MKT 701 Florida State College at Jacksonville Solar Fabric Canopies Questions There are 5 questions located in the Application Forum Questions document.Eve

MKT 701 Florida State College at Jacksonville Solar Fabric Canopies Questions There are 5 questions located in the Application Forum Questions document.Everything needed is attached. Thanks for the assistance. Application Forum Questions – Module 2
Summer 2020
Due Dates:
• Submit your forum post answers to originality check by 6 pm Sunday for 5 points for
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timely submission.
DEADLINE to submit to the originality check on Sunday is 11 pm. If you miss this
deadline, you won’t be able to submit to the forum at all.
There is a 30-minute editing window between the submission of your forum post, and
the time when you can read the posts of your peers and make replies. If you post your
answers at 11:00 pm, you will have 25 minutes to reply to a peer.
Purpose
The purpose of this project is two-fold:
1) To give you a head-start on the semester project.
2) To allow you to apply what you’ve learned about several strategic planning concepts in
the discussion forum, where you will receive feedback from your coaches and peers.
Assignment Readings
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Read the document entitled, “Course Project – Case Background 2020” which is found in
the Application Forum Information folder in Module 2.
Read Chapters 3 and 4 of “Readings in Marketing Strategy”.
Read the Blue Ocean Strategy articles.
Read the document entitled, “Good and Bad Forum Examples” which is found in the
Application Forum Information folder in Module 2. Note that this document provides an
example from a MUCH shorter discussion forum. Your answers to this discussion forum
will be much lengthier.
Read the document entitled, “Module 2 Discussion Forum Formatting and Process
2020” which is found in the Application Forum Information folder in Module 2.
Read the document entitled “Module 2 Application Forum Grading RubricSum2020”
which is found in the Application Forum Information folder in Module 2.
Now reread the “Course Project – Case Background 2020”.
The LSUS School of Business considers course information to be proprietary to the professor of the course. Violating this
intellectual property protection by scanning, copying, website posting, or reproducing and sharing course information is
considered an infraction of the MBA Honor Code and LSUS Code of Student Conduct.
Discussion Forum Questions and Answers
1. Create a name for the new consumer products SBU. Based on everything that you’ve
read, develop a mission statement for the consumer products SBU. You should also
create either a vision statement or a set of values for the consumer products firm.
Prepare a short justification for Mr. Jones by comparing you mission to the criteria for a
good mission statement that are discussed in the readings. Check the grading template
for more information.
2. Next, develop a minimum of ine long-term goal and two shot-term objecives for the
consumer products firm based on the information found in the case. You may very well
be able to develop more. Develop at least two that are short-term and designed to be
accomplished within a year. Make certain that your goal and objectives are phrased
correctly following the SMART framework.
3. Chapter 3 discussed factors analyzed during an internal analysis. While the consumer
products SBU is a new venture, there are some factors that can be analyzed within this
framework when looking at the situation as a whole, and applying that information to
the context of the consumer products division. Discuss those factors. Your primary
source of information will be the Course Project – Case Background document. PLEASE
CITE THIS DOCUMENT AS A SOURCE. You must make assumptions regarding
ANTICIPATED/FUTURE resources, etc. when performing that portion of your analysis,
but try to justify it based on your analysis of the case. You must cite the case as an
information source.
4. Chapter 4 focused on the SWOT analysis. Identify the specific strengths and
weaknesses, as well as the potential causes (e.g., the types of resources that are
available) of the new consumer products division. Do not discuss opportunities and
threats as these occur as a result of factors external to the firm. Based on this limited
information, which strengths may form the basis of capabilities?
5. Now, switch gears and think about the Blue Ocean readings. Think about the unique
fabric and its patented solar ability. For what types of products and product categories
would the SOLAR aspect allow a manufacturer to change the value curve? Discuss at
least two products or product categories in general. Next, select a SPECIFIC product or
product category. By adding the solar feature, what other product features could be
eliminated, reduced, or expanded beyond the creation of the solar aspect to add value
to the product, and appeal to an entirely new group of customers, while lowering cost?
