emp model-88 hullsaver mkting plan final copy

Universal Shotgun Solutions

Introduces the

EMP Model-88

Developed and Marketed by the team of:

Brian Wade

Lauren McDonald

Tyler Keller

Brian Pegg

“Less Time Cleaning Up After Your Hobby, and More Time Doing Your Hobby”

SAVER HU

Executive Summary

The EMP Model-88 Hullsaver is a revolutionary tool for any shooting enthusiast. The

piles of spent shotgun shells, and the drudgery of the cleanup after shooting, can put

a damper in a shooter’s favorite activity. That is what motivated our Universal

Shotguns Solutions team to develop the Hullsaver. The electromagnetic technology,

which ensures quick and painless pickup, provides an unparalleled shooting

experience.

The market for the EMP Model-88 Hullsaver is ripe for penetration.

The shooting market is large and well established, and in the United States where

our 2nd Amendment right is a cornerstone of the Constitution; the market is not

going to dissipate in the foreseeable future. While big name brands currently

dominate the lion’s share of the market, their products are subpar when compared

to the Hullsaver’s efficiency and user friendliness.

Our purpose was to develop a product that enabled the shooter to spend less time

cleaning up their hobby, and more time doing their hobby. We succeeded. Through

the combined efforts of the product developers and the marketing team, we are

confident that our success will come to fruition as shooters everywhere recognize

that the EMP Model-88 Hullsaver is the clear choice for their needs.

The Universal Shotgun Solutions Team

Brian Wade

Tyler Keller

Lauren McDonald

Brian Pegg

Table of Contents Page

The Market 1

Product: Introducing the EMP Model-88 Hullsaver 2

The Target Market 3

Situation Analysis: Primary Competition 4

SWOT Analysis 6

Marketing Strategy 7

Future Opportunities 12

Conclusion 13

Appendix A (Packaging) 14

Appendix B (Ad) 15

References 16

“Less Time Cleaning Up After Your Hobby, and More Time Doing Your Hobby” 1

Welcome to the Lucrative Shooting Market

The shooting market in the United States is lucrative and well established.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association of the

shooting industry, the market is comprised of roughly 34.4 million Americans who

participate in shooting sports. Of those 34.4 million consumers, about 23 million

actively partake in skeet, trap, and sporting clay shooting1. These 23 million

shotgunners are the future consumers of the EMP Model-88 Hullsaver.

While the Hullsaver cannot be used to pick up spent rifle or handgun rounds, it is a

discontinuous innovation in the world of shot gunning. For the 23 million avid

shotgun shooters, it will completely revolutionize the sport!

Every shooter dreads cleanup time. The piles of spent shells add up quickly and they

are tedious to pick up. At this point there are relatively few tools to expedite this

tiresome chore. There is primarily one viable option that you can find on page 4, but

you will quickly find after reading about it that it is woefully underequipped to do

the job. Our team of developers identified this niche, and designed the Hullsaver to

fill it.

Shooting is not a cheap sport. The guns themselves are a significant financial

investment, while other miscellaneous equipment such as targets and ammo stack

up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The point is that shooters are willing to

spend money on their sport, and that the Hullsaver is very cheap relative to the

others costs incurred by their hobby.

In 2011, $9.9 billion was spent on target shooting sports alone. This total represents

all weapon types, but a significant portion of the figure is shot gunners. This means

1 National Shooting Sports Foundation (Trade Association Site)

http://www.nssf.org/PDF/research/TargetShootingInAmericaReport.pdf


that the Hullsaver will be entering a multi-billion dollar industry that needs what we

have to offer.

Introducing, the EMP MODEL-88 Hullsaver

The EMP Model-88 Hullsaver takes the traditional field magnet to the next level.

Using our patented electromagnetic disc design, the EMP Model-88 allows the user

to pick-up empty shotgun hulls and place them into the desired receptacle—without

physically taking them off the magnet. All this is done by simply turning the EMP

Model-88 on and off. See figure 1 for product specifications.

Figure 1. EMP Model-88 Design Specifications

Length (min/max) 22 inches – 40 inches

Weight (without batteries) 1.4 lbs.

Power Source 8 “AA” Batteries

Battery Life 6 hours of continuous use

Lifting Capacity 25 lbs.

The EMP Model-88 is designed with the

shotgun and clay target enthusiast in-mind.

The shape and functionality closely

resembles that of shotgun accessories

already in use on clay target ranges

and clay target shooters across the

nation. The familiar shape and

method of use will reduce the learning

curve, allow for easier storage and

transportation, and diminish resistance

within our target market segment (Figure 2).

