#12 – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1
Segment: Individuals, between the ages of 15 to 55, with a running lifestyle who have a goal of maintaining a consistent pace
Interview 1: This person fits my target market because she is a runner who actively trains for races, such as half marathons and full marathons. She obviously notices this need during her long runs when she’s training to see what pace she can sustain in order to achieve her goal finish time. This need becomes super prevalent to her when she notices herself gassing out really early or noticing that she can’t run as far at the same pace even though she could do it the other day. The only solution she has is to check her split time after every mile and hope that it stays somewhat consistent. She tracks all her times, but again it’s hard for her to know if she’s staying consistent during her run. She will Google what other people do to maintain pace, but nothing has really worked well for her so far.
Interview 2: This individual is aware of this need mid-run when timing is not what she wants it to be. She gets frustrated because she says you start out thinking you can hold your pace but then realize that you can’t. This is noticeable after a run when split times are not what she wants, or when she starts out with too strong of a pace and is not able to finish the distance that she originally intended. Her solution is that she watches her watch as she runs, constantly checking it every 30 seconds, but she finds it annoying and that it takes away from her run and is also probably messing her up more. She tries to learn how to have proper striding by Googling it and asking friends who run too.
Interview 3: This individual fits in my target market because he is a beginner runner, and his goal is to run a 5k in 30 days, starting from scratch. He created a schedule to be able to run a 30 minute 5k in a month, but has to up his pace every week. He says that some days are easier depending on how he feels, but it can also be a challenge to gauge how he is feeling. He really notices pacing issues from the starts of his runs because he’s not used to maintaining a specific speed for a specific duration of time or distance. He starts out strong and then his legs gas out on him. His solution has been to look up running schedules online to see what paces he should be at on what days, and also researched advice from experts that discuss topics like “couch to 5k” interval training and pacing.
Conclusion: After conducting these interviews, I’ve learned that my segment is aware of their need, but they are not doing too much to help it or are just accepting that they can’t maintain a consistent pace. Looking up information on the Internet can be useful, but it’s hard to put it into practice by yourself, especially without the right tools. It was common among all interviewees that the need is usually most pronounced mid-run when the runner starts to lose energy. I think a reasonable price point and persuasive marketing could capture this market segment.
Interview 1: This person fits my target market because she is a runner who actively trains for races, such as half marathons and full marathons. She obviously notices this need during her long runs when she’s training to see what pace she can sustain in order to achieve her goal finish time. This need becomes super prevalent to her when she notices herself gassing out really early or noticing that she can’t run as far at the same pace even though she could do it the other day. The only solution she has is to check her split time after every mile and hope that it stays somewhat consistent. She tracks all her times, but again it’s hard for her to know if she’s staying consistent during her run. She will Google what other people do to maintain pace, but nothing has really worked well for her so far.
Interview 2: This individual is aware of this need mid-run when timing is not what she wants it to be. She gets frustrated because she says you start out thinking you can hold your pace but then realize that you can’t. This is noticeable after a run when split times are not what she wants, or when she starts out with too strong of a pace and is not able to finish the distance that she originally intended. Her solution is that she watches her watch as she runs, constantly checking it every 30 seconds, but she finds it annoying and that it takes away from her run and is also probably messing her up more. She tries to learn how to have proper striding by Googling it and asking friends who run too.
Interview 3: This individual fits in my target market because he is a beginner runner, and his goal is to run a 5k in 30 days, starting from scratch. He created a schedule to be able to run a 30 minute 5k in a month, but has to up his pace every week. He says that some days are easier depending on how he feels, but it can also be a challenge to gauge how he is feeling. He really notices pacing issues from the starts of his runs because he’s not used to maintaining a specific speed for a specific duration of time or distance. He starts out strong and then his legs gas out on him. His solution has been to look up running schedules online to see what paces he should be at on what days, and also researched advice from experts that discuss topics like “couch to 5k” interval training and pacing.
Conclusion: After conducting these interviews, I’ve learned that my segment is aware of their need, but they are not doing too much to help it or are just accepting that they can’t maintain a consistent pace. Looking up information on the Internet can be useful, but it’s hard to put it into practice by yourself, especially without the right tools. It was common among all interviewees that the need is usually most pronounced mid-run when the runner starts to lose energy. I think a reasonable price point and persuasive marketing could capture this market segment.
Hello Taylor! As I was reading, I was going to comment that it seems that many realize their issues during their run rather than thinking about it ahead as you mentioned in your conclusion. As entrepreneurs, we want to be there when the need presents itself, right? Previously, I thought that maybe your product would be most suitable as a preparation BEFORE they start training. However, what if you actually promoted your product at the end of a marathon when everyone is reflecting on how their pace was during the marathon? I think you may find that to be a good approach!
ReplyDeleteHello Taylor, I think that you have target the right segment, the interviews you have conducted seen to follow a familiar pattern, where there is a need to track this measurement, but the right tools are not available. Also, other athletes might benefit from your business idea, like soccer players, who also need to measure their pace in order to gain the endurance need to play the sport.
ReplyDeleteHey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how the runners realized the need mid-run. This would be the best time to alert them of your product, but it would be very difficult to do so. One recommendation I would have is to narrow your age range. I can understand why 15-55 year olds could benefit off of this, but you can broaden your range later on. I would recommend focusing on younger athletes who are passionate about running.
Best regards,
Matthew Mrnacaj
Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI think this concept is really interesting. Your product idea on the surface seems like such a good one, so it is surprising to me to see the challenges you’ve faced in finding the right market for it. I guess in a field like exercise and running that requires actual physical fitness it can be hard to find a consistent group of people with the same need and awareness of that need.
Taylor, It looks like from your interviews- that your interviewees could really benefit from you product. It seems like they have just had to struggle with the same issue that you have been struggling with. My question is however, aren't there watches that record your pace? Wouldn't it be easier to look down on your wrist and see your pace instead of having it on your anklet?
ReplyDelete