'mix of demand'?

Question

Hi,Please have a look at this:Brand identity is very important to your company in the long run, so do not sacrifice identity by cheapening the product. If there is a shift in the mix of demand and senior management is tempted to take steps that you believe may damage the brand, such as downgrading the packaging, you need to have the courage to argue for another alternative.What does 'mix of demand' here mean?Many thanks,Nessie.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

There are several products marketed under the brand in question. There is greater demand for some than there is for others, and probably a higher profit margin on these products. The company can afford to spend more on the packaging and presentation of these products.
If the "mix" of which products enjoy the greatest demand suddenly shifts, so that nobody seems to be buying product Z, management may be tempted to reduce the production costs on that product by providing a cheaper package (for example).
This would cheapen the brand, in the eyes of the consumer. That is, cheapening the appearance of one product reflects on the brand as a whole.

Does that make any sense?

RayH · Answer

nessie000What does 'mix of demand' here mean?

It's not really clear from the context you provide but my guess is that it means that there is a possibility that customers will change their preference from what it is currently, say product X and Y to, for example, product Y and Z or any other combination of the company's products.

Nessie000 · Answer

Thank you very much, Avangi and Ray. I've understood the idea, but... I still can't understand what 'mix of demand' here means

<If the "mix" of which products enjoy the greatest demand suddenly shifts...>

=> What do you mean by 'mix' here in your sentence, Avangi?

Yankee · Answer

Hi Nessie

I might describe it this way:

The word "mix" in this context basically refers to a kind of "mixture" or "combination".

The sum or total of all demand consists of a mixture of demand for X, demand for Y, demand for Z, and so on. X might represent 25% of total demand, Y might represent 10% of total demand, and Z might represent 65% of total demand.

Thus 100% of demand contains the following mixture: 25%, 10%, and 65%.
The mixture can change, however. For example, the mix might change to this: 10%, 5%, 85%.

Hope that helps.

Avangi · Answer

nessie000<If the "mix" of which products enjoy the greatest demand suddenly shifts...>
=> What do you mean by 'mix' here in your sentence, Avangi? I hope Amy's explanation answered your question.
Admittedly, this use of "mix" is more complex than what I'm accustomed to hearing. I'm thinking of a radio disk jockey program whose slogan is "It's the mix!".
Let's say there are different "categories" of songs - slow, fast, ballads, hip hop, rock 'n' roll, disco. The mix here would involve the percentage of the various types (as in Amy's example) plus the order in which they're played.

In another example, you might say that a factor in a particular election is the ethnic mix of the electorate - or, perhaps the various issues which people consider important.
You hear expressions like, "They've suddenly thrown a new factor into the mix.

The confusing element in this thread is that we're not talking about the product mix (which is certainly a common consideration in merchandising issues), but about the demand mix, among the various products which the brand features.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Please have a look at this:

Brand identity is very important to your company in the long run, so do not sacrifice identity by cheapening the product. If there is a shift in the mix of demand and senior management is tempted to take steps that you believe may damage the brand, such as downgrading the packaging, you need to have the courage to argue for another alternative.

What does 'mix of demand' here mean? It's not made clear in this excerpt, so the reader is left to conjecture. eg Different types of customers who want the product? Demand in different regions? Demand at various times?

Possibly it is a commonly used term in the business of marketing, but Google doesn't seem to offer much help here.

Clive

'mix of demand'?

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