Spend some time thinking hard about this last question, as it may help put you on to the
path of potential new product ideas to be researched as part of your external analysis.
The LSUS School of Business considers course information to be proprietary to the professor of the course. Violating this
intellectual property protection by scanning, copying, website posting, or reproducing and sharing course information is
considered an infraction of the MBA Honor Code and LSUS Code of Student Conduct.
Make certain that you justify your answers throughout your discussion post. Read the Grading
Rubric thoroughly. Read the Module 2 Discussion Forum Formatting and Process document
and review your forum post answers to make certain that you have completed every question,
properly referenced your source material, and formatted your post correctly prior to submitting
your post to the Originality Check.
The LSUS School of Business considers course information to be proprietary to the professor of the course. Violating this
intellectual property protection by scanning, copying, website posting, or reproducing and sharing course information is
considered an infraction of the MBA Honor Code and LSUS Code of Student Conduct.
MKT 701
Marketing Strategy
Spring 2020
Course Project – Case Background
Note: The company and innovation are hypothetical, but form the basis for the first and
second portions of the Project. You may also use the Application Forums in weeks 2 and
3 to help build the first portion of your project paper.
The project is an individual assignment. Do not share your paper draft with another
person. Please read the following (hypothetical) scenario.
Course Project – Background
An investment company has successfully financed the growth of a firm that has catered to
industrial and commercial clients in the solar industry for the past 7 years.
The investment company is now interested in financing the development of a new strategic
business unit which will be associated with this firm, though run independently. The new SBU
will target ultimate consumers. The investment firm has developed a rough outline of shortterm and long-term corporate goals for the consumer products divisions, which are listed
below.
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During the 2021 calendar year, launch the consumer products SBU with its first solarthread based product.
Through 2021-2025, launch at least one new consumer solar-based product annually.
By 2025, achieve $25 million in sales in the consumer products division.
By 2030, sell consumer solar products in all 50 states.
It is expected that additional short-term corporate goals will be added as the strategic planning
process for the consumer products SBU evolves. The existing industrial and commercial
segment division offers little of benefit to the new venture, which is why a new a SBU is being
developed. The industrial division currently sells direct to commercial and industrial clients
using their own sales force. They do not use wholesalers or distributors, and they do not sell to
retailers or sell to residential clients. Their sales force will not work for the consumer SBU.
Marketing is minimal in the industrial/commercial SBU. Salespeople attend select energy
tradeshows targeting industry and commercial clients. The industrial/commercial SBU’s
website promotes the industrial and commercial products sold. The industrial/commercial SBU
has no logo and little effort is made at branding. The industrial/commercial SBU does not
invest in social media, online advertising or offline advertising.
This information is proprietary to Dr. Karen E. James and Mr. Robert Walker. Scanning, copying,
website posting, or reproducing and sharing in any form is strictly prohibited.
MKT 701
Marketing Strategy
Spring 2020
Last year’s sales in the industrial/commercial SBU were $15.5 million dollars. Profits were $
1.25 million dollars. Sales and profits have grown steadily over the past seven years, and the
investors and board are happy with the commercial/industrial division’s progress. They plan to
continue investing in the growth of the commercial/industrial division and the majority of last
year’s profits will be reinvested into that division. No financial support will be provided by the
existing industrial/commercial SBU to the new consumer SBU. The consumer products division
is expected to sink or swim on its own, aside from the initial capital investment and carry-over
funding until sales begin bringing in revenue. For all practical purposes, the new consumer SBU
will operate as a separate company, totally independent of the existing commercial/industrial
SBU.
Consumer Products Division – The Future
As indicated in the corporate goals, the investors are interested in tapping into the consumer
market, but in a non-traditional manner. The board has decided to develop a new consumer
products division that will function entirely separate from the rest of the firm. In other words,
the new strategic business unit will function as a separate company. The new SBU should have
its own company name, and each product marketed will have its own brand name. At this
time, there are NO plans to offer solar panels to residential consumers due to
unfavorable cost-benefit analysis. Do NOT use solar panels as your project idea!
