LO4 P7: Create a project proposal specification document for the new product

Create a project proposal specification document for the new product

PRODUCT IDEA

My idea for a new media product would be to create a new mobile app and website with the purpose of helping and guiding people with their mental health. Some features I am thinking would be included within my mobile app are; a daily mood tracker; tips on how to improve their day-to-day activities; calming background music optional by the user and setting goals within different creatable categories. Some further traits of my mobile app would be a breathing timer to help consumers with anxiety or panic attacks, telling them to breathe in, hold their breath, and release.

My product would not hold any communication abilities because I believe that the users should take this time using my product to self-reflect and focus on themselves instead of comparing their progress to their friends or others online. If I did include this, it would also increase the risk of creating low self-esteem issues that directly oppose the purpose of my product. For this reason, also, a camera is not added to my product - specifically the mobile app version - because some users might not be comfortable with their appearance, and having an avatar or profile picture be something they would like to be with resemblance to themselves will suffice. 

CONVERGING MEDIA SECTORS - NEEDS TO BE TWO OR MORE E.G COMPUTING AND TELECOMS, SOCIAL MEDIA AND TV, TV/FILM AND INTERNET 

My product merges the media sectors of social media/tv, internet, and mobile application technologies. This is because my product has a website that involves being on the internet and taking advantage of Web 2.0 advancement. Without this hive of interconnectivity and proving Marshall McLuhan's global village theory, my product wouldn't be able to be accessible to people all across the world and spread the ideology of positive mental health to my consumers. As my product is also a mobile app, it takes advantage of the new advancements made to mobile phones over the years and how they can download these apps on the App Store or the Play Store. This makes my product more portable and allows the consumers to use it anywhere they want to as the majority of people take their phones everywhere. 

In terms of advertising and marketing, my product would be advertised through both media sectors of social media and television. I chose to market my product across multiple social media platforms because it will be more likely to reach my target audience there. This is because stereotypically teenagers are using social media constantly in this more modern age so through apps such as Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok they might see an advertisement for my product and consider downloading and using it. It would also be advertised on the tv between programmes showcasing people using the apps and the different features available. 

WHAT THE PRODUCT DOES/SERVICE IT PROVIDES

The point of my product is to provide guidance to the individual's mental health journey and personal experience. My product also gives the users alternative options from other apps in the market which might only offer the user one feature such as a mood tracker being the only unique selling point whereas my app combines these features and adds some more original ones all with the thought of the consumers in mind. By consistently using my product, and tracking your progress in the emotions and thoughts day by day, the user will get a more well-rounded and knowledgeable idea or overview of their own mind and what makes them happy or stressed. Hopefully, with this in mind, the user will improve their overall state of mind as well as their quality of life. 

Having a profile or personal account, completing activities, or doing them consistently to create a streak will give them points and therefore increase their profile or account's level giving the audience an incentive to use the product. Another service it gives to the user is time to focus on themselves and forget about other people's opinions and expectations and they have the time to relax a bit more. The final service my product provides the users are to look out for their health and well-being to hopefully prevent any permanent or temporary damage. 

TARGET AUDIENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICS

My target audience is between 15-30 year olds of any gender. This is because this age includes students and it is scientifically proven that students struggle the most with their mental health as they have to balance school life, work life, and their own social lives. Furthermore, these ages are the most important for figuring out how to manage their own mental health to ensure their well being for the future when people become older and damage lasts. My product is aimed at any genders because mental health doesn't discriminate between people of different genders and everyone should be thinking of caring for their own mental health regardless of genders.

In terms of psychographics, my target audience would include mainstreamers and explorers. My product would attract mainstreamers as mental health is no longer a taboo subject within society it therefore becoming more popular in the mainstream. Whereas, my product would also attract explorers as they like to seek discovery and try new things which my product would be. Due to the age range of my target audience, the social grades for my target audience would include C2, D and E. This is because E covers the students and unemployed whereas C2 and D cover the careers which give the individuals more dispensable time to spend on using products they want to. As my product is on the web, app store and play store, it will be available and accessible by people everywhere which means the geographics of my target audience is international/global. 

