Product Classifications

Marketers have developed several product-classification schemes based on product characteristics.

Consumer Products

Consumer products are those bought by final consumers for personal consumption.

Marketers usually classify these goods further based on how consumers go about buying them.

Convenience products are consumer products and services that the consumer usually buys frequently, immediately, and with a minimum of comparison and buying effort. Examples are soap, candy, newspapers, and fast-food. They are usually low priced, and marketers place them in many outlets to make them readily available when customers need them.

Shopping products are consumer products that the consumer, in the process of selection and purchase, characteristically compares on such bases as suitability, quality, price, and style. Consumers spend time and effort in gathering information about these products. Examples are furniture, clothing, and major appliances. These products are usually distributed through fewer outlets but have deeper sales support.

Specialty products are consumer products with unique characteristics or brand identification for which a significant group of buyers is willing to make a special purchase effort. Examples would be specific types and brands of cars and custom-made men’s suits. Buyers do not normally compare specialty products, instead, they only invest the time to reach the outlet that carries the good.

Unsought products are consumer products that the consumer either does not know about or knows about but does not normally think of buying. Most major new innovations are unsought until the consumer becomes aware of them. These products require a lot of promotional support to be successful.

Industrial Products

Industrial product s are those bought by individuals and organizations for further processing or for use in conducting a business. Purpose of purchase is the chief distinction between industrial products and consumer products. Three groups of industrial products are:

1). Materials and parts. Most are sold directly to industrial users.

2). Capital items. These products aid in the buyer’s production or operations, including installations and accessory equipment.

3). Supplies and services. These could be operational or repair and maintenance. Many of these services are supplied under contract.

Organizations, Persons, Places, and Ideas

Marketing has broadened in recent years to cover “marketable” entities other than just products and services. These entities are shown below in bold.

Organization marketing consists of activities undertaken to create, maintain, or change attitudes and behavior of target audiences toward an organization. Examples would be churches, colleges, charities, museums, etc. A major tool to market organizations is corporate image advertising.

Person marketing are activities undertaken to create, maintain, or change attitudes or behavior toward particular persons. Examples would be politicians, entertainers, sports figures, doctors, lawyers, etc.

Place marketing involves activities undertaken to create, maintain, or change attitudes toward particular places. Examples would be business site marketing (where someone is trying to sell a property or is involved in industrial development projects) and tourism marketing (where the desire is to attract tourists to sites and activities).

Idea marketing (also called social marketing) is the marketing of social ideas, such as public health campaigns, environmental campaigns, and other campaigns such as family planning, human rights, and equality. Specifically, social marketing includes the design, implementation, and control of programs seeking to increase the acceptability of a social idea, cause, or practice within targeted groups.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30