ABSTRACT
Although experts think about the hospitality product offer from a number of different perspectives, all agree that the product is a complex combination of tangible and intangible elements. The product is the starting point in the development of the marketing offer. Without a product there is nothing to sell. All hospitality products deliver basic functional solutions to consumers’ needs and wants. However, to succeed in the marketplace, products must be confi gured as a marketing offer that is designed to deliver customer satisfaction to specifi ed target markets. In Chapter 4, we discussed commodity products and branding in detail and explained that successful brands add value for consumers. In this chapter, we will explore the components of the hospitality product, product/benefi t bundles, the standardization versus adaptation debate and the product life cycle (PLC).
