What is Unsought Product? Definition, Characteristics, Types, and Examples

What is an Unsought Product?

An unsought product is a consumer product that a consumer doesn’t know about or does not want to actively buy even if he is aware of the product.

Usually, consumers have no active interest to buy unsought products cause the product will be new to them as well as they may be unaware of the benefits the product will offer them. Take examples of products like insurance, accident insurance, prepaid funeral plans, etc.

Marketing guru Philip Kotler has defined the unsought product as “It is a consumer product that the consumer either does not know about or knows about but does not normally think of buying.”

One of the reasons people normally think of not buying unsought goods is that it does not offer immediate tangible benefits to consumers as such people think the product is fake, unreliable, and a waste of time and money.

In order to make aware people of unsought goods companies have to invest a lot in advertisements, promotions, and demonstrations of products. For these goods to be sold, consumers should know these products have existed and they need such products.

Characteristics of Unsought Product

The following are the main characteristics of unsought products.

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• Normally Not Purchased – One of the main features of unsought products is that these products are normally not purchased by consumers. Unless they know the product or a particular situation arises then only they think of buying unsought goods.
• No Purchase Plan – Consumes normally do not plan to buy unsought goods nor do they make any effort.
• Relies On Aggressive Marketing – Companies have to invest a lot in marketing and advertisements of unsought goods in order to make people known and secure a sale.
• Different Price – Unsought goods have different ranges of prices. That can be low as well as high the first time. Usually, the price varies as per the product.
• Limited Outlets – Unsoguth products may be new to the market and the company can also be the only one. As such consumers have only one place to go to buy the product.

Types of Unsought Products

Normally unsought product is of two types – new or unknown product and known but no interest to buy.

New or Unknown Product

The new product includes products that are new to the market. This is the first time such a product has entered the market.

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Consumers usually are unaware of such products’ existence. As such, brands have to do advertisements and promotions to make aware customers of the products.

Normally, all new products are unsought at first, and when consumers know about the product and when they purchase and use the product becomes sought after.

Take an example, when the touch mobile phone is introduced people were unaware of it and are in confusion whether the touching option on the phone is reliable or not. Later, it becomes a sought product as it offered a lot of value to consumers.

Known But No Interest To Buy

These are the unsought products customers are aware of but do not want or think to buy. It is because they do not see the benefits of the products or they actually do not know the value of the product in their life.

Take an example of an insurance policy, people generally are not interested in buying. As such, companies have to do aggressive selling, personal selling, direct selling, etc. so as to deliver the message to people that the product is beneficial for them.

Also Read: What is Core Product?

Such as an accident insurance policy – people generally do not want to buy it cause it does not offer them the immediate benefit as they get when they buy physical products. What leads them to buy such products is the benefits they will get in the future.

Examples of Unsought Products

Let’s put some examples of unsought products.

• New products
• Products people do not know
• Life insurance
• Home Insurance
• Accident insurance
• Prepaid funeral service
• Reference books
• Fire extinguishers, etc.

Related: What is Convenience Product?

Strategies To Promote Unsought Products

It is difficult to sell products especially when people do not know the existence of the product as well as they do not want to buy it even if they know its existence.

Because of these reasons, marketing unsought products and making sales is a tricky process. The followings are some strategies to promote unsought goods.

• Increase awareness about the product.
• Make the new products qualitative, affordable, and reachable.
• Demonstrate the product.
• Invest more in advertisements and personal selling.

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