Page 353 - Marketing Management

330 PART 5 SHAPING THE MARKET OFFERINGS

said to have high conformance quality. A product with low conformance quality will disappoint
some buyers.

DURABILITY Durability, a measure of the product’s expected operating life under natural or
stressful conditions, is a valued attribute for vehicles, kitchen appliances, and other durable goods.
The extra price for durability must not be excessive, however, and the product must not be subject
to rapid technological obsolescence, as personal computers, televisions, and cell phones have
sometimes been.

RELIABILITY Buyers normally will pay a premium for more reliable products. Reliability is a
measure of the probability that a product will not malfunction or fail within a specified time
period. Maytag has an outstanding reputation for creating reliable home appliances. Its long-
running “Lonely Repairman” ad campaign was designed to highlight that attribute.

REPAIRABILITY Repairability measures the ease of fixing a product when it malfunctions or
fails. Ideal repairability would exist if users could fix the product themselves with little cost in
money or time. Some products include a diagnostic feature that allows service people to correct a
problem over the telephone or advise the user how to correct it. Many computer hardware
and software companies offer technical support over the phone, by fax or e-mail, or via real-time
chat online.

STYLE Style describes the product’s look and feel to the buyer. It creates distinctiveness that is
hard to copy. Car buyers pay a premium for Jaguars because of their extraordinary looks. Aesthetics
play a key role in such brands as Apple computers, Montblanc pens, Godiva chocolate, and Harley-
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Davidson motorcycles. Strong style does not always mean high performance, however. A car may
look sensational but spend a lot of time in the repair shop.

Services Differentiation
When the physical product cannot easily be differentiated, the key to competitive success may lie in
adding valued services and improving their quality. Rolls-Royce PLC has ensured its aircraft
engines are in high demand by continuously monitoring their health for 45 airlines through live
satellite feeds. Under its TotalCare program, airlines pay Rolls a fee for every hour an engine is in
flight, and Rolls assumes the risks and costs of downtime and repairs. 13
The main service differentiators are ordering ease, delivery, installation, customer training,
customer consulting, and maintenance and repair.

Cemex guarantees cement delivery
as fast as placing a pizza order.