Begin with alternative evaluation: When I asked my interviewees to name an alternate product to a eco-friendly face mask, they couldn't think of any, or they thought that face masks were already eco-friendly/ recyclable. they weren't able to think of another face mask that was eco-friendly, but more interesting was their inability to think of any name brand of a face mask. They thought of either "the cloth face masks", the "flimsy plastic ones" (most disposable face masks look very similar), or N95 masks (which they recognized from the news and other sources because of their reported shortage at the start of the pandemic).
How/where do they buy: When thinking about possible place to buy a mask, my interviewees all thought of any "higher quality" face mask from Amazon. They weren't able to name a brand of face masks though, which I thought was interesting. However, they though of Amazon because buying a mask online is much safer than going out to buy a mask. Also because Amazon has such a large selection of face masks, they think they would be able to find at least one alternative.
Post-purchase evaluation: My interviewees told me that the most important qualities to a face mask would be that they are: Comfortable, easy to breathe in, not too heavy/ bulky, the material, how it looks (style), and its safety. They cared the most about the products ability to protect from airborne viruses, then they cared about how comfortable it was, if it pulled on their ears too hard or if it was too bulky. They also cared about how it looked, interestingly. One the interviewees told me that sometimes they coordinate outfits with their face mask in mind.
Report your findings: My segment of students that wear a face mask when they go out in in public was very informative on their priorities when they browse and buy a face mask. Personally, I feel I am a part of the segment that I interviewed, so I also feel very similar to the information I got from these interviews. The most obvious market place to buy anything currently is Amazon and E-bay, this is because they are well known market places with a large selection of face masks for sale. Out of all the aspects of a face mask that I got from my interviews, the most prevalent and obvious was the ability for a face mask to be protective and safe.
Conclusion: What I learned was that people cannot immediately think of a name brand for face masks, which I thought was interesting. Building a brand would be a huge task that I don't think is feasible with my resources right now. Nor do I think that starting a brand in the middle of a pandemic and recession is a great business decision. But I definitely think there is a need and desire for a face mask that is recognizable, unique, and protective.
Hi Alexander,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how concise and to the point your post was. It was very easy to see what was important from your interviews and what would contribute to the research for your new product. I agree that it is much easier and safer to purchase things online right now, but in the same respect, I feel that since some stores are opening back up, people just want to get out of their house and do something. So I think you could benefit from having your product both in-stores and online.
Hello Alexander,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time coming across your idea, and I am very interested in it! I too, cannot name a specific brand of face mask (I just use a bandana). It made me laugh that one of the interviewees admitted to coordinating their masks with their outfits; only in 2020! You have a great opportunity to make a brand that could be well known moving forward, as masks will most likely be apart of our lives for the foreseeable future.