[WiZ] I can't get no manufactur'n

[WiZ]

Manufacturers of a popular product noted that their target market was dwindling at an alarming rate. However, their product is still selling well, and sales are projected to increase in the coming decades. No new use has been devised for the product, and no change in consumer behaviour, technology, or culture can be held directly responsible.

Why are the manufacturers still doing well?

[RedWine]

Do the prices of the product increase? Do the number of the manufacturers decrease?
Can the product be used up? Do the buyers of the product need more than one? Does the product need to be replaced by a new one after some time?
Is the product specific for some group of consumers?

[WiZ]

Redwine:

Do the prices of the product increase? no Do the number of the manufacturers decrease? no
Can the product be used up? yes Do the buyers of the product need more than one? yes Does the product need to be replaced by a new one after some time? yes
Is the product specific for some group of consumers? yes

[Enjay]

Is their target market the people who actually buy the product? People who benefit from someone else buying the product?

Is the target market defined by age? Gender? Socio-economic status? Nationality? Race? Profession? Family situation?

Did people outside of the target market start buying the product more? Did people within the target market start buying more of the product? Did the manufacturers open up their product to a wider section of their target market?

Is there a reduction in market competition for the manufacturers?

[WiZ]

Is their target market the people who actually buy the product? at first no, but increasingly yes People who benefit from someone else buying the product? at first yes, but increasingly no

Is the target market defined by age? this, predominantly Gender? Socio-economic status? Nationality? Race? Profession? Family situation? no to these

Did people outside of the target market start buying the product more? yes Did people within the target market start buying more of the product? no Did the manufacturers open up their product to a wider section of their target market? yesish

Is there a reduction in market competition for the manufacturers? no

[Enjay]

Is the product aimed at children? Teenagers? Adults? Old people?

Was a new benefit for the product discovered? Did the product come to be thought of as beneficial to a wider range of people than initially thought?

[WiZ]

Is the product aimed at children? initially, yes Teenagers? Adults? no to these Old people? and later, yes

Was a new benefit for the product discovered? no Did the product come to be thought of as beneficial to a wider range of people than initially thought? yes

[peter365]

So a product that was initially targeted at children is now being increasingly used by old people but not because of some newly discovered or unforeseen benefit, yes ?

Was there any relevant new law or regulation ? Some new study carried out? Is the product eaten?

Was the use by the elderly based on a rumour? Urban myth? a general misunderstanding of what the product was for? Did the name of it suggest it had some other use? Would the use by the elderly be reasonably expected to continue ?

[WiZ]

So a product that was initially targeted at children is now being increasingly used by old people but not because of some newly discovered or unforeseen benefit, yes ? Correct

Was there any relevant new law or regulation ? no Some new study carried out? no Is the product eaten? no

Was the use by the elderly based on a rumour? no Urban myth? no a general misunderstanding of what the product was for? no Did the name of it suggest it had some other use? no Would the use by the elderly be reasonably expected to continue ? Yes

[Lynne]

Is the product a piece of technology? Something that children have moved away from because of something newer and shinier, but old people have cottoned on to it and find it useful or fun?

[peter365]

Is there some sort of nostalgic thing going on? Does the product resemble something that the old folk would have had as children ? Is the item worn?

[Enjay]

Does the new market (old people) consist of people who used the product as children, but then unexpectedly continued using it? Or went back to it in old age?

Does the target market dwindling mean that there are fewer and fewer children in the country or countries where it is marketed? That fewer and fewer children are using the product?

[WiZ]

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 __                                       
/\ \                                       
\ \ \      __  __    ___     ___      __   
 \ \ \  __/\ \/\ \ /' _ `\ /' _ `\  /'__`\
  \ \ \L\ \ \ \_\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \/\  __/
   \ \____/\/`____ \ \_\ \_\ \_\ \_\ \____\
    \/___/  `/___/> \/_/\/_/\/_/\/_/\/____/
               /\___/                     
               \/__/                       


Is the product a piece of technology? yes Something that children have moved away from because of something newer and shinier no, but old people have cottoned on to it and find it useful or fun? and no

