Marketing Essay 1: Robotic Lawn Mower
Put yourself in the position of an entrepreneur who is developing a new self-propelled, robotic lawn mower, similar to the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, to introduce into the market. Develop the segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategy for marketing the new product. Be sure to discuss: 1) the overall segmentation strategy 2) characteristics of the segment(s) you might choose as the target market 3) why the target market(s) is/are attractive 4) your positioning strategy.

The primary goal of marketing this new, unique product of its generation is presenting its benefit of convenience. The possible target segments will include the elderly and homeowners with lawns in very hot climates. The segmentation strategy will obviously be a concentrated strategy, where one type of product will be aimed at multiple target segments. The characteristic of the first segment, the elderly, is physical disability. When people grow old, the simplest of tasks can become extremely challenging, which makes the elderly a perfect candidate as a target segment for this robotic lawn mower. For the second segment, which are homeowners with lawns in very hot climates, the characteristics may include undesirably hot conditions and potential dangers of hot weather, such as heat cramps, dehydration, and heat stroke. These target markets deem attractive because the product presents a potential solution for a problem associated with the targets. The problem is that the hard work involved in mowing a lawn may be out of the question. The positioning strategy for this product will be that it will enter the market, serving a functional position in the market. The primary attribute of the product we want consumers perceive is its benefit of convenience. The product's "function" is to solve a problem, which can be looked at in two