UNSOUGHT PRODUCT

UU Lay Chaplains: Sought and Unsought Products

M. Louise Ripley, M.B.A., Ph.D., Professor of Marketing, York University
Member, irst Unitarian !ongregation of "oronto

Marketing theorists #ivi#e pro#u$ts into $ategories% &n#ustrial Pro#u$ts an#
!onsumer Pro#u$ts, an# then further #ivi#e !onsumer Pro#u$ts into !onvenien$e,
'hopping, 'pe$ialty, an# Unsought Pro#u$ts. "he first three of these $an be
$onsi#ere# ('ought Pro#u$ts.)

Convenience Products are goo#s or servi$es that are easily pur$hase# at a fairly
lo* pri$e, things *e e+pe$t to fin# in our househol#s like brea#, milk, an# soap.

Shopping Products are ones on *hi$h *e e+pen# more time an# effort, thinking
about ,uality an# style, pri$e an# value, ho* *ell it suits us. -e gather information
an# $omparison shop. &n$lu#e# here *oul# be refrigerators, $ars, an# $lothing above
the level of so$ks an# un#er*ear.

Specialty Products are uni,ue or $lose to uni,ue. -e may spen# an e+traor#inary
effort obtaining them be$ause they are foun# only in one pla$e an# *e #on.t #o
$omparison shopping be$ause *e.re seeking a parti$ular bran# an# are not
intereste# in *hat other bran#s have to offer. /+amples in$lu#e lu+ury $ars,
e+pensive $ameras, an# high fashion $lothing.

Unsought Products are those that $onsumers #o not normally go looking for, or
about *hi$h the average $onsumer may not even be a*are, be$ause it is unpleasant
to think about, or nee#s to be personally #emonstrate#, or is bran# ne*. !lassi$
e+amples are life insuran$e an# $emetery plots, va$uum $leaners, an# the $omputer
*hen it first be$ame available to home users.
Unsought goods: goods that consumers did not even know they needed until either
(a) an emergency arose that needed an immediate purchasing decision to help
resolve it; or (b) an aggressive sales representative pressurised them into
a purchase.
Unsought Goods a category of goods and services which the buyer (a) is unaware
of, or (b) would prefer not to think about buying; commonly quoted examples include
cemetery plots, encyclopedias and life insurance

'ome pro#u$ts $learly belong in a $ategory. &t is easy to see that brea# is a
!onvenien$e Pro#u$t an# a lu+ury spa that provi#es a uni,ue herbal *rap *oul# be
a 'pe$ialty 'ervi$e. But *hat about $hur$hes0 "ypi$al 1orth Ameri$an Protestant
$hur$h membership *oul# probably fall in the $ategory of 'hopping 2oo#s.
'omeone *ho belongs to a #enomination an# is looking for a ne* $hur$h *oul#
likely spen# a fair amount of time an# effort $he$king out lo$al $hur$hes% servi$es,
Religious /#u$ation program, the people, in other *or#s, $omparison shopping.

A Unitarian Universalist !ongregation $oul# fall into any of the last three $ategories,
#epen#ing on your target market. "his is the person you hope to rea$h *ith your
promotional material. &t is unlikely that a UU $ongregation *oul# be a !onvenien$e
Pro#u$t. Promotion *ill #iffer, #epen#ing on *hat kin# of pro#u$t you are promoting.

&f you are looking to attra$t liberal3min#e# free3thinking people *ho alrea#y atten#
reasonably liberal $hur$hes to en$ourage them to $ome instea# to a Unitarian
Universalist $ongregation, you $oul# $onsi#er your $ongregation as a Shopping
Product You e+pe$t potential members to #o some $omparison shopping% to $ome
an# e+perien$e servi$es at your $ongregation, $ompare them to their $urrent $hur$h,
an# #e$i#e that your $hur$h better meets their nee#s. Your promotional materials
nee# to pi,ue their interest, given their $urrent atten#an$e at their o*n $hur$h, an# to
turn that interest to*ar# trying out your $hur$h. &f you $annot pla$e an a# in that
$hur$h.s ne*sletter, you might $onsi#er a#vertising in materials those people rea#.

