Team # 44

Client: Selfo
Chosen Target Country: France
Product/Service: A mobile application to place orders at restaurants, bars or cafes directly from
their smart mobile devices with more ease and convenience.

Number of Pages, including title page: 21

Team Members:

Name

Country

Did Not Participate

Mark H. Willis

USA

Participated

Alyssa O'Neal

USA

Participated

Francesco Micozzi

Italy

Participated

Camila Van Rooyen

Brazil

Participated

Ahmet Cagatay Soyer

Turkey

Participated

Mavra Khan Joiya

Pakistan

Participated

Zainab Bhatti

Turkey

Participated

Table of Contents

Sr.
No

Title

Page no

Executive Summary

3-4

Organization Information

Product/service description

5-8

Key market characteristics needed for the product/service to be 8-12

successful
Suggested market and a brief review of how its the optimal choice 12-13

for the product/service distribution

6

Market Entry Mode

14-16

Staffing Strategy

16-17

Pricing Strategy

17-18

Marketing Strategy

19-20

10

Bibliography

21

Executive Summary
-Organization information
Selfo is a mobile application to place orders at restaurants, bars or cafes without the need of
servers which will save the time for the customers and change their dining experience.
- Product/service description
The application is simple to use. Customers can search for the restaurants and the application
will direct to the menu. Customers can place orders from anywhere.

- Key market characteristics needed for the product/service to be successful

There are certain characteristics that Selfo requires in a particular market in order to be
successful. They are as follows: enough income to have a mobile device, love for food,
populated areas with many restaurants etc.
- Suggested market and a brief review of how its the optimal choice for the product/service
distribution
The market we have chosen to launch Selfo in is in France because it has those certain
characteristics which are required to be successful. France is the nation of food lovers. Two
regions of France, Ile de France and Provence, are the most attractive regions to launch Selfo
because they have highest population, a good GDP, and it has high tourist activity.

- Market entry mode

The best entry mode for the selfo would be Joint Venture. It will enable selfo to share the
knowledge with local partners about culture, language, or political systems. If the market has
high cost, selfo can split the cost.
- Staffing strategy
IT personnel and sales persons should be hired. IT personnel can help to fix any problems and
innovate developments with the software, and sales people will work to create awareness about
Selfo and persuade customers to use this application.
- Marketing strategy
There are many ways to market the Selfo. The best choices include pop up ads on popular
applications, billboards and posters near restaurants and subways, and other online media such
as social media, video streaming, and ads on the side of websites.

1. Organization Information
1.1 Brief History
In 2014, two young Belgian entrepreneurs, Lucka Wahba and Nicolas Bernier, introduced
a mobile application that has the potential to change the restaurant experience for customers all
over the globe. Their idea is a customer management solution for food and drink establishments,
called Selfo. Selfo is a mobile application that will enable customers to place orders in
restaurants, bars, and cafes directly from their smart phone. Selfo is not operating internationally
as the product is at prototyping stage. It is a product of M4KE.IT: a company that allows you to
submit ideas which they evaluate, and if they like your idea they will help build a prototype and
fundraise for it. Entrepreneurs and investors in the domain of mobile applications can also give
assistance to Selfo.

2. Product/service description
2.1 Overview of Existing Product
Selfo is a mobile app that allows customers to place an order at a restaurant without
needing a server. The app has the capabilities for customers to use it while they sit in the
restaurant, or before they are at the location. When in the restaurant, customers just enter some
information about the restaurant where they are directed to the menu where they can select what
they would like to order. Then a server will bring them their food to the table. If a customer
chooses to use this app on the go, they use the same beginning steps, then they would just have
to come to the restaurant to pick up the food. The plan is to directly connect the application with
the cash register system in the restaurant allowing the customers to also pay through the
application.
2.2 The Product Quality and Service
Selfo is one of the unique mobile applications for the customers because with this
application, customers are not at the mercy of their servers. Using this application, customers
will be able to place orders from their smartphones which will save a good deal of time for both
customers and servers. According to Wahba, Selfo will be the new way of placing orders in
restaurants, bars and cafs.
The application is very simple to use. When a customer would enter the establishment,
they would just have to enter the ID number and table number, which would be posted
throughout the restaurant, bar, or cafe. After entering this information, the customer would be
directed to the menu of the establishment where they could select their order. They would rely on
the server to bring them their food and drinks, but this reduces a significant amount of time for

