Strategy Support: Define Market Position for Innovative Product

Maturing from its kick-starter beginning, Thimble had to conceptualize and articulate their new value proposition beyond their initial product offering of a DIY kit to build a robot, which drew the support of technical hobbyists and non-technical learners. I was engaged to conduct a marketing audit to help in this process.

Employing a mixed method approach to understand Thimble's current & prospective customers as well as the competitive landscape, I put forth the strategy to fully position the company as a STEM education company for young learners.

  • 1. Audit

    Quantitative analysis of client's web performance and paid social campaigns showed misaligned product messaging with their key market audience - parents.

    A retention analysis of existing customers showed high churn rate, which indicated that while product piqued users’ initial interest, many do not return or find a long term need for it.

  • 2. Developed Personas

    Based on quantitative audit and qualitative user anecdotes, I redefined Thimble users' persona into more granular segments for more targeted marketing message and new product development. Segments presented:

    • Parents Ian & Irene

    • Savvy Steve

    • Learning Luis

    • Aspiring Lene

  • 3. New Positioning

    The persona exercise revealed different distinct users needs.

    I presented the segments on a product map against Thimble's direct and indirect market competitors to uncover the gaps in market in addressing the diverse needs of their users . From here, we identified that best audience primary segment to target for Thimble would be parents wanting to introduce STEM skills to their children vs, technical hobbyists or enthusiasts.

"Stephanie's  final report revealed thorough qualitative and quantitative analysis of the business since its inception. Her recommendations to improve the business aligned with our goals and brought insight to various activities we should be pursuing in the coming months. We're looking forward to working with Stephanie in the near future."

Oscar Pedroso, Co-Founder/CEO Thimble

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