Core Concepts of Marketing

154 CHAPTER 7 INTRODUCINGANDMANAGINGTHEPRODUCT

LEVELSOFTHEPRODUCT

PROMISEDPRODUCT

HOLDS

VALUE TRADE-IN

• --AUGMENTEDPRODUCT

\

• --TANGIBLEPRODUCT
  \


• COREPRODUCT

FEATURES

STYLING

AFTER-SALE

WARRANTY SERVICE

INSTALLATION

PACKAGING

STATUS DEPENDABILITY

FIGURE7.1 Levelsoftheproduct

Theouterringoftheproductis referredtoasthepromisedproduct.Everyproduct

hasanimpliedpromise.Animpliedpromiseisa characteristicthatis attachedtotheprod-

uctovertime. Thecarindustryratesbrandsbytheirtrade-invalue.Thereisnodefiniteprom-

isethata Mercedes-Benzholdsitsvaluebettermana BMW.Therewillalwaysbeexceptions.

Howmanyparentshavein~talleda swimmingpoolbasedontheimpliedpromisethattheir

twoteenagerswillstayhomemore, orth atthey\.villentertainfriendsmoreoften.

Havingdiscussedthecomponentsofa product,itisnowrelevanttoexamineways

ofclassifyingproductsin~rdertofacilitatethedesignofappropriateproductstrategies.

ClassificationofProducts

It shouldbeapparentthattheprocessofdevelopingsuccessfulmarketingprogramsforindi-

vidualproductsisextremelydifficult.In responsetothisdifficulty,a varietyofclassifica-

tion systemshaveevolvedthat, hopefully,suggestappropriatestrategies.Thetwomost

commonclassificationsare:(I)consumergoodsversusindustrialgoods,and(2)goodsprod-

ucts(i.e.durablesandnondurables)versusserviceproducts.