A deep dive into the optimal target segment for an innovative small kitchen appliance. This is a portion of a 3-month long product development project presented in Fall 2008 at the VCU Brandcenter. The complete document (Product Development Flex Multicooker) walks through an integrated product launch campaign that spanned all facets of marketing, distribution, pricing, packaging and consumer strategy.

1. Flex Multicooker
Target Profile
T3
Blanton/Marbury/Steichen/Swaminathan

2. Rosalyn Jane Carson
Life comes at me fast, but it’s the way I like it. It has been a whirlwind since my time at the
University of Georgia. Friends have moved every which way, but thank goodness for the Internet
and my Blackberry that helps me stay in touch. After graduating, my first job was a dream come
true. I got my feet wet in Coca-Cola’s large corporate setting and set my focus on my career. I
loved the constant on-the-go feeling with meals consisting of turkey wraps and coffee in the car. It’s
amazing as to how quick things change…
Currently, I live just outside Washington, D.C. with my husband Hank, and two daughters Isabel and
Amanda. Having kids changed my lifestyle completely. They have been a great blessing yet the
increase in tricky and sticky situations leaves me a little flustered at times. Especially when it comes
to preparing complete meals. I took some time off to care for my first child, Isabel, and in the
meantime learned how to really cook a thing or two. Hank has never been so proud! My mom
introduced me to a slow cooker and in a way it changed my life. Since I’m usually multi-tasking
when I’m cooking, watching pots and pans on a stove required too much attention. With the
cooker I could tend to my child or prepare a delicious garden salad at the same time without the
worry of ruining a meal.
Now that I am older and my girls have grown taller and more expensive, I decided to get back into
the hustle and bustle of the workforce. These days time management is key when balancing the
responsibilities of work, life and family.You could say the typical day usually consist of multiple team
meetings, PTA projects, shuttling the girls home after soccer practice, and keeping up with my
parents and brother Pete. And oh did I forget to mention feeding the dog, too? While I’m back at
the everyday grind of work and have a scatterbrained, but highly demanding boss, I still love to
make plans: get together with the neighbors, have family over, or go to a concert. In fact, my to-do
list is already highlighted with weekend and holiday plans to be made. More times than not my
social itinerary includes food, because who doesn’t love a good meal?
Cooking has become one of my guilty pleasures especially now that time doesn’t come as freely as
I wish it did. Because I enjoy making at least one full elaborate meal, I’m interested in quality
kitchen gear that not only makes cooking easier, but also saves time. In fact, next week Auburn
comes to town and you better believe my slow cooker will be turned on high and ready for the
tailgate! Go Bulldogs!

3. Segmentation Snapshot
Geographic Behavioristic Psychographic Demographic
Purchase Occasion
Region Societal Division Age
Holidays, Gift Registry,
Eastern Half of United States Middle of the Road 28 - 52
Social Gatherings
Population Density Benefits Sought Lifestyle Sex
Urban - Suburban Convenience Achievers Female
User Status
Climate Personality Family Size
Potential, First-time, or Regular
Skewed to Southern climates Ambitious 3+
Users
Usage Rate Family Life Cycle
Monthly Average Married or Single w/ Children
Loyalty Status Income
Medium $75,000+
Readiness Stage Occupation
Unaware or Interested Professional, Proprietor
Marketing-Factor Sensitivity Education
Quality & Price College Graduate
Religion:
Protestant

4. Geographic

5. Northeast
West Midwest
18.2%
21.0% 24.2%
South
36.6%
%
Moms
Geographic Location 82.8 million
Estimated number of mothers in US
59.3%
Percentage of working mothers
U.S. Census Bureau
Simmons Fall 2006

6. Behavioristic

7. Behavioristic
Financial &
Purchase Decisions
Like 85% of married moms, Rosalyn influences the
financial decisions at home as well as buys the vast
majority of all household items. Therefore, when
Rosalyn is chatting with friends and family about
shopping, food, household products, etc. it is important
for our product to be intermingled into the
conversation.
© 2008 by Yankelovich, Inc.
MediaPost April 21, 2008

8. Behavioristic
Shopping Behavior
She is more likely to shop at Target (41% of the women shoppers have income of
100K+, 52% 75K+) than Wal-Mart. This important when thinking about distribution.
Ease of checkout is important to her. Enough to where it determines where she shops.
Yes, we are more likely to find Rosalyn shopping at Target, but if there is an alternative to
get the essentials she is looking for elsewhere she will.
Rosalyn prefers using trusted brands and is not easily swayed by private labels.
Rosalyn likes the routine places she has on her radar for shopping and it takes a lot
for change from that routine.
Rosalyn is part of a lucrative market that is now being recognized by companies such as Home
Depot, Dell, and Best Buy. Over the last 10 years, females who earn 100K+ has tripled. More
and more are setting up electronics and doing home repairs. They are now being bombarded
even more with messages, which they pay less attention to than other markets.

