Page 1 of 2 New Food and Farming Ventures - Resource Manual Sept. 2003
Chapter 3  Marketing
Levels of Product Attributes
(The below information, from http://tolearn.net/marketing/productm.htm, helps think about
products in ways that are useful for marketing purposes.)
A product exists on three basic levels:
Product planners need to think about the
product on three levels:
The core product -- what is the buyer
really buying? The core product refers to the
use, benefit, or problem solving service that
the consumer is really buying when
purchasing the product, i.e. the need that is
being fulfilled.
The actual product is the tangible
product or intangible service that serves as
the medium for receiving core product
benefits:
Quality refers to product performance.
Features include combinations of
product attributes.
Styling refers to the design, aesthetic,
or ergonomic aspects.
The Brand name helps consumers
position and identify the product.
Packaging protects and promotes.
The augmented product consists of the
measures taken to help the consumer put the
actual product to sustained use, including
installation, delivery & credit, warranties,
and after-sale service.
A product, therefore, is more than a
simple set of tangible features. Consumers
tend to see products as complex bundles of
benefits that satisfy their needs.
Example: An automobile offers
personal transportation (core
product), has many different features
and attributes (actual product), and may include a
manufacturer's warranty or dealer's discounted
service contract (augmented product).
Page 2 of 2 New Food and Farming Ventures - Resource Manual Sept. 2003
Chapter 3  Marketing
. . . and justice for all
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color,
national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited
bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of
discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.