Results from our research
The purpose of this study was to explore which criteria are crucial for increasing the interest of the Austrians in the straws of the Ugandan company Ouroots. The collected information about the potential customer segments in Austria will be passed on to Ouroots. As the young company has experience with the sale of the straws only in Africa so far, an analysis of the potential Austrian buyers was performed. The results of various researched criteria could help the company in the successful marketing of the product, and consequently increase the interest of the Austrian customers through adapted marketing. The highest turnover can be achieved by adapting the sales strategy to the specific customer segments. With the right advertising of the straws customer groups with a conscious, ecological buying behavior and high willingness to pay will be spotted. The way of advertising the product plays an important role. The results of the survey revealed the importance of sustainability and social issues for our respondents. Based on this information, we assume that advertising the product with reference to its sustainability and social benefits will probably have a positive effect on its sales.
According to the results of our research work, private end consumers and retailers represent the most realistic buyer groups, as concerns regarding the reusability of the product have arisen, especially in the catering and hotel industry. One possibility would be to produce a larger amount of straws and sell the product as a single-use product through wholesalers for the catering and hotel industry. Wholesale stores could generate high sales volumes for Ouroots' product. For the hotel and catering sector, it would also be a good idea to sell straws in different lengths, as drinks with different sized glasses and bottles are often offered. In addition to social media, direct product placement in the supermarket, advertisements in the newspaper or on the Internet and direct mail from companies could also be used as channels for advertising the product. The possibility of a fair trade seal could also be a possible marketing tool, but Ouroots should decide at this point whether they can and want to meet the standards of the seal. This seal would be seen on the product packaging, which emphasizes the social aspect of the product.
Ouroots has a potential, especially given the EU-wide ban on plastics from 2021, to attract customers on the European market who are currently buying plastic straws or are generally interested in sustainable and modern products. There is a demand for alternatives, but buyers' concerns should be removed as far as possible. With regard to concerns about hygienic reusability, it could be considered, for example, to offer a uniform diameter so that the interior of the straw can be carefully cleaned with a brush. Ouroots could test different types of cleaning and provide buyers with the most hygienic and least time-consuming way. According to the results of the interviews, the amount of the price is of secondary importance if the product can actually be reused, but in the interviews, the willingness to pay was usually around 5 euros for 25 straws. In order to calculate the exact prices at which the straws can be offered, information about the costs of logistics and transport is required. In order to organize sales, workshops for disabled people could be contacted. One already expressed interest in working together. The contact was passed on to Ouroots.
Many opportunities were open to Ouroots to pursue targeted marketing, improve product design, remove concerns or organize logistics and of course keeping in mind the careful cost calculation. It is advised to find out about the costs of logistics and transport and then go through the points mentioned above to increase product sales and ensure that transport and distribution costs can be covered by the sale of the products.
According to the results of our research work, private end consumers and retailers represent the most realistic buyer groups, as concerns regarding the reusability of the product have arisen, especially in the catering and hotel industry. One possibility would be to produce a larger amount of straws and sell the product as a single-use product through wholesalers for the catering and hotel industry. Wholesale stores could generate high sales volumes for Ouroots' product. For the hotel and catering sector, it would also be a good idea to sell straws in different lengths, as drinks with different sized glasses and bottles are often offered. In addition to social media, direct product placement in the supermarket, advertisements in the newspaper or on the Internet and direct mail from companies could also be used as channels for advertising the product. The possibility of a fair trade seal could also be a possible marketing tool, but Ouroots should decide at this point whether they can and want to meet the standards of the seal. This seal would be seen on the product packaging, which emphasizes the social aspect of the product.
Ouroots has a potential, especially given the EU-wide ban on plastics from 2021, to attract customers on the European market who are currently buying plastic straws or are generally interested in sustainable and modern products. There is a demand for alternatives, but buyers' concerns should be removed as far as possible. With regard to concerns about hygienic reusability, it could be considered, for example, to offer a uniform diameter so that the interior of the straw can be carefully cleaned with a brush. Ouroots could test different types of cleaning and provide buyers with the most hygienic and least time-consuming way. According to the results of the interviews, the amount of the price is of secondary importance if the product can actually be reused, but in the interviews, the willingness to pay was usually around 5 euros for 25 straws. In order to calculate the exact prices at which the straws can be offered, information about the costs of logistics and transport is required. In order to organize sales, workshops for disabled people could be contacted. One already expressed interest in working together. The contact was passed on to Ouroots.
Many opportunities were open to Ouroots to pursue targeted marketing, improve product design, remove concerns or organize logistics and of course keeping in mind the careful cost calculation. It is advised to find out about the costs of logistics and transport and then go through the points mentioned above to increase product sales and ensure that transport and distribution costs can be covered by the sale of the products.