Berenice Garcia
Fall 2024
Market Research
Research Problem(s) Studied
The problem I wish to answer is, will my target audience be interested in purchasing the electric toothbrush? What is the reason as to why my audience should switch to an electric toothbrush?
Which research option did you choose?
I decided to do an online research of my target audience and the electric toothbrush that I am wanting to create a marketing plan for. I chose this method because I feel like it offered me concrete, objective evidence rather than opinions. By doing my research and reading academic articles and using credible resources, I can see data about a bigger group of people rather than 3-6 people. I could generalize those conclusions instead of using surveys. Many academic articles also tend to be less bias.
Market research assists students in making informed decisions in the final marketing plan
Research Instrument
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References
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Cleveland Clinic. (2024, June 27). Here’s why you should be using an electric toothbrush. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/should-i-be-using-an-electric-toothbrush
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Electric Toothbrush Market Share & Demand Analysis [2032]. (n.d.). https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/electric-toothbrush-market-106355
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Ikawa, T., Mizutani, K., Sudo, T., Kano, C., Ikeda, Y., Akizuki, T., Kobayashi, H., Izumi, Y., & Iwata, T. (2021). Clinical comparison of an electric-powered ionic toothbrush and a manual toothbrush in plaque reduction: A randomized clinical trial. International journal of dental hygiene, 19(1), 9398. https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12475
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Most people brush teeth improperly: Facts and consequences. Face and Jaw Surgery Center. (2024). https://www.faceandjawsurgery.com/most-people-brush-teeth-improperly-facts-and-consequences/
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Yaacob, M., Worthington, H. V., Deacon, S. A., Deery, C., Walmsley, A. D., Robinson, P. G., & Glenny, A. M. (2014). Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2014(6), CD002281. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002281.pub3
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). Health Disparities in oral health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/health-equity/index.html
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Norris, T. (2019, March 8). Electric toothbrush vs. manual toothbrush: Which is better?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/electric-toothbrush-vs-manual#electric-cons
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Thomassen, T. M. J. A., Van der Weijden, F. G. A., & Slot, D. E. (2022). The efficacy of powered toothbrushes: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. International journal of dental hygiene, 20(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12563
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Part Two
I was able to learn that many people do not have the correct brushing technique therefore they are not able to improve their oral health even when brushing twice daily. It was also found that many of them do not brush for the entire two minutes that is recommended by the American Dental Association. The population that is found to have more trouble with this is men. They tend to have worse oral hygiene than women. I was also able to learn that many people are beginning to switch from a manual to powered toothbrush and are open to the idea of making that change. In the future, it is predicted that even more people are expected to purchase an electric toothbrush, especially here in the United States. It is no doubt that an electric toothbrush will also be beneficial to people with dexterity problems because essentially, it does the work for them. They have demonstrated to remove plaque more effectively than a regular toothbrush.
Overall, my research has led me to think that people will be interested in purchasing an electric toothbrush which was the question I was trying to answer during my market research. There is enough evidence demonstrating how an electric toothbrush is better than a manual one. Even if people are not interested in buying one, the evidence is strong and there are many studies where I am sure a lot of people would consider making the switch. Something else I learned from this study as well is that doing my research provides me with objective evidence while surveys are more subjective.
Based off my results, I am thinking that my marketing plan will be targeted towards both sexes, but will be focused on targeting men due to the fact that they are known for having poor oral hygiene and worse oral hygiene habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Many young people worry about their appearance and lately have been known to care more about their health and aiming my marketing plan towards them will also be a focus. Due to my marketing plan being aimed towards the younger population, I am thinking about marketing my product online through school emails and possibly hanging posters throughout the campus.