216) In addition to consumers, what other people, groups, and environmental forces interact to
influence an organization’s marketing activities?
217) What four factors are required for marketing to occur?
218) In China, many people are removing their money from the state banks and lending it out
themselves. The interest rate earned in a state bank account is about one-half the rate of inflation.
On the other hand, lending money to friends, relatives, and even unrelated entrepreneurs can
often earn the investor a rate at least double the inflation rate. The gray market, an underground
network of investors and private businesses, moves the cash from lenders to businesses. Did
marketing occur here? Explain your answer.
219) Add your own personal experience and creativity to what you have learned about
marketing. Formulate a plan to assess the needs of either (1) students who have too many
textbooks to carry to and from class or (2) executives who are too busy to keep up with the latest
information in their field.
220) Define needs and wants. Can marketing shape a person’s wants? Explain your answer.
221) What are the three components of a person’s ability to buy an offering?
222) Explain the difference between a market and a target market. Provide a specific example of
each.
223) Describe two different target markets for two different products or services you, your
friends, or your family have recently purchased or used.
224) An inventor designs a scissors that has interchangeable blades that allow the user to switch
from straight cuts to decorative cuts. Identify two possible target markets and explain your
answer.
225) Marketing managers use a combination of four tools in order to develop a complete
marketing program to reach consumers. Briefly define these four tools.
226) Imagine you have the sole marketing rights to a new herbal shampoo that stops hair loss
and actually causes new hair growth. You plan to sell your product on an Internet website, which
you will advertise on late-night television. You are also hoping to obtain free publicity to place
stories in men’s fashion magazines. You are planning to sell online a 15-ounce bottle for $24.99
plus $7.99 shipping and handling. Using the information provided, identify each element of your
marketing mix.
227) List the five environmental forces in a marketing decision that generally are outside the
control of marketing managers.
228) Why do some marketers feel that environmental forces are not entirely outside their
influence?
229) Do college students have a choice in which classes they take to earn a degree? Use what
you have learned about the controllable and uncontrollable aspects of marketing in terms of how
they might relate to course selection decision making. Incorporate marketing terms in your
response.
230) The Apple iPhone is rated by Consumer Reports as being one of the best smartphones in the
industry. Define customer value. In what ways do you think the Apple iPhone provides value for
its customers?
231) Assume you are a salesperson for a direct marketing firm that does in-home jewelry parties.
If most of your hosts or hostesses hold only one party a year, what strategies could you use to
build strong customer relationships? If you are creating your own business for this example,
make sure to describe your product(s) in your introductory sentence.
232) During October, kiosk or “pop-up” stores appear in many malls for the holiday season.
Typically, these kiosks sell gift boxes of cheese, jewelry, and other items people think are
appropriate seasonal gifts. In January, these retailers vanish. Is it possible for such a retailer to
use relationship marketing? Explain your answer.
233) Twitter is a website that offers a social networking service, enabling its users to send and
read other users’ messages or conversations called tweets, which are text-based posts, or tweets,
of up to 140 characters displayed on the user’s profile page. Connected to each tweet is a rich
details pane that provides additional information, deeper context, and embedded media.
Companies are using Twitter as a tool in their relationship marketing programs. In what ways
can Twitter be used to benefit both the customer and the organization?
234) Explain the marketing program that 3M used to reach the student target market for the Post-
it Flag Highlighter and the rationale used for each element of the marketing mix.
235) Explain the marketing program 3M used to reach the office worker segment with its Post-it
Flag Pen.
236) Define the marketing concept.
237) Goods, services, and ideas all can be marketed. Define goods, services, and ideas and give
at least one example of each.
238) What are the primary differences between an ultimate consumer and an organizational
buyer? Select one product and explain the differences in either its use or purchase, depending on
whether it was purchased by an ultimate consumer or an organizational buyer.
239) In our free enterprise society, which three specific groups benefit from effective marketing?
240) Explain what is meant by the concept of marketing utility. Identify and describe the four
utilities created by marketing.
241) At the BMW website, BMW.com, you can design your own BMW with the exact features
you desire. If you choose to use this method to purchase a car, what type of utility(ies) has(have)
been created?
242) Explain Chobani’s product strategy that makes Chobani yogurt different from its principal
competitors.
243) Describe Chobani’s distribution (place) strategy.