Background

Over recent decades, plastic cling wrap has become an important staple in many kitchens: it is primarily used to seal food in containers, thereby helping to keep that food fresher for longer. However, and as the name suggests, plastic cling wrap comes with a significant drawback: it is made from plastic, which means that the wrap will not naturally decompose for hundreds of years. Plastic cling wrap is also ultimately made from oil, so using products like plastic cling wrap helps to continue our dependence on fossil fuels.

Product

Great Wrap is a Melbourne-based brand that makes plastic-free, compostable cling wrap.

Product design

• Great Wrap is a bioplastic that is made from potato waste. Great Wrap is therefore made from what would otherwise be thrown away.
• By virtue of being made from bioplastic, Great Wrap is BPA free. BPA is found in some plastics and has been linked to a range of health issues in humans.
• Great Wrap is 100% compostable; when added to your compost bin, it will fully break down in under 180 days. If Great Wrap is instead sent to landfill, it will break down in 1 - 3 years.
• Great Wrap has been certified by DIN CERTCO (an independent, international accreditation agency) as meeting two Australian compostable standards: Home Compostable AS 5810 and Compostable AS 4736.
• Great Wrap is microwave safe.
• Great Wrap is fridge and freezer safe.
• Each roll of Great Wrap contains 30m of cling wrap.

Product positioning

Great Wrap is targeted at people who are interested in minimising their plastic waste and reducing their environmental impact more broadly.

Product pricing

A 30m roll of Great Wrap cling wrap is available for AU$7.48.

Question 2 - 10 marks

Design a strategy aimed at increasing consumers' adoption behaviour with respect toGreat Wrap. In your answer, be sure to justify how and why this strategy will address the characteristic(s) you identified in your response to Question 1 Part A (SEE BELOW)

***QUESTION 1*** - There are a set of innovation characteristics that influence consumers' adoption behaviour. Drawing on the information presented in the exam case study, evaluate howGreat Wrap compares against each of these characteristics relative to traditional plastic cling wrap. Use this evaluation to determine which characteristic(s) ofGreat Wrap may enhance adoption behaviour. In your answer, also outline which characteristics might limit consumers' adoption behaviour:

**ANSWER**

Innovation characteristics are those features of an innovation that influence an individual's decision to adopt or reject it. In the context of the Great Wrap product, there are a number of innovation characteristics that are likely to influence consumers' decision-making. These characteristics can be broadly grouped into three categories: those relating to the product itself, those relating to the user, and those relating to the environment.

Product-related innovation characteristics:Great Wrap is a bioplastic that is made from potato waste. This makes it a more sustainable product than traditional plastic cling wrap, which is made from oil. Great Wrap is also BPA free, which may be appealing to consumers who are concerned about the health implications of using products containing BPA. Furthermore, Great Wrap is compostable, which means that it will break down naturally over time, unlike traditional plastic cling wrap, which can take hundreds of years to decompose.

User-related innovation characteristics:Great Wrap is easy to use and can be used in the same way as traditional plastic cling wrap. It is also microwave safe, fridge and freezer safe, and comes in a roll that is the same size as a traditional plastic cling wrap roll. This means that there is no need for consumers to make any changes to their usual cling wrap usage habits in order to use Great Wrap.

Environmental-related innovation characteristics:As Great Wrap is made from potato waste, it is a more sustainable product than traditional plastic cling wrap. Additionally, as Great Wrap is compostable, it will break down naturally over time, unlike traditional plastic cling wrap, which can take hundreds of years to decompose.

The qualities of an invention are those aspects that affect a person's choice to embrace or reject it. Numerous innovative traits in the context of the Great Wrap product are likely to affect consumers' purchasing choices. Three categories those pertaining to the product itself, the user, and the environment can be used to broadly classify these features.

A bioplastic called Great Wrap is created from potato waste. Because it isn't created from oil like typical plastic cling wrap, it is a more environmentally friendly product. Great Wrap is also BPA-free, which may appeal to customers who are worried about the effects of using items that contain BPA on their health. In contrast to conventional plastic cling wrap, which can take hundreds of years to decompose, Great Wrap is biodegradable, meaning that it will naturally degrade over time.

Great Wrap is simple to use and functions similarly to conventional plastic cling wrap. It comes in a roll that is the same size as a regular plastic cling wrap roll and is likewise microwave, fridge, and freezer safe. This implies that in order to utilize Great Wrap, users do not need to alter their typical cling wrap usage practices.

Great Wrap is a more environmentally friendly product than conventional plastic cling wrap since it is created from potato waste. Furthermore, Great Wrap will naturally degrade over time since it is biodegradable, as opposed to conventional plastic cling wrap, that can take hundreds of years to do so.

The fact that Great Wrap is biodegradable is the innovation-related product feature that is most likely to increase customers' adoption behaviour. As opposed to conventional plastic cling wrap, which can take hundreds of years to dissolve, it will naturally degrade over time. Great Wrap's capacity to be composted is also likely to appeal to customers who want to have a smaller environmental effect.

The price of Great Wrap is the main innovative feature that can prevent people from embracing it. Great Wrap costs more than conventional plastic cling wrap, which normally costs approximately AU$2.00 for a 30m roll, at AU$7.48. Some customers could be discouraged from moving to Great Wrap due to the price disparity.