the customer and the servers. By using this application, the customer does not have to wait for
the server to get to their table, take their order, enter their order into the POS system, or to take
the payment for the order.
2.3 Prices
Selfo is looking to partner with the existing cash register systems within restaurants, bars
and various other establishments, and receive a commision of the sales made through the
application. Their price would not be an exact rate, but rather it would be a percentage of each
sale. For example Selfo could charge 2% for every sale at a maximum of $10.00 per sale from
the application. As the sales increase, they could also increase their percentage rates by 2% for
every $10.00 sale. This means it would jump to 4% at $20.00, 6% at $30.00, and so forth. If the
company could not agree on that method of pricing the price could be fixed to 10% of the
companies earnings from the application each month.
The app could have two versions, one paid and one free. The paid version would be
priced at $1.99. This version would allow the customer to save their personal information, and
also would not have pop up advertisements. The free version would require customers to re-enter
their information for each new order, and it would have pop up advertisements.
2.4 Threats and Opportunities in the Foreseeable Future
The main threat to Selfo is the low entrance barrier to the market they serve. It would not
be hard for another company to create another mobile application that will place restaurant
orders, and in fact these applications do exist already. For example, Dominoes in America has an
application which allows customers to order a pizza, select toppings and have it delivered
directly to their home. With many players offering similar products, the competition could drive
prices down as consumers look for the inexpensive option. The start-up would do well in

building a differentiation strategy, such as offering a package that satisfies customers needs better
than the other competitors. For example, it is very uncharacteristic of these apps for customers to
be able to order the food and sit down within the restaurant after using the application.We believe
that the company could differentiate itself by allowing the cash register providers and
restaurants, which are Selfo's direct clients, a start-up offer of a free trial for three months. This
free trial could reduce the perceived risks involved in adopting the new technology, incentivate
them to try out the application, and finally gain new clients for the Selfo app.
As to the opportunities, there are over two hundred million smart mobile devices sold
worldwide annually (infoq). People around the world are getting progressively more and more
busy, and they use their smart mobile devices for many tasks. Customers are constantly searching
for solutions to optimize their time spending. There are applications to help speed up many daily
tasks such as online shopping, online banking, document storage, and instant messaging just to
name a few. This social trend, along with other favorable factors in the location, contributes to
the Selfo application being more appealing and in demand.

3. Key market characteristics needed for the product/service to be successful

3.1 Geography and demographics
The Selfo application allows customers to place orders to restaurants before they get
there, which streamlines the ordering process. We believe that it would be pertinent to establish
this product in areas with more restaurants in order for our strategy to be effective. We chose to
focus on highly populated areas in France.

The total population of France is 66.3 million people. The density of males and females is
almost equal. The most important age group to consider is 20-64 years because this is the age
group that will be most likely to use the mobile application, as they will possess the technology
and money to do so. This gives us a market segment of about 37.7 million people. The number is
promising for the market because it is very high in terms of European countries.
With its growing population despite decreases in many of its neighboring countries,
France is finally back in the race to be the most populous country in Europe. According to a
study, the population of France is expected to grow by 9 million people over the next 40 years.
This means the expected population of France could reach up to 75 million by the year 2050.
(worldpopulationreview.com,2014)
3.2 Economic Environment
It is also important to factor in the economic environment of the area as. The Selfo
mobile application is based on selling food from a mobile device. We want to focus our
marketing efforts in areas that have enough income that the average citizen will have a mobile
device, a plan that would allow them to access applications, and the disposable income to afford
to eat out.
3.3 Cultural tastes and preferences

There are over 5,000 functioning restaurants in France. France has a distinct culture of
fine cuisine that is known all over the world. Having such an outstanding reputation, there are
huge opportunities for Selfo to enter into this particular region. Being a nation of food lovers,
France has some interesting practices. For example, food is relished and cherished, and for this
reason lunch hours in France are two hours long (French Food Facts , 2015).

It is important to consider the fact that customers in France are food lovers, but servers in
France are known for their poor service. This consideration could allow these customers to skip
the poor service almost entirely while still receiving the delicious food that they desire. (Lyn, The
Paris Kitchen, 2013) said that people used to reserve their table one month before the date of the
reservation and they would still wait two hours to get a seat. Not only would they have to wait,
but at the serving time their waiters would give them the menu and disappear.
Also, many consumers eating in France are tourist who do not speak French. If people
dont know the menu in French language, our application could simplify the ordering process.
Many customers must do research about the restaurants offerings before they get to the restaurant
in order to understand the menu. There can be cultural misunderstandings, and waiters are often
not present or willing to help. This is a chance for Selfo to operate efficiently in this market.
With this mobile application, people can easily access restaurants and their menus, Selfo can ease
the process and customers can have a more enjoyable dining experience and leave more satisfied.
3.4 Income Distribution
The inequality in income distribution is represented by the index of concentration of
income, the Gini index. France has a Gini index below average, making it a country with a
considerably higher, egalitarian distribution of income.

