EXECUTIVE SUMMARYWith over 1. 6 million pounds of non-degradable disposable diapers finding their way into garbage dumps across America, many Americans are turning toward a more environmentally safe diaper for their babies to avoid the continued build-up of non-degradable diapers. Americans spend approximately $2. 7 billion dollars per year for disposable diapers, but that number has been shrinking due to the encroachment of cloth diapers and delivery services with an estimated $400 million in sales each year. Needless to say, the disposable diaper market is a huge, billion-dollar industry.
These products are especially attractive to dual-income families and single parents who don’t have the time to wash cloth diapers and don’t want to spend the extra money for a diaper delivery service. Competitors in the market all boast the same type of product with absorbent pads, surrounded by a snug-fitting plastic diaper that is secured using tape connectors. There is some product differentiation in packaging, non-allergenic claims, and pad size ranging from ultra-thin to thick, but other than that there is very little difference between products. Despite the popularity of disposable diapers, however, many consumers are turning away from disposable diapers because they are not biodegradable. Given this gap in the market, Bio-Diapers has been developed to provide ecology-minded consumers with an environmentally safe disposable diaper. This new line of biodegradable disposable diapers will feature all the elements that are popular among users of disposable diapers, but will include that added benefit — biodegradability.
The revolutionary new advancement in the disposable diaper market will attract consumers who are concerned about the environment as well as those consumers using cloth diapers and diaper services because the disposable diapers currently on the market are non-degradable. Bio-Diapers will be available for babies ranging from newborns all the way up to 30 pounds and over. We will offer them in a variety of colorful designs and pad sizes. Our marketing objectives and strategies are highlighted in the following pages. We anticipate placing Bio-Diapers on the market by the summer of 2000.
As you can see, the executive summary for Bio-Diapers is not a long, drawn-out account listing all the profit projections, strategies, tactics, etc. That is for the plan itself. It does provide a descriptive summary that grabs the reviewer’s attention and creates the curiosity necessary to impel the reader to the next section of the marketing plan. PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONThe purpose of this plan is to demonstrate the need for a high-quality, biodegradable disposable diaper that will fill a gap left in the marketplace by large disposable-diaper manufacturers. In a survey of 1,000 parents commissioned by Softie Baby Care Inc.
and conducted by Timmons Research, over 60 percent of the respondents were extremely concerned about the environment and the effects of non-degradable diapers; 20 percent were mildly concerned; 15 percent were concerned; and 5 percent used cloth diapers or a service. Clearly this survey points to the importance parents are placing upon the environment. The solution we are providing to these consumers is a biodegradable disposable diaper at a price point that is just 20 percent above that of regular disposable diapers. The “Bio-Diaper” will be produced in all standard diaper sizes and will feature various nursery designs to appeal to a more affluent, brand-name-oriented consumer.
To reach these consumers, we will introduce the Bio-Diaper through specialty stores and mail order to begin with, slowly moving to large retail chains and supermarkets. It is our goal to supplant the need for regular disposable diapers. As you can see, the sample introduction starts with an explanation detailing the reason for the plan and quickly moves into supporting evidence that plainly illustrates the need described in the preceding sentence. From the first paragraph, the introduction moves into the second paragraph that details the whole thrust of the plan. The readers learn that the proposed product is a biodegradable diaper that is priced very competitively with regular disposable diapers. It also goes on to indicate an entry point into the market that provides a better understanding of the marketing strategy suggested to reach the goal listed at the end of the introduction.
MARKET ANALYSIS Today, babies mean big business. Over the last few years, retailers of
