Product mix: width, depth and consistency, with examples

Meaning of product mix

The product mix (or product portfolio) is everything a company sells, taken together: all its product lines and the items in them. Deciding it is one of the product decisions in the marketing mix. A product line is a family of products the firm groups together because they do a similar job, reach the same buyers, move through the same outlets or sit in one price band. A product item is one particular version, told apart by its size, price or look. The product mix has four dimensions: width, length, depth and consistency; the question asks for three of them.

For the examples below, consider a hypothetical consumer-goods company, Neelgiri Products Ltd.:

Width of the product mix

Width (or breadth) refers to the number of different product lines the company carries. Neelgiri has four lines, biscuits, edible oils, detergents and personal care, so its product mix width is four. A large diversified company may have dozens of lines across foods, personal care, home care and other categories. Adding lines widens the mix and lets the firm use its reputation and distribution in other businesses; dropping lines narrows it.

Depth of the product mix

Depth is how many variants of each product the line offers: sizes, flavours, variants and pack types. If Neelgiri's cream biscuit comes in chocolate, orange, vanilla and elaichi flavours, each in a ₹10 pack, a ₹30 pack and a family pack, it has 4 × 3 = 12 versions, a depth of 12. Its mustard oil sold in 500 ml, 1 litre and 5 litre packs has a depth of three. Depth allows a firm to meet the needs of different customers and usage occasions.

Consistency of the product mix

Consistency is how far the lines belong together: whether they serve similar uses, are made in similar ways or move through the same channels. Neelgiri's biscuits and edible oils are both food products sold through grocery shops, so they are consistent in end use and distribution. Detergents and personal-care products differ in end use from foods, which reduces consistency, though all four lines share kirana and supermarket channels. A firm with a highly consistent mix (for example, a company making only dairy products) builds a strong reputation in one field; a less consistent mix spreads risk across fields.

Conclusion

Width, depth and consistency help a company decide how to grow: by adding new lines (more width), by adding variants (more depth), or by keeping lines closely related (more consistency) to strengthen its reputation in one area.