The Investment Company board is also extremely reluctant to enter the apparel market. Initial
research has shown that solar jackets have been tried by other manufacturers, and have
ultimately failed. The Investment Company board also realizes that fashion branding is critically
important to the marketing of clothing, such as jackets, sweaters, and pants. The budget
available for the new consumer products SBU is insufficient to create a communications
campaign capable of developing the necessary brand image to market clothing. Therefore, do
NOT use jackets, pants, or sweaters as your solar project idea! Different ideas for
specialized clothing must be approved through your coach or Dr. James.
The investment firm has hired Mr. Robert Jones as the Chief Operations Officer of the new
consumer products SBU in order to access a revolutionary fabric he has patented. Mr. Jones
agreed to this unusual arrangement because he wants to develop his fabric into some type of a
product for the consumer market, and needs financial backing that the investors can provide.
Both Mr. Jones and the Investment Firm’s Board of Directors realize that the new consumer
goods SBU will need to develop its own mission statement, and possibly a vision statement or
(set of) values statement(s). The SBU will also need to engage in heavy branding efforts,
including A) creating a name for the new consumer products company and B) creating a brand
name and logo for the product that it ultimately launches for the consumer market.
Mr. Robert Jones – Consumer Products Firm Chief Operations Officer
This information is proprietary to Dr. Karen E. James and Mr. Robert Walker. Scanning, copying,
website posting, or reproducing and sharing in any form is strictly prohibited.
MKT 701
Marketing Strategy
Spring 2020
An accomplished problem-solver, Mr. Jones formerly worked at NASA as an engineer in various
capacities. He earned dual doctorates in mechanical engineering and astrophysics from
prestigious institutions and continued his education by attending various academic and
professional conferences.
Mr. Jones has a reputation as a fair, highly principled man, who has strong ethical values that
guide his personal and work behavior. He was so deeply affected by the 1986 Challenger Space
Shuttle disaster that he asked for a transfer to the Space Shuttle program after the devastating
incident. His personal goal was to ensure that nothing like that could ever happen again.
The vast majority of his co-workers and supervisors found Mr. Jones to be easy to get along
with and quite charismatic and persuasive for an engineer. He seemed to have an innate ability
to talk others into doing things they originally did not want to do. Even more amazing, people
seemed to be happier for having done what Mr. Jones asked after the activity or task was
completed. NASA was so impressed with his people skills that they encouraged him to pursue
an MBA at the University of Houston, and paid for his education. After earning his degree, Mr.
Jones received a promotion to Department Head, where he successfully managed over 80
engineers for several years. Later promotions with greater responsibility occurred over the
years, and he ultimately joined the senior management team. Mr. Jones retired from NASA in
December of 2018 after more than 38 years of service.
Mr. Robert Jones – Entrepreneur
Mr. Jones was widowed early in life and as a result, spent the majority of his free time in his
massive personal workshop. Mr. Jones currently holds over 65 personal patents (not owned by
NASA). Eleven of his inventions went on to become components in technical or consumer
products. Rather than manufacturing the components himself, Mr. Jones licensed the
technology to the product manufacturers. In return, he earned royalty income from each
product that made use of one of his parts. Over time, foreign competitors began to offer
components that provided similar benefits at a lower cost, and as of 2019, Mr. Jones’ royalty
income has dwindled to a fraction of what it once was.
The Solar Fabric
As Chief Operations Officer for the new consumer products SBU, Mr. Jones believes he can
devote the time and energy necessary to managing the engineering, development, and
production of products related to his newest invention. He has already invested $400,000 in
the development and testing of a solar fabric prior to joining this new venture. The investment
firm’s Board of Directors is willing to invest an additional $1,000,000 to fund the launch of a
single product during the first year of his division’s operation. This means that the $1,000,000
will be used to cover start-up costs, production costs, marketing costs, and other costs until
sales revenues begin to trickle in, and it is anticipated that the $1,000,000 investment will be
covered through sales at year’s end.
This information is proprietary to Dr. Karen E. James and Mr. Robert Walker. Scanning, copying,
website posting, or reproducing and sharing in any form is strictly prohibited.
