Research question: What resources exist to effectively approach the challenge of enhancing self-determination for a growing population of adult autistic individuals through a balance of a tiered continuum of service, employment and promotion potential, and empowerment? And what opportunities does post-COVID recovery provide to enhance current systems or roadmap entirely new ones toward more inclusive empowerment of neurodivergent individuals, specifically those with autism?
From the time we arrived on this continent, decimating indigenous populations who’d managed to live in relative harmony with the land and species that existed here for thousands of years, to slavery and segregation, to the systemic segregations we as a nation continue to inflict and suffer today, we fail to seize and effectively address our identity as a country and as its members, warts and all, ultimately making us the authors of our own downfall.
|
Extreme polarity has crippled our ability to effectively legislate, to justly adjudicate, even to communicate, with civility. From social media to city streets; through the chambers of Congress and straight up to the hallowed halls of The People’s House on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, almost invariably, any attempt at civil discourse crumbles into distasteful sniping at best, violence at its worst and darkest. As is the case with any storm, this devolution did not take place in any vacuum not created by and for itself.
|
If Fisher’s submission in Narration as a Human Communication Paradigm: The Case of Public Moral Argument, “…Reasoning may be discovered in all sorts of symbolic action -- nondiscursive as well as discursive” (Fisher, 1984), is to be believed, spiders and their webs are a testament. They’re truly stunning. If you’ve ever had the privilege of catching the sheer architectural brilliance of an orb weaver’s production in the early morning light of a fall morning, you know exactly what I mean.
|
PROMPT:
Consider the following case:
BOWFLEX NUTRITION SYSTEM
Nautilis, Inc. is a pure fitness company that provides tools and education necessary to help people achieve a fit and healthy lifestyle. These products are marketed through direct, commercial, retail, specialty and international channels. The BOWFLEX line offers some of their most popular products and this line is chiefly marketed through direct sales channels.
The proposal is to extend the notion of a fitness-enhancing system to include the important component of diet and nutrition. The BOWFLEX group wants to offer a complete nutrition system that includes the specification of a diet and the meals that will promote the building of muscle tone and weight reduction (for beginners) and weight maintenance (for continuing users). The company does not have a food product development group but does have direct fitness product marketing experience.
Describe the process and sequence of activities necessary for this firm to successfully introduce this product to the public. A narrative discussion is expected but you are free to develop a diagram describing the process as you currently understand it.
RESPONSE:
I feel obliged to preface this with the disclaimer that, while I can see potential for a small line of pre- and post-workout drinks or smoothies and/or a supplement line, I’m inclined to perceive the launch of a Bowflex-branded line of prepared meals as a high-investment, extremely high-risk and misguided proposal. For starters (and considering such factors as facilities, skilled and unskilled inside and outside staffing, product research and development, mass production and marketing), barring partnership with an outside producer, startup costs would be astronomical as Bowflex, a home-based cardio and exercise equipment company, has no footprint in the food production space. Secondly, the market demographic presents an issue. Those who purchase Bowflex machinery can largely be grouped into three primary categories:
After which, a detailed SWOT analysis would reveal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. From this data, the initial product line may be derived, narrowing potential flavor and nutrient profiles, supplementation, pricing, and potential marketing/co-marketing tactics. Potential consumer response will dictate production specifics of three-year business plan including:
Following market research and initial development, a presentation representing initial product design, features, market need/demand, demographic targeting, sourcing, production, marketing, costs and projections will be developed for presentation and approval by senior management of Bowflex.
Pending approval by management to proceed, production and marketing plans will be launched into execution, following the guidelines set forth within approval.
Production launch would feature:
A close, objective launch analysis tracking:
Consider the following case:
BOWFLEX NUTRITION SYSTEM
Nautilis, Inc. is a pure fitness company that provides tools and education necessary to help people achieve a fit and healthy lifestyle. These products are marketed through direct, commercial, retail, specialty and international channels. The BOWFLEX line offers some of their most popular products and this line is chiefly marketed through direct sales channels.
The proposal is to extend the notion of a fitness-enhancing system to include the important component of diet and nutrition. The BOWFLEX group wants to offer a complete nutrition system that includes the specification of a diet and the meals that will promote the building of muscle tone and weight reduction (for beginners) and weight maintenance (for continuing users). The company does not have a food product development group but does have direct fitness product marketing experience.
