Marketing Proposal Project

Verizon Project Proposal

Child Alert

MKT421

Verizon- in General

From the Verizon web page, "Verizon Communications.... is one of the world's leading providers of high-growth communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wire line and wireless communications in the United States, with nearly 135 million access line equivalents and over 30 million wireless customers.

Verizon is also the world's largest provider of print and online directory information. A Fortune 10 company with more than 241,000 employees and $67 billion in 2001 revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 45 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific."

With this as a backdrop, Verizon is in a strong position to implement a program to provide monitoring services for parents whose child has moved beyond an established distance from the parent.

Verizon Foundation

Verizon has a charitable foundation that lends support through technology, personnel and money to worthy causes. The media constantly reports predators who strike without notice with a result that finds children moved vast distances from the family and Verizon is in a position to help those families. The Verizon Foundation recognizes a need to increase the use of technology and found a way to assist those in need as illustrated from the following comments on their web site.

"Information tools, such as the personal computer and the Internet, are increasingly critical to economic success and personal advancement. According to Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide - a paper published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) -- more Americans than ever have access to telephones, computers and the Internet. At the same time, however, NTIA has found that there is a significant digital divide separating Americans who have access to computers and the Internet and those who do not. Indeed, in many instances, the digital divide has widened in the last year."

The child-finding device, which Verizon is sponsoring, will expand technological use to sectors disadvantaged in that use, while presenting a model capable of universal applications. At the same time, this apparatus will also be available to those knowledgeable of technology and seeking a simplistic method to locate lost-children.

Product/Service Identity

The Child-Alert device consists of a bracelet with a "special chip" that attaches to the child. Fastened with a locking mechanism, it requires an access unique for each device. The parent's cell phone is also equipped with a "special chip" that links it to the child's bracelet and accommodates a special adapter allowing the police to access the specialized information and connect to Verizon's GPS global tracking network. All of the devices used for the Child-Alert system are subminiature and not noticeable to the average person.

The Verizon marketing department has decided to market the locator as a service. The marketing department will base their marketing plan on the potential lives saved by the locator instead of the locator itself. The department also feels that in the wake of the rising child abduction cases here in America, families will buy into the safety of being able to locate their children at any time, especially in light of the explosion of terrorist acts in our country. America is looking for more and more safety and the child locator will provide that added measure of safety. We have the capabilities in place to implement this product without spending millions on new towers or satellites. Since the company's merger with Bell Atlantic and GTE, we already have more than enough satellites and towers in place to manage the signal transmission of the child locators.

Since our product is a one-way transmitter, securely attachable to the child, the price for one is very affordable. Most Americans have at least one or two cell phones, so in an attempt to boost Verizon phone sales, customers will get special rates for using multiple Verizon products and services. Our target market for advertising the new product are parents of all ages, with a special emphasis on parents with children between the ages of 5 and 17 because these ages have the freedom to leave the yard to play with other children along sidewalks or next door. An average child's abduction happens close to their home and American families fear for their child's safety.

Market Research

Market research can help anticipate customer needs while reducing risks during the introduction of a new product, such as the Child-Alert system, besides keeping an eye on the competition. There are two categories of market research data, primary and secondary research. Primary market research is data collection from the customers, competitors, employees and suppliers. Secondary market research extracts industry data from completed studies, books, journals and other published resources.

What we will use to determine product feasibility

* Basic demographic information: The age, sex, geographical region, marital status and so on of our existing and potential customers and clients. In-depth demographic information provides details on grouping's preferences and buying habits.

* Psychographics or lifestyle analysis: A person's pattern of living as expressed in that person's activities, interests and opinions.

* Customer ideas and opinions: Information such as product quality preferences, motivators of buying decisions, color preferences, and so on.

* Buying cycles or patterns: Are the purchases spontaneous or planned? Is it a purchase for self or a gift for others?

* Strategic alliance opportunities: Who else is doing what we do? What companies could complement our product or service offerings if we worked together?

* Opportunities for beating our competition: What is important to our customers -- Price, Quality, Features, Prestige or combinations of two or more?

How we Gather Customer Information

1. Focus groups and surveys. Focus groups will provide our team the opportunity to talk directly to customers. Our job is to listen to what they have to say about our products. Focus groups usually are small, and we typically have to pay customers for their time. Surveys give us a wider audience, while allowing qualified multiple-choice questions.