Thanks for all the birthday greetings that I have received non-stop since Friday! In fact, after counting 234 messages, I stopped! One SUN-U student, Mschats Kevin even posted this YouTube video for me and the music is just awesome!
I came across this interesting illustration of a mousetrap in boingboing.net – well, it doesn’t so much as to trap the critter but kill it. It is said that way back in 1882, James Williams filed a patent for this varmint trap. He added that "This invention may also be used in connection with a door or window, so as to kill any person or thing opening the door or window to which it is attached".
When I saw the drawing, I remembered teaching my Marketing students about the 5 alternative concepts under which organizations design and carry out their marketing strategies: production, product, selling, marketing, and societal marketing concepts. And touching on the product concept, Philip Kotler would use the example of the mousetrap – that if manufacturers can build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to their door. Of course, we know that this is not really true because buyers are looking for a better solution to a mouse problem but not necessarily for a better mousetrap.
So the solution might be a chemical spray, an exterminating service, or something that works better than a mousetrap. Also, a better mousetrap will not sell unless the manufacturer designs, packages, and prices it attractively; places it in convenient distribution channels; brings it to the attention of people who need it; and convinces buyers that it is a better product.
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