American Intercontinental University

Heidi.Wood6

MGMT422 1104B-01

Unit 3 Individual Project

November 25, 2011

Abstract

For tobacco users, there are quite a few ash tray designs out there. From a small glass ash tray to a large ceramic or plastic ash tray, smokeless ash trays painted, bean bag, and many more, the ash tray market is flooded with all kinds. For smokeless tobacco users, there are few convenient, low cost, unspillable portable spittoons. While searching the internet with Yahoo and Google, there were only 4 separate manufacturers of portable spittoons offered. This product is evaluated here.

MGMT422-1104B-01 Unit 3 Individual Project

Part 1

Triangle Solutions is proposing a new line of portable spittoons to compete in a small but profitable global industry. The proposed portable spittoon has the same features the other places have but with an easy clean feature not seen before. Other uses of this product could be used as well. For example, coffee cups are hard to keep clean and unstained. With the new design, it might be possible to bring yet another portable coffee cup into the industry.

The industry is quite small for spittoons in general, with only 4 found doing a Google/Yahoo search. Only four were found, and none had the cleaning feature proposed. The cleaning feature will be able to sell itself, as disposing of smokeless tobacco is extremely nasty and it also stains. The cleaning feature proposed is a water tight detachable bottom to allow scrubbing. Most of the named spittoons found on the search were associated with a specific brand of smokeless tobacco, or tobacco sellers. Although it might be best to find someone who would link this to a brand, it would be possible to be an independent manufacturer. (Becker, 2011)

The market size depends on the availability and continued legality of smokeless tobacco. There are some countries which have laws for tobacco use, which could have the adverse affect on marketing this production in these few countries. (WEB, 2008). Many more countries do not have any restrictions of advertizing tobacco products, and many countries have their own tobacco companies. The brand marketing would be done inside the tobacco manufactories in order to be affiliated with the tobacco brand, possibly included with the smokeless tobacco product. (WEB, 2008)

If dealing independently, preliminary marketing globally should probably be done via the internet at first. Possibility of purchasing ads on local tobacco distributor's websites could be one suggestion. (website, 2011)

The feasibility of a cleanable small spittoon is definitely good. The bottom and top could be snapped on or screwed on and middle could be a regular tube. The cost of this is quite low because there are only 3 parts. Surely every smoker has seen the smokeless ash trays, the kind with the Dixie cup sized cup with a snap on lid with a hole in the middle to put lit cigarettes in to put them out. This is on the same lines as the cleanable spittoon. The only difference is the snap on bottom as well. Or even a screw on bottom to prevent leakage. Scalability could be small at first until it caught on them raise production accordingly. (Becker, 2011) The lid should have an open and close piece on it to allow the user to spit into the cup then close it to prevent spillage. The plastic can be the least expensive kind as no consumable products are to be carried in it. Of course for diversification, Triangle might consider a plastic healthier, like no BHO content plastic or to possibly go the "green" way and use corn plastics for it. (CornPlastic Store, 2010) There is a plastic's company here locally that could make the spittoon. It is already set up to do cuplike things, so it would be minimum start up fees for the manufacturing. The other cost involved is the actual plastic. Again the plastic company can be trusted to order the type that qualifies.

Team requirements are needed to research packaging, assembly and