Trap Ease

If a man [can]... make a better mousetrap than his neighbor...the world will make a beaten path to his door.

True, but only if the world perceives more value in it than the next door neighbor's.

Statement of the Problem

The problem Martha's currently encountering is the fact that despite the publicity and the proven uniqueness of Trap-Ease mousetrap, both demand and sales fall radically short of expectations. The purpose of this analysis is to identify the root of the problem and how it can possibly be solved.

Price

It was stated in the article that the Trap-Ease was approximately five to ten times more expensive than the standard traps already present in the market. This is largely due to the innovative concept of trapping mice in a mess-free method, and not as a consequence of more expensive raw materials. Trap-Ease utilizes plastic that is generally less costly than wood, thin steel metals and springs which compose the traditional mousetrap. No matter how much more expensive the cost of a new product is, it must not cost higher than the existing unless it possessed mechanics incredibly special, inevitably making customers feel that they are getting the value for their money. Since the innovative plastic mousetrap aims to reach the market with its new concept (something abstract), it will take much more than a low price for buyers to realize its value. Decreasing the introductory price, among other factors, will help increase sales by attracting new shoppers or diverting them from the traditional product. Once Trap-Ease has firmly established its name in the market by gradually increasing market share, prices may be increased eventually, but not as of the moment. This does not imply that prices must be lowered in a hasty manner. Management needs to price the products that would at least break even all the costs incurred for the first year or so.

"...customers appeared to offer little initial price resistance." This only pertains to buyers who have already bought the product. The statement in the first sentence automatically limits the already small target market that Martha has pursued by disregarding those who did not buy the product for reasons that may or may not have included the price factor. Furthermore, there had not been enough repeat buying in the part of the customers for reasons we have yet to learn. We can without a doubt say, however, that prices are influential in the process of decision-making.

According to research, Martha has discovered that Trap-Ease has generally been used as a display material or treated as a novelty item rather than a weapon against mice. The target market does not seem to be comfortable using such an expensive tool for everyday mice control. Furthermore, the product has been introduced as something disposable. If customers had to buy these mousetraps and use them only for a brief period of time, they would certainly not pay five times as much if a cheaper one is available.

Product

Though change is constant, most people are not used to welcoming it with eagerness and enthusiasm. So too with new products. It would take much effort and creativity for new products to penetrate a market that already consists of similar merchandise. How a new product will fare would rely highly on several factors such as quality, design, features, brand name, packaging, and services offered.

With its proven usefulness and effective trapping mechanism, the traditional mousetrap has very well gained its niche in society over the years. Trap-Ease, possessing a rather unique approach to mouse-trapping, offers quality inventories made of plastic which guarantees the full proof mechanism.

Its design and features enable consumers to avoid having direct physical contact with the mouse throughout the whole ordeal of setting up, trapping, and disposing of the revolting creature. Opposite this is the traditional mousetrap where one has to personally pull the metal spring bar to set the trap. Once a mouse is locked in, blood is expected to spurt from the sudden snap of the mechanism. This will be a nauseating sight aside from the mess caused by the whole process of trapping. In addition to cleaning the immediate environment, one has to carefully pull the metal spring bar back to release the mouse into the trash can. Afterwards, the mechanism must be washed off the remains of the previous mouse. With Trap-Ease, none of these need necessarily be done which would save users time to engage in other things. In addition to this, the modern mousetrap is durable owing to its simplistic mechanism. Furthermore, users need not agonize over the risk of catching their fingers under the device during set up nor is it edible like mothballs for children to eat.

Aesthetically speaking, Trap-Ease is designed such that the trapped mouse would be concealed as opposed to the traditional mousetrap where the creature is repulsively visible. Viewing this in a different angle however, if the mousetrap is nontransparent as it presumably is, then it is no safer for the children than the traditional spring mousetrap. Since Trap-Ease does not appear like a mousetrap, children will see it around the house wondering what it is. By nature, these children will play with the device, even opening the lid where the mouse is trapped. If the creature is still alive, it will run out and startle the child. Besides the direct physical contact that may endanger the child in countless ways, the mouse escapes yet again. The very purpose of the mousetrap is defeated. On the other hand, if the mouse has been dead for quite some time in the Trap-Ease, what would befall on the child but filthy mouse excretion with its foul-smelling, hardened corpse? Again, the child is exposed to danger. Lastly, the odor of an un-sanitized creature such as a mouse in a dense, compacted area is repulsive in itself. Would the enclosed Trap-Ease prevent the odor from diffusing or would it serve as an indication of a rotting mouse? The point being driven at is the inaccuracy of the phrase "Safe for kids and pets" in its ads. The company must remember to emphasize what their product is unique for and avoid half-truth statements. This must be pointed out owing to the possibility that customers may indeed believe in the guarantee so much so that if the situation above does occur at one point or another, they will be greatly dismayed and Trap-Ease will be eternally stained. It will eventually kill the product.

Trap-Ease can either be reused or disposed depending on the customer's preference. It is no different than the traditional mousetrap in this sense, yet again failing to justify Trap-Ease's quintuple-fold