Auto Starter is a portable battery which can supply power to any device with a 12-volt adapter. These are commonly found in automobiles (through the cigarette lighter) and Auto Starter can start the engine of a car with a dead battery, or can supplement the power of the car's own battery. In addition, Auto Starter can power other 12-volt devices such as portable refrigerators, laptop computers and cellular phones.
To date, Auto Starter has been marketed through a mail order catalog and the Internet with an emphasis on the auto starting capabilities. By expanding its market reach to include employees who telecommute as well as the leisure market (including recreational vehicle owners), the company should be able to rapidly expand its market reach.
To accomplish this, the current product should be rebranded to include Jump Free Start (to target the auto battery market) and Power Anywhere, to address the portable power feature. Jump Free Start will continue to encounter competition from other battery starters, and Power Anywhere will encounter competition from other power supply companies.
The marketing mix should include pricing at the current level with additional quantity breaks, and attention should be focused on large fleet managers (such as taxicab companies and police organizations) which have a need for reliable power. The company should focus on positioning its twin products as providing reliable power, anytime, anywhere.
Before any recommendations can be made regarding the marketing of Auto Starter, it is necessary to understand the current marketing strategy being used by the company.
Auto Starter is a sealed alkaline rechargeable unit with enough power to start an automobile from inside the vehicle. The unit can also be used to power cell phones and laptop computers (or any other 12V appliance, such as a camping refrigerator). This is an independent power source which is compact (2.5" x 7.5" x 1 7/8") and...