Nick Altier

Advanced Marketing Seminar

Professor Mintus

January 28, 2021

Module 3: Xenobot

1. Who are the possible B2B target audiences?

The xenobots would be perfect for medical fields due to their size and being that they are

programable to better understand how cells in the human body function. By programming

the xenobots to focus on how the cells cooperate, and build on each other it could prove

to be one of the biggest advancements in medicine. Medical researchers would be able to

use the xenobots to carry medicine through the body, and even use them to clear plaque

clogging Another important target audience for the xenoots could be organizations

interested in cleaning the oceans. The xenobots are not as harmful to the environment as

other methods of cleaning microplastics in the ocean waters. By programming them to

accomplish this, organizations such as The Ocean Cleanup, and Surfrider Foundation.

2. What are possible commercial applications for this innovation? Be as expansive, yet

realistic in your thinking as possible.

Some commercial applications for the xenobots include pharmacies, and also with the

fish and boat commission. As for the pharmacies, it would make sense to have the

xenobots in pharmacies especially for people who have clogged arteries or even lung

problems to help clear their bodies. In chapter four, we read about conscious marketing

which entails “a sense of purpose for the firm that is higher than simply making a profit”

(Giunta, C. Ch. 4, pg 91). I think this fits perfectly with xenobots in pharmacies in trying
to benefit the health of others rather than searching for quick profits. In the fish and boat

commission, my idea would be for them to sell the xenobots as a safer and easier way for

consumers to clean their local ponds, lakes and even their private and community

swimming pools. As we learned in the article, the xenobts are environmentally friendly,

and are great for cleaning microplastics in ocean waters. By programming them to attack

bacterias, consumers can use the xenobots as a safer way to cleanse the community

waters. It could also be used by parks and recreations with ponds and lakes such as Twin

Lakes right here in Greensburg.

The fish and boat commission tests these waters annually, and if they see a heavy build

up of bacterias or algae, they use chemicals to clean them. By introducing them to the

xenobts, it could be a safer way to achieve this.

a. What are advantages/pros for the applications you mention?

There are countless pros for using the xenobots in the medical field. The biggest

in my opinion would be using them to better understand how cells cooperate, and

function. Another way the xenobots could prove useful is by allowing medical doctors to

use the xenobots to carry medicine through the body, and even use them to clear plaque

clogging arteries. Placing them in the pharmacies would be a major step in medicine and

could possibly bring down the rates of heart attacks, strokes, and even death. Patients

with high blood pressure could be prescribed the xenobots to help clear arteries

preventing these health issues before surgery is required. We talked about permission

marketing in the previous chapters, and with using the xenobots for medical purposes,

this would be a great way to market them. You could ask people who already have these

health issues to volunteer and possibly help them avoid surgery (Giunta, Lecture, 2021,
 Module 2, Digital Marketing Definition). The pros for using the xenobots in pools,

ponds, and lakes is the environmental factor. Rather than cleansing these water sources

with harmful chemicals, the xenobots would be an earth friendly alternative for cleaning

microplastics in lakes and ponds.They could also be programmed to break down bacterias

in swimming pools. According to Dr. Alfred Bernard, he claims that “the impact of pool

chemicals to our children is five times greater than second hand smoke” (Bernard).

a. What are potential drawbacks/cons for applications you mention?

With these pros however, there are some possible cons and disadvantages. The

first would be that there is little to no testing on these robots, and how they will react in

the human body. Unfortunately, there would be no way of actually seeing these affects

until actually testing them. Another con would be disrupting the integrity of the medical

field. As I learned in my philosophy course, there is a blind spot in modern medicine, and

this could fall into that category of ignoring the existential dimension of health and

wellness (SPL 100 01, Whitehead, p4). The cons of using xenobots to cleaning local

bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, and swimming pools would be the pricing, and

competition. People have been cleaning their swimming pools since the 1950’s and have

been doing it the same way up until today. It would be very difficult to invade the market

that has already been solidified. Although the xenobots would be a much safer alternative

to the chemicals used today, it would be difficult to encourage people to spend more

money on a product especially without being tested.

3. Where are probable locations for this innovation?

Deciding on where to place a product is key in product success, as we learned in

marketing, SBU 220. As we also learned in chapter two, based on where you decide to
 place that specific product, can determine how you market that same product. Different

areas and regions respond differently to specific products meaning it may have to be

modified to fit that region correctly such as pepsico, offering different flavors, and guilt

free options. (Giunta, C. Ch 2, pg 18). I feel the best locations for marketing this product

would be along the coasts where there are more bodies of water, and also highly

populated cities. Being near the coasts where there are more bodies of water would make

it much easier to expand on the idea of using the xenobots as a safer way to clean these

waters. Targeting highly populated cities would make sense for marketing xenobots due

to the health issues involved in them. People in highly populated cities are more prone to

lung problems, heart disease, and strokes (Stahl, 2015). All three of these are problems

that can possibly be helped with the use of xenobots.

Summary:

After reading the article on xenobots, it was extremely interesting to discover more about

these unique programmable organisms. These self healing robots were created using stem cells

from an African Clawed frog. The xenobots are extremely small, only .04 inches wide making it

easily possible to fit inside the human body. After learning this information, I think using them in

the medical fields would be a major help to society as a whole. We also learned that they can be

programmed to clean up microplastics in ocean waters. This would be a great way to safely clean

not only ocean waters, but local bodies of water as well. By eliminating harmful chemicals from

the environment, the xenobots would be a big step forward in this regard.
 References

Giunta, C (2020). Marketing. Mcgraw-Hill Education. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from

grewal levy marketing

Health Impact: The Pros and Cons of Living in a City. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2021

Yeung, J. (2020, January 15). Scientists have built the world's first living, self-healing

robots.