Figure 2. EMP Model-88 Physical Features


Target Market: Catering to Fed Up Shooters

Our target market is relatively diverse, but the consumers within it are unified by

their love of shooting. Using demographic segmentation we identified our target

market as being comprised of males between the ages of 21 and 65, and anywhere

from the bachelor 1 to empty nest stages of the life cycle. Once we used this

demographic to break the market down into macro segments, we narrowed down

that demographic group further by using psychographic segmentation to include

individuals who love shooting sports, or have friends and family that shoot.

We included anyone involved with the sport because the big question that we want

to answer is “What do you buy the shooting enthusiast who has everything?”

Using this target segment we have identified that the geographic areas where we

will focus our efforts are primarily rural where shooting sports are prevalent. For a

more concise representation of our target market, refer to Figure 3 below.

Figure 3. EMP Model-88 Market Segmentation2

Primary Market Shotgun Enthusiasts

Demographic Males/35-65 yoa/life cycle bachelor-empty nest

Psychographic “What do I buy the shotgunner that has everything?” Geographic Aggressive in areas where shotgun sports are prevalent

2https://www.google.com/search?q=shotgun+shooters&biw=1680&bih=927&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&v

ed=0ahUKEwjHm8XE9M3JAhWDTSYKHW41AsgQ_AUICCgD#imgrc=5-QqksXyg-uKbM%3A


Situation Analysis: Who Is Our Competition?

The primary competition for the EMP Model-88 Hullsaver is the MOJO Outdoors

Pick Stick Magnetic Shotgun Shell Retriever. It resembles the Hullsaver to some

extent, and its basic purpose is the same, but it is deficient when compared to our

product (the next section is dedicated to this topic). The MOJO Stick is essentially an

elongated magnet that runs the length of a pole. The user uses the stick to pick up

shells by placing the pole near enough to the shells that the magnet grabs them, as

depicted in the picture below.

As advertised by MOJO:

x Easiest way to pick up empty hulls

x Picks up as many as 25 hulls at a time

x Adjustable staff from 32.5" to 55.5"

x Maximize comfort and ease of use

x Works in water or on dry land

x Never bend over to pick up hulls

3

3 http://www.amazon.com/MOJO-Outdoors-Magnetic-Shotgun-

Retriever/dp/B00CJRO648


How Is the Hullsaver Different?

Physically the MOJO and Hullsaver may appear to be extremely similar, but there

are three key points of differentiation that place the Hullsaver on a different level of

quality entirely.

1. The Hullsaver is an electromagnet – the first of its kind. This may not

seem like a big deal, but it makes a huge difference for several reasons.

For one, this technology allows the Hullsaver to last much longer than the

MOJO Stick. When the magnet in the MOJO wears out, the product is

useless. The Hullsaver, on the other hand, simply needs a new battery

pack to power the electric current and the product is as good as new!

2. Not only does the electromagnet prolong the life of the product, it

dynamically changes the functionality of the magnet. When the MOJO is

used to pick up shells, the operator must run his or her hand down the

pole to manually remove the shells. This leaves harmful lead dust residue

on the hands of the operator. If this does not seem like a serious health

concern, consider the fact that lead pencils were replaced with graphite

to eliminate the harmful effects of lead poisoning. For the Universal

Shotgun Solutions team shooting sport safety is a primary concern. We do

not want shooters going home to their families with their hands coated in

lead.

3. The surface area of the Hullsaver is much greater than the MOJO Stick, as

demonstrated in the image to the left. The larger magnet allows the

product to pick up more shells at once. Additionally, the consumer has

greater control over the shells with the “on/off” on the Hullsaver. When

the operator picks up the shells, they can place them over the bucket and

simply turn the product off to release the shells, rather than removing

them manually.


SWOT Analysis of the EMP Model-88 Hullsaver

Weaknesses

x We have minimal business experience pertaining to the launching of a new

product.

x The product could be seen as too technologically advanced for the older

population in the target market.

x Some users could see the product as to confusing to use.

Strengths

x Our main strength is that we are selling the only electromagnet shell grabber

on the market. This technology allows the product to be turned on and off.

x It will be priced significantly higher than any other shell retriever on the

market denoting higher quality.

x The electromagnet will be much more powerful than an ordinary magnet

with an estimated capacity of 20 more shells than the leading product that is

on the market now.

x The electromagnet’s ability to be turned off will ensure a clean disposal of empty shells. The lead from the shells will never get on your hands again.

Threats

x The main competitor in our market is the MOJO Outdoors Pick Stick which is

priced significantly lower than our product.

x MOJO might drop the price of its magnetic stick so low that it will drive us out

of business. They will be able to do this because it costs them less money to

make their product.

