Formal definition of category: the last level of commodity classification involved in customer's purchase decision can be associated with brand, and the corresponding purchase choice can be completed on this classification. It can also be subdivided into (concrete) categories, abstract categories and pseudo-categories.

For example, when it comes to air conditioning, customers can think of Gree, mineral water, Nongfu Spring and supermarkets, and customers can think of Wal-Mart. So air conditioners, mineral water and supermarkets are all categories.

However, there are indeed some categories in which customers participate in the purchase decision, but they are not the final categories, and customers cannot complete the purchase choice in this category, and this category is usually irrelevant to the brand. Such a classification concept is an abstract category. In order to emphasize the relativity with abstract category, "category" is sometimes called "concrete category".

Extended data

The product includes the following levels:

1. Core products: the basic services or benefits that customers really buy. Fundamentally speaking, every product is essentially a service to solve problems. It is the most basic and important part of the whole product concept.

2. Formal product: refers to the form of core product realization or the specific form of target market meeting demand. It consists of five characteristics, including quality, style, characteristics, trademark and packaging.

3. Expected product: that is, a set of attributes and conditions closely related to the product that the buyer expects when purchasing the product.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Classification