Services

Recently we have been talking about services and how companies can face challenges when trying to advertise or market them. Services pose a problem to marketers because they are intangible. When thinking about this I really came to wonder if this was such a big issue for companies that strictly or primarily offer services. Most services are services that people need. For example the majority of people need haircuts and simply do not know how to or do not have the right equipment to cut hair. The same applies so a service like an oil change. Although these are something that is not necessarily tangible, and because of this they may be hard to market does this really pose such a problem?

I think because these items are services that people need the emphasis is not soley on marketing or advertising. Any good business should obviously use marketing skills for various reasons. Whether this is to draw in new customers, allow customers to know of new products, or simply to compete with the next business offering similar products. However, I think the mere fact that people cannot perform these actions themselves is a strong enough force to easy the burden of having to promote a certain service.

This applies to businesses like haircut salons, mechanical shops and things of that nature. However, or course this does not take into consideration all services. For example selling tickets to a sports game. This is something that requires a good amount of effort to assure, because what they offer is a service, that their product does not perish or become a complete loss.

Do you think that performing a service well is good enough promotion within itself? What recommendations would you give to a start-up business that offers only services?

Aesthetic Modifications

Aesthetic modifications are changes to the sensory appeal of a product. This could be a change in it's taste, texture, sound, smell, or appearance. When thinking of these modifications I immediate though of Domino's Pizza. Recently Domino' s has entirely remade their pizza. They have come up with new crust types, new sauces, and new cheese types. Domino's considered many customer reviews and put together a team to remake their pizza so more people would enjoy it. A video of this and the changes they made can be seen in this video.

When thinking of these changes I knew there were obvious advantages but for me it was far easier to think of the disadvantages of these changes. For example with Domino's I always loved their pizza the way it used to be. Now since they have changed it I do not like it at all. I think it is far too greasy and loaded up with garlic. However, the overwhelming majority of people who I have talked to say they like the changes. I feel when you change something like this you are changing what people actually like about the product, you are not simply changing the way it looks and this presents a huge risk.

When thinking about changes I also considered changes to the appearance of a product. When a product changes its label often times people do not recognize it. This can lead people to look around within a certain area and may cause them to look at other items they made not have considered before. This could lead to people choosing a new product entirely. However, people could recognize a new label amongst other products they are used to seeing an immediately pick up that product in hopes to learn more about it which in turn could cause them to buy it.

Can you think of any products that have made Aesthetic modifications? Do you think these modifications are essential to saving a struggling product or too risky to attempt?