4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

I think that one thing that people hate most when they go out to clubs/bars at Midtown or Downtown is that when those bars get crowded or even just when other people are maybe too drunk or clumsy they end up spilling drinks onto the floor or setting drinks down on the floor and this can end up sometimes on your clothes and even more frequently all over your shoes/feet. The unmet need is a way to lessen the spillage of a liquid in a cup while at a bar, restaurant, or club. This is a need for people who frequent these different locations, not just in Gainesville, but all over the world. This need came mainly from a culture that promotes getting belligerently intoxicated, where you cannot control your body and actions as well as when you are sober. I do not know of any places trying to combat this utterly urgent situation. Seeing as those companies are not trying to come up with a solution makes me feel like there is less of an opportunity but by the amount of times, I have heard people complain, at these places, about being spilled on counteracts that; I would say I am 75% sure there is an opportunity.

#1 College girl of legal age that frequents bars/clubs regularly

·         Have you ever spilt a drink on someone or the floor accidentally?

o   Yes, I have many times whether it be because people have bumped into me or I am moving around people- I feel very bad about it when I do.

·         Have you ever had a drink spilt on you at a club, bar, etc. before?

o   All the time! I could not count how many times I’ve come home with my feet sticky from some kind of drink.

·         How do you prepare/prevent potentially getting a drink spilt on you?

o   I usually try to stay clear of anyone that looks like they could be too drunk or are holding too many drinks in their hands.

·         Does knowing that there is the potential of having a drink spilt on you come into consideration when choosing to go to these places?

o   If I know a place will be crowded, I do think about how gross it will be inside and the increased likelihood of a drink being spilled on me, but I usually go anyways.

·         Does knowing that there is the potential of having a drink spilt on you come into consideration when you are choosing what you will wear to these places?

o   Oh yes! I have a totally separate wardrobe for going out that I can not wear in public during the day because of the mess its been through. I have designated “going out” shoes.

·         Have you ever had/seen any damage or injury occur because a drink was spilt on you or on the floor?

o   I have worn so many white shirts/pants/skirts that have been ruined because of a vodka-cran being spilt on them.

·         Would anything change for you if the cups used to serve the drinks had a lid/covering that limited the amount of spillage?

o   I would not have to worry as much about what clothes I choose to get dirty and my feet not being so sticky every time I leave.

#2 College freshman girl who has been to a couple clubs

·         Have you ever spilt a drink on someone or the floor accidentally?

o   No, I don’t drink so I am usually the one that gets spilt on.

·         Have you ever had a drink spilt on you at a club, bar, etc. before?

o   Yes! The first night I went out in Gainesville I had a drink spilt all over me. Ever since I have not been a huge fan of the club scene.

·         How do you prepare/prevent potentially getting a drink spilt on you?

o   When I do go out, which is rare, I now make sure I am wearing clothes I do not necessarily care about and I stay away from any kind of mosh pit or jumping around.

·         Does knowing that there is the potential of having a drink spilt on you come into consideration when choosing to go to these places?

o   Ever since I was spilt on that first night it put a damper and bad feel on going to clubs and such because it ruined the night for me, so I tend to not go out too often because of it.

·         Does knowing that there is the potential of having a drink spilt on you come into consideration when you are choosing what you will wear to these places?

o   Yes, I have one pair of shoes that I wear when I do decide to go out and I often try to wear long pants to not get a drink all on my skin.

·         Have you ever had/seen any damage or injury occur because a drink was spilt on you or on the floor?

o   One of my good friends one time slipped on the floor as she was trying to come towards me because there was ice from someone’s drink all on the ground.

·         Would anything change for you if the cups used to serve the drinks had a lid/covering that limited the amount of spillage?

o   I would definitely like to go out more if the potential of drinks being poured on me decreased. It is one of the main deterrents of me doing so.

#3 College male of legal age that frequents bars/clubs regularly

·         Have you ever spilt a drink on someone or the floor accidentally?

o   Oh, all the time dude. People just push you around and its something you got to deal with when you go out.

·         Have you ever had a drink spilt on you at a club, bar, etc. before?

o   Yes, it is just something you know is going to happen so you have to keep it in mind.

·         How do you prepare/prevent potentially getting a drink spilt on you?

o   I try to make sure to push drunk people away from me when they are walking towards with two too many drinks in their hands.

·         Does knowing that there is the potential of having a drink spilt on you come into consideration when choosing to go to these places?

o   No, not really. It is going to happen no matter where you end up going so when I go out knowing that, it doesn’t really make a difference.

·         Does knowing that there is the potential of having a drink spilt on you come into consideration when you are choosing what you will wear to these places?

o   There are definitely clothes that I would not where when I go out and I have specific shoes that I will wear over others, but as long as you play it smart you should be able to steer clear from too much drink being poured on you.

·         Have you ever had/seen any damage or injury occur because a drink was spilt on you or on the floor?

o   I’ve slipped a couple times because of the ground being a little wet and I’ve seen one to many girls dancing on the bar slip because of that as well.

·         Would anything change for you if the cups used to serve the drinks had a lid/covering that limited the amount of spillage?

o   It wouldn’t change too much for me because it is not something that keeps me from going out, but I guess it would make the entire time a little bit better because going around in a wet shirt is not the best way to impress the ladies.

Reflect

I think that the spillage and potential of being spilt on affects mainly what people wear when they go out. People that frequent those places though have learned to simply deal with it and take it as part of the experience, whether seen as good or bad; on the other hand, people who do not go out as often are more shocked by it and can cause them to stay away from certain places because this con outweighs the pros.

Summarize

I think that while the opportunity is still there and still present and people do care about it, they do not care about it enough to act upon it. I think that when I first thought of this opportunity I was looking at it as the bar goers being the audience but I think if I took a different perspective and saw the bar owners as the audience you could advertise it as less of a liability of slipping and less clean up at the end of the night with maybe a correlation of increased bar goers potentially due to it being a cleaner place. Your customer base is everything so you should definitely take them in mind; I do believe though that you need to make sure you are marketing to the right customers before you change anything too drastic.