For each scenario below:

Indicate the consumer product class (see Exhibit 8-6 and related discussion) based on the characteristics of each group of customers, and explain why you placed the product in this class.

1. Lindsey Wilson was a proud alumnus of Colorado State University. She liked to collect all kinds of memorabilia from her alma mater. Now living in France, she shopped the school bookstore on when she visited Colorado every few years. By now she already owned several t-shirts, sweatshirts, a football jersey, a basketball, a glass ram paperweight and so much more. She kept her collection at her parents house in Denver. An art gallery in Fort Collins (where the university is located) had an artist that hand painted top hats (think Abe Lincoln style tall hats) with various scenes from the university and its sports teams. This is the kind of thing Lindsey would have loved, but she never visited this gallery to know about them.
2. Hope Jekubovich was shopping in her local supermarket, she came upon an end-of-aisle display with several different types of beach hats. She had not really thought about buying a beach hat but remembered that her nieces were going to be in town the next day. She thought maybe they would like the hats for playing in the back yard it was supposed to be warm and sunny the following day. So she looked through various hats, found two she thought her nieces would like and dropped them into her shopping cart.

Consumer Product Class Marketing Mix Considerations Consumer Behavior Convenience products Staples Maximum exposure with widespread, low Routinized (habitual): low offort, frequent cost distribution; mass selling by producer: purchases; low involvement. usually low price; branding is important Impulse Widespread distribution with display at point Unplanned purchases bought quickly. of purchase. Emergency Need widespread distribution near probable Purchase made with time pressure when a need point of need: price sensitivity low.' is great Shopping products Homogeneous Need enough exposure to facilitate price Customers see little difference among comparison, price sensitivity high. alternatives and seek lowest price. Heterogeneous Need distribution near similar products, Extensive problem solving consumer may promotion (including personal selling) to need help in making a decision (salesperson, highlight product advantages; less price website, etc.). sensitivity. Specialty products Price sensitivity is likely to be low; limited Willing to expend effort to get specific product, distribution may be acceptable, but should even if not necessary; strong preferences make be treated as a convenience or shopping it an important purchase; Internet becoming im- product (in whichever category product portant information source. would typically be included) to reach persons not yet sold on its specialty product status. Unsought products Now unsought Must be available in places where similar Need for product not strongly felt, unaware of (or related products are sought; needs benefits or not yet gone through adoption attention-getting promotion process. Regularly unsought Requires very aggressive promotion, usually aware of product but not interested; attitude personal selling toward product may even be negative. Consumer Product Class Marketing Mix Considerations Consumer Behavior Convenience products Staples Maximum exposure with widespread, low Routinized (habitual): low offort, frequent cost distribution; mass selling by producer: purchases; low involvement. usually low price; branding is important Impulse Widespread distribution with display at point Unplanned purchases bought quickly. of purchase. Emergency Need widespread distribution near probable Purchase made with time pressure when a need point of need: price sensitivity low.' is great Shopping products Homogeneous Need enough exposure to facilitate price Customers see little difference among comparison, price sensitivity high. alternatives and seek lowest price. Heterogeneous Need distribution near similar products, Extensive problem solving consumer may promotion (including personal selling) to need help in making a decision (salesperson, highlight product advantages; less price website, etc.). sensitivity. Specialty products Price sensitivity is likely to be low; limited Willing to expend effort to get specific product, distribution may be acceptable, but should even if not necessary; strong preferences make be treated as a convenience or shopping it an important purchase; Internet becoming im- product (in whichever category product portant information source. would typically be included) to reach persons not yet sold on its specialty product status. Unsought products Now unsought Must be available in places where similar Need for product not strongly felt, unaware of (or related products are sought; needs benefits or not yet gone through adoption attention-getting promotion process. Regularly unsought Requires very aggressive promotion, usually aware of product but not interested; attitude personal selling toward product may even be negative