three or more Levels of an item
Consumers typically think that an item is simply the physical item that he or she purchases. In order to actively explore the nature of a product further more, let's consider it as 3 different goods - the CORE item, the ACTUAL merchandise, and finally the AUGMENTED item. This concept is called the Three Numbers of a Product.
The CORE product is NOT the tangible physical product. You can't touch this. That's because the core product is the BENEFIT of the product that makes it valuable to you. So with the car example, the benefit is convenience my spouse and i. e. the ease at which you can get where you like, when you want to. Another main benefit is usually speed while you can travelling around comparatively quickly.
You see, the product is the tangible, physical product. You may get some employ out of it. Once again with the car, it is the vehicle that you try out, buy and then collect. You can touch this. The actual product is what the person with average skills would consider under the common banner of product.
The AUGMENTED system is the non-physical part of the item. It generally consists of lots of added value, for which you might pay reduced. So when you buy a car, section of the augmented item would be the warrantee, the customer assistance support offered by the car's manufacturer and any after-sales service. The augmented system is an important way to customize the key or genuine product to the needs of an individual customer. The features of augmented products can be changed in to benefits for individuals.
Resource: marketingteacher. com