Assignment 11A: Napkin Idea No. 1

Me: My name is Lauren Beato and I am a Marketing major at the University of Florida. I love talking to people and giving presentations, which is something I never thought that I would have been able to say. Throughout my time in college I have joined several organizations that have helped me become a better speaker and presenter. As a freshman, I started my first job as a Group Fitness Instructor at RecSports. I went from not being able to speak in front of 2 people to being able to speak to 50+ people. One of my biggest skills is my versatility, being able to learn and adapt to things quickly. Over the summer I interned at Florida Hospital East Orlando and realized that one of my biggest passions is helping people, especially if it involves health. That is why my ENT3003 revolves around a health issue that I and many of my friends and family experience. Food allergies can be a huge issue for some people, so it would make me incredibly happy to find a way to help make their lives a little bit easier.

What am I offering to customers: I am offering to customers an easier way to find out if they have food sensitivities or allergies. As I have said in pervious assignments, some people jump through hoops to find out if they have food allergies/sensitivities. To make matters worse, it is often expensive to take the food panel test and they test for so many foods that might not be applicable to the individuals. My food panel test contained over 50 of the most common foods and over 10 spices, however, I only had issues with a few foods, two of which are common allergies (gluten and soy).

            My idea is a mix of a product and service. The product aspect is a food panel test that will check for the most common allergies/sensitivities: gluten, nuts, soy, milk to name a few. It would be cheaper than most of these tests, since of the number of foods it is checking is smaller than the usual amount. The service aspect would be that this test would be brought/administered at a doctor/pediatrician’s office. The doctor would talk to their patient or patient’s parent depending on their age and just give some information about food allergies. If the patient wants to they could schedule an appointment to take the test (mine was a blood test). Many of my doctors have online portals that allow patients to view their tests, so the patient could view the test online and if further action is required they can consult with their doctor, who could recommend a GI or another specialist. Basically, I want to make things easier for the customer to gain information about food allergies.

Who am I offering this to: I would be offering this primarily to younger age groups older children (maybe age 6 and up) and young adults. I chose this age group because they are most likely to be bothered by food allergies. However, this does not exclude younger or older ages. If someone exhibits a sign of food allergies, it is important to have them see a doctor immediately. Doctor’s offices would also be offered this idea because it is the doctors who would be explaining these tests.

Why do they care: The consumers will care because food allergies are becoming very common and can seriously impact one’s health. Most people have experienced in grade school a fellow student who has had a peanut allergy. Some people are so sensitive to foods like this that they cannot be in the same room as the food because they may break out into hives or feel itchy. A scenario like this can change the lifestyle of a child and family and can often be very scary the first time it is discovered. My nephew was very young when he found out that he had celiac’s disease and he felt so different because he couldn’t eat the things he friends could. A product/service like this could help make the transition and understanding of food related health issues easier. This is so important, especially with young kids because some parents may become stressed if the allergy is severe.

My core competencies: Most food panel tests check many, many foods for allergies or sensitivities (usually 50-100). This probably sounds like a very good idea; however, it can have its faults. First, the test can be very expensive (mine was hundreds of dollars). Second, there can be many inaccuracies which may be caused by testing for too many foods. For example, when I took my food panel test it said that I was very allergic to vanilla and fine with turkey. I have never had a problem with vanilla before and I cannot eat turkey because I get incredibly sick. Now I must get another test done. My product would be simple, but I would try to get it to be as accurate as possible. Also, the fact that doctors would be promoting this test would help. My sisters have seen some of the best gastroenterologists in the country because of all the food issues their families have so I know I could reach out to them if I have any questions regarding my idea.

The Elements: I think that I these elements can work together to make a useful product/service. However, the most challenging aspect would probably be getting the doctors on board. They are a major component of my idea and not having them on board would be devastating. I will admit, getting them aboard would probably be one of the hardest parts, but I can put my people skills to the test. The best thing that I could do is start small and hopefully create a big enough mark that other doctor’s offices will follow suit. The bigger picture is being able to help and if that is what I set my mind to, then I will strive to accomplish it.