&f you are looking to bring into your $ongregation Unitarian Universalists *ho are
seeking another UU $ongregation, you $oul# $onsi#er your $ongregation more like
a Specialty Product, *here you *oul# e+pe$t your target market to kno* e+a$tly
*hat it is they *ant. Your main promotional task then *ill be to inform the target
market about your lo$ation an# hours an# a little about your $ongregation. "hey *ill
fin# their *ay to you.

UU $hur$hes, & believe, are most like an Unsought Product. "hey have something
to offer about *hi$h many people *ho $oul# fin# value kno* nothing, an# may not
even kno* they have a nee# for. 4f all the $ategories, Unsought Pro#u$ts re,uire the
strongest promotional efforts be$ause you start *ith a la$k of a*areness.
Promotional materials *ill have to inform on a most basi$ level 5 let people kno* *ho
you are, *hat you stan# for, an#, most important, *hy you *oul# be of interest to
your target market, in a##ition to su$h basi$s as lo$ation an# hours of operation.

&t is here that your Lay !haplains $an be espe$ially helpful in promoting both your
$ongregation an# Unitarian Universalism. Lay !haplains perform all kin#s of rites of
passage, but their servi$es are rarely a $arefully ('ought Pro#u$t.) "hey are $alle#
on at the last minute to offi$iate at funerals. "hey are seen as a mere afterthought by
a bri#e *ho has spent t*o years seeking out everything from *e##ing go*n to floral
arrangements to table favours but only shortly before the *e##ing may remember
that she nee#s someone to perform the $eremony. People regularly engage the
servi$es of someone for su$h events as $hil# #e#i$ations, blessings of homes,
re#e#i$ations of marriages, an# pet funerals, an# too often the $hoi$e of the person
to perform these rites is left almost to $han$e. 4n$e they have foun# a UU Lay
!haplain, ho*ever, people ten# to like *hat they e+perien$e an# en# up $oming to
UU $ongregations to fin# out an# e+perien$e more.

Your 6ob as one responsible for $ommuni$ations, outrea$h, an# promotion for Lay
!haplains, is to ensure that *hen members of the publi$ seek someone to see them
through these important times, they think first an# think ,ui$kly of a Unitarian
Universalist Lay !haplain. Part of your 6ob is alrea#y being #one for you by your Lay
!haplains. &n their *ork at these important rites of passage, they are (a#vertising) to
a large number of people *ho they are, *hat kin# of servi$es they provi#e, an# to
some e+tent, *hat they stan# for, *hat kin# of organi7ation they represent.

