Abstract:

In many cases, a manufacturer will market not one item but several in a given product group. These may either be in the form of a range, such as a range of different flavours of soup, or as an assortment, such as a mixed assortment of confectionery, or as multiple brands, where the same manufacturer markets two or more different brands in the same product field. Research in these cases must take into account the interactions of the different items with each other. In addition to this, it may also be necessary to establish the extent to which the items provide each other with mutual marketing support and, in the case of multiple brands, the way in which the market is segmented from the consumer's point of view. The paper outlines research approaches which can be used in these types of situations.