Answer:
A) a product's performance characteristics and attributes for which customers are willing to pay.
Step-by-step explanation:
Only customers can assign value to a product. A manufacturer can set a product's price, but if the customers do not accept that price and assign a lower value to the product, then they will not purchase it. This applies to every single market situation (except for command economies) including monopolies, free markets, monopolistic competition, etc. Customers value a product depending on its performance characteristics and attributes, e.g. sports cars are value for being fast, Volvos for being safe, compared to other similar products. Customers do not value unique one of a kind characteristics, they value relative characteristics, i.e. the best product has a higher value.