Core Concepts of Marketing

170 CHAPTER 7 INTRODUCINGANDMANAGINGTHEPRODUCT

TheConsumer'sViewpoint Therearea varietyofwaysthatproducts canbeclas-

sifiedasnewfromtheperspectiveoftheconSJmer.Degreeofconsumptionmodification

andtaskexperiencese:ve astwobasesforclassification.Robertsonprovidesaninsightful

modelwhenhesuggeststhatne w products may beclassifiedaccordingto howmuchbehav-

ioralchangeornewlearningis requiredbytheconsumerinordertousethe product. 10

ThecontinuumproposedbyRobertsonandshowninFigure 7.4de picts thethree pri-

marycategoriesbasedonthedisruptinginfluencethe useoftheproducthasonestablished

consumptionpatterns.Itisevidentthatmostnewproductswould beconsideredcontinu-

ousinnovations.Annualmodelchangesinautomobiles, applian ces, and sewingmachines

areexamples.Portablehairdryers,diet soda, andaerobicdanceCDs reflect productsin

themiddlecategory.Trueinnovationsarerare.

Althoughconceptualizingnewproductsinterms of howtheymodifyconsumercon-

sumptionpatterns isuseful,there isanotherbasisforclassification.Newtaskexperience

canalsobe a criteria. An individualmayliveina houseforseveralyearswithouteverhav-

ingtorepa;ra brokenwindow.Onedaya mishapoccurs,andMr. Smithis forcedtogoto

thehardwarestoretobuythenecessarysuppLesrequiredtoinstall a newwindowpane. As

hehasnoexperienceat allwiththistask,allthoseproducts arenewtoMr.Smith. The glaz-

ingcompound,the newglassandmolding,andmetaltacks, aswellastheappropriate tools,

areasnewtoMr.Smithasa homecomputer.UsingthemodelproposedbyRobertson, prod-

uc ts canalsobeplacedona continuumaccordingtodegreeoftaskexperience.Clearly, a

productthathasexistedfora great manyyearc"suchas acarpenter'slevel,maybeper-

ceivedastotallynewbythepersonattemptingtobuilda straightwall.I n thiscase, new-

nessisintheeyeofthebeholder.

Theobviousdifficultywiththisclassificationisthatit tendstobeperson-specific.

Justbecausereplacing a newwasherinyourbathroomfaucetconstitutes a newproductfo r

youdoesn'tmeanit isa newproductfor me. However,itisconcei vablethatmarketing

researchwouldshowthat forcertaintypesofproducts, largegroupsofpeoplehavevery

limitedexperience.Consequently,themarke tingstrategyforsuchproductsmightinclude

verydetailedinstructions,extraeducationalmaterials, andsensitivityonthepart ofthe sales

clerktotheignorance'Jfthe customer.

Anotherpossiblefacetofa newtaskexperienceistobefamiliarwitha particular

product, butnotfamiliarwithallofits functions.ForeX'imple,a homemakermayhavea

microwaveovenwhichsheusesprimarilyforreheatingfood itemsand makingbreakfast

foods.Supposethatoneafternoonherconventionalovenbreaks andshemustdeliversev-

eralcakes shehasdonatedtoa church ba zaar.Unfortunately,shehasnotbaked themyet

andis forcedtouse hermicrowave, a brand-newtask.

Continuous

innovations

Leastdisrupting

influenceon

established

consumption

patterns

Dynamically

continuous

innovations

Somedisrupting

influenceon

established

consumption

patterns

Discontinuous

innovations

Involves

establishmentof

newconsumption

patternsandthe

creation of

previously

unknownproducts

FIGURE7.4 Continuumforclassifyingnewproducts

Source:ThomasRobertson,"TheProcessofInnovationandtheDiffusionofInnovation;'JournalofMarket-

ing,January1967,pp.14-19.