Reach Situation Analysis and SWOT-Final...Situation(Analysis(( ( 1((!!...

Situation Analysis 1

Taking Climate to the People

Marketing Plan Part 1, “Situation Analysis,” Group Project Report Prof. Ken Manning

MKT-‐ 601 Colorado State University

Ana Escalante, Hannah Pechan October 17, 2011


Table of Contents Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Situation Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Company/ Organization ........................................................................................................................... 5

Collaborators .......................................................................................................................................... 13

Competition ............................................................................................................................................ 15

Customer ................................................................................................................................................ 17

Context ................................................................................................................................................... 19

SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 21

Key Issues to Consider ............................................................................................................................... 23

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................... 24

Annexes .................................................................................................................................................

Team/Contacts ...............................................................................................................................................

Budget/ Financial Projections .........................................................................................................................

Colorado School District Data .........................................................................................................................

Colorado School District Map .........................................................................................................................

Understanding Giving .....................................................................................................................................

REACH Business Plan (provided by Reach) .....................................................................................................

Survey questions ............................................................................................................................................

Progress Reports ............................................................................................................................................

Interview Notes ..............................................................................................................................................

Lesson Plan Templates from Poudre School District ......................................................................................

Executive Summary


The mission of Reach is to enhance public understanding of science as it relates to our changing

world through a range of educational products and services. These include instructional materials and

professional development for K-‐12 teachers, media productions, “apps”, and community events. Reach

is a vehicle to expand these programs to a larger audience and subsidizes these products by securing

external funding. It is the people behind the organization, the solid and successful programs already in

place, and the partnerships that have been forged that add value to the organization and the services

Reach offers.

Reach focuses on sustaining and enhancing successful CMMAP programs such as the Colorado

Global Climate Conference and the Little Shop of Physics. Reach will maintain these programs through

external funding, such as foundation grants, and contributions from businesses and private donors.

Reach will implement the planning and business structure that can transfer these programs into a self-‐

sustaining business framework that merges external funding and donations with revenue generation

from its products.

An inherent foundation of the GSSE program is that education can lead to change in behavior.

With the implementation of school, community and government based outreach and education by

REACH, sustainable climate-‐focused behavior change can take place in the target markets (Young, 2007).

Additionally, the REACH team is comprised of experts in the field of climate science who have a unique

dedication to education and the dissemination of expert knowledge to the public. This passion

combined with expertise makes the value of the team very high. The market and competitive advantage

of the REACH project are lower based on market research with past and current customers. For basic

curriculum support, various websites (i.e. National Geographic, UCAR) offer free options for

downloadable materials. It is difficult to gain any market share against a free option. Additionally, after

speaking with the director of science departments in the Poudre School District, it became clear that the

largest competitive advantage lies in specific curriculum support material that targets Colorado State

Standards. The Poudre School District currently buys a large number of FOSS kits because they address

overarching topics, they are less expensive than REACH products, and they contain all needed materials.

REACH will need to address these market and differentiation issues to gain market share.

After conducting market research among past CMMAP customers and meeting with all

members of the REACH team, we have constructed a number of recommendations for action points if

the program continues in the GSSE process. First, given the competition and their strengths, Reach

would have a greater competitive advantage if it tailors their programs and products specifically to the

meet and assist with the Colorado Climate Education standards. Second, Reach should target specific


grade level markets for the first 3 years to launch and saturate the market as much as possible. After

the target markets are saturated and the details have been worked out, the products may be launched

at a larger level. Third, the GSSE team will need to negotiate the balance of execution vs. planning.

Reach is in the planning phase and will probably remain to be in the very initial stages of execution

during the GSSE Cohort 5 time in the program. Fourth, the team will need to conduct a more extensive

market analysis in states with climate education standards currently in place and subsequent

educational tools in those target markets in order to expand the scope beyond Colorado. Lastly, the

GSSE team will focus specifically on revenue generating products and develop a marketing strategy plan

for each.


Situation Analysis

Company/ Organization Situation facing the organization

REACH is in its very early stages. REACH is a spinoff of the Center for Multiscale Modeling of

Atmospheric Processes (CMMAP) at Colorado State University. CMMAP began in 2005, and has done

excellent work in climate model research and development; education, diversity and outreach; and

knowledge transfer.

REACH has recently applied to be incorporated as a non-‐profit entity at State Level-‐501c3. With the

state of the economy today REACH is at crossroads, trying to secure funding for its continuing

operations and launching new educational products and services to the general public and enhancing

the already established educational products and services currently being implemented by CMMAP.

Often times, agency funding opportunities (e.g NSF, NASA) for education programs are intended as seed

money to start-‐up new programs or scale-‐up existing ones. As a federally exempt 501(c)(3)

organization, REACH will be eligible for agency grants, and this funding source is intended to comprise

part of the organization’s financial portfolio.

REACH is contemplating the opportunity to transform the current educational products and

services implemented by CMMAP into revenue generating products and services. The GSSE Program is

currently evaluating a feasibility analysis to determine the best business plan model to secure

sustainable funding for REACH.

Based on a survey to teachers that have received CMMAP training and an interview conducted

with the Poudre School District Science Coordinator the GSSE team was able to gather information on

current market trends in climate education in Colorado. The main finding was that if Reach is to tailor

its programs specifically to meet the new Colorado Academic Standards in Science that have to be

adopted by the school year of 2013-‐2014, Reach will have a prominent competitive advantage over its

nationally focused competitors. Although the respondent pool of the survey rolled out by GSSE students

was small, 100% of respondents indicated an increase need for support in to meet education

requirements in their classrooms.

In the State of Colorado, fiscal belt tightening has reduced funding for public schools. Nonprofits

such as REACH can play a larger role in filling the gap to provide educational services to local schools.

REACH’s goal is to address the gap in educational services with traditional funding mechanisms through


grants and donations and external revenue of its successful programs such as the educational kits and

teacher trainings.

Reach is a not-‐for-‐profit organization that enhances science education and community outreach

activities that seek to improve scientific literacy and provide our citizens the capacity to participate in

evidence based discussions and decision making surrounding current issues related to global change.

(Donnelson, 2011)

Mission: The mission of REACH is to enhance public understanding of science as it relates to our

changing world.

Purpose: Enhance climate education in the community through scientific evidence.

Goals:

A. Enhance the understanding of the physical and environmental sciences in the youth of our

communities.

B. Foster science literate citizens with the capacity to engage in informed, evidence based

discussions and decision making related to climate.

C. Develop a diverse incoming generation of scientists and policy makers involved with climate

issues.

Objectives:

1. Enhance K-‐12 climate science education.

2. Promote awareness and understanding of environmental science, climate science, and

climate issues among youth.

3. Support teachers and community groups on planning, funding, and conducting science

education programs.

4. Increase public knowledge of REACH.


Through its ties to CMMAP and CSU, REACH has connections to wide multi-‐disciplinary team of

climate scientists, educators, business students, and experts. These connections help ensure that the

materials and curriculum in REACH’s education programs are accurate, relevant, communicated and

marketed effectively. The broad academic base of CMMAP’s education partners ensure that REACH’s

programs provide more than just a solid foundation in science, but also integrate the humanities in their

educational pedagogy.

Because REACH is a nascent organization it still has a lot of work ahead in terms of branding

itself within the Colorado community, school districts and local teachers. A lot of work needs to be done

to market their products to a wide audience in Colorado. The organization needs to have a

better/clearer vision on where REACH wants to be in 3/5/10 years.

CSU CMMAP

Little Shop Of

Physics


Current marketing strategy

Reach benefits from the established programs supported by CMMAP. The LSOP clearly conveys

the message that science is fun and exciting to students and teachers alike. A major component of

Reach, the LSOP has developed educational kits, television shows and Science it Up videos. All of these

highly successful activities will be an integral part of Reach. LSOP staff and volunteers reach over 20,000

students a year in Colorado and Neighboring States, and a significant fraction of entering CSU freshman

are familiar with LSOP. The high level of brand recognition among students and teachers promotes LSOP

products that are marketed through Reach.

It is advantageous to REACH to begin the process of branding, which includes expanding their

association with CMMAP, CSU and Little Shop of Physics, all of which are established brands. A REACH

logo is currently being developed and the GSSE team has had input in deciding the latest version. Since

CMMAP has already been working on some of the revenue generating products that will be eventually

adopted by Reach, the GSSE team was able to gather information on the relative success of their

products and the current market trends. For example, the marketing for the summer teacher’s course

has been marketed by word of mouth to date.

The Colorado Global Climate Change Conference (CGCC) has been promoted with the help from

Claire Fleming, the CMMAP activities coordinator. Ms. Fleming did the following promotion activities:

• Printed 5x7" cards advertising the conference were mailed to about 400 high schools within 2.5

hours of Fort Collins, in CO and southern WY in April 2011.

• Emailed announcements to CSEN and SciCo science educator email list serves periodically

throughout the spring and summer.

• CMMAP collected contact information from interested teachers via the CMMAP CGCC web page

through a form letting people join the "e-‐mail list" for updates, then sent updates when more

info was added to our CGCC web page, the week registration was to open, and the day

registration opened. This email went to about 45 people who requested info this year or were

past teacher participants.

• Printed advertisement flyers and distributed them a variety of ways: given out in student

packets at the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair for Senior Division participants in March

2011, given to District Science Coordinator for Thompson School District to distribute to

colleagues, handed out at the Little Shop of Physics open house in February 2011, and attached

in electronic form to the CGCC web page.


• The event is advertised on the web and also included in the most recent newsletter for the

Colorado Geographic Alliance, a University of Colorado -‐ Colorado Springs based organization.

• Word of mouth is a huge way the CGCC is marketed. Past participants share the opportunity

with colleagues and friends, Little Shop of Physics educators share the opportunity with parties

they think would be interested, encourage participants at the Summer Weather and Climate for

Teachers course (followed up by an email announcement to the email list of teacher

participants).

• Executive Director Rodger Ames is available via phone and email to talk with interested teachers

more about the opportunity, which several teachers took advantage of this year. Having a real

person that they can call and talk with immediately is important for customer satisfaction.

Current Mix of Products

The table below summarizes Reach’s products and services, and rates their potential to

generate revenue. A high revenue potential is gross receipts in excess of $50,000 per year. Medium is

less than $50,000. Low implies that the program is at best self-‐sustaining, and more likely will rely on

grant funding or be subsidized by more profitable activities. Such programs are generally public service

oriented and, while they do not generate significant revenue, help promote the organization’s mission,

and are valuable marketing venues to promote the organization’s products. The table also shows the

funding stream allocated to each program’s start-‐up, and its source of sustained funding.

Product or Service Potential to Product of Service Potential to

generate revenue

Possible Start-‐up Funding Sustained funding Source

Instruction Materials

(kits)

High Sub-‐award/Foundation Grants Sales of Kits

Online Courses Medium Development costs covered by

CSU Continuing Ed

Participant Fees

Apps High Sub-‐award/Foundation Grants Sales of apps

Video Productions Low-‐medium Sub-‐award/Foundation Grants Royalties/ Advertisement

Publications Low Programs largely in place and will

transition for CMMAP to Reach

Funded through Reach

resources

Fundraising events Medium-‐high n/a Private Donors


The products and services listed here include current CMMAP programs, as well as new programs, that

are consistent with REACH’s mission.

Current products include:

Little Shops of Physics (LSOP) kits of instructional materials

REACH is working with LSOP to develop and market kits of instructional materials. The kits are based on

lessons from LSOP’s popular Everyday Science TV show. LSOP has years of experience marketing these

kits and working with local teachers to use them. The LSOP is currently being sold and marketed

through the American Educational Products (AEP). The target beneficiary for these products is K-‐12

students, while the target costumer is the School Districts and teachers in Colorado.

Colorado Global Climate Conference (CGCC)

The Colorado Global Climate Conference (CGCC) is a yearly event that educates Colorado high school

students on both local and global climate issues. CGCC has inspirational speakers, breakout sessions,

and hands-‐on activities.

This activity has been proven successful, 350 participants are registered for this year's CGCC conference,

which is the registration cap (due to room capacity limitations and set-‐up at the event venue -‐ CSU's

Lory Student Center). Registration filled 2 weeks after opening. The target market for these products is

middle and high school teachers and students.

Future products:

Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center

REACH Directors are in the midst of discussions with Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center

program staff to plan for an exhibit at the Museum’s new facility, which is scheduled to open in spring of

2012. This exhibit is planned to be a springboard to market the exhibit for other museums to pay to

display the exhibit at their facilities, with the proceeds directed to REACH.

Online courses

Educational materials developed under CMMAP support have the potential to be configured into online

courses. The initial test case is the undergraduate level professional development course for high school

teachers, “Teaching Weather and Climate.” The course has been offered through CSU as ATS 150 for

five consecutive years. The goal is to reformat this class and make it a continuing education online

course.


Video production

Episodes of the LSOP TV show “Everyday Science”, are shown on the local PSD Channel 10, are

distributed on the channel’s streaming server as well as serialized in a podcast hosted by the Little Shop

of Physics. REACH plans to work with LSOP to develop a pilot for a new program based on an episode of

Everyday Science. The pilot has the potential for larger TV networks that support science education

programming, such as the Discovery Chanel.

Summer camps

In collaboration with LSOP, REACH plans to develop summer camps designed specifically for high-‐school

students. Much of the current LSOP teaching materials and activities for students can be used or easily

adapted to such a setting. There is a growing consensus among educators that summer education

programs, particularly in the sciences, help close the achievement gap (NPR, 2011) among K-‐12 students

arising from lack of intellectual engagement over the summer break.

Apps

REACH is creating an iPhone/iPad app from his simple box model of the land-‐ocean-‐atmosphere carbon

system. REACH’s initial market analysis indicates that there is nothing like this in the app world. This

app will fill a niche, and provide a useful educational tool. The target market for this product is the

general public.

Publications for public outreach

REACH will adopt the new nontechnical online magazine, ClimateSense that is under

CMMAP. ClimateSense hosts multi-‐disciplinary articles related to the Earth’s climate, and promotes

climate science literacy. The target audience is students and educators at the university level. REACH

will also produce other publications, such as a white papers directed to foundations to help them better

understand our overall mission and strategies. The target market for this product is the general public.

Community training

The latest results from an ongoing Yale/George Mason study indicate that Americans want experts to

explain how human activities are altering the climate (McGowan, 2011). Materials developed for

CMMAP’s educational activities, such as those developed for the “Teaching Weather and Climate”

course, or many of the Changing Climates activities, can easily be modified and used for community

training. REACH will use these materials to help local community groups, corporations, state and local


governments, and existing programs in colleges and universities bring climate science education

programs to their groups.

Fundraising events

In collaboration with LSOP, REACH plans to offer the “LSOP After Dark” fundraising event. The event is

designed to entertain while at the same time presenting REACH’s services, in particular community

outreach programs. The target market for this product is the general public and museum institutions.


Collaborators The parent organization is the CMMAP, in essence, they partner with LSOP, NSF, Tech center at CSU and

CSU. All of the current financial assistance comes through CMMAP’s grant from the National Science

Foundation. Through the strong ties to CMMAP, Reach draws on a multi-‐disciplinary team of climate

scientists and educators. The very successful programs developed by CMMAP provide the backbone for

Reach.

Continued collaboration with the CMMAP team ensures the materials and curriculum in Reach’s

education programs are accurate, relevant, and communicated effectively. The broad academic base of

CMMAP’s education partners makes certain that Reach’s programs provide more than just a solid

foundation in science, but also integrate the humanities in their educational pedagogy.

The Reach Board of Trustees currently consists of three members, two senior CMMAP scientists, Drs.

Denning and Randall, both professors of Atmospheric Science at CSU and Brian Jones, the Director of the

LSOP, work closely with Reach to guide the organization’s programs. Dr. Randall is a world leader in

climate model development, and was Coordinating Lead author for the United Nations Environmental

Programme’s Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) which was awarded the 2007 Nobel

Peace Prize for its work. Dr. Denning, the CMMAP Education and Diversity Director, is a leader in

modeling the Earth’s carbon cycle, and well known public speaker on climate science. Brian Jones is a

popular instructor in the Physics Department at Colorado State University and a recent recipient of the

prestigious Millikan Medal for Science Teaching.

The CMMAP team of educators has expertise in diverse areas including political science, physics,

education, sociology, psychology and English. Notable among these are CSU English professors SueEllen

Campbell and John Calderazzo, the founders and Directors of Changing Climates @ CSU. Changing

Climates maintains a campus wide network of faculty and students to share research and information

related to climate change. The program has been a catalyst for infusing climate change curricula among

a wide range of departments at CSU. Reach will work closely with Changing Climates to develop

educational multimedia to reach broader audiences.

