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Trap-Ease Case Study

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UNIVERSIDAD INTERAMERICANA DE PANAMA
MAESTRIA EN ADMINISTRACION DE NEGOCIOS
SIMULACIÓN EMPRESARIAL
PROFESOR: DARIO A. RAMOS V.

SIMULACIÓN EMPRESARIAL
Caso 2: Trap-Ease América: El gran queso de las ratoneras

Ciudad de Panamá, febrero 2014
ESTUDIO DE CASO
Trap-Ease América: El gran queso de las ratoneras
HECHOS RELEVANTES
A Martha le ha sido encomendada la tarea de presidir la empresa dueña de la patente de un producto innovador en diseño y funcionalidad. El Trap-Ease es una trampa para ratones que está realizada para romper con el paradigma de los pegamentos y las trampas comunes.
El producto cuenta con el aval de varios premios, apariciones en revistas y respaldo de la crítica. Lo que pareciera ser la fórmula perfecta para generar interés entre los consumidores y alcanzar altas ventas en un periodo de corto plazo.
Está por finalizar el periodo económico y a pesar de las expectativas generadas por el producto y la expectativa financiera marcada por los inversores y por Martha resulta que el panorama es totalmente yuxtapuesto y no satisface a ninguno. La empresa se encuentra con un problema complejo de promoción. Siguen con altas expectativas pero no encuentran la salida más eficiente para que el producto despegue.

1. OBJETIVO Evaluar las causas que han generado unas ventas muy lentas de las ratoneras Trap-Ease América y desarrollar posibles alternativas que mejoren esta situación.

2. PROBLEMA CENTRAL O PRINCIPAL

* Trap-Ease América como empresa nueva y con un producto innovador (aclamado por la crítica y ganador de premios) presenta un problema de lenta rotación en las ventas.

3. PROBLEMAS SECUNDARIOS

* No se ha alcanzado la meta de vender cinco millones de unidades.

* No existen ventas repetidas del producto de la empresa.

* La definición de mercados objetivos, junto con el marketing mix del producto no han sido adecuados.

4. MATRIZ FODA FORTALEZAS | OPORTUNIDADES | DEBILIDADES | AMENAZAS | La empresa cuenta con un producto innovador y de gran diseño. | Internet se coloca de frente como una oportunidad para posicionar el producto. | El personal para ejecutar las labores de marketing es escaso y una sola persona no ha podido. | Las trampas tradicionales tienen un buen lugar en el mercado por eficientes y por económicas. | El producto de la empresa tiene el aval y respaldo de ser ganador de premios en ferias y concursos de innovación. | Explorar otros segmentos de mercado aparte de la mujer ama de casa, existen otras industrias que pueden estar interesadas. | La empresa esta ensimismada, al solo querer destacar las potencialidades del producto sin tomar en cuenta la necesidad del consumidor. | El uso de venenos ha venido descendiendo pero sigue siendo un competidor fuerte, de menor precio y con trayectoria. | Cuentan con un producto que es reutilizable, es fácil de usar, es seguro y a largo plazo es más rentable para las familias. | Ir más allá de sus fronteras es una posibilidad siempre y cuando logren posicionar su producto. | El precio que ha estimado la empresa lo coloca por encima de la competencia y no se percibe la diferencia a pagar por calidad. | La percepción de detallistas y consumidores es de un producto más decorativo que otra cosa. |

