research on Mexico, but never having been there, it's hard to know what to introduce.
Project is due in a couple of weeks and I am having trouble deciding. Anyone have any ideas?
Not asking for help with the project, just a decent idea to get started with. Thanks a bunch from a poor, starving college student.
How realistic does this hypothetical product need to be? Because parmanparman's idea is nice but, having worked in pharma, I'd have to say that it would be nearly impossible to come up with a single user-friendly gizmo that would do this (you'd need a whole analytical lab full of instruments to be able to analyze everything sold as a drug).
This has been done before but it's the kind of thing you could sell to average folks: they have some neat umbrellas in Singapore that allegedly block UV as well as rain, and these modern parasols seem like a really good idea for any tropical or semi-tropical area.
posted by Quietgal at 4:54 PM on November 15, 2006
This has been done before but it's the kind of thing you could sell to average folks: they have some neat umbrellas in Singapore that allegedly block UV as well as rain, and these modern parasols seem like a really good idea for any tropical or semi-tropical area.
posted by Quietgal at 4:54 PM on November 15, 2006
The product doesn't have to be realistic, but it doesn't hurt. This plan requires a lot of research, most of it on the target market, but a completely unrealistic product will make it harder to sell to my professor.
posted by chitlin at 4:57 PM on November 15, 2006
posted by chitlin at 4:57 PM on November 15, 2006
You can't go wrong with the Urban Sombrero.
posted by JekPorkins at 5:00 PM on November 15, 2006
posted by JekPorkins at 5:00 PM on November 15, 2006
How about a mix for making micheladas(wikipedia)?
This product already exists (invented by my brother and one of his friends, actually), but if it doesn't have to be a new product this could be a good project. If you google michelada you will find a ton of info — especially if you can read Spanish.
posted by Penks at 5:53 PM on November 15, 2006
This product already exists (invented by my brother and one of his friends, actually), but if it doesn't have to be a new product this could be a good project. If you google michelada you will find a ton of info — especially if you can read Spanish.
posted by Penks at 5:53 PM on November 15, 2006
Plastic bottles in the shape of a gourd to keep your pulque in?
Fartless beans?
Donkey chow?
posted by Pollomacho at 5:53 PM on November 15, 2006
Fartless beans?
Donkey chow?
posted by Pollomacho at 5:53 PM on November 15, 2006
Alternative energy products.
Solar Cells, batteries, wind generators, bio-deisel cookers...
that kind of stuff.
posted by dkippe at 7:48 PM on November 15, 2006
Solar Cells, batteries, wind generators, bio-deisel cookers...
that kind of stuff.
posted by dkippe at 7:48 PM on November 15, 2006
A huuuge amount of money enters the Mexican economy through remittances, or money earned by Mexicans working abroad and sent home.
There are entire organizations, like Casa Propia built around getting products and services to families through remittances. They can often run for-profit by avoiding middlemen, buying products (in the case of Casa Propia, building materials) in bulk, and earning the confidence of the money-earner that the funds are being well-spent.
So, if you have a product that can support the working poor, and can be paid for and supported by family overseas, you have a very interesting niche market on which there is a plethora of in-depth and very interesting market data, particularly for Mexico.
Of the products mentioned above, I think the energy products, some sort of health care services, and educational opportunities could be neat contenders, but there's a lot of opportunity.
posted by whatzit at 8:02 PM on November 15, 2006
There are entire organizations, like Casa Propia built around getting products and services to families through remittances. They can often run for-profit by avoiding middlemen, buying products (in the case of Casa Propia, building materials) in bulk, and earning the confidence of the money-earner that the funds are being well-spent.
So, if you have a product that can support the working poor, and can be paid for and supported by family overseas, you have a very interesting niche market on which there is a plethora of in-depth and very interesting market data, particularly for Mexico.
Of the products mentioned above, I think the energy products, some sort of health care services, and educational opportunities could be neat contenders, but there's a lot of opportunity.
posted by whatzit at 8:02 PM on November 15, 2006
Yeah... everybody in Mexico use sombreros and we've never heard of Domino's or Papa John's or clean water...
gah.
Mexico is a very heterogeneous country. Do you have a more specific market in mind? For example, rural or urban?
I live in Mexico City. I'd love to have something to help me to deal with traffic (I used to drive 1.5 hours to school everyday). An aunt had a bad experience and now she wants to market a car urinal.
