Capstone – Project
Go to market strategy for a new eCommerce marketplace
A Collaboration Between
CoBuyO offers a e-commerce solution for connecting like-interested buyers looking to purchase products at a lower price with sellers looking to move product and willing to strike a deal. Scheduled for launch in the coming weeks, the CoBuyO marketplace connects like-interested buyers and enables them to capitalize on their collective purchasing power to buy products from sellers in a higher volume and therefore at a lower price. As a new start-up launching a new product in the crowded e-commerce space, the team at CoBuyO is asking you to develop a marketing strategy “playbook” that drives immediate results in traffic to the CoBuyO website, customer transactions, and other key performance outcomes.
Project Topics
Marketing
Company Information
| Company | CoBuyO |
| HQ | N/A |
| Revenue | Unlisted |
| Employees | Unlisted |
| Stage | Pre-Revenue Startup |
| Hiring Potential | N/A |
| Website | https://wonkamarket.com/ |
Company Overview
The idea for this platform grew out of the notion that we are all different, yet at the same time, a lot a like. Groups of us often want and need the same things, sometimes these might be very small niche crowds, other times might be entire communities depending on the items/products/services we are focusing on. Regardless, hardly ever, if ever, do we usually stand alone in our desire for "something". And therein lies the purpose of CoBuyO, we make it as easy as possible to leverage the power of the many, so that the individuals can benefit the most
The above paragraph was pretty epic huh? If you are still reading (or like most of us "scanning" words), here is a more personal story of how the idea emerged. Long time ago, when I was in 8th grade, I was standing in line waiting to buy tickets to go see the Matrix (yeah, I know great flick), but I noticed a sign/banner hanging above the customer service desk that read "Group of 12 or more, ask about party pricing". And I thought to myself, there is a lot of people in line, why not just ask 12 random people to go to the desk with me and get some special pricing? So you know what I did... nothing, I just waited in line and paid full price, and over the next several years figuratively speaking that is what I and all of You have also been doing, paying full price, waiting for something like CobuyO to come out and allow us, together, to get special pricing.
Experiential Learning Program Details
| School | Dr. D Y Patil B School (DPU) |
| Engagement Format | - |
| Course | DPU Student Consulting Experience |
| Level |
|
| Students Enrolled | 127 |
| Meeting Day & Time | TBD |
| Student Time Commitment | 8-15 Hours Per Week |
| Company Time Commitment | 2 Hours |
| Duration | 7.14 Weeks |
Program Timeline
Key Project Milestones
-
August 3, 2021 - Deep Dive into the CoBuyO Model
- What is the company’s business model and product?
- What are the company’s target demographic and customer segments?
- What is the value proposition? What is the customer’s problem and how the company’s product or service is solving that problem?
- What is the pricing model?
- What are the company’s performance goals and measures?
- What is the projected annual revenue?
Suggested Deliverable:
Internal report
-
August 18, 2021 - Cultivate Channels and Connections for Pre-launch Campaign
- What media channels are used by other companies in comparable e-commerce market spaces?
- Are there opportunities for the company and product being featured in mass media through editorials and/or press release?
- Who are the social influencers in this and similar market spaces?
- In what networks and demographics do they have the greatest influence?
- What is their brand?
- How can partnering with CoBuyO help them to reach their own goals?
- How can this partnership benefit CoBuyO?
- What existing networks with media, brand partners, and influencers can be leveraged?
- How can messaging in other channels get additional mileage and traction through social media?
- What costs are associated with these strategies?
Suggested Deliverable:
Report & Presentation
-
September 1, 2021 - Building an Network of Buyers, Sellers and Product
- Given the vastness of the e-commerce space, what strategies should you use to approach, analyze and identify trending products on other marketplaces? For top sellers?
- How would you approach and connect with top sellers and customer segments?
- What communication channels for raising awareness and interest?
- What kinds of messages would be effective for communicating CoBuyO’s unique value proposition to prospective buyers and sellers?
- What specific strategies do you anticipate will result in customer conversion, and why?
Suggested Deliverable:
Report & Presentation
-
September 15, 2021 - Launching the Product
- How are you measuring the effectiveness of the campaign? For instance:
- How much traffic is generated in the marketplace?
- What is the conversion rate?
- How effective are efforts to optimize internet searches?
- What impact are influencers making in your social media campaigns?
- Considering that launches sometimes reveal bugs or other unforeseen challenges, what are your suggestions for managing customers experiencing technical or other problems when using our product (customer service)?
Suggested Deliverable:
Launch Playbook
- How are you measuring the effectiveness of the campaign? For instance:
Project Resources
There are no resources currently available