Key marketing levers are loyalty programs and privileges: rewarding customers increasing relationships. Packaging: makes the product stand out from the rest of the products. Availability of complementary products: improves the value or potential value of the basic product. Upgrades offer a greater potential value for the customer and helps in their long term relationship. Attributes and features are used to differentiate companies from each other by customizing specific things for the customer such as taste or preferences. Customer Service programs offer support for customers before and/or after sales and helps relationship management.
The customer adoption process is a generally accepted conceptualization of the stages a consumer goes through when confronted with a new product or service. According to the adoption process, the consumer must first become aware of the product. Then, they must develop an interest in it and perform some pre-purchase evaluation. Next, they try the product, either as a consequence of a purchase or because of a marketer-sponsored promotion or incentive. Two importance stages follow. First, the consumer must decide to purchase or continue purchasing the product which can be identified as adoption. A harder to discern stage is that of internalization in which the product has become an integral part of the consumer’s lifestyle. The internalization stage is particularly important in the case of technology.
Diffusion process is a communications model and consists of four elements: the innovation, communication channels, time, and social system within which innovation is spreading.
Pervasive computing implies that a single person has access to myriad of computing devices to assist in performing all sorts of daily tasks. Pervasive computing aims to enable people to accomplish an increasing number of personal and professional transactions using a new class of intelligent and portable devices. It gives people convenient access to relevant information stored on powerful networks, allowing them to easily take action anywhere, anytime. There new intelligent appliances or “smart devices” are embedded with micro-processors that allow users to plug into intelligent networks and gain direct, simple and secure access to both relevant information and services. These devices are as simple to use as calculators, telephones or kitchen toasters.