Differentiation.

To be branded product must be differentiated. Physical products vary in their potential for
differentiation. At one end we find products that allow little variation: chicken, aspirin
and steel. P&G makes Tide, Cheer, & Gain Laundry detergents, little variations with
separate brand identity. At the other extreme are products capable of high differentiation,
such as automobiles, commercial buildings & furniture. Here the seller faces an
abundance of design parameters such as mentioned below.

1. Form. Many products can be differentiated in Form- the size, shape or

physical structure. Although Aspirin is essentially a commodity, it can be
differentiated by dosage size, shape, colour, coating or action time.
2. Features. Most products can be offered with varying features that
supplement its basic function. Each company must decide either to offer feature
customization at a higher cost or a few standard packages at a lower cost. A
company can identify & select new features by surveying recent buyers & then
calculating customer value versus company cost for each potential feature.
3. Performance Quality. Performance quality is the level at which the
product’s primary characteristics operate. Most products are established at one of
four performance levels: low, average, high or superior.
4. Conformance quality. It is the degree to which all the produced
units are identical & meet the promised specifications. Buyers expect products to
have high performance quality. The problem with the low performance quality is
that it will disappoint some buyers.
5. Durability. It is a measure of the product’s expected operating life under
normal or stressful conditions. It is a valued attribute for certain products. Buyers
will generally pay more for vehicles & kitchen appliances that have a reputation
for being long lasting..
6. Reliability. It is a measure of the probability that the product will not
malfunction or fail within a specific time period.
7. Repairability. It is the measure of the ease of fixing a product
when it malfunctions or fails. Ideal repairability would exist if users could fix the
product themselves with little cost in money & time.
8. Style. Style describes the product’s look & feel to the buyer. Car buyers
pay a premium for Jaguars because of their extraordinary look. Aesthetics play a
key role in some products.