Product mix and branding decisions,product line concept, product mix concept, example of product mix, width of product mix, length of product mix, depth of product mix,consistency of product mix, pricing of product mix, branding decisions, brand positioning, brand name selection, brand sponsorship, brand development.
2. Table of Contents:
• Definition of Product and Brand.
• Product Line Concept.
• Product Mix Concept.
• Example of Product Mix.
• Width of Product Mix.
• Length of Product Mix.
• Depth of Product Mix.
3. Continued..
• Consistency of Product Mix.
• Pricing of Product Mix.
• Branding Decisions.
• Brand Positioning.
• Brand Name Selection.
• Brand Sponsorship.
• Brand Development.
4. Definition of Product and Brand:
Definition of Product:
A product is the item offered for
sale.
A product can be a service or a
good.
It can be in physical or
virtual(cyber) form.
Each product is made at a cost.
Each product is sold at a price.
The price charged depends upon
the market, the quality, the
marketing and the targeted
segment.
Definition of Brand:
• A brand is an identifying symbol,
mark, logo, name, word and/or
sentence that companies use to
distinguish their product from
others.
• A combination of one or more of
those elements can be utilized to
create a brand identity.
• It represents the face of the
company. It is often seen as the
recognizable logo, slogan or mark
that the public associates with
the company.
5. Product Line Concept:
• A product line is a group of related products
under a single brand sold by the same company.
• Product lines are created by companies as a
marketing strategy to capture sales of consumers
already buying the brand.
• The operating principle is that consumer are
more likely to respond positively to brands they
know, and are willing to buy the new products
based on their positive experiences with the
brand.
6. Product Mix Concept:
• Also referred to as product assortment, it is
the total number of product lines that a
company offers to its customers.
• The product lines may range from one to
many and the company may have many
products under the same product line as well.
• All of these product lines when grouped
together forms the product mix of the
company.
8. Width of Product Mix:
Definition:
• The width of the mix refers to
the number of product lines
the company has to offer.
• Example: If a company
produces only soft drinks and
juices, this means its product
mix is two products wide.
Coca-Cola deals in juices, soft
drinks and mineral water, and
hence, the product mix of
Coca-Cola is three products
wide.
Example Diagram:
9. Length of Product Mix:
Definition:
• Length of the product mix
refers to the total number
of products in the product
mix.
• That is if a company has 2
product lines and 5
products in 1, and 4 in the
other, the length of the
product mix will be 9 [1 x 5
+ 1 x 4].
Example Diagram:
10. Depth of Product Mix:
Definition:
• It refers to how many variants
are offered of each product in
the product line.
• For example, if Tide came in
two scents(clean breeze and
regular), two
formulations(liquid and
powder) and with two
additives(with or without
bleach), it would have depth
of 8, because it has 8 distinct
variants, similarly an average
can be calculated.
Example Diagram:
11. Consistency of Product Mix:
• It describes how closely related the various
product lines are in end use, production
requirements, distribution channel or some
other way.
• Example: P&G’s product lines are consistent in
that they are consumer goods, that go
through the same distribution channels. The
lines are less consistent in the functions they
perform for buyers.
12. Pricing of Product Mix:
• In product mix pricing, the firm searches for a set
of prices that maximizes profits on the total mix.
• Process is challenging due to product’s varying
demand, cost interrelationship and different
degrees of competition.
• Six situations calling for Product Mix pricing are:
Product Line Pricing, Optional Feature Pricing,
Captive-Product Pricing, two-part pricing, by-
product pricing, and product bundling pricing.
13. Continued:
• Product Line Pricing:
Introducing price steps in
product lines.
• Optional Feature Pricing:
Pricing for optional
features, products and
services that are offered
with the main product.
• Captive Product Pricing:
Products pricing based on
the use of captive
products(items designed
specifically for use with
another product).
• Two Part Pricing:
• Product-Bundling Pricing:
In this, several products are
offered for sale in one
combined unit that is often
marked at a reduced price
compared to the sum of
their separate purchase
prices<dishtv packs,
mcdonalds combo meal>
14. Branding Decisions:
• Branding, by definition is a marketing practice in
which a company creates a name, symbol or
design that is easily identifiable as belonging to
the company.
• Importance: Allows your customers and clients to
know to what to expect from a company.
• Branding consists of a set of complex branding
decisions.
• Major brand strategy decisions involve brand
positioning, name selection, brand sponsorship
and brand development.
15. Brand Positioning:
• A brand must be positioned clearly in target
customers’ mind.
• Brand positioning can be done at any of the
three levels:
1. On Product Attributes.
2. On Benefits.
3. On Beliefs and Values.
16. Brand Name Selection:
• Name of the brand - Base of the brand.
• Along with being the most important decision,
it is one of the most difficult one as well.
• Starts with the careful review of the product
and its benefits, the target market and
proposed marketing strategies.
• Naming a brand is part science, part art and
certainly a measure of instinct.
18. Brand Development:
• For developing brands, company has four choices: line
extension, brand extension, multi-brands and new brands.
• Line Extension: Extending an existing brand name to new
forms, sizes, colours, ingredients or flavours of an existing
product category.
• Brand Extension: It also assumes existing brand name, but
combines it with a new product category.
• Multi-Brands: Marketing many different brands in a given
category.
• New Brands: Needed when power of existing brand name
is waning, and also when company enters a new product
category for which none of its current brand names are
appropriate.