But your Lay !haplains nee# help getting that message out. !hoi$es of spe$ifi$
promotional material *ill #iffer from $ongregation to $ongregation, but you shoul#
$onsi#er *here a#vertising in lo$al ne*spapers an# maga7ines might be effe$tive,
*hat kin#s of materials su$h as "8, -ebsite, an# ra#io might rea$h the kin#s of
people you think *oul# $all on a UU Lay !haplain, an# *hat you shoul# be saying
about your Lay !haplains that *oul# make their servi$es appealing to the kin#s of
people you *oul# like to have $ome to your $ongregation.
!ssence o" Need and Unsought Products
By
#r Shi$a Prasad Parhi
Le$turer in Management
#s %arsha &gte
Asst. Professor
94D of Pharma$euti$al Management Deptt
#'TCON (usiness School
Need identi"ication:
"he ma6or ob6e$tive of marketing is to un#erstan# the nee# of the $ustomer. Unless
until nee# is not tra$e#, one $annot go for solution. An# ,uite often the in#ustry has
to generate a nee# to sell the pro#u$t. "his is ,uestionable, *hether a nee# $an be
generate#. Yes it $an an# it use# to be. All the nee# $omes out to mitigate the
problems before it happens or after it happens. &n a##ition to it there are some other
fa$tors that generate nee#s su$h as pleasure, po*er an# prestige.
"he nee#s are physiologi$al or psy$hologi$al in nature but some are out of problems
an# some are out of funs. &n both $ase, it may be a problem or the fun, in many
$ases people are not a*are of their e+a$t nee# an# the out$ome they are going to
have after $onsuming or e+perien$ing that pro#u$t or servi$e.
/+amples% 4ne is suffering from fever, but he #oes not kno* *hat is the reason of
his illness, is it #ue to malaria, viral, 6aun#i$e or anything else0
Co))unicating the need:
Unless until one is not sure of the root of the problem one #oes not a*are of his
nee#, like this many su$h problems *here a person is not a*are of his nee#, in su$h
$ases the marketing #epartment of an in#ustry $reates a nee# by #is$overing a
problem, *hi$h a person may be tolerating kno*ingly or unkno*ingly in the absen$e
of solution.
9ighlighting one problem of life, making a person reali7e about the problem an#
formulating a feasible an# affor#able, formulating a $on$ept for solution is the
responsibility of the marketing organi7ation. &n many $ases people $annot #ete$t the
root $ause of problems or in many $ases they may kno* about the problem but they
$annot imagine a solution for them.
&n both the $ase marketing #epartment has to intervene an# $ome for*ar# *ith
solution. An# the su$$ess of the pro#u$t lies *ith effe$tive $ommuni$ation, *hi$h is
the important role of marketing #epartment, popularly this is kno*n as the
a#vertising.
&n the $ase of pharma$euti$al pro#u$ts the strategy for i#entifying nee#s of $onsumer
an# fulfilling them through the right spoke person su$h as physi$ians or #o$tors.
1ee#s are prevailing in ea$h an# everyone *e nee# to e+plore them an# make one
to reali7e one:s nee#.
But *e may be thinking that, *hat is there to un#erstan# the nee# of a person.
!onsumer kno*s his nee# an# he *ill automati$ally approa$h
Unsought goods and services%
"he me#i$ines are $onsi#ere# to be the unsought goo#s.
"he synonymous of the *or# unsought is un#esirable, un*el$ome, un*ante# an#
unsoli$ite#. Unsought pro#u$ts mean the pro#u$ts *hi$h are un*ante#, un*ante# or
unsoli$ite# but ,uestion is $an there be any pro#u$t of su$h $ategory. &f you look into
like me#i$ines there are many su$h pro#u$ts an# servi$es, *hi$h *e have been
aspiring for, sin$e our $hil#hoo#.
"here are plenty of e+amples in su$h pro#u$t $ategory; an ol# man approa$hing to
an a#vo$ate to resolve the issues *ith his provi#ent fun#, you are visiting a me$hani$
to repair your pun$ture# tube of your $ar, or approa$hing a #o$tor for illness, et$. All
su$h nee# is not soli$ite# but unavoi#able an# out of su$h problems in the life, *e
nee# a solution. An# many of these solutions are essential an# important in the life,
looking into situations, time an# pla$es.
Pro$le)s o" custo)ers in understanding need:
"he ma6or problems in the $ase of unsought goo#s are the ignoran$e of the solution,
an# kno*le#ge of the problem. As per buying behavior for unsought pro#u$ts usually
one avoi#s buying of su$h pro#u$t or servi$es as far as possible. &t is out of
$ompulsion one is motivate# to have. &f to#ay my $ar stops fun$tioning, if there is
sever hea#a$he, or there is any strike in the in#ustry, out of e+perien$es one may try
to e+periment some solution, but most of the $ommon mass are una*are about the
problem an# many often *ith little kno*le#ge may aggravate the problem.
"rying to repair o*n D8D player or trying to re$over from illness by pur$hasing
me#i$ines out of $ommonsense, trying to manage ta+ matter of in#ustry *ith his little
e+perien$e may amplify the problems.
9ere a man $an save some money by avoi#ing a me$hani$, physi$ians, or ta+
$onsultant but *ithout un#erstan#ing the a$tual problem *hen a person *ent into
applying solution, spen# unne$essarily. "he unsought pro#u$ts are those pro#u$ts
*hi$h buyer has not soli$ite# an# never have any stru$ture# plan to buy but nee# out
of se$urity, situation, a$$i#ents or misfortune.
9ere to $onfirm one nee# one try to $onsult an e+pert of respe$tive fiel#s to solve
them su$h as meeting a #o$tor, an a#vo$ate or a finan$ial e+perts.

