My name is Clement A. Skirpan and my product invention is a small Bumper Chalk Board to display people's interests and hobbies. It is designed to be used primarily on the trunk or back area of a vehicle. The purchaser could attach the small chalk board anywhere on their vehicle or elsewhere, where the surface is smooth and relatively flat.
The automotive Bumper Chalk Board will have the beginning of a sentence like: I Love..., (or an "I" inside a red heart) or I Enjoy... and a writable area in which a person can populate with whatever word they choose. All the person will need is a piece of white or colored chalk. It is easily erasable so the person can change the word at will, based on their mood. (eg. I Love Football); (eg. I Enjoy Gardening); (eg. "I Heart" Jesus) The products will be made as light weight as possible because extra weight will result in extra fuel mileage and I would like to keep the concept as eco-green as possible. This may also make it less costly per unit to produce and distribute. The panel area that is blank will also be capable of sandwiching a printed, laminated card into it in case the purchaser would not want to use it as a chalk board. This card can be produced and sold as a complementary product, or the customer can make up their own card. In this respect the product is multifunctional and up to the desires of the user.
New-Product Strategy: The strategy would be to eventually sell the product in any venue after-market auto accessories are sold. Internet auto websites, auto part stores, department stores are all available distribution centers. I would first keep things simple and start out with only one size option and three design/text options. Through the use of customer critique/feedback and situation analysis it will be determined if any new sizes or saying need to be developed to fit a new product niche. I would like the customers to be co-creators in the development process through the social media websites facebook and twitter. I would like there to be an online community built around the Bumper Boards where customers share their loves and enjoyments with each other. They would be able to upload photos of their designs to inspire others. I can picture people being creative and wanting to show off their handiwork and uniqueness. I would like to have online contests where winners will receive gift cards for auto parts stores or fuel at gas stations. This will create customer value and word-of-mouth marketing for the product. The strategy is to stay current and offer new product lines and styles using customer wants as the motivational factor.
Idea Generation: The idea came to me as I was brainstorming for any new product based on customer wants and needs. I have heard, but just a few months prior, that American's were starting to personalize their cars more and more as a market trend, almost in the same way they are spending frivolously on their pets. I have also heard foreign auto makers, through recent technological advances, are trying to capitalize on the attachments people are making to their cars by attempting to give autos more automotive personality. I would like to give automobiles more of the owners personality.
Idea Screening: The concept was screened among family members and friends using the concept test method and they all gave both thumbs up for the potential product. I acknowledge there may be bias present, so this approval among familiars cannot be solely relied on. I would need to acquire a willing study group of vehicle owners through a random sampling method. I would give this study group the same concept test and analyze the data.
Business Analysis:
Demand: The demand it there for the product. Vehicle owners are already customizing their car in other similar ways.
Cost: Chalkboard paint for the writing surface costs $14.93/gallon at Walmart. The Home Depot sells Rust-Oleum Specialty Chalkboard Black Quart Brush-On Paint 2-Pack for 24.97. Research needs to be made to find out which paint is the best for outdoor use. I may also consider buying magnetic chalkboard paint so small car magnets can be stuck to it. A gallon of paint will go a long way, 450 square feet, so the paint is not too much of an expense.
The product would need to have some way of attaching to the car. The best way is to use Moulding & Emblem Tape. It is an extra-strong double-faced acrylic adhesive. It is already used in the automotive industry to reinstall loose vinyl side moulding without replacing hard-to-find moulding clips. Features waterproof, cross-linked, closed-cell polyethylene with rugged adhesive. It can be applied in temperatures as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It holds tight from -20 degrees to +150 degrees Fahrenheit. A 50 ft. roll costs $11.99. Another alternative/substitute brand is 3MTM Scotch MountTM Molding Tape, but it costs considerably more at $7.00 for 1/2 in x 15 ft. Research will need to be made on the best tape to use for durability and holdability.
The hardest costs to pinpoint are the cost of manufacturing the plastic parts and the cost of chroming it. The first plastic which was commercially electroplated was ABS plastic and this is what most, if not all, chromed plastic automotive parts are made from. There is nothing that can’t be chromed, you just have to find someone who knows how to do it. Other plastics may still be considered. Germany has just developed new technology for chroming in which the whole system is water-based. This seems to be a green alternative and will also be considered.
ABS Dynamics is one of the largest Aftermarket Automotive Restyling manufacturers in Taiwan and specializing in ABS Plastic. They are actively looking for entrepreneurs who have an idea to make a product line under their own design. The entrepreneur would just need to contact their wholesale department to get the project started. If an overseas plant such as this one produced the plastic it will potentially be much less expensive to produce. All U.S. companies will still be considered and preferred.
The plastic piece #1 will cost about $2/unit.
Plastic piece #2 will cost about $2/unit
The chroming of plastic piece #1 will be about $2/unit.
The printing of the words on plastic piece #2 will cost about $1/unit
The miniature chalk board will be about $2/unit and it will get sandwiched between the two plastic parts.
Tape needed to fasten the product to the car $.50/unit.
Packaging $1/unit
Labor for assembly and packaging will be about $.50/unit.
Out-the-door product total cost should be about $11.
Sales: The product retail price should be around $16.99 so as to keep it affordable for the customers and to make the sales profitable for the store and my business.
Profit: I figure profits will rise year after year through word of mouth, people noticing them on the backs of cars and wanting one of their own. With the large contribution margin I foresee large profits.
Development: A research and development team will produce a prototype and a marketing team will work on packaging, branding and labeling. A good brand name needs to be chosen. The finished prototype, once all the decisions are made on the size and appearance, can be used to show the plastics manufacturer to get a quote for the production of the units.
Once an agreement is reached, I could provide my sample to the plastics manufacturer, with precise measurements, and the technician there will consider stability, shrinkage and forming size to determinate the cost of tooling and molding. A complete tooling and molding can be finish within a 35-40 days period. Molding material normally is made of fiberglass or epoxy resin.
ABS plastic production is mainly made from a method call Vacuum Mold. A professional molding company will pre-make the accurate mold. First, this mold will be placed under the large plastic sheet preheated with 180 degrees for around 60-90 seconds, and then the vacuum machine will inject large amount of air between the preheat plastic sheet and the molding, immediately the machine will switch to its vacuum mode and absorb out all of the air. Now the plastic sheet will sit firmly on top of the molding, after cooling down the object the technician will trim off the unwanted edges, which will be the final stage of the whole vacuum mold process. The vacuum mold method can be used in mass production A normal daily operation (based on 8 hour period) can complete 30 cycles and each cycle can produce approximately 5 to 10 pieces of semi-final product. This equates to about 300/day.
Most ABS plastic production companies still use the unstable method (hand tools) to trim the parts out from the semi-production from the vacuum mold. Hand tools affect the fit and stability of the final products compare to a CNC machine. Better companies have a CNC machine to trim the semi-products that came out of the vacuum machine. The technician would input the desired object data and then everything will be computerized. Every piece of the final product is accurately cut when it done, a normal daily operation (based on 8 hours period) can trim up to 300 pieces.
The chalk board inserts will be cut out and the surface painted with a roller.
Where ever the parts are produced (yet undetermined), the product may be assembled near Scranton, PA because Scranton is a good hub location to get the product distributed to market.
Test Marketing: The test market cities will be Scranton, PA, an undetermined city with harsh winter elements, and an undetermined city with hot and humid temperatures. All city choices will be subject to if the demographic and purchasing habits mirror the overall market. While test marketing is primarily used to see the reaction from the customers, I would also like to also use it to analyze the durability of the product from these real purchasers in real automotive situations, before going into full production.
