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The Total Product: An Experience

This week, as we began our journey into the depths of Consumer Behavior, we studied how the marketing mix from a firm influences the consumer decision making process to influence consumers to buy their product over the competition. This marketing mix of product features, price, communications, distribution, and service by the firm is more simply called the total product.

The total product is what consumers purchase to enhance their lifestyle. It encompasses the entire physical purchasing process, and can make or break a company's success.

An Experience: Field & Stream

Before taking this course, I never really thought about total product when making my purchasing decisions. I always just thought, "I'm going to Starbucks to get my morning coffee," or "I need a new pair of workout shoes so I'll go to a training/running store." I only thought about the product itself, never the intangibles such as service, or marketing communications that the company has been sending me. But now I know just how important the total product can be to get the consumer into the store, and ultimately choose your product over the competition.

Just this past weekend I took a trip with my parents to the hunting store Field and Stream when they came to visit, just to check out the store as we are interested in the outdoors. I was blown away with what I say from a marketing standpoint. There were numerous sections of the store all displaying different seasons and outdoor sports. Fishing, hunting, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, clothing, marksmanship. They had it all. Even the look of the store had an untouched nature feel to it with nature settings displayed, small ponds with fish, and even full size taxidermy animals all over the store.

Image result for field and stream imagesThe outer facade of the store was even wooden to make it look like a log cabin. I even noticed in the hiking boot section they even had a small "rock-walk" area where customers could test out their boots on a variety of different terrains they may encounter outdoors before they make their purchase decision.

What I found most interesting about the store was that it was creating a total product experience. Customers would remember this store as a memorable one because of the experience it creates in the mind of the consumers. The store tailors to a special type of customer, one who loves the outdoors, such as myself. The store created an internal experience, separate from the products they were selling draw me in to not only make a purchase, but to also remember this store next time I need something for the outdoors. I would come back to Field and Stream again because I felt a connection to their company values on an emotional and psychological level. I felt a connection with their brand based on our akin love for the outdoors. This was a company where I wanted to spend my money because I was satisfied with my experience.

A Challenge

Next time you go to your favorite store, or even just out for coffee, think of what the store is offering you in terms of total product. What experience are they selling you other than the product itself, and it that why you keep going back?

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