* types o" Consu)er Products and Services
in #ar+eting
<ul ==, =>?> by% &lla ,ondrat

!onvenien$e, shopping, spe$ialty an# unsought pro#u$ts an# servi$es are @ ma6or
types of $onsumer pro#u$ts in marketing.
"he s$ien$e of marketing $ategori7es all the $onsumer pro#u$ts an# servi$es into
four ma6or groups%
$onvenien$e offerings
shopping offerings
spe$ialty offerings
unsought offerings
All the four types of $onsumer pro#u$ts are, of $ourse, represente# by $ertain goo#s
or servi$es. All the offerings are available in the market, promote# an# sol# for
bringing profit to the $ompany. 9o*ever, pro#u$ts that represent ea$h of the @
groups, #iffer by marketing strategies applie# to them, $onsumers. per$eption, an#
$hannels of #elivering parti$ular pro#u$ts to $ustomers.
#ar+eting and Delivering Convenience Consu)er Products
!onvenien$e offerings are usually pro#u$ts that people use in every#ay life, su$h as
brea#, milk or mat$hes. People #o not #evote too mu$h time to $hoosing *hat
parti$ular bran# to buy. 'ome people #o prefer some bran#s, but *ill buy another if
the favorite one is not available. !onvenien$e pro#u$ts are usually $omparatively
$heap an# sol# in many pla$es.
Peculiarities o" Shopping Products- #ar+eting
'ome*hat #ifferent are shopping offerings. "hese pro#u$ts an# servi$es are usually
more e+pensive an#, therefore, $onsumers usually #o some preliminary resear$h.
People $ompare ,uality an# pri$es of #ifferent manufa$turers an# retailers, as *ell as
$ompare bran#s. 'in$e su$h pur$hases are rather signifi$ant events for the
$onsumer, he or she #evotes some time to e+ploring opportunities an# options.
"he pe$uliarity of marketing shopping offerings is a#vertising $ampaigns that e#u$ate
people on the a#vantages of the parti$ular pro#u$t. 9o*ever, bran# name also
matters% some people might $hoose a more e+pensive bran# for its goo# reputation.
or that reason bran# buil#ing is also an important aspe$t of shopping goo#s
marketing.
#ar+eting and (randing "or Specialty O""erings
A totally #ifferent thing is spe$ialty offerings. 'pe$ialty pro#u$ts are e+pensive, not
manufa$ture# in large ,uantities, an# not sol# in many pla$es. Marketing of lu+ury
pro#u$ts usually $alls for buil#ing a strong bran# name. "hese items are not
pur$hase# too often, but many people *ish to o*n them as attributes of status an#
authority. Among su$h pro#u$ts *oul# be a 9arley Davi#son motor$y$le, a errari or
a #ress from Dior.
Unsought Products and Services
Unsought offerings is a very spe$ifi$ $ategory of pro#u$ts an# servi$es. People
usually have no #esire to shop for su$h items, be$ause in most $ases these are
goo#s an# servi$es people #on.t nee# or use unless some spe$ial o$$asion re,uires.
Marketing of these offerings is al*ays spe$ifi$. -hat $ompanies are trying to a$hieve
is publi$ a*areness about their pro#u$ts or servi$es% they #on.t hope to sell right
a*ay, they hope people *ill $ome to the $ompany they kno* *hen it.s nee#e#.
"o*ing an# funeral servi$es are e+amples of unsought offerings.
"he ma6or @ types of $onsumer pro#u$ts in marketing are $onvenien$e, shopping,
spe$ialty an# unsought pro#u$ts an# servi$es. Among the main #ifferen$es bet*een
these $ategories are marketing strategies Aone.to.one )ar+eting, *Ps or value
)ar+eting, for instan$eB applie# to ea$h, $onsumer.s per$eption, $hannels of
#istribution, an# importan$e of bran# names.
A#s by 2oogle
Rea# more at 'uite?>?% * types o" Consu)er Products and Services in #ar+eting /
Suite010co) http:22333suite010co)2content2*.types.o".consu)er.products.and.services.in.
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