11A: Idea Napkin No. 1

1. You: I am a team leader in school and at work. I have been a team leader on all my group projects and I can communicate effectively to my peers and motivate them to finish all of their work before the deadline. I am in a leadership position at my company in Clearwater, FL where I interview and train people in the field and outside of the field. I work in event marketing so we hire people with a student mentality and an open mind. We train them to become leaders in the office so they can eventually run multiple marketing events. My aspirations include opening up my own event marketing office with a wide range of clients. Regarding this class, if I started a business of marketing  alternatives to plastic, such as reusable water bottles and reusable grocery bags, with a UF logo on them, I would promote them on UF's campus and then expand to other college campuses worldwide.

2. What are you offering to customers?
I am offering to customers alternatives to plastic such as reusable water bottles, reusable grocery bags, bar soap and shampoo, metal straws, hair and skin products in reusable containers, and glass storage containers for food. All of the things that can replace one time use plastics is not something that everyone pays attention to.

3. Who are you offering it to?
I am offering alternatives to plastics to college students. Demographics include between the ages of 18 and 25, some disposable income, and females and males. Psychographics include wanting to try new things and experience them. I believe college students can be the change that our world needs today. I am also offering alternatives to plastic to restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores. If restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores can provide alternatives to plastic, there will be more people who will use them.

4. Why do they care?
I believe customers will care about my products because they are environmentally friendly and will not produce any plastic waste. This is a product that will have UF logos on them so college students will be excited to buy them and rep their school.

5. What are your core competencies?
Based on attending UF and researching about the sustainability clubs on campus, I do not think there is anyone out there with my idea. My core competencies include marketing skills that will help my business succeed. What I have that nobody else has is having alternatives to plastic with UF logos on them. Even placing "UF" letters on products will separate me from my competition.

I believe these elements fit together well because there are a lot of people with an unmet need. People want to better our environment and not leaving traces of plastic that can hurt our planet, people, and animals, will only incentivize people to use alternatives to plastic. The only thing that would stop people from buying is if they do not care or have a passion for helping our planet or if they do not have the extra money to spend because alternatives to plastic are more expensive than plastic.