| Course | BUS 320 Principles of Marketing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 4 |
| Paper type | Product and brand paper |
| Length | About 1,021 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Business Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUS 320 Module 4
From Nineteen Coffees to Seven: Product, Service and Brand Decisions at Juniper Row
Student Name
Business Administration Program, Aspen University
BUS 320: Principles of Marketing
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
From Nineteen Coffees to Seven: Product, Service and Brand Decisions at Juniper Row
The composite roaster Juniper Row offers 19 single-origin and blended coffees on its website at any one time. The founder takes pride in the variety, but sales data show that four coffees account for 61% of online sales, and the survey of subscribers found that many felt unsure what to order. At the same time, customers asked for an espresso roast and for help brewing at home. This paper analyzes Juniper Row's product, service and brand decisions and recommends changes.
Levels of a Product
Levitt (1980) argued that any product, even a commodity, can be differentiated because customers buy more than the basic item: they buy a generic product surrounded by what they expect, what could be added to exceed expectations and what might be possible in the future. For Juniper Row, the core benefit is a satisfying cup of coffee at home. The actual product is roasted beans in a bag with a roast date, a flavor description and a brand. The augmented product includes flexible delivery, brewing guidance and customer service. Much of the room to differentiate lies in the augmented level, where larger competitors do less.
Too Much Choice
More choice is not always better. In a well-known field experiment at an upscale grocery store, shoppers who saw a display of 24 jams were more likely to stop than those who saw 6, but those who saw 6 were far more likely to buy; in follow-up studies, people choosing from larger sets also reported less satisfaction with their choices (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). Later research has found that the effect depends on conditions such as how familiar people are with the category, but Juniper Row's situation fits the conditions: most buyers are not experts, and the site offered little guidance. Nineteen options, described mainly by farm and processing method, likely made choosing harder.
A Revised Product Line
The recommended line has seven coffees organized by how customers brew and what they like, with one rotating special for enthusiasts.
| Coffee | Role in the line | Best for | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Blend | Everyday anchor | Drip and pour-over | Keep; top seller |
| Southwest Espresso | New espresso roast | Home espresso | New launch |
| Dark Mesa | Dark roast | Drip, French press | Keep |
| Decaf House | Decaf | Any method | Keep |
| Colombia Huila | Single origin, balanced | Pour-over | Keep |
| Ethiopia Guji | Single origin, bright | Pour-over | Keep |
| Roaster's Rotation | Monthly rare lot | Enthusiasts | Replaces 12 rotating coffees |
Launching the Espresso Roast
Forty-one percent of survey respondents owned a home espresso machine, and most of those wanted an espresso roast. Developing it follows a simple product development path: generate options by testing three blends, screen them with café baristas, test the leading candidate with 60 subscribers who own machines, and launch with brewing guidance tailored to espresso. The launch will be timed for early fall, when subscribers return to routines after summer.
Service as Part of the Product
Juniper Row's brewing help should be treated as part of the product, not an extra. Each bag will carry a code linking to a two-minute video for the customer's brewing method, and subscribers can text a roaster with questions. Service quality depends on consistency, so the company will write short answer guides for common problems, such as sour or bitter espresso, and review customer questions monthly to improve the videos.
The Brand
A brand's value to a business comes from what customers know and feel about it. Keller (1993) located brand equity in customers' minds, as the gap between how customers respond to a brand's marketing and how they would respond if they did not know the brand, and described brand knowledge in terms of awareness, how easily the brand is recalled and recognized, and image, the associations customers hold. Juniper Row's awareness is strong in its neighborhood but weak elsewhere in Albuquerque. Its image among customers is fresh, local and expert, but survey answers showed few associations with ease or help. The revised line and brewing service aim to add those associations, consistent with the positioning chosen in the previous module.
Naming and Packaging
Product names will describe use or taste rather than only origin, as with Morning Blend and Southwest Espresso, so customers can choose without expertise. Packaging will show the roast date, the recommended brewing method in large type and the video code. The bags will remain recyclable, which matters to many customers, and the label will state where the coffee came from and what Juniper Row paid for it, supporting the interest in sourcing the survey found.
Risks
Dropping twelve coffees could disappoint enthusiasts who liked variety; the monthly rotation is meant to keep them. The espresso roast might cannibalize sales of other coffees rather than add new ones, so sales will be tracked by customer. Changing names could confuse loyal café customers, so staff will explain the change for the first two months.
