Chapter 10 - Product Concepts

                         What is a product? A product can be everything, both favorable and unfavorable, that a person receives in an exchange; it is a starting point in creating a marketing mix. TRESemmé sells a lot of products that have to do with hair care. People exchange money to get these products. For example, TRESemmé's shampoos are usually around 5 dollars, so the customer will have to pay 5 dollars to get the product that they want. In order for TRESemmé's selling for these products to keep going, they will need to have a good seller image, manufacturer reputation, and a good way for consumers to believe others will view the product that TRESemmé is trying to sell. It is all about the marketing process.

                   There are different types of Consumer Products. Products can be classified in different ways, such as business (industrial) or consumer products, depending on the buyer's intentions. TRESemmé  belongs in the "consumer products" group since their products are bought and used to only satisfy an individual's PERSONAL wants. TRESemmé cannot be put into the category of selling business products because their products are not used for business offices, etc. TRESemmé's products are marketed to different target markets and tend to use different distribution, promotion, and pricing strategies. TRESemmé's products can be known as a Convenience Product because their hair products are inexpensive and merits little shopping effort. It is also easy to buy because they are usually in drug stores and supermarkets such as Duane Reade, CVS, Rite Aid, Pathmark, etc. and are right on the counters.

                   Companies rarely sell a single product, they usually have a variety of products to choose from so the customer will decide on other items to buy from them if they are not interested in a specific one. An example of a product item are TRESemmé's shampoos, it is designated as a distinct offering among the company's products. An example of a product line are TRESemmé's different sizes and shapes of hair products. An example of a product mix are all of TRESemmé's hair products small size, big size, different bottle, etc. all in one. TRESemmé has a product mix width that are a number of product lines it offers, and they also have a product line depth which are the number of product items in a product line that TRESemmé sells. 

                       A brand is a name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof that identifies a seller's products and differentiates them from competitors' products. TRESemmé has their own brand name which is "professional affordable". The main purposes of branding is product identification, repeat sales, and new-product sales. TRESemmé is their own brand and people know this brand specifically for hair products, this is why branding is very important so people will be able to differentiate on products they are willing to buy. Brand equity is the value of a company of brand name, TRESemmé is well-known brand for hair products being cheap and affordable and is know for that purpose, but TRESemmé is not really known as a high brand equity. Global Brand is a brand that obtains at least a third of its earnings from outside of its home country and is recognizable outside its home case of customers, TRESemmé is a well-known brand in different countries because they are used in salons located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Asia. Since TRESemmé is a well-known brand and works very well for its consumers, they have a great brand loyalty since many people choose TRESemmé over other shampoo brands because of how cheap it is and it works great.

                    Packaging is an important aspect in marketing. It holds contents together and protects goods as they move through the distribution channel. The three most important functions of packaging are to contain and protect products, promote products, and facilitate the storage, use, and convenience or products. The fourth function os packaging that is becoming increasingly important is to facilitate recycling and reduce environmental damage. TRESemmé packages their products really good, depending on what is it in. A way that TRESemmé promotes their products are by adding color, designs, and words to their packaging. Having a package that is easy to open is close is a must! TRESemmé is starting to make their shampoo and conditioner bottles with less plastic to help the environment, which attracts consumers to buy their shampoos and conditioners because they feel as if they are helping the environment in a way. Having a persuasive label on the packaging is important because it attracts the customer, TRESemmé has the label of "Used by professionals" and "Professional affordable". 

                     There are certain global issues in branding and packaging when a company tries to sell their products in different countries. TRESemmé must make sure that first they have their brand name everywhere in different countries so people will be more familiar with the brand. They must also make sure that the words that they use to advertise their products like shampoos, conditioners, etc. have a language that other countries would be able to understand. They then must have different brand names in different markets.