Strategic Message Planner for the Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50
(SPRING 2022) - For this assignment, I was asked to create a strategic message planner for the Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50.
Strategic Message Planner: Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50
Client: Key Facts
Vitamix was founded in 1921 by William G. “Papa” Barnard and is currently headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
It is a private company primarily in the Major Household Appliance manufacturer industry, offering commercial and household products.
The Barnard family has run Vitamix for four generations. Dr. Jodi Berg is the company’s current President and CEO.
Vitamix’s products include blenders, containers and attachments and compact food recyclers. It is available in more than 130 countries.
Vitamix sells certified reconditioned blenders to keep returned functional machines out of landfills.
In 1949, Papa Barnard created the first infomercial demonstrating the Vitamix Blender. Vitamix stopped producing infomercials and focused more on demonstrations to market its products.
Vitamix has a product donation program that donates blenders to select 501(c)(3) organizations and hospitals. Vitamix also created the Vitamix Culinary Medial Program to provide select medical schools and residency programs with blending equipment, training, recipes and resources.
Vitamix established The Vitamix Foundation to “further the knowledge, consumption and enjoyment of plant-based whole foods.”
Vitamix has won around 28 awards. In 2019, Vitamix won an international Best in Biz silver award for its Ascent series blender.
In Vitamix’s primary industry, customers buy products that have recognizable names. Reputation is essential in maintaining a strong retail presence and companies should convey its products’ quality.
Key Client Insight(s):
Vitamix is proud that it has been a champion for healthy eating for over 100 years, it has stuck to its mission and plans to take it into the future.
Product:
What Is the Product?
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 is a compact food recycler.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 takes up one cubic foot of space and weighs 27 pounds.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 has a carbon filtration system to eliminate odors.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 has a removable waste bucket with a carbon filter lid to eliminate odors.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 sells for around $399.95.
What is the Purpose of the Product?
The purpose of the Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 is to reduce food waste.
It takes food scraps and breaks it down to a tenth of its original volume to create fertilizer.
Food waste is the most common material in landfills in the United States. More than 85% of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills come from food waste. Americans sent an estimated 328 pounds of food waste per person to landfills in 2016.
In September 2015, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the U.S. 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. Its goal is to reduce food loss and waste by half by 2030.
What is the Product Made of?
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 is made with ABS Plastic Shell Cast and Aluminum Bucket.
ABS Plastic is recyclable and safe for food processing and handling operations. It is a tough plastic material used across various industries.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 has a carbon filtration system and lid to eliminate odor from the food waste.
Who and What Made and Distributed the Product?
Vitamix created the Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 to help reduce food waste.
Vitamix has relationships with sourcing and production partners worldwide to ensure its products are available to the most significant amount of people.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 is available online and in stores through most consumer retail companies that sell kitchenware and small appliances such as Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel and Sur La Table.
The Vitamix Food Cycler FC-50 is also available on Amazon, Best Buy and Home Depot.
Product Features/Benefits:
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 takes up one cubic foot of space: You can keep it on your kitchen counter or store it away in one of your cabinets.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 has a carbon filtration system: You do not need to worry about your food scraps smelling as you wait to recycle your food.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 has a removable waste bucket: This makes the FoodCycler portable, it goes wherever you need it to.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 breaks down food waste: The FoodCycler breaks down your food waste to one tenth of its size, reducing the amount of time you take out the trash.
The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 has quiet cycles: No need to worry about noise. Quite cycles mean you can run your FoodCycler day and night.
Key Feature/Benefits Insight(s):
The FoodCycler is convenient. It is not going to stick out wherever you put it. Like the trashcan, buyers will not have to worry about it. The benefit of the FoodCycler is its ability to blend in.
Market Place Trends:
Manufacturers are pursuing a different tangible way to make appliances fit neatly into consumers’ lives.
Food waste reduction has been a critical theme in kitchen appliance space. A few smart composters have been entering the market, increasing access to composting.
The Major Household Appliance Manufacturing industry has several domestic and foreign companies with strong brand recognition that compete aggressively in the U.S. market.
Product differentiation is low, making for a competitive market. Competition is in this industry is high and expected to increase.
In 2018, the Trump administration placed tariffs on aluminum and steel, leading to price increases in appliances for consumers. The Biden administration plans to keep these tariffs in place.
The industry will generate new sales through smart appliances as demand increases.
Product innovation is low in the Major Household Manufacturing industry in energy-efficient appliances and smart technology.
Key Industry Trend Insight(s):
Companies need to make appliances that stick out from the rest. Food reduction devices are a new and emerging product category, and it already sticks out. Vitamix can differentiate itself early and can capitalize on name recognition.
Consumer Trends:
Consumers do not trust brands and are less likely to take brands at their word. They want to know more about the product they are buying and the company selling it.
Well-being, surroundings, technology, rights, experiences, identity, and value impact consumer behavior.
20% of consumers will pay more for appliances with smart technology. They will pay for tools and products that help simplify tasks and increase productivity.
The pandemic had consumers spending more time at home, increasing their time spent cooking and willingness to invest in their home and appliances.
