Additional Instructions on Marketing Plan

After you have studied the costs and benefits of a particular use for biodiesel, you need to develop a marketing plan that will convince potential users/customers to adopt this alternative fuel.

Some day most of you will have to propose ideas to a committee, a company, a zoning board, a government agency or perhaps a non-profit organization. You must present your ideas in a way that will make sense, that will appeal to the practical as well as the idealistic side of people. Your argument doesn't have to be designed on the basis of cold, absolute economic logic but it does have to consider practical, pocketbook concerns.

This first five-page paper should outline in as much detail as possible each part of the tasks you'll need to complete to make a convincing case. Each of you may have a different approach. Here is a suggested set of points/steps you may want to consider:

1. State the time table and specific actions you recommend. Be realistic. Wholesale changes may not sound reasonable to a company, township or college that is operating on a razor-thin budget. It might be best to make incremental changes -- one bus, one van, two months of heating the college with biodiesel followed by a close analysis of the trial. Suggest how a such a test might be undertaken, what measures of efficiency, cost and potential publicity might be considerations.

2. What are the specific considerations of conversion to this fuel? Where will they get the supply of biodiesel, how much will they need each month, what will it cost, what blend can they safely handle in the winter months, is it worth it to install their own tank and what kinds of maintenance, repair and conversion costs will be incurred? If you're considering its use for farm equipment, school buses, vans or furnaces you need to research the places where it is now being used for such purposes. Find out how they made the conversion and what their experience has been. You need to ask questions -- phone, e-mail and/or travel to those places that use biodiesel. Interview people, take notes and bring back pictures. Be as technical as you can be so that all questions will be anticipated. Expect hard questions. The fellow at the Vermont Transit lines was sympathetic but an absolute skeptic.

3. Are there subsidies, grants, tax credits or low-interest loans that might be available to those who convert to this alternative fuel?

4. What is the future of biodiesel  for this purpose? What is the outlook for increased demand for this alternative fuel? It's more likely people will be convinced to switch if it appears that there is an increasing number of  institutions and companies adopting this fuel. Find the numbers. That should be part of your presentation.

5. What is the outlook for supply and price of petroleum diesel? People will be more convinced if it's clear that prices of the product they're presently using is trending up. Find projections of prices for petroleum diesel. Get detailed information about its availability, who refines it and how consolidated the industry is (how many companies supply the local area, how competitive is the market?).

6. Summary and Restatement. Make no more than four key points in your summary statement that condenses your argument and repeats the strongest part of your case.

7. Ask for questions. Parcel out the areas of concern that you can anticipate to each of your team members. Everyone should have an assignment to field certain kinds of questions directed toward particular problems or technical details that will be raised. Some of these people are engineers, technicians, mechanics or managers. Each of them will test your understanding. If they start talking about BTUs, you'd better be ready to say something. If they bring up questions of delivery costs and financing terms, you should have facts ready at hand.

Otherwise, have fun!