2:2:0 the total product
Learning objectives of the module: After completing this module students should have a greater understanding of products from an organisational perspective and be able to demonstrate an understanding of how organisations design and develop products to meet the needs – dreams, desires, and demands of consumers.
Directions: Following our discussions of the buyer decision process we will now explore an important marketing concept – the total product. Although it will not be immediately apparent, in time you will see that the total product spans all 3-time zones of the buyer decision process – with an emphasis on the 2nd time zone ‘product delivery’. The total product will be new for most readers; therefore, it takes time to explore – it is the largest module in the e-book. For convenience, the total product is divided into 3 chapters:
- Product considerations: identifies a number of concepts that are employed by marketing practitioners to explore the nature of the product
- Product layers: identifies the strategic product layers: core, expected, augmented and potential
- Product components: identifies the 6 product components that combine to form a product – goods, services, ideas, experiences, people and places
In the total product module, we will explore how an organisation crafts a product to address the needs of the customer and meet the organisation’s objectives, in particular the strategic objective of product leadership.
You may recall when we discussed the [3X3] objectives of marketing practitioners we identified 3 strategic objectives – product leadership, customer intimacy, and operational excellence. The total product module, is primarily concerned with product leadership, however, we have also discussed that product leadership is necessary for brand leadership. Therefore, the relationship between products and brands should be also be considered and how product strategies must be congruent with brand strategies. As we can see from the exploded view of the total product [in the diagram below] brand considerations are the foundation layer of the total product. Furthermore, we can see that the product considerations, product layers, and the product components also play important roles in building the product and in time the brand.
Although it will not be immediately apparent, in time you will see that the total product spans all 3-time zones of the buyer decision process – with an emphasis on the 2nd time zone ‘product delivery’. The total product will be new for most readers; therefore, it takes time to explore – it is the largest module in the e-book.
In this chapter of the total product module we explore the product considerations that After completing this chapter you should be able to demonstrate and understanding of the various factors that marketing practitioners must consider when making strategic and tactical product decisions.
In this chapter of the total product we discuss product layers and identified them as the core product layer, the expected product layer, and the augmented product layer. Often hidden from the customer is another product layer the potential product layer. Product layers are important when marketing practitioners are designing and developing strategies and tactics for new and existing products.
In this chapter of the total product we identify and explore the six products components and discuss how, all products have 5 product components, many have 6 and generally there is one dominant product component. All product components are determinants of quality and value. Therefore, each product will have a combination of a dominant and determinant product components. Furthermore, you should be able to detail how marketing practitioners employ this knowledge to design and develop products with a unique product value proposition.