DOES THE PRODUCT FILL A GAP IN THE MARKET? IF SO, HOW DO YOU KNOW? WHY WOULD THIS BE A VIABLE IDEA?

My product does fill a gap in the market due to the fact that my competitors do not have the combination of features that my app includes. For example, a product in the competition is called MoodNotes which only holds the mood tracker feature or another example such as the app called Be Okay which has an anxiety breathing timer. However, in comparison, my product contains both of these features as well as some more original features which gives the consumers more options to choose from. This unique selling point of my product will convince the users to download my product over the competition as it includes more in one app which is both easier and uses less storage up of the mobile phone. 

My product would be viable because other similar products have gained success and mainstream recognition. An example of this would be the meditation app of Headspace and following the success of this app, it is entirely possible that my app and website version of my product would also reach the same success with the target audience and more. Due to this, my product would be worth putting money, energy and resources into this as an investment towards the future when it will become a success on the market and create profit. 

IS IT THE TYPE OF PRODUCT THAT IS MADE BY A CONGLOMERATE COMPANY OR AN INDIE COMPANY?

My product is the type of product that an independent would most likely pick up rather than a conglomerate company. This is because a conglomerate company owns other companies as subsidiaries and my product isn't the type where multiple others can be made in relation to it. However, alternatively, an already existing conglomerate company could buy out my product and could market, produce and distribute it. This conglomerate could own similar products which are more specified for example, a meditation app like Calm or a fun app like Happily or a therapy app for example Talkspace. However, currently within the market, there is no such conglomerate company existing which is why my type of product is most likely to be made my an independent company. My product would also be more suitable to be created by an independent company because then it can be more focused on selling and improving/upgrading my product. By doing this regularly, there is a sense of trust between the company and the users, that the company will provide and that the consumers will give results. 

DISTRIBUTION OPPORTUNITIES/HOW THE AUDIENCE CAN ACCESS IT

Mindmanage is going to be distributed across multiple platforms. It will be available to download on Apple iOS devices through the App Store and it will also be accessible to consumers who use Android devices through their version the Play Store. By doing this, it opens up the market of the product to a wider, larger variety of users as by only distributing it to one device it limits the users of the other device as they would not be able to download my product. Another platform my product will be distributed is across the different web browsers such as Google or Firefox or Safari. This will be surrounding the website version of my product. By doing this, if you use a tablet device and use Safari or if the consumers are using Google on a laptop/computer they can still have access to a version of my product.

HOW YOU WOULD MARKET THIS

My product would be marketed across multiple media sectors. To begin with, my product would be advertised across different social media channels. This is because my target audience use social media daily so to market my product effectively and successfully I need to be reaching them on social media. For example, TikTok could be used to have short videos with the brand's logo or mascot following the latest trends to try and get onto people's For You Page and reach over thousands or millions of people. An example of a successful TikTok advertising campaign from a company is Duolingo. Another social media channel I could advertise across is Instagram. Posts can be uploaded or stories to promote the different product version as an app or a website. Furthermore, it could also show up on people's feeds as a sponsored post when scrolling through to catch the target audience's interest to download the products. Another social media channel which could be used is YouTube. On YouTube, videos could be uploaded to explain the different features or functions of my product to give a further in depth analysis on my product to give to the target audience. 

Other platforms which my product will be marketed is through Google Ads. For example, people might see some pop up adverts as a poster or banner to gain people's interest to get them to use my product. Users of the web can click on these adverts for a link to the website version of my product or it will take them straight there. However, other pop up adverts might direct the users to the App Store or the Play Store to download the app version of my product. Another way is through a television advertisement so between programmes the viewers will witness my adverts showing how people use the app or website in their daily lives. By seeing the benefits and advantages that the people on screen are experiencing it will convince the viewers to download the app or search the web for my product to use, therefore giving my product more success and earning more profit.