According to OECD data in France the effect of state intervention on the inequality in
income distribution is higher than that of the Anglo-Saxon countries and the OECD average.

The OECD report also attempts to estimate the impact of public services, mainly related
to health and education, on income distribution.

10

Again the redistributive effectiveness of public intervention in France proves superior to

that of other Anglo-Saxon countries and OECD average.

4. Suggested market and a brief review of how its the optimal choice for the
product/service distribution
The key success factors that we choose as the most promising markets would be high
income areas with a large concentration of restaurants and places where the cultural values
would favor the adoption of the service provided by the app. After selecting the markets that fit
that criteria we still had many options of markets and decided to add the French language
criteria, as it is the founders' language and the app and website are exclusively in French. The list
below shows the five selected French regions.
List of markets that satisfy success criteria
le-de-France
Provence-Alpes-Cte d'Azur

11

Rhne-Alpes
Nord-Pas de Calais
Pays de la Loire

Comparison of the two most promising new markets

We decided that the best new market for Selfo would be France and so we narrowed down our
analysis to the different regions in France. le-de-France and Provence were the finalists as they
are the two regions with the biggest population and highest GDP.
Success Factor
Market size

le-de-France
Region with the biggest population in
France

Competitors

Monvoisincuisine.fr (finds nearby

Provence
Region with the second
highest population in France
Monvoisincuisine.fr, other

restauraunts that caters family meals), large

corporations

online

other large corporations online ordering ordering methods

methods (ex: McDonalds, Dominoes)
Income

Highest GDP per capita, highest

Second highest income in

income in country

country

Culture

Culture of food lovers

Culture of food lovers

Geography

Closer to Belgium

Near the ocean making it a

popular

tourist

attraction

(tourists may want to avoid

encounters

with

French

12

servers)

5. Market Entry Mode

Mode

Conditions favoring Advantages

each mode

Exporting

Not relevant for our Exporting can ensure that Sometimes it may be cheaper
product.

Disadvantages

you avoid manufacturing to manufacture the product

costs and its left up to the versus exporting it to the
parties who bought it.

country.

The

amount

of

exporting you will do if the

product is popular can be
expensive when you can just
set up a manufacturing place
in

close

country

that

surrounds the countries that

want it.
Licensing

Less risky, can be Selfo won't have to worry Control is loose over various
hard to have a start about the risks that come parts of the business such as
up

business

France.

in with

opening

into

an marketing and manufacturing

foreign market. It can be a that will help get the full

way

to

government

bypass
in

the experience. Won't be able to

specific secure the profits that come

13

countries because of the out of the use of the product.

government not allowing The

partnering

companies

foreign companies coming will gain lots of knowledge

in and setting up whole about the product since they
markets.

will be using first hand in a

real market.

Franchising

Not relevant to our Some of the costs to set up The franchisee won't be able
company.

are non existent, the risks to always control the quality

are hardly there as well. that the product should have.
The franchisee will pay This can cause the company
for these costs and look to lose a certain reputation
into the risks to see if it is that they established for the
worth it.

product

of

the

franchise

owners aren't doing a good

job.
Joint Venture Will

have

local Selfo will benefit from the The partnering company will

partners to help guide local partners knowledge also have control of Selfo's
them, will be able to of the country's culture, unique technology, they might
split costs.

language,

political have specialists come up with

systems, and competitive something similar to push

environment. If a market Selfo out later on down the
is a high cost they can road. This basically means the
split the costs. Selfo will control will be widespread. If

14

also have some type of Selfo

and

the

partner

control over their product company don't get along this

still and rake in constant will lead to conflicts to who
profits.

should have majority control.

6. Staffing Strategy
New Positions to How Many to Hire
Add
Salespersons

Why Hire

10 per country that it's These salespersons will be able to convey

intended to be sold in

the idea of what Selfo is to restaurants

and might be better at persuading them to
try it out.

IT Positions

3 in a 30 mile radius of To fix the problems that happen with new

the product if it is dense softwares, and for external problems that
in the region.

happen.

