This exercise will give you some practice in determining the ideal degree of market exposure for a company. Read each case carefully and then indicate:

1. the product class which is involved,
2. the degree of market exposure (intensive, selective, or exclusive) which you think would be ideal, and
3. explain why you think the indicated degree of market exposure would be ideal. State any assumptions that you have made.

1. James River Paper (JRP) recently introduced Absorb, a new double-thick paper towel aimed at families with children. Primarily an industrial products manufacturer, JRP had produced paper towels for a few large grocery chains to sell as their own dealer brand. But Absorb was its first attempt at marketing a consumer product under its own brand. So far, results are not encouraging. Only a few wholesalers have taken on the line. Most are very reluctant to handle Absorb, claiming that retail shelves are already overcrowded with paper towels.

Product class (convenience, shopping, specialty, unsought) _______________

Why this product class ____________________________________________

Degree of market exposure (intensive, selective, or exclusive) _____________

Why this market exposure is ideal ___________________________________

Product class definitions

• Convenience products - products a consumer needs but isn't willing to spend much time or effort shopping for.
• Staples - products that are bought often, routinely, and without much thought.
• Impulse products - products that are bought quickly-as unplanned purchases-because of a strongly felt need.
• 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.
• 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 those potential customers don't know about yet.
• Regularly unsought products - products that stay unsought but not unbought forever.