Ymarfer

Daw'r ymarfer isod o wefan Great Ideas for Teaching Marketing.

Cynnyrch Newydd: Penderfyniad Anodd

Gillette yw'r arweinydd yn y farchnad raseli. Ond, er mwyn cadw'r safle hwnnw, bu'n rhaid gwneud ambell benderfyniad anodd ar hyd y daith. Adolygwch y sefyllfa ganlynol - pe bai chi yn Brif Swyddog Gweithredol y cwmni, a fyddech chi wedi gwneud yr un penderfyniad?

Tasg

Mae arloesedd technoleg eu raseli yn destun balchder cwmni Gillette. Felly, ddau ddegawd yn ôl nid oedd yn syndod gweld y Prif Swyddog Gweithredol yn cymeradwyo datblygu rasel newydd (sef y Mach 3 yn ddiweddarach - rasel dri llafn cyntaf y byd). Er hynny, roedd y penderfyniad hwn yn rhyfeddol pan ystyriwn yr amgylchiadau a arweiniodd at greu'r cynnyrch, sef:

• Ymchwiliwyd yn wael i gysyniad y cynnyrch - nid oedd y cwsmeriaid yn gallu gweld unrhyw werth ychwanegol i rasel dri llafn (o'i chymharu â'r rasel ddau lafn bresennol)
• Roedd pennaeth gweithgynhyrchu Gillette yn ansicr a fyddai modd cynhyrchu'r rasel (gan fod y cynlllun mor arbenigol ac yn cynnwys metel newydd nad oedd wedi ei ddefnyddio o'r blaen ar gyfer raseli). Ni allai ddweud, felly faint o amser y byddai'n cymryd cyn sefydlu'r broses weithgynhyrchu na faint fyddai'r gost (yn y pen draw, mi gymerodd dair blynedd gan gostio bron $1 biliwn)
• Dywedodd arbenigwr ar brisio ym Mhrifysgol Harvard na fyddai rasel untro yn gwerthu yn y farchnad am y pris roedd Gillette yn bwriadu ei godi
• Awgrymodd sawl rheolwr yn Gillette y dylai'r cwmni uwchraddio ei gynnyrch presennol yn lle troi at gynnyrch newydd (roedd y Sensor Excel â dau lafn yn arwain y farchnad yn y rhan fwyaf o wledydd). Dyma, yn eu barn nhw, oedd manteision uwchraddio'r Sensor Excel: roedd yn osgoi'r metel newydd (a oedd yn peri oedi yn y broses weithgynhyrchu), gellid ei gyflwyno'n gynt, ac ni fyddai'n rhaid sefydlu brand newydd ar ei gyfer.

Cwestiynau

1. Fel yr amlygwyd uchod, beth oedd y dangosyddion cadarnhaol a negyddol ar gyfer datblygu a lansio'r cynnyrch?
2. A ydych yn meddwl y byddai'r rhan fwyaf o gwmnïau eraill wedi penderfynu bwrw ati i ddatblygu'r cynnyrch hwn, o ystyried y wybodaeth yn yr achos uchod?
3. Pe na bai Gillette yn arwain y farchnad, a fydden nhw wedi gwneud yr un penderfyniad?
4. Ac eithrio cost y datblygiad a'r lansiad, pa risgiau eraill oedd ynghlwm wrth lansio Mach 3?

Cyfres Safon Uwch

Exercise

The below activity has been utilised from the Great Ideas for Teaching Marketing website.

A Tough New Product Decision

Gillette is leader in the razor market. However, to maintain their position they have had to make some tough decisions along the way. Review the following situation - if you were the CEO, would you have made the same decision?

Task

Gillette has always prided their firm on razor technology innovation. Therefore, it was no surprise two decades ago when the CEO approved the development of a new razor (which would later become the Mach 3 - the world's first three-blade razor). However, it was the circumstances surrounding this product that makes this decision so extraordinary, which included:

• The concept of the product researched poorly - with consumers unable to perceive any real extra value of a three-blade (versus the existing two-blade) razor
• Gillette's head of manufacturing was unsure whether the razor could be produced (as the design was precise and included a new metal that had never been used in razors before). Therefore, he could not say how long it would take to set up the manufacturing process or how much it would cost (it eventually took three years at a cost of almost $1 billion)
• A pricing expert at Harvard University stated that a disposal razor would never sell in the market at the price Gillette was planning to charge
• Many managers in Gillette recommended the company upgrade its existing product instead (their two-blade Sensor Excel was the market leader in most countries). They perceived the advantages of upgrading the Sensor Excel being; it avoided using the new metal (that was delaying the manufacturing), it could be introduced sooner, and it did not require the building of a new brand.

Questions

1. As highlighted above, what were the positive and negative indicators in terms of developing and launching the product?
2. Do you think that most other firms would have made the decision to proceed with this product, given the information in the case above?
3. If Gillette were not the leader in the market, would they have made the same decision?
4. Other than the cost of development and launch, what other risks were involved with the launch of the Mach 3?

A Level Series