Another collaborator is Michele Betsill, a professor in CSU’s Department of Political Science, with

research interests in global environmental governance focused on the issue of climate change. Drs.

Betsill and Denning are working with the State of Colorado’s Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) on climate

change education and an initiative to “green” operations in the State Government. One outcome of this

collaboration is a “train the trainers” program that will serve as a model for Reach’s community

outreach programs to local governments and community leaders. Partnerships with faculty in education


and sociology have strengthened the evaluation component of CMMAP’s education programs. These

assessment methodologies will be incorporated into Reach’s structured education programs.

Initial staff includes the Executive Director, Rodger Ames and Reach will need to hire an Outreach and

Grant Coordinator, a Program Coordinator an App-‐developer hired on an as-‐needed basis.


Competitors Key competitors have been identified as other organizations that are providing similar services on

climate education in the Colorado area and beyond.

Name of Competitor Type of Product Offered Target Market Competitive Advantage

Weaknesses compared to REACH

FOSS Kits (Foss Web, 2011) Instructional Kits, lesson plans

K-‐12 teachers, students, school districts

Well established in schools nationwide. Teachers and school districts have been using FOSS for years and they trust these kits.

FOSS kits are not tailored specifically to any state standards. Teachers have to adopt and tweak the kits to fit their state standard.

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR, 2011)

CE credit-‐ COMMET Program-‐ NCAR Online education K-‐12 (course fee $225, credit fee $90 through School of Mines). Education and professional training. Climate Discovery Teacher's Guide provides lesson plans for grades 5-‐9 on a variety of Earth system science topics that facilitate student learning about our planet's climate system.

Teachers looking for continuing education.

Established research and development center devoted to service, research and education in the atmospheric and related sciences.

Relationship with teachers is unknown. Reach is personalizing courses based on needs and recommendations.

National Geographic (Geographic, 2008)

Lesson plans for educators on climate.

K-‐12 teachers. Well established nonprofit with fun-‐to-‐learn lesson plans.

They only offer lesson plans do not include the kits. Reach offers the instructional kits with all materials needed.

Seeds Foundation (Seeds Foundation, 2011)

Climate Education Kits Cost = $75.00 + $15.00 Shipping and Handling If the teacher attended a workshop on this program, the cost is $35.00.

School Districts, K-‐12 teachers.

Has received positive feedback from teachers in Northern Colorado. Provides workshops and kits at a discount. The Poudre School District is keen to these kits.

Canadian nonprofit, doesn’t tailor its programs to the American science education standards.

GLOBE Hands-‐on, primary and secondary school-‐based science and education program. GLOBE's vision promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-‐based investigations of the environment and the Earth system working in close partnership with NASA, NOAA and NSF Earth System Science Projects (ESSP's) in study and research about the dynamics of Earth's environment.

K-‐12 Teachers, students

Well established, positive adoption from schools and well-‐regarded in the climate research community.

National scope, their programs not tailored specifically to any state standards. Teachers have to adopt and tweak the programs to fit their state standard.


Other Resources for Educators These resources could compete with Reach as a resource for science based climate education but have yet to establish a large share of the market, specifically in Northern Colorado. Name Website Main Competitive Characteristics

EPA Climate Resources for Schools http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/school.html

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility

http://www.arm.gov/ The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility (ACRF) Education and Outreach Program creates basic science lessons related to weather and climate for K-‐12th grade.

Global Change Educators Toolkit

http://www.globalchange.gov/resources/educators/toolkit

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) coordinates and integrates federal research on changes in the global environment and their implications for society.

The Pembina Institute

http://www.pembina.org/pub/9 The Climate Change Awareness and Action Education Kit is the most comprehensive multimedia education kit on climate change ever devised for Canadian high schools. It was developed in response to the recognized need for quality educational materials to address the climate change issue from a critical thinking perspective, and is designed for use in grades 9 through 12, in Science, Social Studies, Geography and Environmental Studies courses across Canada.

UNESCO's Climate Change Literacy Program

http://cires.colorado.edu/blogs/mccaffrey/2011/02/13/unesco-‐climate-‐change-‐education/

UNESCO recently launched their Climate Change Education website, which includes a fledgling clearinghouse of online resources relating to climate change. The effort builds on their Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development initiative

UC-‐Boulder Learn About Climate

http://learnmoreaboutclimate.colorado.edu/for-‐educators

Problem-‐based model lessons and rely on teacher-‐tested on-‐line tools and resources for your classroom.

