Final Customer Purchasing from the Product Producer

Acquire Steps: Acquire steps include all activities the customer completes preceding the use or the consumption of the product. These steps include the customer's efforts needed for evaluation and acquisition of the product.

A.
Knowledge: Add knowledge

1.
Company and products – Help customers recognize and recall name of company and its products

C. Attract attention of customers to brand name

Approach customers individually

Send samples

No.	Year	SIC	Note
1	1995	2043	Boxes of General Mills Suncrunchers cereal and "new improved" Wheaties are turning up in samples in the driveway with the morning newspaper.
2	2004	3711	Promotions such as offering free test-drives are part of Cadillac's effort to change the perception that they are only for old people.
3	2004	3900	When the Gillette Co. gave away thousands of Mach 3 Turbo razors to promote its innovative triple-bladed shaver, the company was asking males to donate time and their faces to test out their new product.
4	2004	7372	When Microsoft Corp. launched Windows 95 operating systems, the company consolidated its market position and greatly enhanced its equity valuation by negotiating a billion dollar subsidy from many of its best customers and developers. During the product development the company sent out 400,000 beta version copies of Windows 95 to thousands of beta sites worldwide. Individuals and organizations would help track bugs and suggest improvements in exchange for receiving the software in advance and in effect influence the program's development and get help with any problems that arose. Microsoft essentially came up with a valuable technical population the size of a major city to help improve the quality and capabilities of its new operating system. The final stage of Windows 95 development was $900 million which is far more than the company had invested. The subsidy has enabled the company to produce a far better product for less money and time.

<< Return to Acquire Steps