5. RESPUESTAS A LAS PREGUNTAS PLANTEADAS

Martha y los inversores de Trap-Ease América creen que enfrentan una oportunidad única en la vida. ¿Qué información necesitan para evaluar esta oportunidad? ¿Cómo cree usted que el grupo escribiría su misión? ¿Cómo la escribiría usted?
Al manifestar que se enfrentan a una oportunidad única en la vida, han de suponer que están hablando sobre un potencial de ganancias y crecimiento. Sin embargo, a partir de lo descrito en el caso, no parece que Martha, presidenta de Trap-Ease hubiera investigado lo suficiente en su mercado para evaluar de manera realista si la demanda de su producto iba de acuerdo a los números que pronosticó.
Primero deben evaluar en que andan sus clientes, que quieren y que necesitan. ¿Es que acaso quieren o necesitan la seguridad y las características adicionales que la nueva trampa ofrece? Las acciones de Martha y el tren que la acompaña desde la inversión, se centraron demasiado en lo fantástico de su producto y no en las verdaderas necesidades o deseos de los clientes potenciales de compra.
A partir de dicha evaluación se podrían generar conclusiones más propicias, como la demanda insatisfecha, el mercado objetivo, capacidad de compra y otras características del mercado asociadas con el producto. Por ejemplo: ¿Está buscando el mercado un producto funcional y decorativo a la vez? ¿Pagaría un precio más alto por lo decorativo del producto? ¿Identifica el consumidor las ventajas cualitativas del producto?
Respecto a la misión que el grupo definió, probablemente (por el curso de sus acciones) escribirían algo como: “Convertir a Trap-Ease en la mejor alternativa para la trampa de ratones a través de su atractivo diseño e innovación". Una declaración de principios, completamente en torno a su producto innovador, ya que están demasiado concentrados en su producto y no valoran lo suficiente a su cliente.
Deberían tener el enfoque fuera de su producto y concentrarse en sus clientes. Una mejor declaración de la misión sería algo como esto: “Ser la opción de mercado que mejor satisfaga las necesidades de eliminación de plagas de nuestros clientes a través de productos marcados por nuestra innovación y calidad". Una misión que bien se puede aplicar a su producto actual y les da espacio para expandirse en otras áreas de aledañas al control de roedores.
¿Martha ya identificó el mejor mercado meta para Trap-Ease? ¿A qué otros segmentos de mercado podría dirigirse la empresa?
Martha se ha dirigido a las mujeres por su producto. Ella siente que las mujeres son el mejor grupo para atacar, ya que no les gusta el desorden o los riesgos creados por las trampas tradicionales de ratón. Este es un buen segmento de marketing para empezar, pero hay un par de cosas que Marta pudo haber mejorado. En primer lugar, debería haber probablemente segmentado mujeres en un par de diferentes grupos. En el mundo de hoy, no todas las mujeres se quedan en casa y están en el tema de cuidar a sus niños. De hecho, la población de mujeres que hacen eso se está reduciendo rápidamente y están siendo reemplazadas por profesionales independientes. En efecto, al dirigirse a las mujeres que se quedan en casa, Martha está orientada a un mercado en retroceso. Sería ideal segmentar a las mujeres en diferentes categorías. Por ejemplo: las mujeres que trabajan, mujeres solteras, amas de casa, etc. También hay otros mercados que Martha pudiera apuntar y de gran potencial, como lo son los ecologistas y relacionados al agro, no desestimar a los hombres (Quienes muchas veces se encargan de estas tareas), negocios corporativos (restaurantes) pero familias con niños deben ser el segmento de mercado primario de Trap-Ease, ya que probablemente será su más grande cliente. Las trampas de madera y veneno representan un gran riesgo para los lactantes y niños pequeños y madres que cuidan y los padres probablemente felizmente comprar un producto que proteja mejor a sus hijos. Con una gran ventaja, reutilizable.