ClimateChangeEducation.org

http://climatechangeeducation.org/international/na/united_states/state/colorado/index.html

ClimateChangeEducation.org provides lesson plans, curriculum, and materials for a variety of K-‐12 subjects, with a focus on climate change.

Teaching Climate Change: Lessons from the Past

http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/2011/07/07/climate-‐change-‐lessons-‐from-‐the-‐past/

This resource allows educators to locate and use the best resources for teaching about Earth's climate system and the changing climate over the past one million years. Climate Change Lessons from the Past

National Earth Science Teachers’ Association

http://www.nestanet.org/cms/content/welcome

NESTA offers our journal quarterly, targeting resources teachers can use in the classroom right away. They also provide a monthly e-‐newsletter full of information about upcoming opportunities and events, in addition to activities at the state, regional and national level.

National Park Service Climate Change Office is located in Fort Collins

http://www.nature.nps.gov/climatechange

The Climate Change Response Program works to foster communication provide guidance, scientific information, and recommendations that support stewardship actions to preserve our natural and cultural heritage from the detrimental impacts of global climate change.


Costumer

Initially, REACH’s customer base is Northern Colorado K-‐12 Students and the surrounding

communities. For the first year of existence, we recommend that REACH focus on current product

users/customers, and utilize this focus to ensure product quality and determine specific market needs

and segmentation. In years 2-‐4 we recommend that REACH expand their presence to the statewide

level through specific positioning strategies capitalizing on their competitive advantage of Colorado

specific curriculum support. If this expansion is successful, we recommend development of a

nationwide presence, targeting states with specific science education standards.

Product Target

Customer Target User Beneficiary Number of

Potential Beneficiaries

Little Shop of Physics Kits

School District

Teacher Student/Teacher 807,239

Teacher Professional Development

Teacher Teacher Student/Teacher 807,239

Video Trainings Teacher Teacher Student/Teacher 807,239

Community Fundraisers

Donors Donor/Community Community/Schools 292,825

Publications for Public Outreach

Climate Community

Community Members

Community Online science community will have access. Specific number is unknown at this time.

Currently REACH products are used in Larimer County, which is comprised of three school

districts. The state of Colorado has 201 districts in which the Colorado specific curriculum support tools

would be applicable. 807,239 students make up these 201 districts (Colorado Department of Education,

2011). The teachers and students in these districts differ in income levels, which affect district wide

available spending for curriculum supports and classroom tools. Pricing may need to vary in districts


and areas based on countywide income levels in a sliding scale or supplemented way.

Customers purchase or access CMMAP/REACH products through word of mouth, direct

marketing, interaction with Brian Jones or Little Shop or Physics, and outreach through schools. The

specific kits can be purchased only through the Association of Educational Publishers (Jones, 2011). The

videos and trainings can be obtained only through CMMAP. The fundraisers and publications will be

privately produced by CMMAP/REACH. All customers and users of REACH products have access to the

Internet and can utilize web-‐based education tools as a supplement to current curriculum. However,

teachers most value their time and having supplemental products arrive ready-‐to-‐use. Therefore,

REACH and current competitors must provide all necessary components to retain competitive

advantage.

Based on market research conducted among post CMMAP product users, customers are

“extremely satisfied” with their last CMMAP experience and are “extremely likely” to recommend

CMMAP events to people they know. While the respondent pool for this research was extremely small

(4 respondents) the current results indicate favorable attitudes toward the product and satisfaction with

the experience.

REACH’s most immediate prospective customer is the Poudre School District. They currently

purchase the largest share of LSOP kits and teacher trainings. The Poudre School District (PSD) has a

library check out system for teachers to access classroom supplements, such as the LSOP kits. According

to DeeDee Wright (Wright, 2011), PSD Science coordinator, FOSS kits currently have the largest market

share in PSD because of their historical presence in the market and the low cost of their products.

However, she said that PSD would purchase exclusively from LSOP should the kits be developed to meet

Colorado Education Standards for Science which must be in place by 2013-‐2014. DeeDee Wright is the

decision maker for the district and has influence over teacher and neighboring district decisions for

personal training, professional development, and curriculum purchase.

