Mail in the mailbox indicator – Julie Humphrey
NEW PRODUCT STRATEGY
The product upgrade that I propose is a flag or a light indicator that would notify you whether or not there is mail in your mailbox. This would be much like the flag that we currently use on our mailboxes to inform our mail delivery person that we have outgoing mail.
IDEA GENERATION
I live in the country. I come home from work, park my car, and walk out to the mailbox to check the mailbox. On my lazy days I pull in my driveway, back out to face the way I just came from and then pull up to the mailbox.
Many times after walking to the mailbox or going through the process of turning around I get to the mailbox and it’s empty or I forget it was a holiday and there was no mail on that day. This can be rather frustrating if it is pouring or snowing heavily and in the process of checking an empty mailbox I am now drenched or the inside of my car is drenched.
This could also come in handy on the days I am home and waiting for the mail to be delivered. I would be able to look at my mailbox and visually see whether or not the mail has been delivered instead of making multiple trips to the mailbox.
IDEA SCREENING
To screen this product I would survey the people in my township. I would take suggestions on how people thought this could or could not help them. In addition to this I would pole the mail carriers to see what their thoughts and suggestions would be. I believe that in order to be successful I would need the buy in of the postal workers. I may be able to tap this business into the post office boxes as well.
I would need to work with the postal service to ensure that mail in the mailbox alert flags are a universal color so it would be clear when the mail has been delivered and is not confused with mail waiting to be mailed.
BUSINESS ANALYSIS
Every home is already required to have a mail box or a post office box so the added cost would be for an additional flag. In searching for prices of mailbox flags that would be used for the indicator for mail waiting to be picked up by the mail person – the average price is $6 to $8; not a huge price to pay for the convenience of knowing at a glance whether or not you have mail or not.
DEVELOPMENT
As I stated earlier, I would need to work closely with the post office to get an approved standard color to use for this particular flag. It will be vital that any chance of confusion be limited and this can be done with the standardization or location of the flag. The packaging for sale of the flag needs to clearly indicate that it is a mail in the mailbox indicator.
TEST MARKET
I would use the participants of my survey as my test market. I would do this because I can imagine that conversation was generated by them after I interviewed them and asked for input to my idea. I would then present them with a flag to place on their mailbox. This would generate more conversation and once they have used it and see how convenient it is – by word of mouth – my product will be in the beginning stages of being advertised. Advertisement by word of mouth is always the best.
COMMERCIALIZATION
I would start selling my products a month after my test market has used and started advertising my product. I would utilize stores that currently sell mailboxes, ebay, Dollar General and Family Dollar type stores, Agway and Tractor Supply type stores, and the post office.