9. Behavioristic
Shopping Behavior
Rosalyn likes to walk around, smell perfumes, touch
clothes, and tryout cosmetics. Yet, she wants attention
and direction. She likes to tell a sales associate what she
is looking for and have them do the rest; showing her
the various options and offering recommendations.
Therefore, it is important for our product to have a
positive relationship with the sales team at the
distribution outlets. Rosalyn can be swayed by personal
recommendation.

10. Behavioristic
Help Me!
Rosalyn is more likely (56%) than not to
forward a link to someone online, which is why
people often ask her her opinion on new
products.
Among Moms
Preference regarding products:
Customer Reviews 79%
or
Known experts’ opinions 20%
Preference regarding products when shopping:
Ask friends and family their opinions 72%
or
Ask sales representatives their opinions 28%
Preference regarding products when shopping:
Research the product on my own 64%
or
Ask sales reps to tell me everything they know about a product 36%
© 2008 by Yankelovich, Inc.

11. Behavioristic
Family Life
Rosalyn is entertained by playing and doing
activities with her kids. She understands the
essential role she plays in raising the family,
and betters herself by reading magazines such
as Parenting, Money, and Real Simple.
Rosalyn enjoys watching age-appropriate
programming with her children, providing
opportunities for our company to create
commercials or sponsor programs that
appeal to kids and parents alike. These
include, Nickelodeon, Disney and ABC Family.

12. Behavioristic
Routine
Life as a working Mom keeps her short of
a regular routine. Any type of routine is
lead by the events that occur in her
children’s lives. Whether its an unexpected
PTA project or the chicken pox, she’s
constantly shaping her routine to add
stability to her children’s. Don’t
misunderstand her though, she does
methodical things over and over - laundry,
dishes, chauffeuring to ballet class. But in
the midst of that, Rosalyn’s putting out
fires left and right, stopping her chores to
put on an impromptu puppet show with
the kids, and answering email and phone
calls about who-knows-what.

13. Behavioristic
DIY
Rosalyn’s a do-it-yourself kind of gal doing
about 90% of the house maintenance,
cleaning, car upkeep, cooking, laundry,
shopping, budgeting, planning, etc.

14. Behavioristic
Family Trips
Since the birth of her children, vacations have
become high priority in life. While the kids were
younger she only had to work around her husbands’
schedule for planning the family trip, but now that
she’s back at work there are two schedules to
balance.Vacations while the children are out of school
consist of beach trips and visits to Grandma’s.
Rosalyn appreciates this time with her kids and also
the chance to unwind.

15. Psychographic

16. Psychographic
Family Priorities
Among children, spouse, or self,
which is your first priority in life?
Me My Children My Spouse
6%8%
86%
Moms with oldest child <6
15%4%
81%
Moms with oldest child 6-11
20% 7%
73%
Moms with oldest child 12-17
© 2008 by Yankelovich, Inc.

17. Psychographic
Cooking Habits
I show love for my
81%
family by making
sure they get home-
cooked meals as
often as possible
74%
I put a lot of care
and emotion into my
cooking
52%
Way of expressing
yourself: Cooking
from scratch
© 2008 by Yankelovich, Inc.

18. Psychographic
Social Connections
Combine Rosalyn’s need for community and
connections with her insatiable appetite for
information. Add in the need to solve very real lifestyle
problems. Then throw in a generous dose of skepticism
toward experts, sales personnel and business more
generally. It’s no surprise the result is a veritable stew
of networks that Rosalyn relies on when making many
marketplace decisions. Rosalyn doesn’t just use
networks; she often is the network. She spreads the
news on products and information and receive
emotional rewards in doing so.

19. Psychographic
Economic Time
The economic times have brought mentionable size
changes to the landscape of how people, and in our
case moms, shop today. Certain superstores have
thrived under these conditions as people go there
to save money on food and electronics. More
people are eating at home, which bolds well for the
introduction of our product.
Although highly anxious or cash strapped
consumers are more difficult to connect with due
to their more negative views about businesses and
advertising, they still have wants, needs and desires.
Rosalyn is no different. Reach her when her guard
is down— usually while watching television—with a
message that reinforces security, family and warmth.

20. Psychographic
Media Influence
Leverage the power of television.
Despite the perception that the effectiveness
of advertising on television is declining due to
the fragmented media marketplace, there isn’t
a better medium to reach a highly anxious
Rosalyn. By meeting her needs and
gratifications, TV programming lessens
Rosalyn’s annoyance toward advertising.
Focus on the family. When feeling the
pressures of an economic downturn, Rosalyn
is more likely than the rest of the population
to be comforted by images of warmth and
family. Products, services and marketing must
be tailored to meet her needs.

21. Self-Aware
Independent
inspirational
seeks
consumer
Innovator variety
Rosalyn
impulsive consumer
Reliable
self-expressive
Optimistic take-charge
savors the new
Energized
motivated
social
Experiencer