Cambridge Marketing Handbook: Products

Written in two parts, this handbook provides a reference for practitioners, and for those who are wishing 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 organisation, including chapters on portfolio management and branding. The second part covers the time-line 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 business-to-business and business-to-consumer contexts, the book examines the different emphasis that is needed for the different categories of product in each.