Research Paper on:
Frigidaire Case Study

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
improve their competitive advantage. Instead, sales were sluggish and the company has a poor performer on its hands, instead of the success they were anticipating. This paper considers the situation  from the view of the Marketing Manager and discusses what recommendations he might make to Frigidaire about its front-loading washing machine. Problem Definition The problem can be simply stated, but  it has huge ramifications: should the company reintroduce this machine or drop the project? In terms of the four Ps, we are dealing with Promotion (Marketing, 2006). Analysis of Case  - Key Facts Some of the key facts include the lack of a market: "Although an eager and receptive market for the front-loading washer did not exist, Frigidaire intended to  use the new product to expand its position in the marketplace and to establish itself as the industry leader in energy-saving, environmentally sound laundry products" (Palan and Dannels, 1997, p.  75). [emphasis mine]. One source suggests that making a product and then trying to create a market for it is one of the "biggest myths" in business (Salisbury, 2005). Frigidaire  was also expecting the Department of Energy to pass regulations that would make an energy-efficient machine attractive to consumers; in effect, they were depending on someone elses actions to enhance  their marketing efforts. In addition, two other attempts to introduce front loaders, one in the 1940s and the other in 1981, both failed (Palan and Dannels, 1997). Finally, their pricing  strategy was poor: at $999 the machine was perceived as too expensive for a washer, since consumers could get both a washer and dryer for that price; at the same  time it was "too cheap" compared to the Maytag front-loader (Palan and Dannels, 1997). Develop Alternative Solutions There appear to be only two real alternatives: dropping the front-loader concept completely