Is it a bad sign that I have to raising awareness to help my start-up succeed?

[sklawllc]

I've identified a consumable product that most health experts recommend be replaced on a frequent basis. The problem is that the majority of consumers who use this product either are unaware of the need to replace it or simply just don't care too.
A perfect example is the toothbrush. Most dentist recommend that you replace your toothbrush every month due to the germs, bacteria that build up on it - hence the toothbrush subscription service was created.

I'm pretty much ready to launch my subscription service, but I think I may struggle with getting the word out that this consumable product should be replaced, like a toothbrush, on a regular basis.

Any advice?

 

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[Mattie]

Well, who is your target audience? What is the product? Such as toothbrushes well there are electric and regular. What is affordable? What is convenient? What part of the population? Disabled? Mental Health? Elderly? Poor? Middle Class? Upper Class? Nursing homes or Hospitals? Dentist offices? All these people are in different circumstances? Like Elderly use swabs, regular tooth brushes, and electronic. Problems with electronic expensive heads and dead batteries. Mental Health has hygiene problems because of mental disorders. Disabled might have to have help. These three usually get toothbrushes in quantities from organizations or company. Maybe individually through family or personal shopping. Toothbrush awareness is everywhere. Doesn't mean they'll act on it. What quality is the toothbrush? Does the bristles fall out when you brush your teeth? Do they really help with gums and gum disease? This is the thing, most people are told so many different things about toothbrushes and toothpaste and sometimes end up screwing over their dental health because of deceptions of ingredients and what style toothbrushes. What kind of awareness? The truth?

 

[Vigilante]

Any time you step into a market void, you have to wage an informational campaign.

Look at guerrilla marketing, and become a social media expert.

 

[sklawllc]

Well, who is your target audience? What is the product? Such as toothbrushes well there are electric and regular. What is affordable? What is convenient? What part of the population? Disabled? Mental Health? Elderly? Poor? Middle Class? Upper Class? Nursing homes or Hospitals? Dentist offices? All these people are in different circumstances? Like Elderly use swabs, regular tooth brushes, and electronic. Problems with electronic expensive heads and dead batteries. Mental Health has hygiene problems because of mental disorders. Disabled might have to have help. These three usually get toothbrushes in quantities from organizations or company. Maybe individually through family or personal shopping. Toothbrush awareness is everywhere. Doesn't mean they'll act on it. What quality is the toothbrush? Does the bristles fall out when you brush your teeth? Do they really help with gums and gum disease? This is the thing, most people are told so many different things about toothbrushes and toothpaste and sometimes end up screwing over their dental health because of deceptions of ingredients and what style toothbrushes. What kind of awareness? The truth?

Sorry, I was using toothbrushes just as an example. I would rather not reveal the actual consumable product my subscription is based around. My problem, is that I don't think most people are aware that this specific product should be replaced regularly.

 

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[sklawllc]

Any time you step into a market void, you have to wage an informational campaign.

Look at guerrilla marketing, and become a social media expert.

That's going to take $$$ isn't it

 

[Mattie]

Well they probably don't know unless the media, company, or someone has taken the steps to inform the public. If it's against another companies product or your insinuating their is a problem, I can't see that they would take your awareness to kindly. So depending on what it is, there could be legal problems. Hope it's in away that doesn't ruffle feathers and becomes a problem more than a solution.

 

[Digamma]

Of course you have to raise awareness. If you didn't have to, your service would already exist.
So? Pick up the phone. You've got a problem and a solution. If people don't know they have this problem, let them know.

I'm not trying to be a smartass. It's an incredibly hard thing to do, I know.
But it's also the whole point of providing something that doesn't already exist, isn't it? You choose the space, now you gotta do the work it requires.

 

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[sklawllc]

Well they probably don't know unless the media, company, or someone has taken the steps to inform the public. If it's against another companies product or your insinuating their is a problem, I can't see that they would take your awareness to kindly. So depending on what it is, there could be legal problems. Hope it's in away that doesn't ruffle feathers and becomes a problem more than a solution.

That is very informative, fortunately this awareness isn't geared toward a specific company brand.

 

[sklawllc]

Of course you have to raise awareness. If you didn't have to, your service would already exist.
So? Pick up the phone. You've got a problem and a solution. If people don't know they have this problem, let them know.

I'm not trying to be a smartass. It's an incredibly hard thing to do, I know.
But it's also the whole point of providing something that doesn't already exist, isn't it? You choose the space, now you gotta do the work it requires.

I'm thinking maybe some creative youtube videos. Going to have to reach into my creative hat for this one....

 

[sklawllc]

The more googling I do, the more of a market void I'm seeing. When I search "when should I replace my product" only a few articles spread across a couple years pulls up in the results.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Is it a bad sign that I have to raising awareness to help my start-up succeed?

Nope, I'd take it more of a good sign. Education then becomes apart of the platform for communicating the need.