Describe the process and sequence of activities necessary for this firm to successfully introduce this product to the public. A narrative discussion is expected but you are free to develop a diagram describing the process as you currently understand it.
RESPONSE:
I feel obliged to preface this with the disclaimer that, while I can see potential for a small line of pre- and post-workout drinks or smoothies and/or a supplement line, I’m inclined to perceive the launch of a Bowflex-branded line of prepared meals as a high-investment, extremely high-risk and misguided proposal. For starters (and considering such factors as facilities, skilled and unskilled inside and outside staffing, product research and development, mass production and marketing), barring partnership with an outside producer, startup costs would be astronomical as Bowflex, a home-based cardio and exercise equipment company, has no footprint in the food production space. Secondly, the market demographic presents an issue. Those who purchase Bowflex machinery can largely be grouped into three primary categories:
- They’re advanced, skilled and competent in the independent management of their preventative healthcare maintenance (thus, they generally already practice relatively closely-guarded health regimens dictated by nutritional advisors and/or through personal preparation of whole foods);
- They’re health-conscious but see an economy in outright purchase of machinery as opposed to month-to-month gym contracts or commitments. “Economy” is a key word here: this demographic usually packs a lunch of leftovers from last night’s dinner, they pay their bills on time and in full, they take vacations, but seldom to anywhere exotic because that simply doesn’t seem frugal. While something quick to drink before and/or after a workout may seem practical to them, prepared meals tend not to
- They’re impulse buyers with more money than sense, bound to become disillusioned with a big-ticket machinery purchase, who will intentionally avoid in-store purchase of Bowflex-branded food products as a psychological transference of blame for perceived ‘failure’ to regularly use the $1000+ item now drawing dust in their office/workout room/garage.
- MoU partner agreements with gyms, health food & sports performance outlets for in-person market sampling;
- via direct mail/email ‘Bowflex member benefit’ communiques
- What is the main idea of the product? Is the proposal clear enough that consumers grasp the need/desire clearly enough to respond affirmatively? Is the product suite unique/believable?
- “Would you consider purchase of a comprehensive nutritional support system designed specifically to complement your Bowflex-related health journey?”
- Does it address a current consumer issue or solve a consumer problem? Would demographic find it useful enough to consider purchase?
- “On a scale of 1-5, how appealing does the prospect of having a full-suite system to guide you through your health improvement journey sound?”
- Do consumers within the demographic find the concept appealing/intriguing enough to consider opt-in or purchase? At the price point proposed? What additional insight might make the purchase/opt-in more likely?
After which, a detailed SWOT analysis would reveal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. From this data, the initial product line may be derived, narrowing potential flavor and nutrient profiles, supplementation, pricing, and potential marketing/co-marketing tactics. Potential consumer response will dictate production specifics of three-year business plan including:
- initial offerings
- budget needs
- projections
- level of initial production
- most effective product marketing outreach methodology
- projected speed of scale
- offerings expansion potentials
Following market research and initial development, a presentation representing initial product design, features, market need/demand, demographic targeting, sourcing, production, marketing, costs and projections will be developed for presentation and approval by senior management of Bowflex.
Pending approval by management to proceed, production and marketing plans will be launched into execution, following the guidelines set forth within approval.
Production launch would feature:
- Facilities procurement or/production partnership agreements secured
- QA/inspections
- Fullscale product research and development in a physical space
- Training of skilled and unskilled inside and outside staff across R&D, production, delivery, sales & marketing
- Product testing in-person at the above outlets and grocery stores: record responses to taste, practicality of price, preparation, purchase potential via onsite, immediate-feed iPad polls
- Informed intelligence: contract sales reps able to effectively ‘educate,’ not just verifying responses but also communicating with authority the health benefits of utilizing the meal program in concert with a prescribed Bowflex-centric exercise plan
- Heavy social media engagement across all prominent platforms, ideally identifying and enlisting relevant ‘influencers’ to promote the products as well
A close, objective launch analysis tracking:
- Week-to-week analysis of and agile response to social media efforts
- Month-to-month analysis of and agile response to consumer purchase trends and tastes