Table of Contents
Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………………… i
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………... ii
I. Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………1
II. Product Overview ………………………………………………………………………….….1
Product Design Sketches ………………………………………………………………… 2
III. Marketing Plan……………………………………………………………………………….. 3
A. Research and Analysis ……………………………………………………………... 3
B. Strategy ………………………………………………………………………….........4
Product Strategy ……………………………………………………………….… 4 Pricing
Strategy ………………………………………………………………….. 4 Distribution Strategy
…………………………………………………….……..... 5 Promotional Strategy
……………………………………………………………. 5 Bibliography
……..………………………………...………………………………………….... iii
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Kouprey Travel Jackpack is a dual-purpose water-proof jacket and backpack made of
Water Hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) Fibers. The product is made of Water Hyacinth to solve an
ever-present conundrum is Southeast Asia, more so in Cambodia, the over-population of Water
Hyacinths chocking rivers. The product aims to serve the tourists in Cambodia an experience of
comfort and flexibility and giving them a piece of Cambodia to bring with them. All the while,
creating a sustainable product that helps in restoring the natural ecology of the lotic systems
which Water Hyacinths are endangering. One can use the jackpack as a jacket or backpack
depending on the user’s preference by folding the hood inward then connect its buckles and
buttons to the interior of the backpack, connect the sleeves to the back buckles, then zip the
magic zippers and pull the drawstrings on the above of the converted backpack. If the consumers
wish to convert it back to jacket, then they just have to reverse the process. The Jackpack will be
available with anti-theft pockets and zippers, and in three (3) different sizes: small, medium and
large. It is embellished with local styles, e.g. carrying the colors of the Cambodian flag, and local
cultural patterns. The product will be sold in malls, airports, and if approved, in national parks as
both a souvenir item and a travel equipment. The team is planning to work with Cambodian
Ministry of Tourism to market the product to advocate Cambodian Tourism. The team also plans
to bring vloggers and multi-media influencers to advertise the product in social media. In the
first-year release of the Kouprey Travel Jackpack, the product will be initially priced 20% lower
than the price of estimated 25 USD or 101,625.00 KHR in the prevailing market to boost sales
and only after sales will the product be returned to its actual price.
II. PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Water Hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) is very prevalent in Cambodia, especially on the
northern edge of the Tonle Sap River, and it clogged the main waterways damaging the propellers
of passenger boats that serve as a major transportation for most villages in Cambodia. The water
hyacinth’s stalk ang petiole is very sturdy and contains waxy cuticle that helps reduce water loss
from the interior and minimizes water penetration from the exterior therefore making it an ideal
raw material for a fabric cloth.
Kouprey, Khmer word for forest Ox, is the extinct national animal of the Kingdom of
Cambodia and this durable animal have aided the Khmer people on their agricultural lives,
Kouprey Travel Jackpack, as its name stated, therefore aims to provide consumers particularly
travelling tourist in Cambodia a hassle-free item organization and protection for the consumers
under the unpredictable weather of the tropical country at the same time introduces the colorful
culture of the Khmer people.
Kouprey Travel Jackpack is a convertible rain jacket - backpack that was made of water
hyacinth cloth. The convertible rain jacket - backpack itself comes with three sizes namely Small
(36” x 38”), Medium (38” x 40”) and Large (40” x 42”) intended for both women and men and it
can contain up to 10 kg of travel necessities. The product will cost 83,950.62 KHR or 20 USD
(tentative price).
The rain jacket will have magic zippers for anti-theft purposes. The rain jacket will have
two layers of cloth, on the outside it has the water hyacinth cloth, and, on the inside, it will have
cotton fabric. On the inside, the rain jacket will have two compartments on the front side part
(one compartment for each half) and a one large compartment on the back-side part with the
additional three compartments on top of that large compartment. The hood will also have one
compartment. There are compartments that are made of water hyacinth cloth and there are some
that are made of water hyacinth net and each compartment will have their zippers on the side so
that the consumers can access the compartments whenever the Kouprey Travel Jackpack is either
in jacket mode or backpack mode. The rain jacket will also have two hidden pockets on outside
front-view of it and cloth covered foams on the back for consumer comfortability. The bottom
part of the jacket (which will be the upper part of the backpack) will have magic zippers with
draw strings for security purposes and the back part of the jacket/backpack have a pair of buckles
which can be connected to the sleeves that also have buckles inside. The hood also has buckles
and a series of buttons that can be connected on the interior of the backpack.
To convert the jacket into a backpack, the costumers should fold the hood inward and
connect its buckles and buttons to the interior of the backpack, connect the sleeves to the back
buckles, then zip the magic zippers and pull the drawstrings on the above of the converted
backpack. If the consumers wish to convert it back to jacket, then they just have to reverse the
process.
III. MARKET PLAN
A. Market Analysis
Every product must first be assessed if it is fit to be sold to the public and profitable
enough to pitch to investors. In this part of the proposal, we seek to convince the public,
customers and investors, that our product will benefit everyone.
Invasive Water Hyacinths species devastates livelihood, and negatively affects the ecology
of the environment it is on. A Khmer Times (2016) article reported that water hyacinths clogged
the waterways of Sange River in Cambodia. As the aquatic plant clogs the channels, it worsens
drought by blocking water flow. As a result, agriculture was damaged, and it required expenditure
from local governments to unclog the waterways.
On the same article, it was suggested that a viable solution might be possible to employ.
