Tailor your product in order for it to be a success.

When you create your product, there are many layers that need to be "peeled" in order for it to become a success. You as the entrepreneur or designer needs to understand that the product is everything that a consumer receives in an exchange. The product should meet the high expectations of the consumer as well as meet their desirable needs and wants.

The first and most important layer is the core product. This is your starting point and it should be the heart of your products vision. When the consumer purchases this product, they want to feel a degree of satisfaction. If this level of satisfaction is not met, then there will be a very small percentage of repeat customers. Let us use the example of a pair of shoes. If the consumer hears about these amazing new shoes and how comfortable they are, they are expecting these expectations when they purchase the product. Now if your "amazing" shoes give the consumer blisters and sore toes all the time, then the desired satisfaction has not been met and the chance of him/her being a repeat customer will be diminished significantly.

The next layer that needs to be addressed is the tangible product. Now that you have your core product under your belt, it is now time to create your physical product or service based on the needs and wants of the consumers.Let us continue to use the shoe example. Now that you have heard from your consumes that they want a comfortable shoe that looks great, you can now create your product based on this information. You want to create your product so it adds all the consumers wants as well as keeping it within the allocated budget. In order for you to have a larger consumer base, you can create your shoes in different colours and in different styles. While doing this, you need to keep in mind what the consumers want from these shoes so that you can create that level of satisfaction that they want.

The next layer is the augmented product. This is where you add extra services for your product. Now that you have created your shoes and have them ready, you need to decide if you are going to add any extra perks to your total product offering. Say that you know there could be a problem with the laces and the soles of the shoes. You can add two extra pairs of laces with the shoes and you can place a guarantee on the soles so that if they break, you will fix them free if the soles were not purposely damaged. This can add to the level of satisfaction you are trying to meet and can help in your goal for repeat consumers and larger profits. Going the extra mile for your customers will help a lot in the long run.

Next, is the potential product. In the market, there are many competitors and it can be a very saturated market. You need to make sure your product has that extra "something" that will put your shoes above the rest. With your shoes, you can create a new look and style of your shoes that will be fashionable and meet the basic needs and wants. Create your shoes and give the perception that it is a different and better product than the rest. You need to promote your shoes in such a way that it stays in the consumers mind. It also is a plan for what can be done in the future for your shoes. Lets say you decide to place electronic soles onto your shoes that carries the consumers around, this will increase the consumer interest for the future of your shoes and will make them want to buy your shoes more.

The final layer is the product image. How are you going to portray your shoes? You have gathered all the information on what the consumers want and what satisfaction they expect, you have created your shoes in a unique way as to set you apart from the competition and you have added plans for the future of your company and your shoes. Now you need to wrap all of that up into the final image of your shoes. Show off its unique style and show how it will meet all the needs and wants and show how it will exceed all expectations and levels of satisfaction.

Once you have completed all of these of these layers, your product should be tailored for your consumers and you should be able to have greater success. Keep patient and keep pushing. Not everyone can become rich and famous off of their first product.

All information was taken from the Marketing Management (A South African Perspective) textbook.

Can't, MC and Van Heerden, CH. (2013). Marketing management a South African perspective. Cape Town: Juta & Company Ltd.