ESSAY
1. Discuss the four types of consumer products and explain how marketing strategy changes across these
product types. Be sure to use examples.
2. Discuss the benefits associated with offering a large portfolio of products. What are some of the key
issues involved in managing the product portfolio?
3. Identify the unique characteristics of services (relative to tangible goods) and list the marketing
challenges created by each characteristic.
4. Identify and discuss reasons why firms become so infatuated with pricing.
5. In many (if not most) circumstances, cutting prices to increase sales volume is not a good idea. Explain
why this is so. What are some alternatives that are preferable to cutting prices?
6. Discuss the challenges associated with pricing services. How do service firms use yield management
systems to balance price with revenue and maximize capacity utilization?
7. Explain why distribution and supply chain management are critical to achieving a sustainable
competitive advantage and true differentiation in the marketplace. How are these issues related to other
elements of the marketing program in determining competitive advantage?
8. Identify and discuss the three major structural options for distribution. In your answer, identify the
major advantages and disadvantages of each option.
9. Compare and contrast the traditional use of power in a marketing channel versus today’s notion of
integrated and collaborative supply chains. Do the five traditional power bases still play a role in
today’s era of collaboration? Explain.
10. Discuss the issues associated with the increasing fragmentation of mass media audiences. How are
advertisers and media companies coping with the issue?
11. Discuss the steps involved in the AIDA model of outlining promotional goals. How does IMC strategy
shift from one step to the next in the model? How does the important of various promotional elements
vary across the steps?
12. Discuss the role of sales promotion in consumer markets. In your answer, identify several types of
consumer sales promotion activities and how they might be used in an overall IMC program.
ANS:
