Baby binki tape- Lauren Mathew

Background/ Journal:

In November I had my first child, a daughter. She is 3 ½ months now and a wonderful baby. The biggest problem we are facing is her persistence to spit her pacifier out. This poses two issues: (1) she spits it out in the middle of the night, interrupting her sleep cycle, and thus waking her up. My husband and I have tried various tricks such as swaddling her in such a way that her blanket keeps the pacifier in or taping it to her face with medical tape. The problem with the swaddling is that she is now too big to be swaddled and the medical tape just seems cruel- even though its just medical tape, the sight seems like abuse. I would like to invent a product that keeps the pacifier stuck to your child’s mouth, without causing harm.

New Product development process:

(1) New Product Strategy- to create an adhesive, which is placed on the back of a baby’s pacifier in order to create a seal. The glue is safe for a baby’s delicate skin, odorless, and will not stick to the child’s skin during pacifier removal. It is tough enough to resist a baby’s delicate pull, but gentle enough to be removed by an adult’s gentle tug. The product will be marketed to new mothers and fathers.

(2) Idea Generation- survey mothers and fathers about the idea, ask if this is a common problem in their household. Survey the market to see if there is another product with the same concept or if there has been a product like it which has failed.

(3) Idea Screening- What kind of adhesive should be used? A strip of tape that sticks to the back of the pacifier? A glue-like adhesive? A special Velcro? I chose a tape that is in the form of a pacifier- it is easy, mess free and disposable so you can use the product again and again.

(4) Business analysis- preliminary figures for demand, cost, sales, and profitability are calculated: (a) demand is great- this is a frustrating issue for many families. (b) Cost- about $2.00 per yard of tape, plus manufacturing space, supplies, and employment
(c) Sales- about $4.00 a pack
(d) profit- $2.00 profit

(5) Development- the product will be a clear adhesive stuck to a sheet, in the form of a pacifiers lip. The product will resemble a pack of clear stickers. Both sides will be sticky and will come in a variety of colored cases. The cases will include two pacifiers and 3 pacifier sheets.

(6) Test Marketing- I will offer free samples at Babies R Us stores in certain states. The states that I would test would be: Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, and Maine, because according to my research, this is the states with the most stay at home moms.

(7) Commercialization- This is when the decision to Market the product is made. I will find a space in which to manufacture my product, train my sales force, and distribute my product nation-wide to Babies R Us stores.

(8) New Product- my product will be on the market and I will carefully watch sales

Questions commonly asked during the business analysis stage:

(1) What is the likely demand for the product?
I did research online and based on the blogs and forums I read, this is not a problem that only my family faces. Besides the child spitting the pacifier out and waking up, people were having problems with their children spitting the pacifier out onto the dirty ground and not having backups, causing their child to cry uncontrollably in a public place.
(2) What impact would the new product probably have on total sales, profits, market share, and return investment?
Based on my research this product is something that is needed by new parents. Parents are willing to fork out a lot of money in order to find a solution to the problem. The money invested would be retuned with a profit.

(3)How would the introduction of the product affect existing products? Would the new product cannibalize existing products?
Since there is no other product of its kind on the market, then other products would not be affected.

(5) Would current customers benefit from the product?
Based on the research I have conducted, yes.

(6) Would the product enhance the image of the company’s overall product mix?
Yes

(7) Would the new product affect current employees in any way? Would it lead to increasing or reducing the size of the workforce?
Since this is a new product, the employees would be newly hired. So no, they wouldn’t be affected, they would actually be benefiting because it’s a new job opportunity. (b) Increasing

(8) What new facilities, if any, would be needed?
A location would need to be chosen, and then a manufacturing plant would need to be built. The manufacturing equipment would have to be bought and employees hired.

(9)How might competitors respond?
There is no competition at the present time

(9) What is the risk of failure? Is the company willing to take the risk?
There appears to be a need in the marketplace, but the risk is about the same as when you introduce any new product – 50/50.
(b) Yes the company is willing to take the risk because the company realizes the need