Kelly Russell
Idea Development
Professor Sanchez
April 15, 2011
Final Project
ATD Connect
Being a college student, I know first hand just how difficult it is to prioritize and complete all work assigned within a tight timeline. One of the most difficult things to do is to sit in a lecture and take notes while actively listening and participating to all of the important information being said by a professor. So, when thinking about a product that I could create, I knew whatever I chose to invent had to be something that would be beneficial to students who struggle with note taking and listening, just as I do. And so, ATD (Audio Texting Device) Connect was born. This simple pocket-sized device is truly the product of the future. It not only captures audio, but also converts it into Word format. This innovative product uses an SD Memory Card that can be easily removed from the device and imported into a computer and then translated into a Word document. No more worrying about sloppy note taking or missing important information-let the ATD Connect do all the work for you! The success of my product is going to be based on the advertisements created. The three mediums that I chose to advertise my product in were Newspaper, the Internet (specifically Facebook) and a Billboard. I decided these three ads would be most effective in campaigning to get people to buy my product. My target age group is college students, and these ads were placed in areas where this target audience would most likely be found.
Although there are products on the market that are similar to mine, none are as advanced or efficient as ATD Connect. My first competition is VBA Access. This product uses a microphone to capture audio and translates the audio into Word format. (visualbasic). Unlike my product, this product is not portable. The large microphone is bulky and not practical to bring into a classroom. My product is sleek and easily mobilized. My second competition is a product called ALSA Audio API. Although this product is not a recorder and translator, it ‘s only function is to be a gateway between the two. It is a software that a person inserts into their computer and can easily translate voice recordings from outside sources (voice recorders) into Word Format. Although this product is similar to mine, it does not incorporate all elements like ATD Connect. Users have experienced slowness and difficulty with program. (equalarea). In addition, the software itself is not compatible with different computer operating running systems; like Macintosh. This here limits the amount of people who are able to access the system. My product not only utilizes both the audio and translating components into one, but is also compatible with all different types of computer systems. ATD Connect is easy to use-simply take out the SD Card Chip and insert it into a laptop or computer..within seconds your audio will be converted into a Word Document.
My first advertisement will be on a billboard. Compared to other forms of advertising, using a billboard is one of the most cost effective methods. This ad will run 24 hours a day for 6 months, as opposed to a short spread in a magazine, commercial or newspaper ad that lasts for only a few days or so. Since my target audience is college students. I decided to place my ad along highway 287 right by Ramapo College. This is a wise business decision because many people traveling that route will be going to Ramapo College and my target audience is college students. My particular billboard will cost approximately $2,000 a month and will run for 6 months-adding up to a grand total of $12,000. This may seem like a lot of money, but when compared to other types of advertisements it is one of the most affordable. (gaebler). My billboard will be 14X48, which is large enough to catch the eyes of drivers and is the standard size for most highway billboards. (ehow). I-287 in New Jersey is one of the most heavily trafficked routes in the state. I will place my ad right after exit 17 for New Jersey-this will be right before the exit for Mahwah and prior to Mahwah and Morristown splitting. I chose a bright but not overpowering blue color for my background-this will become my first layer. Then, for my second layer, I typed up my website; www.atdconnect.com in bold, black letters at the top so drivers can clearly see it. Finally, for my third layer I have two images. The first picture is of the device itself, and the second image is of the facebook slogan, “You like This.” I included this image because most of my target audience uses facebook and I believed that it was a clever way to incorporate what they would be interested in with my ad. Since my billboard needs to catch the attention of drivers within ten seconds, I kept it basic and to the point. The biggest component of my billboard is the website at the top. I chose to only place that because drivers will be curious to see what exactly my product is. Therefore, in order to find out more information about ATD Connect, they will want to go to my website, where it explains in detail about my product. Using a billboard is not an efficient means of advertising, but more importantly an effective one.
