We started in April with a non-existent product. The gap analysis showed a big $600 hole between the high-end walk mower and the low-end rider. Our job – help design and sell a new machine “from the ground up.”
MAY – Surveys. We targeted consumers who shopped the lawn and garden section of major retailers like Sears, Lowes, and Home Depot. By late-May we had enough data for the product design engineers. We drilled down using focus groups.
JUNE – Mall Intercepts. Testing a potential lift lever, speed changer, and seat. The high back seat was a big hit, but it added a $14 cost at manufacturing. We felt it was a good selling point.
AUGUST – Public Relations. Product engineers pieced one together and we took it to the lawn and garden magazine capital of the world – Ames, Iowa. We wanted to make it to the spring lawn and garden magazines. 20 editors were impressed and called it a “Category Buster.” We were encouraged.
SEPTEMBER – Distribution. We prepared the card deck to pitch the lawn and garden majors. Three of the majors delayed their decisions, but Wal-Mart was very interested. Eventually almost everyone bought.
OCTOBER-DECEMBER – Husqvarna ordered 50,000 Weed Eater Ones to be built. We refined the target audience to retirees who were downsizing and first-time home-owners. Our team created :30 second TV commercials and print ads.
MARCH-MAY – We placed media in select cities based on our target demo and other overlays including spring’s staggered arrival.
Advertising hit. The internet buzzed. What began as a gap analysis, our little $799 machine, sold out! The next year every major lawn mower manufacturer made their version of the Weed Eater One – a new category of mower was born. 12 months from idea to reality.
by: Mark Alison