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 ____        __                     __      ____  ______   
/\  _`\     /\ \__                /'__`\   /'___\/\  ___\   
\ \ \L\ \ __\ \ ,_\    __   _ __ /\_\L\ \ /\ \__/\ \ \__/   
 \ \ ,__/'__`\ \ \/  /'__`\/\`'__\/_/_\_<_\ \  _``\ \___``\
  \ \ \/\  __/\ \ \_/\  __/\ \ \/  /\ \L\ \\ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \
   \ \_\ \____\\ \__\ \____\\ \_\  \ \____/ \ \____/\ \____/
    \/_/\/____/ \/__/\/____/ \/_/   \/___/   \/___/  \/___/

Is there some sort of nostalgic thing going on? no Does the product resemble something that the old folk would have had as children ? yes, to address this question independently of any others Is the item worn? yes

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 ____                                       
/\  _`\             __                       
\ \ \L\_\    ___   /\_\     __     __  __   
 \ \  _\L  /' _ `\ \/\ \  /'__`\  /\ \/\ \   
  \ \ \L\ \/\ \/\ \ \ \ \/\ \L\.\_\ \ \_\ \ 
   \ \____/\ \_\ \_\_\ \ \ \__/.\_\\/`____ \
    \/___/  \/_/\/_/\ \_\ \/__/\/_/ `/___/> \
                   \ \____/            /\___/
                    \/___/             \/__/

Does the new market (old people) consist of people who used the product as children, but then unexpectedly continued using it? no Or went back to it in old age? yes

Does the target market dwindling mean that there are fewer and fewer children in the country or countries where it is marketed? yes That fewer and fewer children are using the product? Proportionally, no

[Enjay]

Would the product typically have been used by babies? Children under 5? Under 10?

Is it worn on the feet? Legs? Lower body? Upper body? Arms? Neck? Head? Is it a piece of clothing? An accessory? A wearable gadget? A wristwatch?

[WiZ]

Would the product typically have been used by babies? yes, typically Children under 5? sometimes Under 10? rarely

Is it worn on the feet? Legs? Lower body? this Upper body? Arms? Neck? Head? Is it a piece of clothing? yope An accessory? yope A wearable gadget? noish A wristwatch? no

[Enjay]

A nappy?

[WiZ]

A nappy? yes

[Balin]

The aging Baby Boomer generation relevant?

[WiZ]

The aging Baby Boomer generation relevant? Yes - and a shifting population pyramid in general

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      ___           ___           ___                       ___       ___           ___     
     /\  \         /\  \         /\  \          ___        /\__\     /\  \         /\  \   
    /::\  \       /::\  \       /::\  \        /\  \      /:/  /    /::\  \       /::\  \   
   /:/\ \  \     /:/\:\  \     /:/\:\  \       \:\  \    /:/  /    /:/\:\  \     /:/\:\  \ 
  _\:\~\ \  \   /::\~\:\  \   /:/  \:\  \      /::\__\  /:/  /    /::\~\:\  \   /::\~\:\  \
 /\ \:\ \ \__\ /:/\:\ \:\__\ /:/__/ \:\__\  __/:/\/__/ /:/__/    /:/\:\ \:\__\ /:/\:\ \:\__\
 \:\ \:\ \/__/ \/__\:\/:/  / \:\  \ /:/  / /\/:/  /    \:\  \    \:\~\:\ \/__/ \/_|::\/:/  /
  \:\ \:\__\        \::/  /   \:\  /:/  /  \::/__/      \:\  \    \:\ \:\__\      |:|::/  /
   \:\/:/  /         \/__/     \:\/:/  /    \:\__\       \:\  \    \:\ \/__/      |:|\/__/ 
    \::/  /                     \::/  /      \/__/        \:\__\    \:\__\        |:|  |   
     \/__/                       \/__/                     \/__/     \/__/         \|__|   

Japan's birth rate is a low 1.4 live births per mother, and the nappy industry is drying up, if you'll pardon the pun. However, the rapidly increasing number of senior citizens means that the industry has developed a much larger, and quickly growing, new clientele. For the first time in 2013, their largest manufacturer sold more adult diapers than those designed for children. This will only increase in the years to come.

Congratulations to all for taking part, especially Balin for the solve.