5 class periods of 45 minutes each
Large Groups
Students will explore marketing concepts while creating a cereal product, and pricing and promoting it.
1- "Four Ps" poster from U.S.O.E.
2- Empty Cereal Box
3- Crayons
4- Scissors
5- Colored markers or pencils
6- Colored paper
7- Calculators
8- Computers (optional)
1- Explain the marketing principles of product, pricing, promotion, and placement and how they are utilized in targeting consumers.
2- Categorize products in the area of goods, services or information.
3- Create a marketable product.
Day #1: WHAT IS MARKETING AND THE FOUR P'S?
a. Discuss with students what marketing is, and what the Four Ps are. (See resources: The "Four Ps" poster -- use daily, Activity #1 -- Product Identification, Activity 2 -- The Four Ps Activity, and the overhead presentation, "What is Marketing?" An Overhead Presentation for TLC" -- Appendix A.) Please note: A color version of this presentation is available for download on the marketing education web page.
b. What is a consumer?
A person who selects, purchases, uses, and disposes of goods and/or services.
c. How Do We Determine Which Products To Market?
1.Wants and Needs
2.Target Market
3.Field Research
Day #2: THE CEREAL BOX PROJECT
A major manufacturer of nutritious and delicious breakfast cereals
has just hired you. Your first assignment is to work with a team
that has been given the responsibility of developing a brand new cold
breakfast cereal. You will come up with the product idea, packaging,
brand name, cereal name, and price. Most products are aimed at
specific consumers called target markets.
Target Markets are specific consumers that have wants and needs
in common and therefore would be looking for the same specific product. Three to
six year old children and their buyers (their parents) would want a different cereal
than serious athletes or retired individuals sixty to eighty years old. The product
needs to meet the needs and wants of the target consumers.
You will be creating this cereal for the folowing target market:
TARGET MARKET for your cereal:
The target market is made up of young teenagers (both sexes) from 12-14. They are starting to become independent and want to be "grown" up." They look to teenagers as their role models, love popular music, sports, and video games. Their parents still make the ultimate decision about which breakfast cereal to buy. The parents want a nutritious cereal that will provide a good breakfast, but also one that their teenagers will eat.As a team (generally 2 members):
Day #3 & 4: PROMOTION
Promotion is letting people know about products and services in a positive way so
they will want to buy. Promotion tells us what is available.
Promotion PERSUADES us to buy one product instead of another.
Promotion REMINDS us of a product that we already know about.
Promotion INFORMS us of new ways to use a product or about guarantees or special
ingredients.
PACKAGING is part of promotion. It can persuade, remind and inform us. Packaging
sells the product in addition to protecting it. Your package and its design will help set
apart your product from all other cereals on the store shelf. The package design must
attract the consumer's eye and motivate him/her to purchase your cereal.
DAY #5: SELLING YOUR PRODUCT TO STOCKHOLDERS
You were employed by a major manufacturer of nutritious and delicious breakfast
cereals to produce, price and package a new cold breakfast cereal for young
teenagers.. Now you must present your idea to the stockholders (your class) to see
if they will support the production of this cereal.
You will be PROMOTING YOUR PRODUCT - presenting it in a positive way so the
stockholders will buy your idea. They must believe that your target market will buy
your product instead of the competitors.
Your team will do a 1 or 2 minute presentation that will include:
Conclusion: A statement encouraging your stockholders (class) to develop this cereal product and your belief that it will do well against the competition.