How the Global positioning is most effective for Product categories?
It is right to say that global positioning is most effective for product categories that approach either end of “high touch/high tech continuum”. Both ends of the continuum are characterized by high levels of customer involvement and by a shared “language” among consumers.
Following are the two strategies of product positioning:
- High Touch Positioning.
- High Tech Positioning
High Touch Positioning.
High touch products are highly involving for consumers. Marketing of high-touch products requires less emphasis on specialized information and more emphasis on image. Buyers of high touch products also share a common language and a set of symbols relating to themes of wealth, materialism and romance. The three categories of high touch products as under:
Products that solve a common problem: Products in this category provide benefits linked to life’s little moments.
Global village products: Certain products such as designer fashions, mineral water and pizza have strong cosmopolitan positioning. Likewise some products have global appeal by virtue of their country of origin.
Products that use universal themes: Some advertising themes and product appeals are basic enough and are truly transnational. Additional themes are heroism (themes include rugged individuals), play (leisure/ recreation), etc.
High Tech Positioning.
High-tech products like personal computers, video equipment’s, automobiles etc. require more emphasis on specialized information than on image. In such a case high tech positioning has proved effective. Such products are purchased mainly on the basis of concrete product features. Buyers typically already possess or wish to acquire considerable technical information. High-tech products may be divided into three categories which are as under:
Technical Products: Computers, chemical and financial services are a few product categories whose buyers have specialized needs, require great deal of product information and share a common language. Marketing communication for high-tech products should be informative and should emphasize their attribution.
Special-Interest Products: These products are less technical and more leisuoriented and are characterized by shared experience and high involvement among users. Common language and symbols associated with such products transcend language and culture barriers.
Products that demonstrate well: Products that speak for themselves in advertising of features and benefits can be globally well positioned. For example, a Polaroid instant camera is highly demonstrable and is a successful global product.
