Clocky Individual Case Summary PDF

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Clocky Background Clocky is an innovative alarm clock that was designed specifically for people who have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning. (p. 1) Rather than just simply emitting a repetitive alarm, Clocky can jump off a nightstand and roll around the room, forcing owners to get out of bed to turn off the alarm. (p. 1) Clocky was designed by MIT graduate Gauri Nanda in MIT’s media lab. Summary of the situation/challenges facing Clocky Despite the fact that Clocky has attracted a lot of attention by potential consumers and the media, it is still in the prototype stage. There is already an established demand for this product, but Gauri Nanda estimates that she is still at least a year from the point in time when she will be able to launch the product and make it available to the consumer market. (p. 1) In the meantime, she will be focusing on overcoming the learning curves associated with this project such as manufacturing challenges, distribution challenges, and intellectual property issues. Causes of Manufacturing Challenges In terms of manufacturing, Nanda needed to decide whether she should partner with a domestic product design firm or outsource production overseas. Using a domestic product design firm would be more expensive due to their fee structure but using an overseas firm presents the issues of quality control, scheduling and communication issues. (p.6) Causes of Distribution and Intellectual Property Challenges Clocky’s patent was property of MIT, under an intellectual property agreement Nanda signed when she began her studies at the university. So, she must take the necessary steps to ensure that she owns the legal rights to her product and that she won’t be treated unfairly by any other members who are involved in this project. (p. 6) She must also consider distribution channels. Causes of Positioning, Pricing & Communication Challenges Lastly, before she can launch Clocky she will be strategizing in terms of how she can best leverage the PR gained from the media attention that the product has already attracted. (p. 1) For example, what price point will convert this attention into sales? What positioning of the product and brand will resonate with consumers best? This is an opportunity she does not want to let go to waste, but she is also worried that this media exposure could actually hinder her chances of success once consumers realize the product is not yet available to be purchased. (p.1) She must also must consider the ideal consumers’ profiles and decide whether to position Clocky for the “Fun” or “need” market. Finally, she must decide the most optimal way to interact with the consumers in order to maximize customer retention and provoke positive online reviews of the product. Once she has accounted for all of these issues, she will be ready to take the product to the market....