Opportunities

x We have no direct competitors in the electromagnet market.

x The closest competitor we have is a simple magnet elongated into a stick.

x Being the only company that sells these electromagnetic shell retrievers,

there is a huge opening in the market for us to thrive.

x When the Hullsaver takes advantage of the niche in the market, Universal

Shotguns Solutions will become a reputable manufacturer of shooting-

related products. This opportunity opens a lot of doors for the company


Marketing Plan: Breaking Into the Market

Packaging (Appendix A)

The EMP Model-88 will be packaged in a long, narrow rectangular box made of

recycled cardboard. This will protect the product during shipping, allow for easy

stacking on retail shelves, and provide U.S.S. with ample space to inform the

customer about our product while reducing costs by using recycled materials. The

red, white, and blue colors of the box will highlight our “Made in America” claim and

standout from the sea of black and camouflaged packaging used by our competitors.

Additionally, the box will be labeled with our product specifications, augmentation

details, and, of course, the USS brand label. All of these choices were made in an

effort to maximize our information utility, differentiate us from the competition, and

increase our brand awareness. Moreover, our packaging will not be overcrowded

with slogans, text, and clutter that will detract from the clean, simple and reliable

brand essence we want to convey to our users.

Analysis of Price and Profit

The EMP Model-88 will initially be priced based on cost and premium pricing

methods (Figure 3). These strategies are the best fit based on the fact that most of

our initial sales will be through face-to-face interactions with customers at industry

events and our target market believes that you “get what you pay for”. Moreover,

this is a luxury good with an inelastic demand and customers are less likely to be

price sensitive. Finally, the EMP Model-88 is unique in the market place and

therefore allows us to set the price without undue concern for our competitions

price.


Figure 4. EMP Model-88 Pricing (Initial)

Cost Price

Manufacturing $25.00 $25.00

Markup 50% $50.00

Premium Markup 25% $66.66 ($69.99)

Initial sales price= $69.99

The initial markup of 50% is significant, however, this is needed to cover the

product booth, travel, lodging, and shipping fees associated with marketing directly

to consumers. At later stages of the product life this mark-up will be reduced to

allow wholesalers and retailers to carry the product. In this stage the MSRP will

remain that same as the initial sales price of $69.99. By keeping the price constant

across the life cycle, it permits sellers to incentivize loyal customers and attract new

buyers by increasing buyer’s benefits through in-store, event, and on-line discounts

rather than reducing price.

Distribution

The long term distribution strategies are a combination of push and pull types.

Since U.S.S. and the EMP Model-88 are new, the initial distribution will be

accomplished by pulling our target market to the product. The product must be

presented to the consumer where they are: trade shows, shooting competitions and

on social media. Once the product has generated enough buzz and brand

awareness, USS can start a limited push strategy made up of exclusive distribution

to select on-line outlets such as Brownells and Midway USA, and in-store retailers

such as Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop, and Gander Mountain. Our team would target

specific regions of the U.S.: CA, TX, FL, and MI, where shotgun target shooters are

prevalent4. In addition, USS will conduct in-store product demonstrations to educate

consumers, build brand awareness and strengthen OEM, retailer partnerships.

4 http://nssf.org/PDF/research/TargetShootingInAmericaReport.pdf

http://nssf.org/PDF/research/TargetShootingInAmericaReport.pdf


Advertising: How We Will Reach Our Target Market

Promotion Plan: Message Strategy

The Hullsaver’s selling point is simple: the product is an efficient, reliable resource

to recover shotgun shells without the hassle of bending over and straining one’s

back. It is lightweight, has more surface area than its competitors, and has a

retractable electromagnet.

Universal Shotgun’s slogan is “Spend less time cleaning up after your hobby, and

more time doing your hobby” This slogan works in various ways. It implies that this

product is easy to use, offers convenience, is highly efficient, lightweight to

transport, and above all, it is going to give the consumer more freedom to enjoy their

sport.

When advertising the EMP Model-88, it is crucial to recognize the distinctiveness of

the product. Important to note, the tone and attitude used in its advertising shows

that not only is it outdoorsy and tough, there is some competence behind the

product, with a slight dusting of sophistication. Imagery that consists of deep fauna,

cameo, and earth implies both nature and robustness. Also, imagery should also

have some sort of lightning bolt or battery symbol that illustrates potency and

power. Any visual advertising of EMP Model-88 should rely on placing it in the

middle of a secluded, weathered scene in the outdoors—perhaps even during a

thunderstorm. This moves the product away from the idea that it is some kind of

power tool, and keeps it conventional for shooters.


Preliminary Promotion Plan: Media Selection

As EMP Model-88 is advertised throughout the target market, it is imperative to be

highly meticulous about which medium carriers to use. Our target market may be

more likely to be online than to watch television, and more likely to communicate

and be persuaded by peer pressure than by reading newspaper articles. A well-

defined media and target market makes our advertising efforts more effective and is

a smarter way to spend money on advertising.