7. Pricing Strategy
7.1 How to Present
Selfo is not really a product, but a service so it does not require any type of packaging.
There are other apps that are available to order food in advance from a restaurant, but Selfo
distinguishes itself from the competition because it offers the option to dine in the restaurant. It
would be wise for Selfo to market itself on signs and other advertisements within and outside of

15

the restaurants that use the service. Selfo is a service based on technology, so they should
develop marketing that includes QR codes. QR (Quick Response) Codes are barcodes that are
readable by mobile phones. These codes can contain phone numbers, text messages, or text and
will open up the correct application to direct the customer to the intended advertisement or
website. The marketing should advertise the ability to skip most server interaction and to quickly
be in and out of a restaurant, and a QR code that they can scan to learn more. The code will
direct customers to a video, or something of that nature explaining the app which will lead to the
app store where customers could purchase the app, or look into it further.
There can be other features which can make the app more convenient for users like the
app can offer multiple language or at least English along with French. The software can link the
app with google translator which can translate the whole application. In this way it would be
more attractive and convenient for the tourists as well which would ultimately increase
customers and profit. Location tab can be another striking feature, it should give all the
information about locating a restaurant or cafe along with map view with street address.
In order to make the offer more appealing to restaurants, the service should be presented
in terms of its efficiency and improved productivity. During peak times trying to provide a good
experience to all customers can be very stressful for waiters and cooks and ultimately lead to
customer satisfaction. In France usually each waiter is responsible for a larger number of tables
than they could attend to, which helps the country being known for its poor service. The app can
help employees to work more efficiently, which could ensure more customer satisfaction and
lead to more customer loyalty.
7.2 Price

16

The app would have two versions a paid and free version. The free version will do some
of the same things but there will be a cost for that. Making purchases using the free version will
be littered with advertisements and for every sale the sale rates would be doubled from the paid
version meaning 4% for the sale at a maximum of $10.00.
The free version would not include all of your favorite restaurants as well but it would
have some popular ones to ensure the app would be well known. This version would not include
an account service to keep all your information saved meaning each time you wanted to use it
you would have to input delicate information or favorite meals in each time. The paid version
will include everything the free version lacks and more. The paid version will have the options to
use discounts for the various restaurants and will send out discount codes for frequent users of
the app.

8. Marketing Strategy
Promotion and distribution is the next key to making sure your product or service is
successful. The promotion for Selfo could come from various areas such as ads through popular
apps, posters & billboards, and small flyers in potential businesses that will utilize Selfo. Online
advertisement is a new booming way to gain success and that could include social media, video
streaming sites like YouTube, and popular shopping sites such as Amazon. Advertisement could
also be placed on public transportation, buildings, and in urban areas to attract a younger target
market. A huge way of promoting it would be to get short television ads on food networks since
it will be in restaurants and a huge leap would be to get a celebrity to be the face of the service in
the early stages. The ways the promotions can go are endless, it just will take hard work and

17

dedication. The distribution would be one sided regarding the software to the restaurants or any
business that wants it.
Marketing channel is very important for a product. Choosing a right channel for your
product determines your sales. Selfo is a startup company, therefore the advertisement budget is
limited for the company. It means that Selfo should make an advertisement that has low costs,
but a high effect. By means of high effect, the advertisement of the company should reach the
maximum amount of people and it should have a good context. For the marketing channel, there
are several steps to make an effective and efficient advertisement. First, you need to determine
your source. It might be a picture, an image or a celebrity. After, you need to encode a channel
message. It means that you need to make a context for your advertisement. Next turn is for
customers. When they expose to your advertisement, they try to decode your message. If they
decode the message as you want them to do, they will make a purchase. Consequently, choosing
an ad is important for a company. Selfo should give an ad to the billboards in the subways
around the country to reach maximum amount people.
Due to the distinct nature of our product, we need to advertise Selfo extensively with the
restaurants located within our identified regions as well. Since there are low barriers to entry
within this particular industry, the startup that is able to build the maximum amount of
connections with the restaurants would eventually be successful. For our free application, we
will allow various restaurants to play 30 second clips which would advertise their deals as well
as promotional offers to its consumers. Furthermore, another incentive that we would provide to
our customers would be discount coupons for every purchase that exceeds 30 Euros through
Selfo. We would partner with different clothing stores within France, and would provide

18

restaurants with their discount coupons. Not only would this be an incentive for the consumers
but would also promote higher purchases for the restaurants that would be connected to Selfo.

Bibliography
1. Selfo. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2015, from www.selfo.be
2. www.X-Culture.org/Selfo.pdf
3. French Food Facts . (2015, March 16). Retrieved from French Desire:
http://www.frenchdesire.com.au/facts/food/
4. The Paris Kitchen. (2013, June 19). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from Lost in
Restaurant Translation: 8 Dos & Donts of Eating in France:
http://www.thepariskitchen.com/restaurant-etiquette-in-paris-france/
5. "economia e politica, rivista on-line di politica economica
6. http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/france-population/
7. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/france/34923/Marseille-city-breakguide.html
8. http://www.rivieratimes.com/index.php/provence-cote-dazur-article/items/pacapay-is-second-highest-in-france.html

19

9. https://m4ke.it/
10. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/france/34923/Marseille-city-breakguide.html
11. www.qrstuff.com/qr_codes.html

20