Types of Demand: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary

Primary demand is creating a demand from consumers on a new product class of either a narrow or broad scope. An example of this would be Tesla cars. This is a new product class and the consumer base has very little knowledge of the product so Tesla will have to create a primary demand for their automobiles.

Secondary demand is the demand for a brand in product category and does not require educating the consumer and also involves proving your brand is "greater" than another. An example of secondary demand is the ad pictured below of Pepsodent toothpaste providing a statement on how its toothpaste is more effective than the competitor of Colgate.

Tertiary demand is taking a new or different angle of marketing on what can be an age old product. An example of tertiary demand would be the ad campaign by the California Milk Advisory Board. This is similar to the "Got Milk?" ad campaign we discussed in class but they were able to look at it in a new light and came with a new approach.