Evaluation

Planters nowadays really have a tough business to be involved in. In between day to day taking care of their crops, harvesting and selling them, it really maximises their physical resources. They do not have the luxury of time or finances to experiment with new alternatives and innovate on their offerings. Throughout this project we have demonstrated a few ways in which they are able to mitigate the risks they take, be more efficient in their production, secure repeat customers and be able to upsell their products. This may only be the start of the real agricultural revolution and it has to be sustained with more innovations to keep their business going and finally achieving food resilience in the Mauritius. As illustrated in Figure below, there are six stages in the product life cycle: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation and stagnation which can then lead to either rejuvenation or decline.

The success of this project will depend mainly on the ability of Planters to innovate further and also using the right marketing mix. The longevity of the project is also critical as the current spending/consuming habits of Mauritians can be altered in a significant manner for the betterment of resiliency and the local economy.

Pr oduct Development

Source: Graphical depiction of Product Development by Professor Richard Butler

SWOT Analysis of Solutions Proposed

STRENGTHS

 Unique and Innovative  Eco-friendly  Responds to Current requirements  Easy to implement  Aligns with current trend requirement which may help financing

OPPORTUNITIES

 Development of a new market  Increase recycling of plastics  Potential for growth  Integration of other similar solutions and experimentation with other varieties of plants

S WOT

WEAKNESSES

 Seasonality of crops  Access or shortage of plastic recyclables  Transporting of the upside-down planters

THREATS

 Dishonest planters and fraudulent products  Inactivity once critical awareness is achieved  Negative reviews

Market Segmentation

Mauritius is a small country and the agricultural industry is supported mainly by tourists with locals playing an important support role during the low seasons.

Marketing Mix

Another tool to analyse the effectiveness of the products that are offered, is to evaluate the marketing mix using the 4P method. It aims to analyse the different elements that go into promotion and the general guidelines being followed to ensure effectiveness.

1. Product:

The product must do what consumers expect it to do. Meeting and exceeding expectations are minimum requirements for long-term success. Being available readily to the customer is the right strategy of introducing these new solutions in order to enter the rejuvenation phase in the business.