Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
Who: Although everyone I conducted interviews with liked my idea and seemed to fall inside my market, there are groups that fall outside of my market. These individuals are people who are not open to eating plant-based foods. These people love their classic fast food burger and fries from McDonald's, chicken sandwich and milkshake from Chick-Fil-A, or beef tacos from Taco Bell. These people love meat and don't want to eat plant-based meat substitutes. They love what they're used to and they don't want to try something new. Another group that falls outside my market are people that want cheap food. Some people are convinced that healthy food is expensive, so a healthy fast food restaurant will be more expensive than regular fast food. These people want to get a lot of food for not a lot of money.
What: The original need that I identified was for a healthy fast food restaurant on campus. After interviewing people I realized that there was an opportunity to differentiate from other "healthy" fast food places by focusing on sustainability. This is where the opportunity for being a plant-based fast food restaurant came from. It still satisfies the need for fast, healthy food, but it also satisfies another need, which is to be better for the environment. This is also what led to the idea for being 100% plastic-free and biodegradable, and to have compost bins.
Why: I do see the need as being slightly different for those outside the boundary. For those inside the boundary the greatest concerns are health and environment, whereas for those outside the boundary the greatest concerns are price and familiarity.
Inside the boundary
Who:
Outside the boundary
Who:
What: The original need that I identified was for a healthy fast food restaurant on campus. After interviewing people I realized that there was an opportunity to differentiate from other "healthy" fast food places by focusing on sustainability. This is where the opportunity for being a plant-based fast food restaurant came from. It still satisfies the need for fast, healthy food, but it also satisfies another need, which is to be better for the environment. This is also what led to the idea for being 100% plastic-free and biodegradable, and to have compost bins.
Why: I do see the need as being slightly different for those outside the boundary. For those inside the boundary the greatest concerns are health and environment, whereas for those outside the boundary the greatest concerns are price and familiarity.
Inside the boundary
Who:
- People who eat plant-based
- People who are environmentally conscious
- People who are health conscious
- People who are working towards living a healthier lifestyle
- To provide a healthy fast food alternative
- To provide plant-based options made with nutritious ingredients such as lean proteins, whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables
- To provide a "greener" fast food alternative
- To provide convenient, on-the-go, food options
- Fast food is the leading cause of obesity
- Fast food is the single largest contributor to green house gasses
- The consumption of meat and dairy is a key contributor to a rising number of health problems
Outside the boundary
Who:
- People who do not want to eat plant-based
- People who are not environmentally conscious
- People who are not health conscious
- To provide food made with cheap ingredients such as high fat meat, refined grains, added sugar and fats, and high sodium
- To provide quick, convenient on-the-go options
- To provide a lot of food for a low price
- To provide delicious food
- Fast food has become ingrained in American culture
- Fast food is cheap and convenient
- Sometimes there aren't any other options
This is a great idea, veganism has been around for a LONG time relating more to religion such as Hinduism but only recently are people starting to understand the health benefits of becoming vegan. It is also popular to do things like Meatless Mondays which you can use to market to those trying to live a healthier lifestyle without having to convert them.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace! This is a really great post. It shows that you have a genuine interest in your topic and that you are willing to seeing all sides of the market. I think you did a great job of identifying that some people, like myself, are not willing to try plant-based alternatives or want to eat cheaply. I can’t wait to read more posts in the future.
ReplyDelete~Mady
Hi Grace! Very insightful post. Although plant based living is definately a trend emerging in todays world, there are still those that will opt for their favorite fast food restaurants. As you alluded to, places like Chick-fil-a and McDonald's primarily serve meat-based options, but are still widely popular because people love the taste and the price. In addition, these restaurants are far more ubiquitous, easy to find and quick in service. While I don't think the implementation of plant-based restaurants that offer this kind of service is impossible, it will definately take many years, allowing traditional fast-food restaurants to continue to thrive.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Grace, way to recognize your market. I am one of those people who doesn't want to eat plant based food. While i'm fine eating vegetarian or vegan I try to eat as naturally as possible, that includes red meat, chicken and fish. One of my issues with things like Beyond Meat is that it's highly processed. I think you address people like me really well!
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