FOSS utilizes a regional representative from an educational products company. REACH could

choose to continue with AEP, migrate their products to the same company as FOSS, or choose to do

their marketing and production in-‐house. By bringing these functions in-‐house, REACH would retain

100% of the profit, but would additionally take on a greater burden of responsibility. Customers are

marginally aware of CMMAP and its products but as the products transition under the REACH umbrella,

significant increases in outreach programming must occur.


Context Economic status and trends

The financial state in both the local, regional and national economy is one of being frugal and

cutting costs. Fortunately, this effect is being felt everywhere by everyone so REACH will not be alone in

finding funding options difficult to come by. The target market is faring especially poorly in

Colorado. Teacher positions and district budgets have been cut both locally and across the state in the

past 3 years. This change is going to make our target market especially price sensitive.

The belt tightening in the broad economy is forcing organizations to sink or swim. REACH will

need to be incredibly nimble, especially as a new organization, in the use of their funds and

revenues. All marketing plans will need to be extremely focused on their target populations and money

cannot be used without a purpose.

Technology status and trends

The increase of distance learning has the potential to increase revenue from distance learning

continuing education courses for local and national teachers. REACH is currently converting a past

undergraduate climate course into an online based professional development course for teachers.

These continued technological advances make this type of product easier to access and a market norm.

Online courses are less expensive and create competitive advantage as REACH markets this product to

their segmented population. If in the future technology experiences a steep increase in price, price

sensitive customers such as teachers may suffer and experience decreased access to online products.

Political and legal status and trends

The passing of state standardization concerning climate education was passed in December

2009. These new standards must be implemented by 2013-‐2014. This state legislation has already

increased the importance of REACHs product. Were the standards to be eliminated, REACH would lose a

significant portion of the competitive advantage in their school based products. However, if these

standards continue to expand and increase in significance, REACH will benefit from any legislation that

mandates such increases.

As legislation changes the marketing plans will need to morph and change targets accordingly.

For example, if the climate standards are revoked, REACH may choose to divert their marketing focus

from teachers and districts needing to meet standards, to parent teacher organizations who want their

children to learn about climate and are willing to host fundraisers for the kits.


Social and cultural status and trends

The values among many teachers focus heavily on the education and engagement of the

student. While this is not the case for every teacher in the region, this value will be one important

factor in valuation of our product in the market. The customer for school based products is the district,

however teachers provide quick and essential feedback on products on their ability to engage the

students. If REACH school based products do not engage the teacher and student, they will need to

reassess product development or risk failing. The marketing of REACHs products should focus on

teachers who value engaged students at all costs and understand the impact of climate knowledge in

influence of human behavior. Teachers are both value sensitive and price sensitive, so REACH will need

to maintain sensitivity to teacher feedback in order to ensure the quality and lifetime of their products.

For the community and academic based products, Colorado is an excellent target market for

climate education outreach and programming. Colorado has a reputation for being extremely

environment conscious. While we have not determined how this reputation will affect funding and

donor decisions, the market population values REACH’s mission. Climate patterns and climate change

are increasingly important nationwide and particularly in Colorado. This newfound focus on

sustainability and human impact on the environment make REACHs products more valuable.


SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: The strengths of REACH make it a viable organization for financial sustainability through grants,

donors, and revenue. The founding members are leading scientists in their individual fields who have a

combined sixty years of experience and contacts. They are well known experts and researchers who

also have a unique dedication to teaching and the dissemination of information to the public. These

founders have established connections with the NSF, NASA, and science-‐focused funding

organization. Additionally, all parties who have been brought on since the inception of REACH as

collaborators are dedicated and passionate about the mission and existence of REACH. They are all

“infected” with the enthusiasm of the vision and belief in its ability to succeed.

The timing of the organization is an asset as well. REACH will lose NSF funding in four

years. CMMAP has sought out advice in time to develop a business plan that will transition their

products and services under REACH administration and allow them to be financially sustainable by the

end of the grant.

The product concepts are strong and have theoretical viability. They have been formulated with

the customers and users in mind and have truly been generated from a place of perceived need. The

product designers are all deeply embedded in the field and have a strong knowledge in the needs and

wants of consumers. Through our market research, past customers have indicated an extreme

satisfaction with CMMAP experiences and a likelihood to recommend CMMAP to people they know.

