Product Differentiation at Duff Brewing

Homer's visit to the fictional home of Duff's illustrates an important reality of product differentiation.

 

Product Differentiation at Duff Brewing

Differentiation is due to buyers perceiving a difference, not any actual differences themselves. If the differences are not perceived than product differentiation has not been achieved.

Product differentiation can be achieved solely through marketing, packaging and other advertising, promotion and sales efforts – as illustrated here in a classic episode from The Simpsons when Homer visited the Duff brewery. Real differences in the product don't matter and in this case packaging and marketing are used to differentiate the three different lines of Duff beer.

The goal of differentiation is to create something that customers perceive as being unique. Other means of differentiation include:

 

  • Differences in quality
  • Differences in functional features or design
  • Differences in availability

 

In each case it only works if the differentiation is perceived by the consumer.

 

PS It is nice to see that the tradition continues at the "real" Duff brewing in Orlando Florida:

 

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Product Differentiation
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