PDF of this tutorialThe whole product1 concept is depicted in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The Whole Product Concept
With this model, the generic product is considered to encompass the basic requirements—such as features and form factor—that the customer associates with the tangible product. The expected product tends to be the intangibles, such as expected reliability, service expectations, and feature enhancements as compared to the generic product. The augmented product describes those things that differentiate the expected product from competitors' offerings. The augmented product consists of intangible things such as enhanced customer service, as well as tangible things, such as features not offered by the competition. The potential product provides the consumer with a glimpse of the future by offering a view of tomorrow's augmented and even expected product.
Applying the whole product model to the rural telephone operator, the generic product is dial tone. That is, plain old telephone service (POTS) is the basic product associated with the rural telephone-operating company. Along with the generic product are expectations consumers have for lifeline service, flat-fee local calls, standardized consumer premise equipment (CPE), and a certain level of modem connectivity. The augmented product represents services beyond the expected offering, such as ISDN, long-distance, and CATV services. The potential product includes services and features that include video-on-demand, high-speed Internet access, and one-stop billing (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. The Whole Product Concept—A Rural Telco Perspective
The requirements for a whole product are changing as a result of a shift in customer expectations and the movement of people and organizations from the city to the country.
1 The whole product concept is described in Chris Halliwell's course, "Strategic Marketing of Technology Products," California Institute of Technology—Industrial Relations Center, Pasadena, California.
