Do Unmentionable Products Still Exist? : An Empirical Investigation
Abstract
Unmentionable products are those that are considered to be offensive, embarrassing, harmful, socially unacceptable, or controversial to some significant segment of the population. Examples of these products include personal hygiene products, cigarettes, and even fur coats. Describes empirical research, based on a crossâsectional survey of 248 subjects, which provides a taxonomy of these products. Objectives of the research were to determine if unmentionable products still exist; and to assist brand marketers with market strategies. Two key factors were found to group unmentionable products together: level of controversy/harm; and level of communication. There were two groups of unmentionable products based on this classification: controversial/harmful and public communication; and beneficial and private communication. Certain products were not unmentionable. Managerial implications include careful target market segmentation, particularly for controversial/public products. For beneficial private products, high quality and accurate information is critical. Unmentionable products still exist after 14 years, and both the concept itself and the determining factors are timeless, even though specific products will change over time.
Keywords
Citation
Prevel Katsanis, L. (1994), "Do Unmentionable Products Still Exist? : An Empirical Investigation", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 3 No. 4, pp. 5-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610429410073093
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 1994, MCB UP Limited