A marketer generally classifies products on the basis of the factors like durability, tangibility and use that may be industrial or consumer, so because of the basis of these consumer products classification arises that is unsought goods. Unsought goods are those goods which the consumer normally does not know about or usually does not have a thought of buying it. Purchase of these goods might be arises due to the factor of danger or for the fear of danger or because of lack of desire. This type of goods are not actively sought out by the customers but is as an alternative good purchased because of any fear, precaution and need etc.
The purchase of such goods may not be instant and because of few facts it can be postponed. So most commonly this type of good requires the support of personal selling and advertising and also there is an extensive requirement of doing marketing in the other areas as well. Consumers most commonly buy such goods when they are facing inconvenience of buying a product because they are not able to wait for the new product (keller et al, 2012).
The most common and classic examples known by everyone are fire extinguishers, reference books, funeral services and encyclopedias. In various cases even an airplane or helicopter are taken as an unsought good. Following are the different aspects of the unsought goods;
• A part from the convenience, shopping and luxury goods, consumers has lesser interest and do not seek actively such type of goods.
• Marketer is required to actively and aggressively market such type of goods so that certain level of interest is aroused in their minds.
• Many of the unsought goods are converted into the sought goods that might be due to the awareness of their positive aspects upon the consumer or it depends on the marketer that they are successful in changing the mind of the customer.
Conversion of Unsought Goods to Sought Goods
[large]According to Finch, In the past few years, the new products as like the frozen foods was a kind of unsought good because of the reason that when fresh foods are available then why to buy such frozen foods. Consumers are totally unaware until that they want certain product unless it is told by someone. With the passage of time when they were advertised extensively, effectively and innovatively by media vehicles or y word of mouth, they are supposed to be a good thing to buy. It is the case that when the consumers have more knowledge about the product, the product is taken as to be a sought good (Boone & Kurtz, 2013).
One of the better examples of conversion of unsought goods to the sought goods is life insurance, though it is taken as unsought good but it is growing rapidly towards a sought good. With the conversion of life insurance from just insurance to the idea of investments as for the secure future, the whole story is shifted. It is happened just because of the awareness of trends about the modified future as like in before consumers had heard little about the aspects of insurance.
References
• Kotler, Keller, Koshy and Jha (2012). Marketing Management. Pearson.
• James E. Finch., The Essentials of Marketing Principles
• Louis E. Boone and David L. Kurtz (2013). Contemporary Marketing.