Hint Water Company

1. Evaluate the quality of the new brand extensions using the criteria in the chapter. Would you have advised going into all of these markets? If you wouldn't have, which ones would you have advised not entering? Be sure to provide your rationale.

According to Wilson & Gilligan (2005), the core elements to be considered in product evaluation include product attributes, product, benefits, and marketing support services. When focusing on the first line of products – water that is flavored with watermelon, pomegranate-tangerine, and raspberry-lime, it is clear that these products have great attributes that enhance the brand image of the company. The use of these flavors enhances the company’s offering and strategy of offering healthy products. These products have many benefits to users and it would enable offering marketing support services in a manner that enhances brand image and recognition. Sunscreen is another great product offered by the company. The attributes of this product definitely support the objectives and goals of the company to offer healthy products to users. Sunscreens also guarantee many benefits to the company, especially increasing the company’s product awareness. The product also helps to enhance marketing support services to clients as it confers many benefits to users. The introduction of masks and hand sanitizers is also strategic because they are associated with health. These products are beneficial during the ongoing pandemic and it would help to enhance the company’s offerings as it pertains to provision of healthy products. Production of these products would help to increase the company’s position in offering health-affiliated products.

I would definitely advice the company to venture in the above highlighted products because they would help to improve brand recognition, status, and image in the market. Adding other product categories is also beneficial for a company because it helps in expanding the products portfolio. This would help the company to be well placed in terms of offering healthy products. I would advise the company not to venture into deodorants because they do not directly support health initiatives. Deodorants are predominantly used for beauty and fragrance and thus do not support the company’s goal of offering healthy products to clients.

2. Into what other product categories do you think Hint should expand next? Provide your rationale. Make sure to do your research here (i.e., don't choose categories that Hint has already expanded into or has publicly announced they are expanding into).

From the evaluation of the case and the offerings in the beverage industry, the other product categories that Hint could introduce to expand their product portfolio is sleep drinks, vegetable juices and drinks, syrups, milk drink products, shakes, hot drinks such as coffee, squashes, as well as smoothies. These products offer many benefits to users and would definitely attract more customers to the company. Sleep drinks are beneficial to users as sleep could be a health issue to many individuals. Sleep drinks bridge the gap left with insomnia by helping users find meaningful sleep (Grey House Publishing, 2010). Vegetable juices and drinks are also beneficial because they add to the vitamin requirements by customers and could help those with vitamin deficiencies. Milk products are also essential for customers since they help in giving customers extra calcium and other nutrients offered by milk. Hot drinks such as coffee could also help users who are after products that can energize them and give them a better mood. Mood control and management is a critical issue in psychology and coffee could help clients with mood issues to feel better (Sanders, 2016). Syrups, shakes, squashes, and smoothies are other essential products categories that could be tailored to meet unique health needs of customers. These products will definitely help the company to improve its offerings in health products, making it more competitive in the market.