I am a fellow at the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Paige, School of Business at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Each semester the students with whom I work in a field of concentration culmination writing business plans. Approval of this course is a prerequisite for graduation.
Students tend to be committed, bright, concerned about their future, and eager to graduate with the best GPA possible. At the beginning of each semester, I give a lecture trying to help and guide students in choosing a business concept, service or product to use as basis for its equipment business plan presentation. I always ask the question rhetoric itself. They always give the same incorrect answer.
My question is this: Take any product category, we will choose the beverages of choice. Do you want your product to have to compete with Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7-Up or Dr. Pepper for space, promotion, exhibition or distribution end cap? The answer they receive, almost always in unison, is no.
The correct answer is yes.
The large multi seemingly invincible and impregnable national drink companies are like all large companies. They are slow, become sclerotic in creativity, management and systems and are highly sensitive to the strongest, nimble entrepreneurs. We see this same behavior in all mature industries. Automotive, retail, communications, media, cosmetics, food, equipment, technology, transportation and clothing are just some examples of categories of constantly agitated by the failure, improvisation and novelty.
Explaining the timing of the beverage industry for entrepreneurs, in this case, my students, is an important example of the identification of market niches. Each year, new drink products fill niches unanswered, and entrepreneurs to identify opportunities to meet consumer preferences with beverages that offer New features and benefits. Arizona Iced Tea, Monster, Red Bull, Vitamin Water, Gatorade, Snapple and dozens of styles of bottled water and tea are just some examples of success in entering a mature, very crowded category.
The Coca-Cola and Pepsi have seen their market shares stagnate in recent years. They have become very greedy, buying many of these start-ups and add to their lineups. It is now widely recognized that it is cheaper to buy innovation feed internally in most cases.
Chrysler and General Motors were venerable franchises that success and everyone enjoyed the admiration until recently. They have fallen long and hard. The lack of vision, laxity of management, union corpulence, a reputation for poor quality and lack of style and value been convicted of its enterprise value. Meanwhile, foreign automakers from China and Korea have evolved to wrest market share and fill gaps vacated by the Chrysler and General Motors. The same type of industry developments that are happening in every product category.
In retailing, Steve and Barry's, Bombay Company, Linens and Things and Circuit City are just some examples of the former powerhouse national chains that have disappeared. H & M, Zara, Sephora Aeropostiale and, moreover, have designed new marketing options that excite consumers and drive its continued growth.
This creative destruction and turnover represents an excellent opportunity for companies, inventors and entrepreneurs with truly new concepts, services and new products. Do not let the appearance of the instinct to deactivate the gigantic houses compete with big brands. "The bigger the harder they fall", says the old adagio. It has never been more true.
Identifying a niche in a mature industry. Engineer a product or the opportunity to fill the niche identified with a better trap for mice, which provides features for consumers and / or benefits that consumers interest. This is the surest path to commercial success and size of wins in all sales channels.
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Our Large Iced Tea Pitcher with insert is the perfect iced tea pitcher for brewing our 1 ounce filter bags of iced tea. An ice chiller insert keeps tea cold without the watered-down taste. Made of thick, durable glass; not dishwasher safe. Styles may vary slightly and natural imperfections in glass may exist. 96 oz. capacity
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