Question One
A floppy disk is a device that is used for the purpose of storing and transferring data. It is popularly referred to as a diskette. It is made up of a magnetic strip which is flexible and thin. This magnetic strip is contained in a plastic casing that prevents it from any form of destruction by natural or manmade causes. Most of the computers manufactured in the early seventies, contained slots for putting floppy disks. This is because the technology of making floppy disks was discovered in the 1960s. After the product had been tested for some time, some of the large computer hardware manufacturers commenced producing floppy drives and computers which were composed of floppy drives. As a result of this, the floppy disks and drives became commercially available from the year 1971 onwards. The following are examples of some of the companies which used to manufacture floppy disks; IBM, Burroughs Corporation, Shugart Associates, and Memorex.
For approximately half a century, computers used to be manufactured with a floppy disk drive. This is because floppy disks were the main means of storing data outside the computer. Floppy disks were also the main medium of transferring data from one computer to another. From the period commencing the year 1990, majority of the home owners in the United States and across the developed world commenced using personal computers. This brought about an increase in the overall market for computers. At the time, the demand for computers and floppy disks was almost perfectly correlated. This is because most of the people who were using computers needed to buy a floppy disk at one point or another. As a result of this, increase in the level of demand for computers brought about an increase in the level of demand for floppy disks.
However, from the around the year 2005 the demand for floppy disks commenced declining. The decline in demand for floppy disks was brought about by the development and production of compact disks, digital versatile disks, and portable hard disks. The development and production of this device rendered floppy disks to be obsolete. This is because floppy disks and hard disks are capable of storing larger volumes of data compared to floppy disks. The continuing advancements in research on computer technologies resulted to further decline in the demand of floppy disks. This is because with the development of products such as; cloud computing, Bluetooth technologies, and wireless technology, large volumes of information can now be transferred from one computer to another without the necessarily using a physical medium.
Question Two
According to the most recent population study that was carried out in the United States, it is estimated that approximately 62.3% of the total population of the country is comprised of people between the ages of 18 and 64 years. Majority of the people within this age bracket are people who are considered to be computer literate. In addition to that, most of the people within this age bracket normally interact with computers almost on a daily basis. They interact with computers in at least one of the following venues; at work, at school, or at home. Due to this, people within this age bracket use the computer to carry out different tasks. This makes it necessary for them to have the need to embrace the latest technologies in the world of computers. This means that when new computer technologies are being introduced, they normally tend to procure it. This is because various technological advancements in the field of computers normally improve the level of efficiency when carry out different tasks. With the development of storage devices which have larger capacities compared to the floppy disks, majority of the people have ceased buying floppy disks. Instead, they are procuring portable hard disks which can be able to store large volumes of data and they are easy to carry.
Over and above that, it is also estimated that approximately 53% of the total population of the United States is comprised of people who are living below the nation average of the total household income. This means that a majority of the residents of the United States are most likely to spend their money procuring daily necessities of survival instead of buying computers, and computer accessories. As a result of this, it is expected that the demand for floppy disks is not likely to increase. This is despite the majority of the people within this bracket having access to a computer which have floppy disc drives.
Question Three
Marketers of floppy disk drives should carry out a research that is geared towards establishing reasons why there has been a significant decline in the demand of floppy disks. This research will enable them to identify some of the reasons why the floppy disk is no as marketable as before. It will enable the marketers to identify whether there has been as change in the tastes and preferences of the customers. In addition to that, the research will enable the marketers to identify the current tastes and preferences of the consumers.
Marketers should present the current tastes and preferences of consumers to the research and development department. The research and development department should in turn look for ways of improving the technology that is used to manufacture floppy disks. This is because if they can be able to manufacture the floppy disks in a manner that will meet the tastes and preferences of consumers, it is likely that such a move will rescue the product from obsolescence. The integration of tastes and preferences of consumers will ensure that the appeal of the floppy disks has been enhanced.
In addition to that, marketers can also propose that the company develops a new product that will replace the floppy disks. In this case, the marketers will provide the specifications of the product. This is because they are the ones who are most in touch with the consumers. When introducing the new product they should also look for alternative uses of the floppy disk as this can provide a good avenue for marketing them.
Question Four
Floppy disks are still very marketable in most of the developing countries. This is because a majority of the people living in developing countries are not computer literate. As a result of this, some of the old computers, which were being used in the developed nations, are normally exported to these countries so that they can be used for purposes of learning. All of the old computers have a floppy disk drive. This means that the primary way through which data can be transferred from one computer to another is through the use of a floppy disk. This makes the floppy disks to be one of the most important commodities in these countries. A good example of a nation whereby the demand for floppy disks can be higher than that of the United States is Mexico.
Question Five
The various manufacturers of floppy disks should carry out a survey to establish the potential level of demand that can be generated in the new country. When carrying out this survey, they should identify the different users of floppy disks. They should establish whether a majority of the users are intuitions or individuals. These data will enable them to develop effective marketing strategies. For instance, if a majority of the users of floppy disks are institutions, the manufacturers can develop marketing programs that are geared towards attracting institutional customers. One of the ways through which the marketers can increase the demand for floppy disks is through partnering with donor organisations so as to increase the inflow of used computers into this country. While doing this, the marketers can position the floppy disk as one of the safest ways of storing private data. This is because upon storage one can hide the floppy disk in a secret location.
References
Burrow, J. L. (2009). Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning.
CIA. (2012). The CIA World Factbook 2012. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
Ferrell, O. C., & Pride, W. M. (2012). Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning.
Sandhusen, R. L. (2008). Marketing. New York: Barron's Educational Series.
