Kotler starts this chapter by defining what a product actually is - not just a physical product but also to include services. I often use the term 'product & service' brand proposition - to cover both physical products such as toothpaste and services such as an insurance product.
Kotler introduces a three step model to help us understand what a product/service actually is - he uses terms such as; 'augmented product', 'tangible product' and 'core product'.
We are very familiar with the concept of features & benefits - where buyers/consumers 'buy' benefits that are derived from the features.
In today's world, it would be rare I think, to find a single product/service under a single brand name. When Kotler wrote this chapter, the world was experiencing many industry sectors leveraging their product and brand names to introduce variants and also line extensions.
The final section of this charpter makes for some interesting reading as it explores the various ways that companies such as; Procter & Gamble, Heinz, General Electric and Kellogg's were using brand hierarchies - family brand names etc.
Again, Kotler's thinking can still be applied to today's marketing world - a few new examples can be given but the overall concepts still apply !
