327) All of the following were strategic opportunities identified in IBM’s 2015 road map except
which?
A) The connected, “smarter planet”
B) Cloud and smarter computing
C) A shift from software and services to PCs and hard disk drives
D) Business analytics and optimization
E) Growth markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Africa
328) Implementation of IBM’s “Smarter Planet” strategy has resulted in all of the following
except which?
A) A reduction in supply chain costs for retailers
B) A reduction in traffic delays through coordinated signals
C) A reduction in power usage for consumers using smart meters
D) A reduction in inventory levels, as well as increased sales, for retailers
E) A reduction in wasted coverage for advertising messages to increase its efficiency
329) The marketing plan for IBM’s “Smarter Planet” strategy included which of the following
marketing tactics?
A) Handing out “Smarter Planet” T-shirts on selected college campuses through the world
B) Providing samples of new hard drives for New York City businesses
C) Sponsoring the U.S. swim team for the 2012 Summer Olympics
D) Including a strong message in an annual report from IBM’s chairman of the board and CEO
E) Garnering a celebrity endorsement from Jon Stewart, the then-host of “The Daily Show”
330) Briefly describe the five levels in a hierarchical organizational structure, including the three
that are strategic in nature.
331) Describe the three strategic levels in an organization.
332) Apple, a multimarket, multiproduct firm, manufactures and markets Apple Watch, iPods,
iPhones, and iPads as a portfolio of businesses. At what organizational level does Apple set the
strategic direction for these businesses to create customer value?
333) What is a cross-functional team and how is it used?
334) Explain what a visionary organization is and the three questions (why, what, and how) that
need to be answered to achieve success.
335) What are the three elements that today’s visionary organization must do to be forward
looking and successful within its marketing environment? What is the purpose of each of these
elements?
336) What is an organization’s mission? What are some elements of a well-written mission
statement?
337) In 25 words or less, write a mission statement for a local community college.
338) The American railroad industry faced a serious decline in the 20th century. What business
did rail executives believe they were in at that time? What business is a railroad company really
in? Why is the difference important?
339) Name and briefly describe the seven types of organizational goals or objectives.
340) The logistics industry has sales of $800 billion per year. If a third party logistics provider
had sales of $8 billion, what would its market share be? Be sure to define market share and show
your work in your answer.
341) Define marketing dashboard and marketing metric and explain how these terms are related.
342) Explain the difference between competencies and competitive advantage in an
organizational setting.
343) The Boston Consulting Group’s business portfolio analysis model can be used to analyze a
firm’s strategic business units. How is it used and what can it tell you?
344) One of the most recognized approaches to business portfolio analysis is the Boston
Consulting Group’s growth-share matrix. Describe this tool and the four quadrants of the matrix.
345) Identify and explain each of the four market-product strategies represented by each
quadrant in the diversification analysis matrix.
346) List the three steps of the planning phase of the strategic marketing process. Briefly
describe what goes on during each of the three steps.
347) Identify and describe the three phases of the strategic marketing process.
348) Identify and describe the three steps of the planning phase of the strategic marketing
process.
349) Identify and describe the four factors in a SWOT analysis and give examples for Ben &
Jerry’s Ice Cream that help identify the critical strategy-related factors that could impact the firm.
350) A campus service organization annually raises money through the sale of T-shirts. How
could it use market segmentation to increase sales of the shirts? Be sure to include a definition of
market segmentation in your answer.
351) What are the marketing mix elements that make up a cohesive marketing program?
352) A campus service organization annually raises money through the sale of T-shirts. What are
the major components of the marketing program it should use to increase sales? Give at least one
example of each.
353) What are the four components of the implementation phase of the strategic marketing
process?
354) Explain what a Gantt chart is and how it is used.
355) What is the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing tactic?
356) Explain the steps in the evaluation phase of the strategic marketing process.
357) What is the purpose of the evaluation phase of the strategic marketing process? How is it
accomplished?
358) Explain what a planning gap is and what is used to close it.