Trap Ease Case Study

1. Martha and the investors in the Trap Ease seem to face a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” What information do they need to evaluate this opportunity? How do you think the investor group would write the mission statement? How would you write it? Trap Ease America has obtained worldwide rights to market an innovative mousetrap which had won the title of “best new product” at a National Hardware Show in Chicago. In order to evaluate this once in a lifetime opportunity the investors at Trap- Ease need to understand the market place in which they will be operating in terms of customer needs, customer wants and demands in order to create value for customers and build a strong customer relationship to capture value from their potential customers in return. This will help Trap Ease to identify who will be the best target market for their product and what would be the best market offering, how your target market makes purchasing decisions, how your competition positions their products and what your product has to offer. B) I think that the investor group would write a product oriented mission statement stating the product that they offer for example “ we sell an innovate mousetraps” where as I would write a market oriented mission statement geared towards satisfying the customer basic needs.

2. How is the product positioned relative to the selected target market in the case? Are there other ways to position the product? Trap –Ease America’s research revealed that women were the best target market for their product. The mouse trap is safe and easy to use and avoided the unpleasantness and risks of trapping their figures that the traditional mouse trap has. Product position is what comes to mind when your target market thinks about your product compared to competitor’s products. Product positioning can be used to influence the market’s perception of Trap Ease product. Martha tried to position her product against competitors by highlighting its superiority in terms of it being risk free of catching your fingers and they also noted a benefit their product provides to the target audience where they have the option of reusing the trap.

However, Trap Ease was not able to create and identity for their product in the minds of their target market. The investors noted there was not enough repeat buying and retailers were keeping the trap as novelties rather than using it for it intended purpose. People’s magazine ran a feature article on the trap and it had also been the subject of talk shows and articles in various popular press and trade publications and because of this Martha House president of Trap Ease America decided against further advertising besides and add in a House Keeping magazine. Martha House failed to address product positioning she did not differentiate the product, address important customer buying criteria and articulate key product attributes. Trap Ease could have also position the product away from the competitors by positioning theirs as the opposite of their competitor. They could have also focused on the unique characteristics of specific users of the product, seeing that women are there target market.

3. Who is Trap Ease’s competition?
Trap Ease competitors are the producers of the traditional spring board mouse traps and other companies that sell poisons and chemicals to exterminate mice.