個案資料
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ideaForge: Mechanical Charger
內容大綱
In an era of ever-changing technology, the challenge for a social entrepreneur is to cope with the fast pace of change. With a concern for the environment and energy conservation, the entrepreneur in this case became an entrepreneur with the development of a new product – a mechanical charger. His company, ideaForge, manufactured and sold two types of products: mechanical chargers and other conventional chargers such as bike chargers. The mechanical charger, an innovation of ideaForge, was a product that could produce electricity through mechanical operation. The sales of other conventional chargers were increasing, while the sales of mechanical chargers were decreasing.<br><br><br><br>The company faced two major challenges while running the business: how to market this innovative product to customers used to traditional mobile phone chargers, and whether the company should increase the product range or concentrate on existing products. The decision that had to be made was whether to sell only through distribution channels or through a sales force, or both. The young entrepreneur, along with his two cofounders, also had to make decisions on how to position and price their products in the market. With a changing market scenario, several initiatives and calculated risks would have to be taken if they wanted to develop new product offerings, such as laptop chargers and bicycle chargers, both of which would mean diversifying the business.
學習目標
The case explores the role of channel members in the diffusion and adoption of new and socially innovative products. The sales of new products, such as mechanical chargers, can be jeopardized by substitute products that are popular and more convenient to use. However, when selling through company-appointed sales people, development of a sales scheme is necessary so that it supplements the sales that the company gets through the existing distribution channel. The related issue here is how to price the existing product range to penetrate the market. Would the pricing be the sole penetration strategy or are there other strategies that the company needs to adopt in order to establish the concept of mechanical chargers in the market? Another important issue is whether the company should enter another category of mechanical chargers, namely chargers that can be used for domestic appliances. This product requires several new initiatives and the allocation of resources.<br><br> <br><br>The case is structured to achieve the following learning objectives:<ul><li><br>To understand the challenges faced by a social entrepreneur while introducing a new eco-friendly product.</li><li>To assess the costs and benefits of alternative courses of action when marketing eco-friendly products.</li><li>To identify the business opportunities for extending the product offerings.</li><li>To come up with a plan for expanding a business that has little start-up capital.</li></ul>