The rate of adoption can differ significantly among products. The rate often

depends on five characteristic factors of the product. These factors determine

how quickly a product is accepted by consumers:

 ✓ Communicability: One characteristic of quickly adopted products is a

high rate of communicability. In other words, their benefits are easily

communicated and understood by consumers. The best way to create

communicability with your product is to make sure that its benefits are

well known and easy to see. This communicability helps consumers

understand why they need your product and makes them want to pur-

chase it.

 ✓ Compatibility: In order to get consumers to adopt a product, you first

have to find out how well your innovation fits with existing traditions,

cultures, values, needs, and past experiences. A product that’s compat-

ible with existing values of consumers will be adopted more quickly than

one that isn’t. Take Quaker Oats, for example. When the company first

introduced oatmeal, consumers were skeptical because they thought

oats were for horses. (Refer to Chapter 13 for more information on seg-

menting your target market and identifying its needs and values.)

 ✓ Complexity: If a product is perceived as being complicated, consumer

acceptance will be delayed. Consider computers, for example. When

they were first introduced, they were perceived as complex and consum-

ers didn’t adopt them quickly. So, be sure to take the time to simplify

your product in terms that consumers can understand. And remember

that the more difficult a consumer thinks a product is, the slower the

adoption rate will be. (Refer to Chapter 16 for more information on prod-

uct positioning.)

 ✓ Divisibility: Consumers prefer to try things on a smaller scale when

they’re new. They want to be able to purchase a trial product before

purchasing the full product. So, if at all possible, ensure that your poten-

tial consumers can try your products before buying. For instance, con-

sider the car dealer who allows consumers to test-drive cars over the

weekend before making a decision to purchase.

 ✓ Relative advantage: Products that offer a significant advantage over the

products they replace are often adopted more readily. A digital camera,

for example, has a significant advantage over a disposable camera.

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