What are the Product Attributes that are Important to Consumers? What are product attributes and why is it important for consumers? Believe it or not, attributes of a product have the ability to gain a consumer’s attention. Which of these product attributes statements do you agree with? I sell and promote my products: A. Based on the features of it. B. Based on how they contribute to my customers. If you choose statement A, then you sell product attributes and if you agree with statement B, then you sell its benefits. Before discussing the product attributes that are essential to consumers, it’s essential to understand the key definition.
What are Product Attributes and Benefits? Product attributes are nothing but the components of a product that define its features. Product attributes can be concrete, objective, and
observed. However, the attributes of a product never change, but it depends highly on the campaign, customer, or brand. Product benefits are the features that consumers look for most in any product. Oftentimes, these concepts and features keep changing based on the individual shopper or customers. For the example above: •
Water Repellent: Shoes to remain comfy in rainy weather and shine.
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Extra Cushioning: To avoid sore feet all day wear extra comfortable sneakers.
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Breathable Fabric: Perfect to comfort a hot day, while working out, or just a long walk.
Yes, You got the idea! Let’s take a look! Business-to-consumer (B2C) companies and contract manufacturing organizations (CMO) work to create products that survive the competition and gain consumers' attention. Here are the top five product attributes that consumers look for.
1. Quality This is the primary reason why consumers choose to buy a product. As they know, it works and meets their requirements. Whether they got to know the product through advertising or they have seen the results. Consumers tend to purchase a product from a specific brand for its trustable quality. In order to produce a good quality product, a company must ensure to devise its formula better. To produce a top-notch product, method development and validation must be taken care of in the manufacturing process.
2. Claims Claims are not only considered important for companies. But consumers also give high value to the product’s marketing claims. Some popular claims include“fragrance-free” and “all-natural” to “cook in 2 minutes”. All of this information can trigger a consumer to make a purchase from a specific brand. Businesses must meet their consumers' priorities and needs without any false claims. However, with the best product claims, a brand can quickly reach the audience. It’s advisable for market companies to certify product claims from independent laboratories and establish their efficiency.
3. Innovation Sometimes the product will be more satisfying, but you get bored of using it. Have you experienced it? Yes, customers always look for innovation in everything. To gain customers’ attention and keep the existing users' interest lively. Businesses need to be more innovative and implement new ideas in their products. Companies are searching for ideas to keep their products innovative and improve with new formulations. To meet the demands of next-gen customers, it’s important to stay up to date with product development process. For example, shampoo companies have such laboratories
to build a product with an improved look, longer shelf-life, and experiment fragrances.
4. Safety Whether a product is “all-natural” or “high-flammable”, safety testing is required. Businesses can label their products to ensure consumer safety and brand trust. Many analytical laboratories out there provide verification processes to ensure the claims and stability of products. This testing process will help both consumers and businesses to avoid any potential hazards. If businesses find any failure analysis, they can implement reformulation services for products. This will rectify the defects in the manufacturing process and eliminate the case of product recalls.
5. Competitor Comparison All the other attributes on this list majorly focus on consumers who want their products to be trustworthy. But if a competitor's product is better in any aspect. Then none of the efforts will bring profits for businesses. In such cases, businesses need to do competitor product research for valuable insights. Based on the competitor analysis, brands can determine their marketing claims to create a product that is more effective and
stronger. Businesses can even reformulate their products to achieve the desired results.
Let’s Wrap it Up! You're probably aware by now that consumers look for product attributes as the main source. There are many product-centric and customer-centric approaches to deal with attributes. However, I hope this article has shown you the importance of product as well as entreprenuerial attributes. For product descriptions, you can provide the best kind of information that aligns with the brand tone of voice. For merchandising, optimize product messages, taxonomy, and assortment to drive purchases. And for campaigns, make use of product attributes that resonate and understand your customers on a deeper level. Now it’s up to you!
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