MKT 701
Marketing Strategy
Spring 2020
Even though Mr. Jones will draw an executive salary from the firm, his agreement with investors
specifies that his $400,000 initial investment be repaid by the first year’s sales, and that he will
also earn a 10% ROI on his $400,000 investment. In return, the Consumer Products SBU is
granted access to the solar cloth invented by Mr. Jones for use in the production of a consumer
goods product. HOWEVER, the firm cannot sell the raw material to commercial, industrial,
government, non-profit, or industrial customers. The new consumer products firm must use
the fabric as a raw material in the manufacturing of a new good that will be sold to
ultimate consumers as the primary target market.
The invention that Mr. Jones has just recently perfected and patented is a solar fabric. The
threads within the cloth capture the solar power. The threads are not separate from the
material; they cannot be seen or removed from the material. The solar threads and the
material are both patent-protected. The technology to manufacture the threads and the
composition of the threads is proprietary. The fabric does NOT contain solar panels or solar
batteries, detachable or otherwise.
The solar fabric can be used as a heating element or energy source. The solar fabric is NOT like
a space blanket. It does not reflect the body’s heat back on a person. It also does not radiate
heat from a distance, such as a heat lamp might do. Close contact with the material is required
to feel the heating effect. The material most closely resembles felt, and the strength of the
material is most similar to a thick piece of felt or a blanket. The cloth is soft and flexible, not
hardened. It is not designed to stretch. You couldn’t create a stretcher out of the material
alone. You have the option of altering the thickness or the coarseness of the material (within
reason) at no additional cost, but you couldn’t make it thick enough to support the weight of a
human being without it tearing.
The fabric can be very light (16 ounces per 6 ft x 8 ft piece of fabric), yet very warm. The
material is machine washable. It is flame retardant, and UL approved. The material can be
waterproofed and windproofed, if desired. It is possible to manufacture the material in a
variety of patterns and colors. The 8 x 6 ft material can easily have add-ons such as zippers,
buttons, drawstrings, elastic and other little things at no additional cost. If cut, it does not
require hemming, meaning the sides won’t fray, but you may want to hem it for aesthetic
purposes.
Charging and Using the Solar Fabric
The fabric must be exposed to direct or indirect sunlight for at least an hour of charging before
the fabric can be turned on to release heat or energy. Charging occurs in direct sunlight, and
indirect sunlight (through clouds, through windows). Exposure to indoor lighting does NOT
charge the fabric unless it is UV lighting. Moonlight does NOT charge the fabric. The fabric can
charge while in use if exposed to direct or indirect sunlight. The heat/energy output will stay at
This information is proprietary to Dr. Karen E. James and Mr. Robert Walker. Scanning, copying,
website posting, or reproducing and sharing in any form is strictly prohibited.
MKT 701
Marketing Strategy
Spring 2020
100% of the desired level until the charge expires, at which point the heat/energy will simply
stop until it is recharged.
Charging the fabric requires the ON button to be active. Turning the button OFF stops charging
and stores the energy. The energy stays stored in the fabric for several days (like a cell phone),
though it will eventually dissipate if not used. It doesn’t stay charged for months like a Duracell
battery. You cannot damage the fabric by overcharging. Four hours of charging equals eight
hours of warmth. The amount of energy time depends on the amount of energy drawn and the
task performed. When charging, 1 square foot of an 8’ x 6’ piece of fabric must be fully exposed
to the direct or indirect sunlight. Smaller fabric pieces require less proportionally less fabric
exposure, but smaller fabric pieces will also provide less energy, in proportion to the size of the
fabric. Thus a sheet 4’ by 3’ would have half the energy output as an 8’ by 6’ sheet.
Temperature Control
An on-off switch and temperature regulator are combined into a single unit for use as a heating
element. Your firm determines the specifications and can make it any size, and locate it
anywhere on the item. The on-off temperature regulator can be detachable. The default mode
of fabric when the regulator is detached is “ON” (meaning that the fabric is dispensing heat).
With the on-off switch, there are three temperature settings, low, medium and high. Your firm
decides what temperature to assign to each setting. Generally, though, the temperature range
will mimic that of an electric blanket. Hig…
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