A product offered through direct marketing may be one of the three types.
A product specifically developed for direct marketing
A product designed and priced exclusively for direct marketing is not available in retail shops or through any other outlet.
Its designing, packaging, pricing and positioning is normally done in a way that it may be offered with or without some add-on attachments for free trail, and distributed directly through post or courier.
Bull work exerciser, cease fire extinguisher, editor’s choice tea and many others were developed (or blended) specially for direct marketing.
Several electrical gadgets, kitchen appliance, hand tools and fashion items marketed exclusively but tale shopping organization are still not available through any other outlet.
A retail product adapted for direct marketing
A retail may be adapted with minor changes for use in direct marketing. There are several ways of making such changes.
Changing the packaging, accessories, attachment and even the brand name are some of the common techniques of adoption.
A multi-part product such as different volumes of an encyclopedia may be marketed as separate units. Dramatization of some features of product to make it look like different offer is another way of adapting a retail product for direct marketing.
For instance it is a no-frills, basic products, the firm may stress on simplicity, user-friendliness and responsible price.
On the contrary, if the product is complicated and difficult to operate, you may stress on advance technology. Nash(1986) termed this strategy as ‘turning lemons into lemonade.
Another method of adapation involves repositioning the product on some different attributes or usage patterns so that it looks like a different product. Nash (1986) calls it ‘changing the product without changing it.’ Anyone who doesn’t believe this may have a hard look at some of the products currently being offered through mail order and telescoping.
A retail product marketed without any modification through both conventional as well as direct channels.
It is always possible for a firm to use direct marketing as an additional channel to market its products, without making any change or modification in the retail version of the products.
Most magazines, music CDs, encyclopedia, premium whiskeys, exercising equipment, computers, etc., are usually marketed through direct as well as conventional channels in identical forms and formats.
In the US markets, many computer firms are hawking their hardware with identical configurations by using the conventional as well as direct route. This was explained in the previous case study.
A product specifically developed for direct marketing
A product designed and priced exclusively for direct marketing is not available in retail shops or through any other outlet.
Its designing, packaging, pricing and positioning is normally done in a way that it may be offered with or without some add-on attachments for free trail, and distributed directly through post or courier.
Bull work exerciser, cease fire extinguisher, editor’s choice tea and many others were developed (or blended) specially for direct marketing.
Several electrical gadgets, kitchen appliance, hand tools and fashion items marketed exclusively but tale shopping organization are still not available through any other outlet.
A retail product adapted for direct marketing
A retail may be adapted with minor changes for use in direct marketing. There are several ways of making such changes.
Changing the packaging, accessories, attachment and even the brand name are some of the common techniques of adoption.
A multi-part product such as different volumes of an encyclopedia may be marketed as separate units. Dramatization of some features of product to make it look like different offer is another way of adapting a retail product for direct marketing.
For instance it is a no-frills, basic products, the firm may stress on simplicity, user-friendliness and responsible price.
On the contrary, if the product is complicated and difficult to operate, you may stress on advance technology. Nash(1986) termed this strategy as ‘turning lemons into lemonade.
Another method of adapation involves repositioning the product on some different attributes or usage patterns so that it looks like a different product. Nash (1986) calls it ‘changing the product without changing it.’ Anyone who doesn’t believe this may have a hard look at some of the products currently being offered through mail order and telescoping.
A retail product marketed without any modification through both conventional as well as direct channels.
It is always possible for a firm to use direct marketing as an additional channel to market its products, without making any change or modification in the retail version of the products.
Most magazines, music CDs, encyclopedia, premium whiskeys, exercising equipment, computers, etc., are usually marketed through direct as well as conventional channels in identical forms and formats.
In the US markets, many computer firms are hawking their hardware with identical configurations by using the conventional as well as direct route. This was explained in the previous case study.