TASK:
The Green Motorcar company is producing a new car. It is a flex-fuel plug-in hybrid. A flex-fuel vehicle has an engine that runs on various combinations of ethanol, methanol, and gasoline. The engine drives a generator that charges the battery, which then drives the car. It's also possible to charge the battery by plugging the car into a standard wall outlet. It's called a hybrid because it is able to run on the battery alone or with the flex-fuel engine. The car features many new innovations, including the flex-fuel feature and the plug-in.
Assignment:
You have been hired as the marketing manager. Research and identify major approaches how innovations like these are adopted by consumers. Discuss how the marketing strategy for the car needs to rapidly move through these approaches. Who or what are the key groups that need to "adopt" the car if it is to sell enough units to be profitable? What are some successful examples of radical innovation that could be used as a model for the car?