Product, Services, and Branding Strategy Chapter 8

Learning Goals Understand products and the major classifications of products and services Learn the decisions companies make regarding their products and services Understand branding strategy Identify the four characteristics that affect the marketing of a service

Definitions Product Service Anything offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfy a need or want. Service Any activity or benefit that one party can offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

What is a Product? Products, Services and Experiences Market offerings may consist of a combination of goods and services Levels of Product and Services Core benefit Actual product Augmented product Product and Service Classifications Consumer products Industrial products Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

Levels of Product

Types of Consumer Products What is a Product? Types of Consumer Products Frequent purchases Bought with little comparison or shopping effort Low price Widespread distribution Mass promotion by producer Convenience Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

Types of Consumer Products What is a Product? Less frequent purchases More shopping effort for comparisons. Higher than convenience good pricing Selective distribution in fewer outlets Advertising and personal selling by both producer and resellers Types of Consumer Products Shopping Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

Types of Consumer Products What is a Product? Types of Consumer Products Strong brand preference and loyalty, requires special purchase effort, little brand comparisons, and low price sensitivity High price Exclusive distribution Carefully targeted promotions by both producer and resellers Specialty Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

Types of Consumer Products What is a Product? Types of Consumer Products Little product awareness and knowledge (or if aware, sometimes negative interest) Pricing varies Distribution varies Aggressive advertising and personal selling by producers and resellers Unsought Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

Product and Service Classifications Consumer products Industrial products Materials and parts Capital items Supplies and services Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

Product and Service Classifications Organizations, persons, places, and ideas Organizational marketing makes use of corporate image advertising Person marketing applies to political candidates, entertainment sports figures, and professionals Place marketing relates to tourism Social marketing promotes ideas Goal 1: Understand products and their classifications

Product and Service Decisions Key Decisions Product attributes Quality, features, style and design Branding Packaging Labeling Product support services Individual Product Goal 2: Learn decisions companies make regarding products

Product and Service Decisions Key Decisions Product line A group of products that are closely related because they may: function in a similar manner be sold to the same customer groups, be marketed through the same types of outlets fall within given price ranges Product Line Goal 2: Learn decisions companies make regarding products

Product and Service Decisions Key Decisions Product line length Line stretching: adding products that are higher or lower priced than the existing line Line filling: adding more items within the present price range Product Line Goal 2: Learn decisions companies make regarding products

Product and Service Decisions Key Decisions Product mix Also known as product assortment Consists of all the product lines and items that a particular seller offers for sale Product Mix Goal 2: Learn decisions companies make regarding products

Product and Service Decisions Key Decisions Product mix width: Number of different product lines carried by company Product mix length: Number of items with in each product line Product mix depth: Number of different versions of each product in the line Product mix consistency Product Mix Goal 2: Learn decisions companies make regarding products

Services Marketing Services Account for 53% of Bangladesh gross domestic product. Service industries include Business organizations Government Private not-for-profit organizations. Goal 3: Understand branding strategy

Services Marketing

Service Profit Chain The chain that links service firm profits with employee and customer satisfaction

Marketing Strategies for Service Firms Internal marketing means that the service firm must orient and motivate its customer contact employees and supporting service people to work as a team to provide customer satisfaction Interactive marketing means that service quality depends heavily on the quality of the buyer-seller interaction during the service encounter

Brand Top Global brands A name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of these that identifies the products or services of one seller or group of sellers and differentiates them from those of competitors

Top Global brands

Branding Strategy Brand equity is the positive differential effect that knowing the brand name has on customer response to the product or service One measure of equity is the extent to which customers are willing to pay more for the brand Brands with strong equity have many competitive advantages: High consumer awareness Strong brand loyalty Helps when introducing new products Less susceptible to price competition Brand valuation is the process of estimating the total financial value of a brand Goal 3: Understand branding strategy

Brand Strategy Key Decisions Brand Positioning Three levels of positioning: Product attributes Least effective Benefits Beliefs and values Taps into emotions Brand Positioning Goal 3: Understand branding strategy

Brand Strategy Key Decisions Brand Name Selection Good Brand Names: Suggest something about the product or its benefits Are easy to say, recognize and remember Are distinctive Are extendable Translate well into other languages Can be registered and legally protected Key Decisions Brand Name Selection Goal 3: Understand branding strategy

Brand Strategy Key Decisions Brand Sponsorship Manufacturer brands Private (store) brands Costly to establish and promote Higher profit margins Licensed brands Name and character licensing has grown Co-branding Advantages / disadvantages Brand Sponsorship Goal 3: Understand branding strategy

Brand Development Strategy Key Decisions Line extensions Minor changes to existing products Brand extensions Successful brand names help introduce new products Multibrands Multiple product entries in a product category New brands New product category Brand Development Goal 3: Understand branding strategy