Social media can be used to EMP Model-88’s advantage with negligible costs.

Satisfied customers will have the opportunity to connect with our brand via

Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. Customers will also be able to learn more

about Universal Shotgun Solutions as well. Nevertheless, word has to get out

directly to our target market before this kind of momentum can begin. One way of

doing this is by having some early adopters use these at shooting ranges to spark

some interest and inspire peer pressure to adopt the product. Another way is

through traditional visual adverting, placing ads carefully near shooting equipment

in shops and ranges. There is also consideration to having spokespeople, like Si

Robertson from Duck Dynasty, promoting the slogan and the product via

commercial or in a paper ad format. These methods of advertising are important.

However, if our company sponsors events that actively engage people to experience

shooting with the Hullsaver, and interact with fellow shooters, we can successfully

leave a positive, lasting impression on our potential customers.


Product Launch Event

One suggestion for launching our product is at shooting competitions, hunting

competitions, and gun shows where shotgun users will be. Universal Shotgun

Solutions will directly work with local shooting ranges, hunting grounds, and gun

specialty shops that organize these kinds of events. While there, participants and

spectators will receive coupons and brand stickers, and will be able to test out the

EMP Model-88, in addition to the opportunity to learn more about our product.

These events accentuate the reliability, ruggedness, and efficiency of EMP Model-88

and generate brand recognition.

Ad (Appendix B)

Our ads will be designed to stress two main selling points of Universal Shotgun

Solutions: it is efficient and reliable.

The text blanketed on the ad is used strategically. Utilizing the Gutenberg Diagonal

and visual center, our sample ad in Appendix B ensures that the viewer’s eyes scan

every piece of important information. Additionally, the color of the ad is bleak and

gray, contrasting sharply with the bright colors of the Universal Shotgun Solutions

logo so it sticks out.


Future Opportunities

The EMP-88 Hullsaver is not a commodity. It’s not a product that consumers will

purchase every month or even every other year for that matter. It was specifically

designed to last a long time. Being a specialty good, we hope to retain a strong

foundation of brand loyal customers, but we will have to face the reality of a

declining market at some point. The Hullsaver will allow Universal Shotgun

Solutions to develop a strong reputation as a quality manufacturer, opening doors

for the company in the future.

Furthermore, the Hullsaver’s electromagnetic technology can be used to extend the

brand into other markets. There are dozens of other potentially lucrative

opportunities for brand extensions. Without looking too far into the future and

stretching ourselves too thin, our team thought it would be prudent to identify a

secondary market. We determined that the most viable option is in the industrial

market.

Secondary Market (Figure 5.)

We do not want to go into too much detail for fear of losing sight of the target

market. However, for the sake of planning for the future the following is the

segmentation process by which our team identified a secondary market.

Figure 5. Secondary Market Segmentation

Target Segment Mechanics/Carpenters/DIY-ers/Construction Industry

Demographics Males/18-65 yoa/all life cycles

Psychographic Easy tool to clean work site/save effort and money

Geographic Areas with growing pops and emergent housing MKTs

Behaviors Safety and efficiency minded consumer/ early adopter


Conclusion

The EMP Model-88 is a one of a kind product in today’s multi-billion dollar target

shooting market. It provides customers with a reliable, rugged, and innovative

device that they can be proud of and show-off to their friends. Furthermore,

Universal Shotgun Solutions backs it flagship product with a 1-year full replacement

warranty, responsive customer service, and face-to-face customer interaction. We

talk with shotgun shooters and we know what they want—a premium product,

priced right, and excellent customer service. The EMP Model-88 is all of those

things.

We here at Universal Shotgun Solutions understand that leisure time is precious and

consumers have little patience for products that do not respect that. That is the

driving force behind our product, and the reason we believe you should spend…

“…Less Time Cleaning Up After Your Hobby, and More Time Doing Your Hobby”

Thank you.

The Universal Shotgun Solutions Team

Universal

Solutions

Shotgun

14

Appendix A: Packaging

Front, Left and Right Side of Package

Back of Package

15

Appendix B: Ad Sample

Universal

Solutions Shotgun

“Less Time Cleaning Up After Your Hobby, and More Time Doing

Your Hobby.”

16

References

National Shooting Sports Foundation (Trade Association Site)

http://www.nssf.org/PDF/research/TargetShootingInAmericaReport.pdf


http://www.amazon.com/MOJO-Outdoors-Magnetic-Shotgun-

Retriever/dp/B00CJRO648

https://www.google.com/search?q=shotgun+shooters&biw=1680&bih=927&sourc

e=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHm8XE9M3JAhWDTSYKHW41AsgQ_AUIC

CgD#imgrc=5-QqksXyg-uKbM%3A


emp model-88 hullsaver mkting plan final copy

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