Weaknesses:

The greatest visible weakness for REACH is the infancy of their organization. They are not yet a

registered 501c3 and they have no office space or employees. There is momentum towards these

objectives but it will likely be the end of 2012 before any are reached. As current products continued to

be marketed under CMMAP’s brand, it only makes the transition to REACH more difficult.

Secondly, REACH has limited brand recognition in the community. The umbrella organization,

CMMAP, has provided full funding for REACH’s operations thus far and therefore most of the marketing

kickback provided through events and workshops has gone to CMMAP. Additionally, the relationship

between CMMAP, REACH, and LSOP is complicated. To ease the transition of marketing outreach from

CMMAP to REACH, the team will need to determine target dates for phasing out CMMAP naming.


Lastly, the REACH team is lacking a member with business background or experience. The team

consists of trained scientists. While it is this characteristic that builds into their value and competitive

advantage, without a business mind involved in the development process, many activities are being paid

for that shouldn’t be or services are provided for free that could generate revenue. It is unclear whether

in the future REACH staff will remain dedicated to business solutions for their financial sustainability.

Opportunities:

The opportunities available to REACH at this time are numerous. The state of Colorado recently

developed and enacted state standards for climate change education. Because of this the market for

climate based education workshops and tools has increased. This standardization is a reflection of the

overall increase in interest regarding climate patters and climate change. As an overload of information

becomes available to the public concerning these topics, understandable expert knowledge and

analytical training is invaluable both for K-‐12 students, teachers and community members.

Our market research indicates only a marginal willingness by teachers to pay for classroom

supplements out of their own pocket. Therefore the most promising customer base is the school

district. If REACH is able to develop climate education that directly reinforces the Colorado specific

education standards, they have the opportunity to capitalize on recent legislation and gain exclusive

market share.

Threats:

There are a number of serious threats facing the climate education industry at large and

specifically REACH. First, the increased tightening of the fiscal belt in Colorado over the last five years

has led to a much more lean environment in classrooms.

Secondly, we have identified competitors, such as Climate Discovery Teachers Guide, who are

offering similar products for no cost. Even if the products REACH provides are a better quality, more

market research needs to be conducted to evaluate whether consumers are price sensitive more than

quality sensitive. To combat this disparity, we are researching marketing the products specifically to

teachers who need to align with the new Colorado Department of Education Climate Education

standards. This specific market may transform this threat to an opportunity.


Key Issues for Consideration based on situation analysis

Based on extensive research and interviews with key stakeholders for the situation analysis, the GSSE

team has identified the following most critical issues to be considered as Reach moves forward with

their business plan:

1-‐ Evaluate more closely the revenue generating products and services and determine a marketing

strategy for each of these offerings. Determine what the potential for generating revenue is

based on current market trends in Colorado and market size.

2-‐ Given the strong presence of free online and other educational resources and materials in the

marketplace for climate education, Reach needs to differentiate itself by providing tailored

educational kits and programs for teachers based in the Colorado academic standard for science

education. This will provide Reach the competitive advantage and secure a market niche that

can later be expanded to other states in the United States. Research has shown that if there is

an option of providing these to teachers they will pay a premium to have specifically tailored kits

and lesson plans.

3-‐ Reach should narrow its target market from K-‐12 to specific grade levels. Initial conversations

have taken place to narrow down the target market to 5-‐9th grades. This will be beneficial to

Reach in gaining market access to these grades in particular.

4-‐ Based on the financial projections to date, there is more money needed from external funding

sources than the projected revenue through their products and services offered. If Reach desires

to be fully sustainable, it needs to diversify its portfolio and offer more revenue generating

projects.

5-‐ Reach can tap into its already established reputation through CMMAP and LSOP, which is a

positive advantage. As Reach starts marketing itself as an independent non-‐profit, it should

leverage the relationship, but continue to establish itself as an independent actor.

6-‐ Currently, Reach is still in the process of establishing itself as a non-‐profit, operations have not

started and an office and staff has not been fully assigned to work on this full time. As we move

forward during the next few months Reach should work on its incubation process and determine

where they want to be in 3/5/10 years and where they are now.


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