¿Cómo ha posicionado la empresa a la Trap-Ease para el mercado meta elegido? ¿Podría posicionar el producto de otras formas?
La trampa de Trap-Ease America, se ha posicionado en el mercado como un producto muy innovador y bien diseñado. Lo ha hecho por medio de ferias y revistas que la han galardonado. Si es más capaz de conectar estas características de las trampas de ratón con las necesidades y deseos de sus consumidores objetivo, entonces deberían ser capaces de generar una mayor demanda.
Trap-Ease también podría posicionar el producto como más rentable en el largo plazo, ya que es reutilizable, lo que podría reducir su costo implícito y hacerla más asequible.
Pero lo ideal es que la empresa le otorgue un concepto más social a su marketing. Entonces, así encontrarían mayor éxito porque van a comercializar un producto tan nuevo e innovador, pero a la vez que toma en cuenta mucho a la familia. Ya que a la larga los libera de costos, ya que es reutilizable y toma en cuenta las necesidades de la familia como conjunto. Si ellos usan el concepto de marketing social quizás aumentaría la percepción de fortaleza de su producto.
¿Cómo describiría usted la estrategia de marketing actual de Trap-Ease? ¿Ve algún problema con esta mezcla?
La mezcla de marketing de una empresa consiste en las cuatro P: Producto, Precio, Plaza y Promoción. Actualmente, Trap-Ease tiene en su trampa de ratón, su único producto. Lo cual genera una debilidad de dependencia pero a su vez existe allí una oportunidad de mejora. Probablemente podrían crear un par de diferentes versiones de su trampa de ratón con el fin de ofrecer más variedad.
El precio alto de su trampa de ratón parece ser de acuerdo con una estrategia de diferenciación de la calidad, pero probablemente podría ofrecer una gama más amplia de los precios en los diferentes modelos de su trampa si deciden ampliar su gama de productos.
Respecto a la plaza, en este momento están tratando de distribuir su producto a través de tiendas como Kmart y Safeway. Un muy buen mercado para golpear probablemente sería el internet. La gente en la internet busca a menudo calidad, la facilidad de uso y capacidad de innovación y no les importa gastar un poco más de dinero para conseguir lo que quieren. También es un mercado de alta rentabilidad, ya que reduce los costos de transporte y no hay costos de intermediario.
En cuanto a la promoción, parece ser uno de sus mayores problemas. Deben promover a través de Internet con seguridad en los sitios que ellos piensan que su mercado objetivo va a visitar y también deben pensar en la extinción de los anuncios en la televisión. En este entorno de alta tecnología cambiante anuncios en revistas ya no son suficientes.
¿Quién es la competencia de la Trap-Ease América?
La competencia de Trap-Ease en Estados Unidos es cualquier empresa que cree trampas de ratón. Se enfrentan a un mercado en el que gran cantidad de trampas son comercializadas a bajos costos. También hay venenos que se venden en buena cantidad pero que gozan de la desventaja de que son un peligro para los animales domésticos y los niños de casa.
¿Cómo cambiaría usted la estrategia de marketing de Trap-Ease? ¿Qué tipos de procedimientos de control establecería usted para esta estrategia?
La primera cosa que haría para cambiar la estrategia de marketing de la Trap-Ease sería aumentar la cantidad de personas en su equipo de marketing. Aunque Martha, probablemente estaría tratando de mantener los costos bajos al no contratar a nadie para su equipo de marketing, quizás termino cometiendo un error más costoso. Es casi inimaginable tratar de alcanzar tales cifras millonarias de rendimiento sin apenas personal. Debería haber pedido un mayor presupuesto y contrató a más personas para el equipo de marketing.
Una de las cosas más importantes a la hora de salir con un nuevo producto es la comercialización, porque hasta que no haya comunicado los beneficios de su producto al consumidor, no habrá suficiente demanda para ello. Su entrada en el mercado fue a muy pequeña escala y lo más probable es que con un producto tan innovador (que necesita ser mayor mercadeado) se hayan quedado un poco cortos en este sentido.
Poner mucho más énfasis en el análisis de su mercado objetivo y tal vez ampliando su ámbito de los mercados de destino, junto con una mejor segmentación. Esto le permitiría diferenciar mejor su producto.
En cuanto a los controles, pondría énfasis en los estratégicos, con el fin de monitorear el progreso del equipo de marketing y asegurarse de que lo que están haciendo es coherente con los objetivos y estrategia de la empresa. Estos controles sería muy importante para la recopilación de la información que formaría las estrategias en los próximos años.
CONCLUSIONES
Podemos contar con un gran producto, con las mejores características, la mejor de las críticas, con las interrogantes casi resueltas y cuando vamos al mercado nos encontramos todo lo contrario. He aquí la importancia de manejar todos los conceptos que se mueven en el ámbito empresarial.
Por medio de este caso, se logra identificar la importancia del marketing y la organización en la empresa de hoy. No existe el hombre orquesta dice la sabiduría popular y bien cierto es en casos como este, cuando se pretenden centralizar las tareas de una empresa con grandes aspiraciones y con un excelente producto en las manos.
Muchas empresas esperarían ese momento en que llegue a sus manos un producto de esta magnitud, sin embargo hemos apreciado que sin la preparación adecuada no hay éxito posible. Es de mayor probabilidad que con inventos o productos más clásicos, su organización obtenga los beneficios esperados aplicando inteligencia empresarial a los procesos necesarios para ello. Y este caso precisamente es un reflejo de ello.

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