Assignment 25: What's Next?

Existing Market

• What I think is next: Assuming the launch goes well, people are buying from my website, and the mirrors make their way to the shelves of Sephora and Ulta, I think my customers will want different shaped mirrors next. Some might want a full-length mirror to get the whole outfit in, some might a small mirror to keep on their desk, etc. I also think we can start making different colors and border designs to fit different room aesthetics. After all, a room with a rustic feel and a room with a mod feel are going to need two very different mirrors. 
• Interviews: Boy, my predictions for what's next for my market couldn't be further from what my interviewees saw as the future of my brand. I know that this is the point of doing assignments like these, but I'm always both shocked and impressed by how far my interviewees' answers seem to be from my expectations. I interviewed a few more of my friends who are into beauty and skincare, I will say that all of them agreed that offering the mirror in different colors, shapes, and styles is a good move. They said that if I offered a mirror that coordinated with their home decor, they'd be more inclined to buy it. However, they suggested ways to expand that I hadn't previously thought about. One interviewee said that a mirror that had the capability to put filters over your face, like Snapchat or Instagram, would be fun. Another said that a mirror that allowed you to "try on" different hairstyles, hair colors, etc. would let customers see how a physical change looks before actually doing it. For example, she said she was considering dyeing her hair black, but she isn't sure if it'd look good, and all the filter apps don't provide accurate depictions of what she'd look like. She said a mirror that could perform this function well enough would be worth the money. My last interviewee simply that instead of a remote control function, I should look into voice activation features, like Alexa or Siri. This would mean fewer parts to ship out and a better user experience. She also said that I should consider equipping the mirror with smart functions, like notifying them when they get a text things of the like. She said she hardly looks down at her phone or Apple watch when she's doing her makeup, so this function would allow her to see when someone is trying to get her attention.
• Reflection: Whew. So let's unpack these new ideas. My interviews revealed to me that I'm not thinking big enough. This is worse news than thinking too big, I think. It's easier to narrow down than to expand because it's hard to know when you've expanded too much. I now think that making a mirror that only provides natural lighting is a bit too simple for today's consumer who wants their tech to drive them home from work and tuck them in at night. The features I'm definitely for are the voice function and the smart function. I'm a little embarrassed I didn't think of the voice feature, to begin with. I'm not sure how the filter idea would play out on the market, but I think a mirror function that allows you to "try on" different looks is definitely something to consider. I know I'm almost done with the course and this business idea as a consequence, but if I could do things over again, I'd want to develop a smart mirror. It'd have all the functions of my original concept, but many more. This will ensure constant user interaction and more use beyond just makeup application. My interviews revealed to me just how far I could take this business concept to engage customers if I only thought a bit outside the box.

New Market

• Creating value: I think men who don't wear makeup and are generally low-maintenance constitute a market that is radically different from my current target. Up until now, I've relied on a market of people who wear makeup, care about their appearance, and love a good novelty beauty product. But what about people who only look in a mirror to brush their teeth and maybe run a comb through their hair? That's a tough market to capture with a product like mine. I really, really don't want to be the kind of beauty company that targets people's insecurities or tells people that they need to do certain things in order to be beautiful. That's why I really can't see how I can create value for people who see no value in beauty products. Maybe I could market to people who want to start a daily beauty routine and just forget to or don't know where to start? The mirror would remind them to do each step in order and congratulate them when they're done, perhaps. I don't know. It's a stretch.
• Interviews: Two low maintenance men who are very close to me are my dad and brother, so I asked them their thoughts on targeting this new market. They were both kind of drawing a blank and had to think for a while. My brother said that maybe I could equip the mirror with a function that points out missed spots when you're shaving. He says he has this problem a lot and maybe the mirror could highlight these spots so they're easy to see. My dad is really tech-savvy, so when I told him the idea of a smart mirror that shows you notifications while you get ready, he seemed really into it. He said that only a select amount of people are interested in makeup, but almost everyone is interested in their phones. That's why cross-device capability is so hot right now. I have to agree.
• Reflection: What I learned about this market is that they're just about as clueless as I am about how my product can serve them. They thought of ideas because I asked them to, but they didn't seem particularly jazzed about them. I thought my brother's idea was creative, but I don't see it being part of a working business model. Nevertheless, I would've never thought of a function like that if I hadn't asked him for his ideas. They both could see how my mirror could benefit people, just not them, and that's kind of what I expected. This market doesn't appear to be as attractive as my existing market, but that's OK. My target market is literally "people who care about makeup," so I'm not surprised that the "people who don't care about makeup" market isn't entirely sure how my product can serve them. Regardless, I'm glad I talked to them to better understand who my customers aren't, which is just as important as knowing who your customers are.