12A

12A- Figuring out Buyer Behavior

Choosing a Segment:

For this assignment I chose the segment of customers who live in areas where plastic straws are banned, care about the environmental impact of disposable plastic, and frequent establishments which serve inadequate substitutes to plastic straws (paper etc.).

Interviews:

·        College student who has tried to implement sustainable practices in her life.

·        Mother of 2 who watched the sea turtle video and cried as the straw was pulled from its nose.

·        A young adult who just moved to the area and hates paper straws for their quality yet hates plastic straws because of their pollution.

What I Learned:

I learned in these interviews that the demand for this product will be low if not correctly marketed. When I first explained the product only 1/3 interviewees understood what it actually was. The young man new to the area was the only one to instantly say he would purchase bamboo straws and bring them to an establishment to avoid a paper counterpart. Both the mother and the college student assumed this was simply another version of a reusable straw (like silicone or metal) that are already popular. When I asked if they would be open to using the straw at a price higher than plastic, 2/3 said yes. The only one that abstained from committing to using this solution is the mother, as she said that her children do not care and she does notice, yet is not bothered enough to pay more. But the other two interviewees both responded as I expected this segment of people to. They were willing to pay a little bit more to avoid the gross paper straw and still not affect the environment. The college student had even heard of bamboo straws, but none have been produced in such a way that they are thin enough to be single use and cost efficient.

               When asking them about their search, the younger interviewees said they looked for “durable straws” while the mother simply said that she went online to look for “reusable cups with straw”. I know that the college student discusses this with her friends as she is a member of climate action gators, and they love having a straw-free Gainesville, yet some have not been impressed with the substitute. She said she would probably mention this to her climate club.

Describing the Segment:

This segment is highly aware of their need. Anyone who lives in Gainesville and dislikes the taste of paper in their water is aware of this need. Specifically this segment narrows it down to people who would not go buy plastic straws because they do not agree with the pollution they create, which means they are a group who truly care about what they are using and will look for solutions. This brings me to search, 2/3 interviewees were looking for a solution to THIS problem while the other simply ignored and adapted the issue, so it did not affect her. I think that this could be a big draw to individuals who specifically are looking to find a durable, single use, environmentally friendly straw.