6A - Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Economic opportunity #1 

• Oil prices are hurting us economy
• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/business/economy/oil-prices.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FUnited%20States%20Economy&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection
• To begin I found this information on a regularly used very popular news outlet, the New York Times. I was led to believe that an opportunity existed due to the fact that gas issues have been around for quite some time, and truthfully there have been people attempting to discover a better alternative for years. Oil has turned into an empire and is one of the pillars that holds up our economy and our working world, and yet it’s supply is finite. There is that ever daunting question of what the world would do when the day comes where we run out of our beloved fossil fuels. Although, before we reach that point, how much will our environment have suffered for our constant abuse of these gases? I believe that we have the opportunity to create a better working system of energy, and yes it will take time but in the long run it could help lead us to a better world. The prototypical customer would be everyone. Everyone is affected by fossil fuels and oil companies, by doing this we would be able to touch almost everyone across the country and across the world, making marketing and exploiting this opportunity that much easier. Although it may take some time convincing people, and allowing them to change from a long habit, this opportunity could easily be introduced world wide. I personally saw this opportunity because I can understand how difficult it is to deal with these gas prices. I have always tried to be very conservative with my gas and I understand the toll it takes on the environment and my bank account.

Economic opportunity #2 

• E- cigarettes are taking a big hit

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/15/business/this-week-in-business-e-cigarettes-take-a-hit-and-gig-workers-get-good-news.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FUnited%20States%20Economy&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=collection
• I was able to find this opportunity through the New York Times, and was led to believe that there was an opportunity here due to the amount of publicity that the E-cigarette company is taking. I believe that E-Cigarettes are horrible, but can also understand that it is an addiction and some people need help weaning off of them. Therefore I believe the prototypical customer for an alternative, non addictive, and healthier device would be previous nicotine addicts. I believe that an opportunity for a healthier, not addictive alternative would be relatively easy to market and exploit. This is due to the fact that the idea of banning this product and reducing the consumers for it is already on a roll, therefore introducing an alternative would get a lot of publicity. I personally was able to find this as an opportunity due to the first hand experience with those who are addicted to them. I was never one for nicotine, but I have experienced plenty of people and friends who are seemingly dependent on them, I know the toll it takes on people and I would want to do anything I could to try and get them as far away from the general public as possible.  

Regulatory opportunity #1

• Facebook bans plastic water bottles in new offices 
• https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/18/tech/facebook-plastic-water-bottles-offices/index.html
• I took this opportunity from another very well known and trustworthy news outlet, CNN. I was able to see an opportunity due to the fact that Facebook is an incredibly powerful company enforcing an incredibly controversial rule. In today’s world the idea of climate change and bettering our usage of man made materials is very prominent. Here there is an opportunity to make it so people who participate in such actions can be rewarded in some way. I know the influence of those who are ready and willing to change our environment and our planet for the better and as for Facebook, it provides us the perfect platform for marketing and exploiting said opportunity. The most obvious prototypical customer would be those who are Facebook users. It would be so simple to have them be apart of our opportunity and influence those who are apart of their company and apart of facebook itself. I was able to see this opportunity because I myself want to do whatever it takes to help save the environment, along with that having such an influential company already regulating their own employees and offices would help to jumpstart the marketing and possibly have them as a partner within the creation of the opportunity.  

Regulatory opportunity #2

• Will Bank Overdraft Fees Spread Again? Consumer Agency Is Reviewing the Rule

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/your-money/bank-overdraft-fees-consumer.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FFinancial%20Legal%2FRegulatory&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=collection
• Again I was able to find this regulatory opportunity on the popular news outlet of the New York Times. Often I tend to dismiss the little things in life, such as things I can’t possibly control or feel out of my hands, but here I have come to realize that this affects the general public more than it would affect the business itself. Here we are able to see that overdraft fees are becoming greater and impacting more and more people, therefore there is a greater negative outlook on this situation than there is positive. By having people rally against it we would be able to gain more support on a less expensive alternative than a support for simply fixing and attempting to trust these banks again. The most obvious customer would be those who have banks and are affected by overdraft fees. Although very impactful we might have a slightly more difficult time exploiting and handling this situation due to the outrage possibility from the bank companies themselves. They are so large and monopolize a vast majority of banks all over the world that getting them to back away easily would be difficult. In the end, I believe that there is still a possibility to be found here because the pressure from the general public will only increase and the want to have less fees will outweigh them.