Form versus Functionality and the Right and Fair Price

Marketing Management
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Marketing Management
Form versus Functionality
The form versus functionality debate in marketing remains heated as some believe that brand success is built on functionality. Others hold the position product design is the key to brand success. Therefore, it is hard to determine who is right among the two groups without exploring marketing literature and expert opinions. However, one can argue that most customers will be attracted to products with better aesthetic appeals and only feel dissatisfied with them if they fail to function. For marketers, it is not about the choice of which approach to follow between form and function. Rather, it is the ability to combine both aspects that will be the key to brand success. For the sake of discussion, an attempt can be made on determining which of the two plays a bigger role in brand success. The position taken is that product design is the key to brand success.
The rationale for selecting product design is that most marketers tend to work with the new product development teams in the design of products with the hope of meeting customer expectations. The role of external design in this process is critical as illustrated by Hemonnet-Goujot et al. (2019), who also argues that external design focuses on creativity while the marketing function is more business-oriented. The success of a new product will depend on the fruitful cooperation of these two parties in addition to how well a product is received by consumers. Product functionality can be said to be the primary concern for marketers since it is impossible to sell a product that does not serve its purpose. The customers will probably ask for their money back and look for one that does meet their needs. However, if every marketer is aware of this situation, it means that all firms will produce functional products. In a highly competitive market, the functionality of two similar products will not be the main selling point since the customer already expects all products to be functional.
If marketers do not have a competitive edge with a product’s functionality, it follows that product design will give them this edge. Different producers hire different teams with varying levels of creativity. Therefore, it can be argued that no two teams will have the same idea of how a product looks. Additionally, the inclusion of the external design means that marketers are focused on ensuring the views and expectations of customers are integrated. According to Hemonnet-Goujot et al. (2019), better knowledge of customers allows development teams to incorporate customers' views. However, the basic idea is that product design is what gives the product the aspect of differentiation that produces high consumer value and builds brand affection. A customer who purchases a non-functional product will likely ask for money back, regardless of how good it looks. However, he or she may not even buy one if he or she hates how it looks (Proto.io, 2017). Therefore, functionality is a basic requirement while product design is the extra mile offering a competitive edge and brand success.
In conclusion, product design is the key to brand success as long as functionality...