definitions Flashcards
Product
Anything that is of value to a consumer and can be offered through a marketing exchange
innovation
the process by which ideas are transformed into new products and services that will help firms grow
diffusion of innovation
the process by which the use of innovation, whether a product or service, spreads throughout a market group over time and over various categories of adopters
pioneers
new product introductions that establish a completely new market or radically change both the rules of the competition and consumer preferences in a market; also called breakthroughs
disruptive innovation
new product introductions that are simpler, less sophisticated, and usually less expensive than existing products or services
first movers
products pioneers that are the first to create a market or product category, making them readily recognizable to consumers and thus establishing a commanding and early market share lead
innovators
those buyers who want to be the first to have the new product or service
early adopters
the second group of consumers in the diffusion of innovation model, after innovators to use a product or service innovation; generally don’t like to take as much risk as innovators
early majority
a group of consumers in the diffusion of an innovation model that represents approximately 34% of the population; members don’t like to take much risk and therefore tend to wait until bugs are worked out
late majority
the last group of buyers to enter a new product market
laggards
consumers who like to avoid change and rely on traditional products until they are no longer available
reverse engineering
involves taking apart a competitor’s product, analyzing it and creating an improved product that does not infringe on the competitor.s patents
lead users
innovative product users who modify existing products according to their own ideas to suit their specific needs
concepts
a brief written description of a product or service; its technology, working principles, and forms; and what customer needs it would satisfy
concept testing
the process in which a concept statement that describes a product or service is presented to potential buyers or users to obtain their reactions
product development
entails a process of balancing various engineering, manufacturing, marketing and economic considerations to develop a product
prototype
the first physical form or service description of a new product, still in rough or tentative form, that has the same properties as a new product but is produced through different manufacturing processes, sometimes even crafted individually
alpha testing
an attempt by the firm to determine whether a product will perform according to its design and whether it satisfied the need for it was intended; occurs in the firm’s research and development
beta testing
having potential consumers examine a product prototype in a realuse setting to determine its funcationality, performance, potential problems, and other issues specific to its use
premarket tests
conducted before a product or service is brought to market to dtermine how many customers will try and then continue to use it
test marketing
introduces a new product or service to a limited geographical area (usually a few cities) prior to a national launch
product life cycle
defines the stages that new products move through as they enter, get established in, and ultimately leave the marketplace and thereby offers marketers a starting point for their strategy planning
introduction stage
stage of PLC when innovators start buying the product
growth stage
stage of PLC when product gains acceptance, demand and sales increase and competitors emerge in the product category
maturity stage
stage of PLC when industry sales reach their peak, so firms try to rejuvenate their products by adding new features or repositioning them
decline stage
stage of PLC when sales decline and the product eventually exits the market
core customer value
the basic problem solving benefits that consumers are seeking
associated services
the nonphysical attributes of the product, including product warranty, financing, product support , and after-sale service
product mix
the complete set of all products offered by a firm
product lines
groups of associated items, such as those that consumers use together or think of as part of a group of similar products
product category
an assortment of items that the customer sees as reasonable substitute for one another
brands
the names, terms, designs, symbols, or any other features that identify one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers
product mix breadth
the number of product lines, or variety, offered by the firm
product line depth
the number of products within a product line
Stock keeping units (SKU)
individual items within each product category; the smallest unit available for inventory control
brand equity
the set of assets and liabilities linked to a brand that add to or subtract from the value provided by the product or service
brand awareness
measures how many consumers in a market are familiar with the brand and what it stands for; created through repeated exposures of the various brand elements (brand name, logo, symbol, character, packaging, or slogan) in the firm’s communications to customers
perceived value
the relationship between a product or service’s benefits and its costs
brand associations
the mental link that consumers make between a brand and its key product attributes; can involve a logo, slogan, or famous personality
brand personality
refers to a set of human characteristics associated with a brand, which has symbolic or self-expressive meanings for consumer
