Your Value Proposition creates value for a Customer Segment through a distinct mix of elements catering to that segment’s needs. Values may be quantitative (e.g. price, speed of service) or qualitative (e.g. design, customer experience). Elements from the following non-exhaustive list can contribute to customer value creation: Show NewnessSome Value Propositions satisfy an entirely new set of needs that customers previously didn’t perceive because there was no similar offering. This is often, but not always, technology related. Cell phones for instance, created a whole new industry around mobile telecommunication. On the other hand, products such as ethical investment funds have little to do with new technology. PerformanceImproving product or service performance has traditionally been a common way to create value. The PC sector has traditionally relied on this factor by bringing more powerful machines to market. But improved performance has its limits. In recent years, for example, faster PCs, more disk storage space, and better graphics have failed to produce corresponding growth in customer demand. CustomizationTailoring products and services to the specific needs of individual customers or Customer Segments creates value. In recent years, the concepts of mass customization and customer co-creation have gained importance. This approach allows for customized products and services, while still taking advantage of economies of scale. “Getting the job done”Value can be created simply by helping a customer get certain jobs done. Rolls-Royce understands this very well: its airline customers rely entirely on Rolls- Royce to manufacture and service their jet engines. This arrangement allows customers to focus on running their airlines. In return, the airlines pay Rolls- Royce a fee for every hour an engine runs. DesignDesign is an important but difficult element to measure. A product may stand out because of superior design. In the fashion and consumer electronics industries, design can be a particularly important part of the Value Proposition. Brand/statusCustomers may find value in the simple act of using and displaying a specific brand. Wearing a Rolex watch signifies wealth, for example. On the other end of the spectrum, skateboarders may wear the latest “underground” brands to show that they are “in.” PriceOffering similar value at a lower price is a common way to satisfy the needs of price-sensitive Customer Segments. But low-price Value Propositions have important implications for the rest of a business model. No frills airlines, such as Southwest, easyJet, and Ryanair have designed entire business models specifically to enable low cost air travel. Another example of a price-based Value Proposition can be seen in the Nano, a new car designed and manufactured by the Indian conglomerate Tata. Its surprisingly low price makes the automobile affordable to a whole new segment of the Indian population. Increasingly, free offers are starting to permeate various industries. Free offers range from free newspapers to free e-mail, free mobile phone services, and more (see p. 88 for more on FREE). Cost reductionHelping customers reduce costs is an important way to create value. Salesforce.com, for example, sells a hosted Customer Relationship management (CRM) application. This relieves buyers from the expense and trouble of having to buy, install, and manage CRM software themselves. Risk reductionCustomers value reducing the risks they incur when purchasing products or services. For a used car buyer, a one-year service guarantee reduces the risk of post-purchase breakdowns and repairs. A service-level guarantee partially reduces the risk undertaken by a purchaser of outsourced IT services. AccessibilityMaking products and services available to customers who previously lacked access to them is another way to create value. This can result from business model innovation, new technologies, or a combination of both. NetJets, for instance, popularized the concept of fractional private jet ownership. Using an innovative business model, NetJets offers individuals and corporations access to private jets, a service previously unaffordable to most customers. Mutual funds provide another example of value creation through increased accessibility. This innovative financial product made it possible even for those with modest wealth to build diversified investment portfolios. Convenience/usabilityMaking things more convenient or easier to use can create substantial value. With iPod and iTunes, Apple offered customers unprecedented convenience searching, buying, downloading, and listening to digital music. It now dominates the market. Advertising - A paid form of communication and promotion involving a product and its attributes.
Agent - An intermediary who does not take title to merchandise but facilitates exchanges by bringing buyers and sellers together.
Brand - An identification (name, symbol, etc.) of a product that is unique and distinguishable from competitor’s products.
Channel of distribution - A product’s trip from producer or manufacturer to the buyer.
Coupon - A certificate that entitles a consumer to a price reduction or a cash refund. Demand - A schedule of the amount of a product that will be purchased at various prices.
Discount - A deduction from the list price in the form of cash or something else of value.
Forecasting - To predict the quantity of a product that will be sold at various times in the future.
Income - Money received in return for labor or services provided, sale of assets and return on investments.
Intermediary - An independent or corporate-owned business that helps move products from the producer to the ultimate consumer.
Label - A tag or part of a package that provides information about a product.
Market - A group of individuals with unsatisfied wants and needs who are willing and able buyers. It can be defined as narrowly as a specific place where buying and selling takes place or as broadly as the demand for a product.
Marketing research - A systematic and objective approach to developing and providing information for decision making regarding a specific marketing problem.
Marketing strategy - Marketing approach or method used to achieve a marketing goal.
Packaging - Designing and producing the container or wrapper for a product. Personal selling - Person-to-person communication in which the receiver provides immediate feedback on the source’s message. Purchasing - To obtain a product in exchange for money or its equivalent.
Price - The amount of money asked in exchange for something else (e.g. product).
Price fixing - When several firms in an industry collectively establish the price for a product.
Pricing strategies (market based) -- Approaches to setting prices based on the willingness of the buyer to purchase the product.
Pricing strategies (cost based) - Approaches to setting prices based on the cost of producing the product.
Pricing strategies (geography based) - Approaches to setting price based on the location and transportation costs associated with delivering the product to the buyer.
Product - Something produced that is sold to willing buyers.
Product distribution - The process of providing a product when and where it is desired by the consumer.
Promotion - Providing and communicating favorable information about a product to potential buyers.
Quality control - The traditional approach to quality in which problems are detected after manufacturing and an effort is made to remove sub-standard products before shipping to customers. Retailing - All activities used to sell products to ultimate consumers.
Selling - Assisting or persuading a prospective customer to buy a product.
Transaction - An exchange between two or more parties. Value proposition - How a product will provide value to its customers. Why a product will provide sufficient value to its customers to be worth its price. Wholesaling - All of the activities involved in selling products to retailers: to industrial, institutional, farm and professional businesses; or to other types of wholesaling intermediaries.
Don Hofstrand, retired extension value added agriculture specialist, What is it called when businesses sell similar products?Direct competitors.
These are businesses offering similar (or identical) products or services in the same market. They also vye for the same customer base.
What forces businesses to lower their prices?The supply and demand curve has an inescapable effect on the pricing of the products and services you offer. A lack of market demand will force you to lower prices in order to move products off the shelves, while a lack of supply may cause prices to skyrocket.
How does marketing help to lower prices?1) By increasing a brand's rate of turnover, reducing the costs of wholesalers and retailers. 2) By creating product identity, the ability of consumers readily to recognize a famous brand as the same item wherever it is sold, which strongly disciplines retailers' markups.
When a company sets a low price a new product to discourage competition from entering the market it is using the strategy?In contrast to a skimming approach, a penetration pricing strategy is one in which a low initial price is set. Often, many competitive products are already in the market. The goal is to get as much of the market as possible to try the product.
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