Page 305 - Foundations of Marketing

272 Part 4 | Product and Price Decisions

Figure 10.4 Product Adoption Process

Awareness Interest Evaluation Trial Adoption

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Trial. The buyer examines, tests, or tries the product to determine if it meets his or
her needs.
Adoption. The buyer purchases the product and can be expected to use it again whenever
the need for this product arises.
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In the fi rst stage, when individuals become aware that the product exists, they have little
information about it and are not concerned about obtaining more. Consumers enter the interest
stage when they are motivated to get information about the product’s features, uses, advan-
tages, disadvantages, price, or location. During the evaluation stage, individuals consider
whether the product will satisfy certain criteria that are crucial to meeting their specifi c needs.
In the trial stage, they use or experience the product for the fi rst time, possibly by purchasing
a small quantity, taking advantage of free samples, or borrowing the product from someone.
Individuals move into the adoption stage by choosing a specifi c product when they need a
innovators First adopters of product of that general type. Entering the adoption process does not mean that the person will
new products eventually adopt the new product. Rejection may occur at any stage, including the adoption
stage. Both product adoption and product rejection can be temporary or permanent.When an
early adopters Careful
choosers of new products organization introduces a new product, people do not begin the adoption process at the same
time, nor do they move through the process at the same speed. Of those who eventually adopt
early majority Those adopting
new products just before the the product, some enter the adoption process rather quickly, whereas others start considerably
average person later. For most products, there is also a group of nonadopters who never begin the process.
For business marketers, success in managing production innovation, diffusion, and adoption
late majority Skeptics who
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adopt new products when they requires great adaptability and signifi cant effort in understanding customers.
feel it is necessary Depending on the length of time it takes them to adopt a new product, consumers fall into
one of five major adopter categories: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority,
laggards The last adopters,
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who distrust new products and laggards. Innovators are the first to adopt a new product; they enjoy trying new products
and tend to be venturesome. Early adopters choose new products carefully and are viewed as
brand A name, term, design,
symbol, or any other feature “the people to check with” by those in the remaining adopter categories. People in the early
that identifies one marketer’s majority adopt just prior to the average person; they are deliberate and cautious in trying new
product as distinct from those products. Individuals in the late majority are quite skeptical of new products but eventually
of other marketers adopt them because of economic necessity or social pressure. Laggards , the last to adopt a
brand name The part of a new product, are oriented toward the past. They are suspicious of new products, and when they
brand that can be spoken finally adopt the innovation, it may already have been replaced by a new product.

LO 6 . Explain the major BRANDING
components of branding,
including brand types, branding
Marketers must make many decisions about products, including choices about brands, brand
policies, and brand protection.
names, brand marks, trademarks, and trade names. A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or
any other feature that identifies one marketer’s product as distinct from those of other market-
ers. A brand may identify a single item, a family of items, or all items of that seller. Some have
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defined a brand as not just the physical good, name, color, logo, or ad campaign, but everything
associated with the product, including its symbolism and experiences. For example, Hearts on
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Fire has branded a particular hearts and arrows cut for its diamonds, which maximizes their bril-
liance and fire—and allows Hearts on Fire diamonds to command a 15 to 20 percent premium
over traditional diamonds. A brand name is the part of a brand that can be spoken—including
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