A lesson on "Product Trials"

I challenged by my business students to choose from a set of 6 topics to teach the class leaving me one to cover. I was hoping for Market Mapping simply because I have a pretty good lesson on this already. However, I got left with the above so here goes I guess...

Product Trials

Consider the above trial shown on the BBC website here. It is quite straight forward to Identify what a product trial is so start by giving me a quick definition.

Now Apply your understanding of product trials and Analyse the advantages Facebook will have gained by conducting a product trial before rolling out their new mobile as system.

However, this sort of product trial is not without its pitfalls... Explain what you think the possible negatives of this product trial could be and then Judge whether you feel that Facebook should have gone ahead with the trial in the first place.

Post your answer in the comments below and write in how many marks you think out of 8 you think your answer is worth.

Competitive Advantage

One of my Business Students had a go at explaining competitive advantage using this Tutor2U article

This is a really good article explaining some ways in which firms can gain a sustainable competitive advantage. However, what I think is important to point out to students is that Competitive Advantage does not need to be overly complicated. Different firms find different ways to create a competitive advantage. It is sometimes easier to consider it with the use of the 4P's.

You could adopt different Pricing strategies to open up an advantage to your competitors. Price leadership would require economies of scale but that is not the only pricing strategy you could use to have an advantage over your competitors. You also don't have to be the cheapest in an entire country, could you not simply be the cheapest most convenient supplier to your customer base?

Firms don't have to be the biggest, if they can find a USP as this business has managed to find. Are Apple Macbooks and tablets popular because they are the best? I cant stand Macbooks but the article here suggest they are quite reliable. Shame they struggle to connect to our school internet depending on which way the wind blows...

Years ago another firm brought out an innovative product in 2001... A tablet PC with the CEO claiming "This will be the most popular computer bought in america within 5 years..." That CEO was Bill Gates and business was the mighty Microsoft. Why did that product fail when 10 years later Apple bring out pretty much the same thing but it succeeds? Apple has a massive competitive advantage as it stands but why is this? Is it their product? Is it the brand? As with everything Apple seems to defy the odds and come out on top! Microsoft have a history of doing this to their competitors which is why they are so big which makes it all the stranger.

Some other ideas about competitive can be found in the below article... 37 in fact!

http://www.smarta.com/advice/business-planning/market-research/37-ways-to-beat-your-competitors

What about R&D being a means to creating competitive advantage?

http://paidcontent.org/2011/08/30/419-samsung-investing-a-small-fortune-in-rd-will-webos-be-included-in-that/

Whats the point in learning about SWOT?

http://prezi.com/mk_ydl3y4dgk/present/?auth_key=fv0wjpj&follow=s-qpilyjjaki#0

Above we see the work of one of our excellent business studies students where they have produced a Prezzi presentation which they used in class to explain what SWOT was all about.

However, one business teacher recently asked me why teach something that was not on the specification? Indeed my students now reading this may have flickers of annoyance that they have worked hard to learn about something that strictly speaking the exam board do not ask to be taught...

My feeling on this matter are quite straight forward. Students are asked to know how to explain the "...Strengths and weaknesses of existing suppliers, [and] how [businesses] differentiate themselves..." SWOT analysis is useful as it gives a business the opportunity to look internally at strengths and weaknesses and externally at possible threats and opportunities. As my well informed student put it "This allows them to consider the positives and negatives of their brand."

 If you want to explain how businesses can assess their own strengths and weaknesses we can discuss the use of SWOT analysis. Also if we want to know the strengths and weaknesses of other suppliers (competitors) can we not do a SWOT analysis for that business also? This gives us an idea of some of the key advantages that another business may or may not have and as such target them.

Of course if using SWOT analysis within an exam question we should always remember it is a simplistic way of looking at the bigger picture and requires an in depth knowledge of the marketplace around a business to do properly. We either need very experienced staff to assist with this or, more reliably, extensive market data to support our SWOT analysis. As such it is a way of visualizing our current position with the help of our data and knowledge.

Is an electric car a Mass or Niche market product?

Factors which affect demand: Harleys Student Led Starter

Harleys "Factors which affect demand" Starter Activity

Harley's task was to assess student understanding for the following:

Identifying factors which affect demand (Grade E) & Explaining the potential positive/negative effect on demand of these factors (Grade D-C).

Do you think he was successful in doing this?

The World Trade Organisation

A few resources when looking at the role of the WTO.


The WTO recently released their revised estimates for the growth in world trade for 2012, 2.5% (revised down from 3.7%), and 2013, 4.5% (revised down from 5.6%).

This link to their website can be used to discuss the role the WTO plays in international trade. There is also a short video which provides an excellent introduction to the history and objectives of the WTO: (a more detailed history from Bretton Woods to GATT to WTO is available if you click here)

Business Plan the Levi Roots way!

Welcome to the world of Business Year 9. You are about to watch a clip of Levi Roots, a budding entrepreneur who needs finance to move his business forward.

Whilst you watch this clip I want you to consider the following questions:

Is the name 'Reggae Reggae' Sauce a good one? (Think about why?)
Where should he sell his product?
Would you buy his product? (if not, why not?)
Why di you think 3 Dragons pulled out?
What is the most important reason the Dragons invested in 'Reggae Reggae' Sauce?
Did Levi have a good business plan? (did he have one at all?)