Back J. M. Phillips
EM Technologies, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, USA
Full Paper (PDF File: 109KB)
Abstract
In 1996-97, EM Technologies, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, USA contracted for a professional marketing study of EM for Agricultural Applications in the United States. The study was performed in two phases.
Phase I: Product Policy and Competitor Analysis, evaluated EM products for agricultural applications and determined in broad terms which products and markets were open to near-term market entry and expansion. Phase I also examined the competition in the target markets and identified very significant opportunities for EM expansion through marketing EM products in five of the eight categories evaluated, namely, odor control, compost inoculant, training and consulting services, home garden products and soil inoculant.
Phase I also identified the specific research that might be required to open a potential market for EM technology, such as a replacement for methyl bromide applications in high value vegetable crops or as a treatment for Karnal bunt disease in wheat. Phase I examined the impediments to effective marketing, such as the need to accelerate translation of EM related documents into US English.
Phase II: Market Study and Analysis of EM Microbial Inoculam Products, examined in detail the opportunities and challenges involved in the entry of EM into the US market. Specific, focused analysis was done for five products and applications. These were, odor control in hog confinement operations, kitchen waste composting, EM seminars and workshops, compost inoculants for commercial-scale composting projects and crop-specific applications of EM microbial inoculants.
Market potential was determined by conducting phone surveys with competitors and cooperators and potential users. Specific recommendations included analysis of market potential, budgets and anticipated revenue streams for entry into these five markets. The results of this marketing study show that there is very significant potential to foster EM expansion activities through marketing of EM products. While this study was conducted to evaluate marketing of EM products under US conditions, the results should be adaptable to EM expansion activities in many other countries as well.