Perreault−McCarthy: Basic
Marketing: A
Global−Managerial
Approach, 14/e- Elements of Product
Planning for Goods and
Services
Text © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2002272 Chapter 9
1. Define, in your own words, what a Product is.2. Discuss several ways in which physical goods are dif-
ferent from pure services. Give an example of a good
and then an example of a service that illustrates
each of the differences.
3. What products are being offered by a shop that spe-
cializes in bicycles? By a travel agent? By a
supermarket? By a new car dealer?
4. What kinds of consumer products are the following:
(a)watches, (b)automobiles, and (c)toothpastes?
Explain your reasoning.
5. Consumer services tend to be intangible, and goods
tend to be tangible. Use an example to explain how
the lack of a physical good in a pure service might
affect efforts to promote the service.
6 .How would the marketing mix for a staple con-
venience product differ from the one for a
homogeneous shopping product? How would the
mix for a specialty product differ from the mix
for a heterogeneous shopping product? Use
examples.
7. Give an example of a product that is a newunsought
product for most people. Briefly explain why it is an
unsought product.
8. In what types of stores would you expect to find (a)
convenience products, (b)shopping products, (c)
specialty products, and (d)unsought products?
9. Cite two examples of business products that require
a substantial amount of service in order to be useful.
Explain why a new law office might want to lease
furniture rather than buy it.
Would you expect to find any wholesalers selling the
various types of business products? Are retail stores
required (or something like retail stores)?
What kinds of business products are the following:
(a)lubricating oil, (b)electric motors, and (c)a firm
that provides landscaping and grass mowing for an
apartment complex? Explain your reasoning.
How do raw materials differ from other business
products? Do the differences have any impact on
their marketing mixes? If so, what specifically?
For the kinds of business products described in this
chapter, complete the following table (use one or a
few well-chosen words).
Kind of distribution facility(ies) needed and func-
tions they will provide.
2. Caliber of salespeople required.
3. Kind of advertising required.
Questions and ProblemsProducts 1 2 3Installations
Buildings and
land rights
Major equipment
Standard
Custom-made
Accessories
Raw materials
Farm products
Natural products
Components
Supplies
Maintenance and small
operating supplies
Operating supplies
Professional services15 .Is there any difference between a brand name and a
trademark? If so, why is this difference important?
16 .Is a well-known brand valuable only to the owner of
the brand?
17 .Suggest an example of a product and a competi-
tive situation where it would notbe profitable for
a firm to spend large sums of money to establish a
brand.
18 .List five brand names and indicate what product is
associated with the brand name. Evaluate the
strengths and weaknesses of the brand name.
19 .Explain family brands. Should Toys “R” Us carry its
own dealer brands to compete with some of the pop-
ular manufacturer brands it carries? Explain your
reasons.
20 .In the past, Sears emphasized its own dealer brands.
Now it is carrying more well-known manufacturer
brands. What are the benefits to Sears of carrying
more manufacturer brands?
21 .What does the degree of brand familiarity imply
about previous and future promotion efforts? How
does the degree of brand familiarity affect the Place
and Price variables?