Bags, cloths, and other handicraft materials might be able to be derived from water hyacinth
fibers. It helps restore the natural ecology of the lotic system and also gives local government
units profit from clearing. Not only it lessens the cost of clearing the river, it also creates
livelihood to the citizens of the communities around the waterways.
The team would like to use this initiative to their advantage. By making use of cloths derived
from water hyacinths, the team is aiming towards solving the overpopulation of water hyacinths
that has been plaguing local communities. With this, the team also seeks out to incorporate the
Sustainable Development Goals set by the United nations especially Goal 6: Clean Water and
Sanitation, Goal 9: Industry, innovation and Infrastructure, and Goal 14: Life Below Water. Not
only the product would have contributed to the solution of an ever-present problem, this also
ensures that the product will gain traction to tourists and locals alike.
The jacket-backpack or “jackpack” is a feature among travelling equipment that has not been
popular in its market. Depending on the needs of the user, may it be a jacket to give them warmth
during a cold mountain hike or a backpack to carry their luggage from sight to sight, the Kouprey
Travel Jackpack is easy to convert to fit those needs. By creating a product that has two different
but equally important purposes, the team striving to give customers the best experience they can
have with this product.
By having this product waterproof, the team guarantees it has an edge from other
products that are practically the same. This also maximizes the over-all benefit the customers get
from the product. With this feature, and with its lack of seasonality, it is certain that the
customers will have the best experience and satisfaction from Kouprey Travel Jackpack.
The product will be intentionally designed with local motifs to target tourists as potential
customers. The product will have patterns that resemble local ones as well as depictions of
famous sights, for example, the Angkor Wat. This feature makes Kouprey Travel Jackpack a
souvenir for tourist visiting Cambodia. Having it as souvenir will secure that there will be willing
customers to purchase the product.
The product, like everything, has some lapses and weaknesses that could potentially be
detrimental if not identified. There is a kickstarter product on the internet that has a similar jacket
backpack feature as this product. Marketing this Kouprey Travel Jackpack for its jacket-backpack
aspect alone, with the kickstarter product present, will increase market penetration for this
product. Hence, it will give the team a much harder time in selling it. This little gaff would be
solved by the initiative of selling the product as a souvenir rather than just a travel equipment.
The current on-going pandemic also imposes a real threat to the future of this product.
With health protocols in place, as well as the potential health hazards of travelling, finding
quality raw materials with inexpensive price tags is harder. This also gives a potential
inaccessibility to textile factories that will weave water hyacinth fibers. And having no access to
water hyacinth-derived cloth, a main strength of this product will be potentially detrimental to
the future of the business apart from disappointing.
All stated above are the strengths and weaknesses of Kouprey Travel Jackpack. The
opportunities and threats that might arise are also laid out in order to strategize how to sell this
product to its target market. All things considered, if the strengths outweigh the weaknesses and
the opportunities outnumber the threats, we believe that we can tread this product through. We
believe we can sell Kouprey Travel Jackpack.
B. Strategy
(1) Product Strategy
Kouprey Travel Jackpack will be produced on shades of blue and red in honor to the
symbols of the Cambodian flag. The products will also be intentionally designed with local
motifs, like having patterns that resemble the local Khmer culture, to target tourists as our
potential customers. There will also be a customized edition of the Kouprey Travel
Jackpack with the same price of those already colored products, but the costumers can
create a design or personally design the jacket convertible bags so that the aesthetics of the
product will suit each Costumer’s preference. These customized edition of Kouprey Travel
Jackpack will only be available to distribution centers with large ground areas and higher
sales.
(2) Pricing Strategy
In the first-year release of the Kouprey Travel Jackpack, the product will be initially
priced 20% lower than the price of estimated 25 USD or 101,625.00 KHR in the prevailing
market. A sales observation will be conducted one – year after the first release of the
product and if the profit margin reaches 20% or more, an additional 1 USD or 4,065.00
KHR will be added to the current price each year. If ever the profit margin is less than
20%, the price will be reduced by 1 USD or 4,065.00 KHR every quarter until the profit
margin is back to 20% or more and once the profit margin is back to 20% or more, the
price will again increase by 9% each year. Moreover, and if needed by the situation, the
price will be adjusted through time considering the operational cost and market demand.
(3) Distribution Strategy
In its first year of distribution process, Kouprey Travel Jackpack will be distributed in
malls and in the three most popular international airports in the country. These malls,
namely Sorya Center Point, Aeon Mall, Lucky Mall, The Heritage Walk, and Sovanna
Shopping mall are mostly located in the capital city, Phnom Penh. There will also be a
distribution center in each of the country’s three most popular airports, Phnom Penh
International Airport, Sihanouk International Airport, and Siem Reap International Airport.
Kouprey Travel Jackpack will also be distributed on Cambodian online selling platforms
like GladMarket, MyPhsar, and EcamShopping. Further expansion of the stalls to different
regions will depend on the performance of the product in the first year.
(4) Promotional Strategy
Kouprey Travel Jackpack will be promoted through online mediums and if given a
chance, the team would like to partner with Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism for the
product’s Cultural and Locality promotion purpose. Social media platforms and other online
advertisement platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Ads will
also play a major role in the product’s public promotion. The Team will also partner with
local and international traveler-vloggers and popular youtubers to promote the product.
Since the manufacturing team will be in partner with local water hyacinth weaving
communities, the marketing team will also partner with local governments in the
promotional process.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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