One-third of appliance owners said they would purchase a new small kitchen appliance to upgrade or treat themselves.
The rise in remote working has supported more at-home cooking. Consumers have more time to dedicate to meal prep, cooking and clean-up.
Key Industry Consumer Insight(s):
Consumers want to know that their purchase means something. They want businesses to listen to them, and they are not interested in businesses telling them what to do and what to buy.
Direct Competition and Brand Images:
Lomi by Pela$499
Lomi takes food waste and Lomi-approved bioplastics such as Pela phone cases and breaks it down into dirt.
Lomi has carbon filters to eliminate odors and has a dishwasher-safe stainless-steel bucket that holds up to 3 liters of waste.
Lomi has three modes. Eco-Express mode takes four or more hours and will reduce the food waste’s volume by up to 80%; Lomi Approved Mode takes ten or more hours and breaks down Lomi approved bioplastics and packaging; Grow Mode takes twenty or more hours and produces compost.
Consumers purchase Lomi through Pela’s website.
Customers say Lomi is easy to set up and looks good in a kitchen. They say it is expensive, especially with replacing the filters. They say the machine is large and if counter space is scarce, keep it somewhere else.
Unknown price
PCS350 dehydrates and pulverizes food waste into a powder that is a tenth of its original size in 3 hours.
PCS350 has sensors to help with the amount of energy consumption. The sensors automatically measure food waste volume and periodically checks dehydrations to adjust the cycle to save time and energy. Once the drying process ends, PCS350 will automatically shut down.
PCS350 has a three-part impeller to crush and pulverize hard objects like chicken bones. It is slow-moving (6 to 8 rotations per minute) to reduce noise.
PCS350 has a multiple carbon filter system to eliminate odors.
PCS350 is self-cleaning.
PSC350 has smart verbal narration that narrates each stage of the food waste process to eliminate the need for guessing which stage the appliance is on.
It is unknown where PSC350 can be purchased. SmartCara is the leading company in Korea for food waste disposal.
Most reviews are for an older model of this product. Customers report that it is easy to use, the self-cleaning feature is effective and quiet.
$429.99
The All-Electric Kitchen Waste Composter has a two-chamber system. The top chamber composts waste, and the lower chamber cures the compost.
Consumers can use the All-Electric Kitchen Waste Composter indoors or outdoors.
The All-Electric Kitchen Waste Composter composts in as little as five days. It can process up to 5 pounds of food waster per day.
It is made from ARPRO, a durable, recyclable, energy-efficient material that keeps heat and odors inside.
A similar model by the brand can compost pet waste and kitchen waste.
Customers say the beyondGREEN All-Electric Kitchen Waste Composter is too large to keep on a countertop. There can be odors and can be loud when processing the waste. They appreciate that they do not need to purchase filters every few months and can be kept outside and process pet waste. The customers were also satisfied with the compost produced by this product. Ultimately consumers said buyers should purchase this product if they have a pet and can keep it outside.
Indirect Competition:
Traditional Composting
Composting is the natural process of taking organic matter and turning it into nutrient-rich fertilizer. Composting speeds up the process of decomposition by providing an environment for decomposing organisms to break down the organic matter and turn it into soil.
Factors such as the size of a compost bin, types of materials in the bin, how often you mix the compost, how fast the various materials decompose and the compost’s temperature determine how long it takes to make compost. Composting can take a few months or up the three years.
Composting dates back to the Stone Age, approximately 12,000 years ago.
Composting has many benefits, such as reducing methane emissions, the need for chemical fertilizers and higher yields of agriculture crops.
City Composting Programs
In 2009, San Francisco was the first city to require people to separate recyclables, compostables and trash. It has a three-stream citywide collection program with three bins to help residents organize their waste. San Francisco has collected more than two million tons of organic waste and turned it into compost for local farmers.
Other cities such as Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado have adopted similar programs such as curbside pickup to help reduce food waste that goes to landfills.
The Trashcan
Food waste is the most common material in U.S. landfills. The U.S. discards 40 million tons of food every year.
Americans believe they waste very little food and are not aware of the environmental impact of food waste.
People throw out food over safety concerns, only eating the freshest food.
Key Competitor Insight(s):
Food waste must go somewhere. With city composting programs and the trash can, consumers cannot see what is happening to their food waste because it is picked up and dealt with by someone else. Consumers can see the result with composting, but it can take weeks. Composting is also not practical for everyone. Vitamix allows the consumer to compost in their home, and see the process in a matter of hours.
Brand Image:
Consumers view the FoodCycler FC-50 as a helpful appliance with great benefits. They note that the product is easy to use and works as advertised. Consumers also agree that the product is expensive, especially with filter replacements. Most reviews report that the FoodCycler is not worth purchasing if they already have a food waste recycling program in their city or a compost pile.
A way to change the current brand image is to show that the FoodCycler is an investment. Over time the consumer will reap the benefits of the FoodCycler. Consumers throw out less trash and contribute less to the methane gases in landfills. In a sense, what is $39 every three months when you are doing your part in saving the planet by using the FoodCycler and buying fewer trash bags?
