Cambridge Marketing Handbook: Products

Book excerpt: Written in two parts, this handbook provides a reference for practitioners, and for those who wish to complete a professional qualification. The first part explores the nature of the product itself and how it should fit with the marketplace. It deals primarily with (a) how to craft a strong value-proposition, as seen by customers, and (b) how to compile the business case, as seen by the selling organization, including chapters on portfolio management and branding. The second part covers the timeline of a product, and shows how the concepts of the first part evolve as time goes by, examining what has to be done in practice, from idea-gathering, through product development and launch, to product maintenance and eventual withdrawal. Covering both B2B and B2C contexts, the book examines the different emphasis that is needed for the different categories of product in each.