Some other ideas:
- Clean alternatives for public transportation.
- Foreign investment on science and technology.
- Better/cheaper communication methods for persons in the US and their families in Mexico; maybe something like Skype or webcam booths.
- A mobile taqueria that recycles the burnt oil as fuel.
- Solar-powered anything
whatzit's ideas are interesting and they would definitely work.
By the way: fartless beans already exist: the traditional recipe uses tequesquite, some kind of calcium carbonate, that somehow reduces the gas.
posted by clearlydemon at 12:54 AM on November 16, 2006
gah.
Mexico is a very heterogeneous country. Do you have a more specific market in mind? For example, rural or urban?
I live in Mexico City. I'd love to have something to help me to deal with traffic (I used to drive 1.5 hours to school everyday). An aunt had a bad experience and now she wants to market a car urinal.
Some other ideas:
- Clean alternatives for public transportation.
- Foreign investment on science and technology.
- Better/cheaper communication methods for persons in the US and their families in Mexico; maybe something like Skype or webcam booths.
- A mobile taqueria that recycles the burnt oil as fuel.
- Solar-powered anything
whatzit's ideas are interesting and they would definitely work.
By the way: fartless beans already exist: the traditional recipe uses tequesquite, some kind of calcium carbonate, that somehow reduces the gas.
posted by clearlydemon at 12:54 AM on November 16, 2006
The largest cement company in the world, Cemex, is based in Mexico. Cement isn't sexy, but it's amazingly profitable, and they're a remarkably successful company. You could brainstorm around something for them. Say, forms/molds for cheap housing, built on-site, using concrete from Cemex?
posted by Alt F4 at 4:44 AM on November 16, 2006
posted by Alt F4 at 4:44 AM on November 16, 2006
Something that allows you to flush toilet paper there. (They can't flush because the sewer system can't take the load). It's totally gross to let it build up in a trash can. So maybe a new kind of toilet paper that completely dissolves in water. I think they already have products like that here for people on septic systems, but I guess it's not enough. Hey... hey I've got it. "The Toilet Blender". Like an in-sink garbage disposal, it would liquefy everything prior to flushing. Hey, and no more clogged toilets that way either. Bingo, señor!
posted by kookoobirdz at 7:27 AM on November 16, 2006
posted by kookoobirdz at 7:27 AM on November 16, 2006
A kind of canopy that you mount to the roof of a car to reflect the sun's light and heat. This would be suspended (on some kind of frame) a short distance above the car, and would help prevent the sun from absolutely baking the car. It would have to be sturdy enough to absolutely stay attached even when driving at high speeds. Bonus points if there's some kind of mechanism for protecting the windshield and back window when parked.
Cars get so hot from the sun; it must be incredible in Mexico. Of course a lot of people must use covered parking, but it's not always available.
This product could lead to reduced fuel and other costs, since the air conditioner wouldn't have to fight quite so hard. In fact, you could perhaps estimate the fuel cost savings and try to price your product accordingly.
I live in North Carolina, and I've wanted one of these for years.
posted by amtho at 8:08 AM on November 16, 2006
Cars get so hot from the sun; it must be incredible in Mexico. Of course a lot of people must use covered parking, but it's not always available.
This product could lead to reduced fuel and other costs, since the air conditioner wouldn't have to fight quite so hard. In fact, you could perhaps estimate the fuel cost savings and try to price your product accordingly.
I live in North Carolina, and I've wanted one of these for years.
posted by amtho at 8:08 AM on November 16, 2006
Another idea: diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in Mexico. I don't know much about the disease, but you have a huge market there. Maybe some kind of smoothie powder? Bonus if you can use a native product, like amaranth or nopal.
kookoobirdz, that doesn't happen everywhere in Mexico. I always flush my toilet paper everywhere I go. Maybe it's a problem in some areas.
amtho, that's a cool idea, I'd buy it. If you could add solar cells to power up a portable Guadalupe virgin shrine, every taxi driver would want one.
posted by clearlydemon at 10:58 AM on November 16, 2006
kookoobirdz, that doesn't happen everywhere in Mexico. I always flush my toilet paper everywhere I go. Maybe it's a problem in some areas.
amtho, that's a cool idea, I'd buy it. If you could add solar cells to power up a portable Guadalupe virgin shrine, every taxi driver would want one.
posted by clearlydemon at 10:58 AM on November 16, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by parmanparman at 4:46 PM on November 15, 2006