Measuring Product Decisions
Each change has a measure. The trimmed line should raise the share of website visitors who buy, since choosing becomes easier; the company will compare conversion for three months before and after. The espresso roast will be judged on bags sold and on whether buyers are new customers or existing ones switching from other coffees. The brewing service will be judged on video views, text questions answered within a day and churn among customers who use it compared with those who do not. Brand associations will be tracked with two questions added to the annual survey, asking customers which words describe Juniper Row. If words such as easy and helpful begin to appear alongside fresh and local, the brand is moving in the intended direction. If not, the company will revisit how the brewing service is presented on packaging and online.
Conclusion
Juniper Row's product strategy should move from maximum variety to a focused line that helps customers choose, adds the espresso roast they asked for and treats brewing help as part of what they buy. These changes use the augmented level of the product to differentiate, respond to evidence on choice overload and build brand associations with ease and expertise.
References
Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995-1006. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995
Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299305700101
Levitt, T. (1980). Marketing success through differentiation of anything. Harvard Business Review, 58(1), 83-91.
What the BUS 320 Module 4 instructions ask for
Aspen lists products, services and brands among BUS 320 topics, and here the task shifts from customers to what a company actually sells. The Module 4 prompt appears in the classroom, so this example reviews one roaster's line. Describe the product at each level, from core benefit to added services. Evaluate the breadth and depth of the product line with evidence. Recommend changes and show the revised line clearly. If you propose a new product, outline how it would be developed and tested. Treat service as part of what customers buy. Analyze the brand in terms of awareness and image. Address naming and packaging, risks, and how you will measure whether the changes work.
How the BUS 320 Module 4 example is put together
The paper opens with 19 coffees, four dominant sellers and confused customers. It applies Levitt's argument that anything can be differentiated through expected and augmented features. The choice section summarizes Iyengar and Lepper's jam display and follow-up studies and notes later conditions on the effect. A seven-row table presents the revised line, including a new espresso roast and a monthly rare lot. A development path for the espresso roast runs from three test blends to 60 subscribers. The service section treats videos and text support as part of the product. Keller's awareness and image frame the brand. Naming by use, clearer packaging, risks such as cannibalization and measures of each change close it.
Reading the BUS 320 Module 4 grading rubric
Product and brand papers earn marks for correct concepts, evidence-based recommendations, clear presentation of changes and attention to risk. This sample supports trimming the line with research and sales data, not preference. The APA reference list holds Levitt's Harvard Business Review article on differentiation, Iyengar and Lepper's experiments on when choice demotivates and Keller's Journal of Marketing article on customer-based brand equity. Noting that later research qualifies the choice overload effect shows careful use of evidence. The table makes the new line easy to review, and the measures show how each decision will be judged. Treating brewing help as part of the product reflects a service view of marketing that instructors reward.
Common BUS 320 Module 4 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Students often recommend adding products without considering what to remove. Look at the whole line and its sales. Another weakness is citing a single famous study as if it settled every case; note conditions and limits. Treat service as part of the product where it matters to customers. Discuss the brand in terms of what customers know and feel, not only the logo. Consider risks such as cannibalization. Name products so customers can choose without expertise. Include measures for each change. If you are analyzing a real company, use its public product list and describe it accurately, and avoid guessing at internal sales figures you cannot see. Where you must estimate, say so plainly and explain the basis, such as reviews, public reports or shelf observations.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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BUS 320 Module 4 questions, answered
What does BUS 320 Module 4 usually ask for?
Aspen's BUS 320 covers products, services and brands, so a paper analyzing a company's product line, service and brand decisions is typical. Follow your classroom prompt.
What are the levels of a product?
The core benefit the customer seeks, the actual product with its features and brand, and the augmented product of added services and benefits.
What is brand equity?
The added value a brand gives a product, which Keller defined as the effect brand knowledge has on how consumers respond to the brand's marketing.
Where can I find a free BUS 320 Module 4 sample paper?
This page holds the whole paper above, trimming a coffee line from nineteen products to seven with a table of the revised line and a brand analysis.
Can offering too many choices reduce sales?
It can under some conditions, especially when buyers are not experts and get little guidance, as a well-known jam display experiment and later studies found.