4.5 Flashcards
Marketing Mix - Product
The actual item that a customer purchases, including the packaging, image, guarantee/warranty and after-sales. Most important part of the marketing mix as it determines price, how it will be promoted and where it is sold. Includes consumer and capital goods.
Consumer Goods
Goods bought for personal use and consumption.
E.g. washing machine
Capital (industrial) Goods
Goods used by businesses, including machinery and equipment, that are used to produce goods to be sold to final consumers.
E.g. truck
Product Life Cycle
A graph that shows the different stages a new product passes through over time and the sales that can be expected at each stage.
Development
Introduction
Growth
Maturity
Decline
Development
- Finding finance for the product
- Complying with legal requirements
- Launch on a test market in a local area
- Make any alterations required
- Promotion and launch
- No revenue generated and high costs
- Costly and time-consuming period
Introduction
- The product has just een launched after development and testing
- Sales low
- Growth slow
- Heavy advertisement and promotion
Growth
- Higher product awareness
- Rapid increase in sales
- May have a little competition
- Cost of promotion can be reduced
Maturity or Saturation
- Fully established product
- Sales reach their highest point, this stage can last for years or indefinitely
- More competition
- New marketing strategy required to hold market share
- Development costs should have been paid back and product is at its most profitable
Decline
- Sales and profit in decline
- Product old, consumer tastes are changing
- New products enter market
- Consumers may switch loyalty
Product Extension Strategies
- Adding features to the original product
- Repackage the product
- Discount the price
- Rebrand
- Selling into new markets
Product Portfolio Analysis Boston Matrix
A method of analysing the product portfolio of a business in terms of market share and market growth. Highlights the position of each of a firm’s products and analyses the existing product portfolio.
Dog
Low Growth - Low Market Share
- Usually in decline (CD’s)
- Need to be replaced or the firm should withdraw from this market sector altogether
Cow
Low Growth - High Market Share
- Usually in the maturity stage and creates positive cash flow
- Promotional costs are low due to high customer awareness
- Don’t require as much investment as they are established in the market
- Income generated is used to sustain stars and question marks
- Want to maintain cash cows for as long as possible
Question Mark
High Growth - Low Market Share
- Consumes resources but generates very little in return
- If this is a newly launched product, it is going to need heavy promotional costs to help establish it
- Have the potential to become stars but will require substancial investment
Stars
High Growth - High Market Share
- A successful product as it is performing well in an expanding market
- Require a lot of investment to keep them in a strong position
- Generate a high amount of income
- If status and market share are maintained, they should become cash cows in the future
BCG Matrix and Strategic Analysis
- Building: supporting problems with extra finance or more advertisement
- Holding: continuing support for star products so they can maintain their good market position
- Milking: taking the cash flow from established products and ivesting in other products in portfolio
- Divesting: identify the worst performing dogs and stopping production
Evaluation of Boston Matrix
- Helps establish the current situation of the firm’s products (cannot predict success or failure)
- Detailed and continuous market research is needed
Branding
An identifying symbol, name, image or trademark that distinguishes a product from its competitors. It can create a powerful perception of the brand in the minds of consumers. Is often expensive and brand loyalty and awareness are the goal.
Brand Awareness
Extent to which a brand is recognised by potential consumers and is correctly associated with a particular product. Can be expressed as a percentage of the target market.
Brand Loyalty
Faithfulness of consumers to a a particular brand shown by their repeat purchases, irrespective of the marketing pressure from competitor brands.
Brand Development
Measures the infiltration of a product’s sales, usually per tousand of the population; if 100 people in 1000 buy a product, it has a brand development of 10.
Brand Equity
The premium that a brand has because consumers are willing to pay more for it than they would for a non-branded generic product.
Advantages of Branding
- Allows instant recognition
- Increased customer loyalty
- Possibility to charge premium prices
- Opportunity to enter new markets
- Easier to launch new products on strength of the brand name
Disadvantages of Branding
- Takes a lot of time to establish
- High promotion costs to establish and maintain
- Bad publicity can affect whole brand
- Possibility of imitations and fake products
Types of Branding
Family
Product
Company or Corporate
Own-label
Manufacturers Brands
Family Branding
Selling several related product under one brand name. E.g. Mars bars was the original but now there are ice creams and milkshakes.
✅ Marketing economies of scale when promoting the brand
❌ Poor quality of one product may damage the perception of all
Product Branding
Each individual product in the portfolio is given its own unique identity and brand image. E.g. Proctor and Gamble produce Head&Shoulders and Pantene.
✅ Increased sales revenue as can appeal to different target markets
❌ Expensive to advertise each brand
Company or Corporate
The company name is applied to products and this becomes the brand name. E.g. Virgin (airlines, rail services)
✅ Easier to launch new products
❌ Poor quality of one product can damage whole company
Own-label Branding
Retailers create their own brand name and identify for a range of products. E.g. Walmart and Wong have numerous own brands.
✅ Often cheaper than branded products
❌ Perceived as lower quality
Manufacturers Branding
Producers establish the brand image of a product or family of products under the company’s name. E.g. Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz.
✅ Unique personality of the brand which many consumers want to be associated with
❌ The brand has to be constantly promoted and defended
The importance of packaging
Protection
Attracting Customers
Promotion and Information
Differentiation and Brand Support
Reinforce the image of the brand
The importance of packaging - Protection
Protecting the product fom damage. Includes transport from manufacturer to retailer and also when product is finished to retailer shelves.
The importance of packaging - Attracting Customers
When customers are confronted with choice in a store, packaging may be one of the key influences over their choice.
The importance of packaging - Promotion and Information
Ingredients and also information about the history of the brand, directions on how to make or use it.
The importance of packaging - Differentiation and Brand Support
Display the logo, colour scheme so it is easy to identify on a shelf.