Final Project/New Product PortfolioEnglish 3359:Technical Writing - Martin

Overview

For the final project, you will assume the role of an independent firm that has created a new product and is now working to sell this product to a specific company. You will need to gather information related to the company, product, and consumer. This project will be submitted in an 8-10 page product dossier that is further explained in this slideshow.

Your Product

The product you have created should be unique. This means that it should NOT be something that is currently on the market. You can either create a new product from scratch or modify a current product on the market. I am not concerned with the product actually working or being something that can be made with today’s technology. Rather, I am interested in you creating something that you can argue the need for and effectively sell the product. Let your imagination go!

The Company

Once you have your product idea, you need to decide which company you would like to sell you product to with the hope that this company will buy your product and market it under their own name. You should work to find a company that sells products similar to what you have developed. For example, Starbucks would not be a good choice for a new type of washing machine, but would be a great choice for a new type of hot beverage dispenser. The better the company is aligned with the product, the easier it will be for you to argue for the product.

Information You Need

You will need to do some research for this project, including, but not limited to:

• Company profile

• Marketplace profile

• Sales figures

• Consumer information

• Audience profile (who will you be selling to?)

• A product mock-up

Product Mock-Up

The final dossier requires that you have a visual mock-up of your product. You can use existing product images and modify them to represent what your product may look like. The emphasis here is not on the quality of the image, but that the image is a representation of the product. If you’re not a graphic design person, don’t worry about having the perfect image, but rather focus on getting an image that works to give the audience an idea of what your product is.

The Dossier

In the slides that follow, I will go through a sample layout of the final deliverable. This is just an example and you can modify, add to, or replace sections as you see fit. Remember, the goal of this project is to create an effective argument for the company you are marketing to to invest in/buy your product. Use the tools you need to accomplish this.

Page 1 - Introduction

The first page should work to introduce your “company.” You can work to incorporate a name and logo. Give the reader an understanding of who your company is and why you have the credibility (ethos) within the area you have developed your product.

Page 2 - The Problem

Develop the problem or gap that needs to be filled. Think about the hole in the market that your product fills. Use colorful language that gives the reader an idea or story to relate to. “Don’t you just hate this…”

Page 3 - Product/Solution

Now that you have worked to develop the problem, now you can detail the solution to this problem: your product. Work to provide a detailed evaluation of your product. What does it do? What technology is it built upon? How will this product do the amazing things it promises to do?

Page 4 - Consumer Information

Who is the targeted consumer base for this product? Who will be buying this? This should be aligned with the company’s (who you are marketing to) consumer base to help your argument for selling this product to them.

Page 5 - Company Alignment

This is why you chose this specific company to market to. “We know you want to solve this problem and sell a lot of this product under your name. This is why your company is the best for this product.”

Page 6 - Competition

What is the competition in the marketplace? Who are the targeted companies main competitors? What are their current products that your product will face in the marketplace? Are they a threat?

Page 7 - Costs

All the monetary issues should be placed here. What is the cost to manufacture? Cost to consumer? How much are you asking for the rights to your product? These can be speculative figures.

Page 8 - Quick Facts & Contact Info

Use this page to remind the audience about the main points of your dossier. Additionally, provide the reader with a way to get in touch with your firm.