Lesson Plan

• Describe the four main categories of consumer products and the four main categories of industrial products.
• Explain the additional classification criteria (durability, tangibility, usage, price range) and how they affect marketing decisions.
• Apply product classifications to choose appropriate elements of the marketing mix for a given product.
• Compare consumer‑focused and industrial‑focused marketing approaches.

• Projector and screen
• PowerPoint slides with classification tables
• Printed handouts of consumer & industrial product tables
• Product‑example cards (e.g., bread, laptop, steel, cleaning agent)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Worksheet for group activity
• Exit‑ticket slips

Begin with a quick “What did you buy this morning?” poll to spark interest and link to everyday experiences. Review the basic marketing mix (4 Ps) that students already know. Explain that today they will learn how product classification shapes each of those Ps, and they will be able to demonstrate this by correctly categorising items and suggesting suitable marketing tactics.

1. Do‑now (5 '): Students write on sticky notes one product they own and guess its category; stick on board for quick check.
2. Teacher input – Consumer product categories (10 '): Slide presentation covering convenience, shopping, specialty, unsought products with examples.
3. Group activity (10 '): In small groups, students sort a set of product cards into the four consumer categories and justify their choices.
4. Teacher input – Industrial product categories (10 '): Slide presentation on raw materials, component parts, capital goods, supplies & MRO.
5. Pair work (10 '): Using a new set of cards, pairs classify industrial products and discuss which promotional and distribution strategies would suit each.
6. Whole‑class debrief & checking understanding (5 '): Quick Q&A, clarify misconceptions, highlight links to the marketing mix.

Summarise the eight product categories and the key marketing‑mix implications for each. For the exit ticket, ask each student to write one product, its classification, and one appropriate promotional tactic. Assign homework: research a real‑world brand, identify one of its products, classify it, and outline a brief marketing‑mix plan.