Introduction Consumer product classes are based on how consumers think about and shop for products. However, different groups of potential customers may have different needs and buying behavior for the same product. Thus, the same product could be placed in two or more product classes-depending on the needs and behavior of target customers. Therefore, product planners should focus on specific groups of customers (i.e., market segments) whose needs and buying behavior are relatively homogeneous. As you do the exercise, you will see that the product classes have very little meaning unless they are related to specific target markets. Assignment For each scenario below, answer three questions: a) Indicate the consumer product class based on the characteristics of each group of customers, and then b) Explain why you placed the product in this class. c) Assume each scenario represents the shopping behavior of a particular target market. Make one recommendation (think of the 4 Ps) to improve the marketing strategy for that target market. Justify your strategy. 1. As he walked into a Walmart, Jeremy Bower was looking for a hat to wear on a hot sunny day. He saw a display of baseball style caps at the front of the store. He saw hats with names or logos of sports teams, a local college, and even sporting goods products. Other hats were blank or had weird sayings. Jeremy grabbed the least expensive hat and purchased it. Product class Why? Recommendation Why? As a reminder, the definitions of the product classes are listed below: Convenience products - products a consumer needs but isn't willing to spend much time or effort shopping for. o Staples - products that are bought often, routinely, and without much thought. o Impulse products - products that are bought quickly-as unplanned purchases- because of a strongly felt need. o Emergency products - products that are purchased immediately when the need is great. Shopping products - products that a customer feels are worth the time and effort to compare with competing products. o Homogeneous shopping products - shopping products the customer sees as basically the same and wants at the lowest price. Heterogeneous shopping products shopping products the customer sees as different and wants to inspect for quality and suitability. Specialty products - consumer products that the customer really wants and makes a special effort to find. Unsought products - products that potential customers don't yet want or know they can buy. New unsought products - products offering really new ideas that potential customers don't know about yet. o Regularly unsought products - products that stay unsought but not unbought forever. O