brand loyalty
occurs when a consumer buys the same brands product or service over buying the product from a different supplier within the same category
manufacturer brands
brands owned and managed by the manufacturer
private label brands (store brands)
brands developed and marked by a retailer and available only from that retailer
generic
a product sold without a brand name, typically in commodity markets
family brands
the use of a combination of the company brand name and individual brand name to distinguish from a firm’s products
individual brand
use of individual brand names for each of a firm’s products
brand extension
the use of the same brand name for a new product being introduced to the same or new markets
cobranding
the practice of marketing two or more brands together, on the same package or promotion
brand licensing
a contractual arrangement between firms, whereby one firm allows another to use its brand name, logo, slogan, or characters in exchange for a negotiated fee
service
any intangible offering that cannot be physically possessed
customer service
specifically refers to human or mechanical activities firms undertake to help satisfy their customers’ needs and wants
intangible
a characteristic of service; it cannot be touched, tasted, or seen like a pure produced can
inseparable
a characteristic of a service: it is produced and consumed at the same time - that is, service and consumption are inseparable
inventory
a characteristic of a service: it is perishable and cannot be stored in inventory for future use
service gap
results when a service fails to meet the expectations that customers have about how it should be delivered
knowledge gap
reflects the difference between customers’ expectations and the firm’s perception of those expectations
standards gap
retains to the difference between the frim’s perceptions of customers’ expectations and the service standards it sets
delivery gap
the difference between the firm’s service standards and the actual service it provides to the customer
communication gap
refers to the difference between the actual service provided to customers and the service that the firm’s promotion program promises
service quality
customers’ perceptions of how well a service meets or exceeds their expectations
voice-of-customer programs
an ongoing marketing research system that collects customer insights and intelligence to influence and drive business decisions
zone of tolerance
the areas between consumers’ expectations regarding their desired service and the minimum level of acceptable service - that is the difference between what the customer really wants and what he or she will accept before going elsewhere
empowerment
in the context of service delivery, means allowing employees to make decisions about how service is provided to customers
profit orientation
a company objective that can be implemented by focusing on target profit pricing, maximizing profits, or target return pricing
target profit pricing
a pricing strategy implements by firms when they have a particular profit goal as their overriding concern uses price to stimulate a certain level of sales at a certain profit per unit
maximizing profits strategy
a mathematical model that captures all the factors required to explain and predict sales and profits, which should be able to identify the price at which its profits are maximized
sales-oriented
set prices very low to generate new sales and take sales away from competitors, even if profits suffer
competitor oriented
set price very low to discourage more competitors from entering the market. Set prices higher than a competitor to signal higher quality or market leadership. Match competitor prices to show a similar value
customer-oriented
target a market segment of consumers who highly value a particular product benefit and set prices relatively high (premium pricing)
target return pricing
a pricing strategy implemented by firms less concerned with the absolute level of profits and more interested in the rate at which their profits are generated relative to their investments: designed to produce a specific return on investment, usually expressed as a percentage of sales
competitive parity
a firm’s strategy of setting prices that are similar to those of major competitors
demand curve
show how many units of a product or service consumers will demand during a specific period at different prices
price elasticity of demand
measures how changes in a price affect the quantity of the product demanded; specifically the ratio of the percentage change in quantity demanded to the percentage change in price
elastic
refers to a market for a product or service that is price sensitive, that is relatively small, changes in price will generate fairly large changes in the quantity demanded
inelastic
refers to a market for a product or service that is price-insensitive; that is relatively small changes in price will not generate large changes in the quantity demanded
substitution effect
the consumer’s ability to substitutes other products for the focal brand thus increases the price elasticity of demand for the focal brand
cross-price elasticity
the percentage change for product A that occurs in response to a percentage change in price of product B
complementary products
products whose demand curves are positively related, such that they rise or fall together, a percentage increase in demand for one result in a percentage increase in demand for other
substitute products
products for which changes in demand are negatively related to that is a percentage increase in the quantity demanded product B