Question No 1.

Martha and the Trap-Ease America investors believe they

face an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What information do they need to
evaluate this opportunity? How do you think the group would write its
mission statement? How would you write it?

Answer:

The investors of Trap-Ease America need to evaluate several factors and information to evaluate
the opportunity which has been dubbed as an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In my opinion,
the information needed to evaluate the opportunity is-

The requirement of a convenient, clean, and safe mouse-catching tool for household uses
Whether or not the customers are willing to pay top money for an innovative product
such as this
Whether the company can adapt to a unique sales strategy that will gain it a competitive
advantage over similar products
Whether promotional activities such as advertisements of the product can attract the
attention of the customers to redirect them in buying a product that is acclaimed already
Whether the market for the product has been segmented and targeted effectively

How the investor group would write the mission statement

Creating innovative measures to rid you of the mice problem efficiently with safety measures
intact
How I would write the mission statement for Trap-Ease
Getting rid of the mice problem in a clean, safe and easy way is now a just a matter of moments
with the help of Trap-Ease

Question No 2. Has Martha identified the best target market for Trap-
Ease? What other market segments might the firm target?

Ans: To run a business in an effective and efficient way, one needs to identify the best target
market for his/her product. Martha House, President of Trap-Ease America has also identified
best target market for her product, Trap-Ease. According to her, the best target market for Trap-
Ease relies with women of different ages and profession, specifically with homemakers, single
women and single moms.
This is, singularly, by my opinion, the best target market for Trap-Ease. However, Martha didnt
consider many other possible segments with high prospect.
Other segments that the firm could target are-
Restaurants and Diners
Grocery stores and other small retailers
Warehouses and storages
Pharmacies and other drug stores
Child-Care Centers and Schools
Transportation service providers
Hotels and motels
Universities and research facilities
Public and corporate offices

Q3. How has the company positioned the Trap-Ease for the chosen target market? Could it position
the product in other ways?

Ans: The Companys positioned Trap-Ease as

User Friendly
No poison
Doesnt cause a mess
Child safe
High cost product for domestic concern
Safe for other pets
The other aspects that the company can focus on to position the product are-
o Reusable
o Disease Preventive
o Humane
o Eco-friendly
o High utility to other market groups other than domestic

Q4. Describe the current marketing mix for Trap-Ease. Do you see any problems with this mix?

Ans: Product Trap-Ease is a product that can trap a mouse cleanly and safely than other mouse
traps cannot offer. It also is very easy to use and do not need any poison or other harmful
substances; so it is both child-safe and pet-safe.
However, the problem with this product is that it keeps the mouse alive for a long while,
and if the user has to dispose of the mouse he/she has to pick-up a tube with a live mouse
inside it jumping and squealing. This can be uncomfortable to customers.
 Price Trap-Ease, sold as a package of two, is priced at $5.99, which is 5 times more than
the price of traditional mouse-traps. Price of Trap-Ease needs to be lowered for it to gain demand.
Place Trap-Ease is planned to be distributed directly to national grocery, retailers, and
hardware stores. This strategy is well designed to reach the target market. But, this creates the
problem of having to constantly supply widely dispersed stores and retails on a regular basis.
With a small sized company, it will be very difficult for Trap-Ease to maintain this wide distribution
system.
Promotion Trap-Eases most distinct promotional activities, other than some limited
advertising, are a) appearances at trade shows b) sales calls on retailers c) word-of-mouth d)
store displays and demonstration
The main problem with this promotional strategy is that, Trap-Ease is wasting it scarce
promotional budget on activities that most customers are unaware of and those that do not
showcase the usefulness of the product. Trap-Ease should advertise on magazines or newspapers
to increase awareness, and use billboards at retailers that show how easily and safely the
product can be used.

Q5. Who is Trap-Ease Americas competition?

Ans: The main competitors of Trap-Ease are-

1. Traditional mouse-trap producers for segments with low income and the willingness to
clean up the mess of dead mice
2. All-in-one pesticide producers for segments with multiple pest problems along with mice
3. Exterminators for segments with high income, who do not want to use their time in
household chores

Q6. How would you change Trap-Eases marketing strategy? What kinds of control procedures
would you establish for this strategy?

Ans: The following changes should be brought to the companys marketing strategy

1. Target Market: The company should include these segments to its target market
I. Restaurants and Diners
II. Grocery stores and other small retailers
III. Warehouses and storages
IV. Pharmacies and other drug stores
V. Child-Care Centers and Schools
VI. Transportation service providers
 VII. Hotels and motels
VIII. Universities and research facilities
IX. Public and corporate offices
2. Pricing: The current price of the product is too high for it to gain sufficient demand and
capture substantial market share.
3. Reposition: The product can be repositioned to convey other values than existing to
customers as per aforementioned suggestions.
4. Promotion: Focus should be put on advertising than other forms of promotion to increase
markets awareness of the product and its utility.
5. Distribution: Trap-Ease should limit its distribution to a smaller locale and build a strong
foundation before moving on to national scale.

Control Procedures: The Company can use these mechanisms for proper control
1. Inspect the purpose the customers are using the product for and measure if it is the
companys intended purpose for the product and make changes accordingly
2. Determine the customers perceived value of the product and satisfaction. If satisfaction
is negative or low, then adjust prices or make the product more available to reduce total
customer cost
3. Take feedback and complaints from customers and adjust the products size/price and/or
try to add additional values to the product
4. Make periodic surveys to determine if the product has potential to penetrate deeper into
the market
5. Establish annual/semi-annual/quarterly sales goals and use personal sales and delighters
to meet targets if needed