Gore-Tex is a revolutionary material that is used in several types of outer- and athletic-wear that can keep consumers warm and dry in the winter but also cool in the summer. It is lighter and stronger than other types of materials, such as wool or cotton, and costs more. However, many consumers of these products were not aware of the advantages of Gore-Tex when comparing products and were put off by the very high price. To change this, Gore-Tex hired an advertising agency to assist in creating a special meaning for the brand and to communicate the advantages to end-user consumers. Gore-Tex also worked with the manufacturers of the products into which Gore-Tex was incorporated to encourage them to call attention to the fact that Gore-Tex is used in their products.
a. Which key concept in marketing is illustrated by Gore-Tex's desire to create a special meaning for it, and how can advertising help accomplish this?
b. Manufacturers of apparel products using Gore-Tex include that information on their product labels as well as in their advertising. What is this known as, and why do these manufacturers do this? (A 1½-page response is required.)