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THE FIVE Ws

9 November, 2015 - 11:43

(1) Whois going to buy the product or service?

(2) Why will the customer buy the product? How does it fit into the customer's consumption pattern? For example, a product may meet a consumer need, in which case it may be considered a necessity, a convenience, or a luxury; or it may fill a manufacturing or other industrial need.

(3) What sort of product is it and in what form would customers prefer it? A washing detergent, for example, may be in the form of a powder or a liquid.

(4) When will the consumer buy the product? The main issue here is frequency of purchase. Coffee, for instance, is bought more frequently than stereo systems; raw materials for industrial processes are bought more frequently than heavy machinery and equipment.

(5) Where will the consumer buy the product? Obviously, fancy stationery belongs in a department store or a stationery store, not in a grocery store. In most cases, industrial consumers prefer buying directly from the producer over dealing with an intermediary.