Dream Water: Core Product, Actual Product, and Augmented Product
Core Product
The core product is the main benefit that the product brings to the consumer. For Dream Water, the core product is the medication against insomnia. This is the main benefit offered for the potential consumers: a drug allowing for falling asleep quickly.
Actual Product
The actual product is the physical or tangible product that a consumer purchases (Donovan & Henley, 2010). For Dream Water, it is comprised of the drug itself (which comes in different flavours), and of the plastic bottle in which it is contained, with a label on it. It may also include the cardboard box a whole package is bought.
Augmented Product
The augmented product is the non-physical part of the product which includes the additional benefits provided with the product, or its additional features (Solomon, Hughes, Chitty, Marshall, & Stuart, 2013). For Dream Water, the augmented product includes the packaging (which could be “greener”), the guarantees given by the manufacturer and celebrities, the fact that its energetic value is 0 calories, etc.
Which factors could affect Dream Water’s adoption? Why?
Various factors could affect Dream Water’s adoption.
Relative advantage
The relative advantage will depend upon the effectiveness of Dream Water as a sleep-inducing medication (the more effective the drug is, the greater the advantage) and its price (the lower the price, the greater the advantage over other similar products). In fact, the advantage will depend upon the combination of effectiveness and price, because the customers will want to buy an effective product, but need to be able to afford it (Rogers, 2010).
Compatibility
The compatibility will depend on packaging in which Dream Water is sold, for certain clients may be environmentally aware and thus wishing to purchase products that do not pollute the environment.
Complexity
The complexity will depend on the way in which Dream Water is used: its interaction with other drugs, the need (not) to eat before using Dream Water, etc., because some clients might find it difficult or annoying to follow such additional instructions.
Trialability
The trialability will depend on how easy it is to purchase a small amount of Dream Water and try it, because clients might not wish to buy much of it before trying.
Observability
The observability will depend on how well the product is advertised, because people will need to hear about the product and its effectiveness.
References
Donovan, R., & Henley, N. (2010). Principles and practice of social marketing: An international perspective. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Ind, N., & Iglesias, O. (2016). Brand desire: How to create consumer involvement and inspiration. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Rogers, E. M. (2010). Diffusion of innovations (4th ed.). New York, NY: The Free Press.
Solomon, M., Hughes, A., Chitty, B., Marshall, G., & Stuart, E. (2013). Marketing: Real people, real choices (3rd ed). Melbourne, VIC: Pearson Education Australia.