For my second ad, I chose to advertise my product in a newspaper because I felt it was most appropriate for my target audience-college students. This black and white ad will be featured in the New York Times newspaper. I decided to advertise ATD Connect in the New York Times because it is one of the most popular newspapers out today. I believe that my target audience would normally be using the newspaper, specifically the New York Times in order to receive their news and information. This specific newspaper reaches 150,000 homes per day. (businessweek). I got the idea for the New York Times from the free copies available for students and faculty here, at Ramapo College. After researching online, I discovered that many colleges in the tri-state area supply the New York Times for free to their students. (nytmarketing). In addition, this specific ad will be 3X7 and will run on weekdays, for twenty days (2 ads a week for ten weeks) during the months of July to October. This ad, which is in black and white all together will cost roughly $5,000 to run. (nytimes). In my ad, I used simple, yet bold fonts to make a statement but not be overbearing or chaotic. Unlike my Internet ad, this newspaper ad uses words in order to convey the point I am trying to make-which is that consumers should purchase my product because it is in high demand and is necessary. I didn't want to give too much information away within the ad because I want to leave individuals curious as to find out more about my product. I included ATD's website so that people are able to log on and discover more about my product and will want to buy it. At the end of my ad, after describing whom this product was for, I stated that people should go out and get their ATD Connect now before supplies last. Here, I create a sense of urgency. I want people to want to go out and buy my product because they feel like it is in high demand. When a product is wanted and is popular amongst people, everyone wants it-it's hot. That's exactly what I envisioned for ATD Connect. I also said that this is the device of the future because I want audience members to feel like they need this in order to keep up with the times. ATD Connect is going to change the way people think and learn-and everyone should own one because I think my product is great! In addition, rather than putting a picture of my product on the ad, I chose to use an image found on Google of a small boy who seems annoyed and overloaded by the coursework in front of him. I felt like this picture gave off more of an emotional appeal and is going to make reader's want to discover more about the product and they will be curious as to why I used that image for ATD Connect. This image is meant to show people that they don't need to feel like this anymore-ATD Connect is here to help.
My third and final ad is an Internet ad. This advertisement will be presented for my target audience on Facebook. made the SD Card, which holds all of the information and put my products name, ATD on it. I then made a slogan; “This Is The Future.” The bottom line, “Who Am I?” is going to be a link that will bring the Facebook users to the website for my project. I chose to use Facebook (the internet) as one of my mediums because my target audience, which is college students and business people are more likely to be using social networking sites, like Facebook during the day. Using Facebook allows me to zoom in on my target audience. Ads on facebook can be payed for per click-as my ad will be. This way, I only pay Facebook for the times a person or people click on the link to my website from the ad. This is a cost-saving way to get my ad out in a forum where my target audience is often found. Because I decided on paying for my ad per click, it is hard to estimate a budget for myself. However, I will set aside $2,000 for Facebook advertising. This ad will run from the months of July to October because I believe during these months, students are preparing for college and getting their supplies. It would be most effective for me to run my ad during this time period. People who use social networks often divulge a plethora of personal information in their profiles, which can prove useful to advertisers. Facebook lets you pick and choose which groups you would like your ads to reach. (inc). Because I can choose specific audiences who will be able to see my product, I will select college students simply by linking to the network they are under (for example Ramapo College ’14). I chose a simple approach for the ad on Facebook because much of the ads are simple and grasp the audience’s attention. I didn't choose a lot of words nor graphics because I wanted to audience (who are Facebook users) to click on the link to learn more about the product. This link will then send potential customers to ATD Coonect’s home page, which contains a lot of information and detail about the product and enables people to purchase it. By giving little information on my Internet ad, I lure potential customers in by sparking their curiosity.
I believe that the success of my product is going to be reliant on the advertisements I choose and the newspaper, billboard and Facebook ads are most fitting for my target audience. It is important for me to choose the most relevant places to advertise my product, because I want the most people being able to access ATD Connect. All together, my advertisements are going to cost approximately $20,000 to run. I know that the money is worth it because the amount of people purchasing my product and the revenue from it will far exceed the cost of advertising. My product is going to cost $19.99. I priced it very affordably because, let’s face it-most college students are on a tight budget and pricing it correctly is only going to make it more available for potential customers to purchase. ATD Connect can only be purchased through the website, but as it becomes more successful, I will branch out and sell it in stores, like Bed, Bath and Beyond. My device is practical and is the product of the future. For me, it will become as necessary as a laptop for a college student. ATD really is changing the way we learn, and will only help individuals succeed. In a hectic world full of stress and worry, why add more unnecessary work to our daily lives? ATD Connect is here to ease all worries. There really is no product like mine and if anyone knows how to create a product for college students-it is a college student herself! ATD Connect is going to take over the world.
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