55. The process by which the adoption of an innovation spreads is referred to as:
a.
diffusion
b.
circulation
c.
transmission
d.
dissemination
e.
dispersion
56. The process by which the adoption of 3D HD televisions spreads is an example of:
a.
test market
b.
diffusion
c.
product dissemination
d.
innovative dispersal
e.
marketing communication
57. All of the following statements about how adopters participate in the diffusion process are true
EXCEPT:
a.
Early adopters may also be opinion leaders.
b.
Laggards are the last consumers to adopt a new product.
c.
There are three categories of consumers who will adopt an innovation.
d.
The dominant characteristic of members of the late majority is skepticism.
e.
Innovators are the first to purchase a new product.
58. All of the following are categories of adopters in the diffusion process of innovations EXCEPT:
a.
laggards
b.
innovators
c.
early majority
d.
early adopters
e.
doubters
59. _____ are eager to try new ideas and products. They typically have higher incomes, are better
educated, and are more cosmopolitan than other categories of adopters.
a.
Early adopters
b.
Innovators
c.
Early majority
d.
Late majority
e.
Laggards
60. Kathy purchased an Amazon Kendle e-book reader as soon as they came onto the market. She paid
$399 for the product, which she bought the first day it was released. Kathy works in Information
Technology and is always looking for new electronic products to buy. She would best be described as
a(n):
a.
early adopter
b.
early majority
c.
innovator
d.
diffusers
e.
lead consumer
61. _____ embrace products relatively early in the product life cycle, are likely to be community oriented,
and often are opinion leaders themselves.
a.
Early adopters
b.
Innovators
c.
Early majority
d.
Late majority
e.
Laggards
62. Joaquin didn’t buy a netbook computer when they first came out, but he did purchase one a year after
they were introduced into the market. He is very active in his church and local arts council, and many
of his friends asked him which brand to buy when they were considering purchasing a netbook.
Joaquin is best described as a(n):
a.
innovator
b.
early adopter
c.
early majority
d.
leading consumer
e.
proactive
63. Which of the following adopters is MOST likely to become an opinion leader?
a.
Luddite
b.
Early majority
c.
Early adopter
d.
Proactive adopter
e.
Innovator
64. A company has learned that members of its target market are likely to collect more information and
evaluate more brands than early adopters. They are cautious and thoughtful and do not try the product
without asking someone else. The customers’ dominant characteristic is deliberateness. In terms of the
diffusion process, these customers are most likely:
a.
innovators
b.
early minority
c.
laggards
d.
early majority
e.
late majority
65. The _____ adopt a product because most of their friends have already done so, and their adoption is
usually the result of pressure to conform because they rely on group norms.
a.
laggards
b.
early adopters
c.
early majority
d.
innovators
e.
late majority
66. Liz tends to adopt new products sooner than a lot of other people, but she weighs the pros and cons
before buying. She does considerable product research, but her friends don’t really look to her for
information. She really deliberates before she makes a purchase. Liz is best described as a(n):
a.
innovator
b.
early adopter
c.
early majority
d.
late majority
e.
laggard
67. Which category of adopters adopt a new product because most of their friends have already adopted it?
a.
Innovators
b.
Early majority
c.
Early adopters
d.
Laggards
e.
Late majority
68. Leon is not very quick to purchase innovative products when they come out, but after a while he
breaks down and buys if after most of his friends have bought it. He gets most of his information
from them when he decides to buy something. He is very skeptical of marketing, so he trusts his
friends more than anything. Leon is best described as a(n):
a.
innovator
b.
early adopter
c.
early majority
d.
late majority
e.
laggard
69. Among the late majority group, adoption of a product primarily results from:
a.
word-of-mouth communications
b.
print advertising
c.
advertising in nontraditional media
d.
broadcast advertising
e.
sales promotions
70. A dominant characteristic of the late majority is:
a.
deliberateness
b.
skepticism
c.
respect of others
d.
cheerfulness
e.
optimism
71. In the adopter categories, the final 16 percent to adopt are similar to innovators in that they do not rely
on the norms of the group but are independent because they are tradition-bound. They tend to have the
lowest socioeconomic status, are suspicious of new products, and are alienated from a rapidly
advancing society. They are called:
a.
generics
b.
late majority
c.
decliners
d.
laggards
e.
Luddites
72. Which is the last adopter category to adopt an innovation?
a.
Late majority
b.
Laggards
c.
Late diffusers
d.
Reluctant adopters
e.
Traditionalists
73. All of the following are product characteristics influencing the rate of adoption EXCEPT:
a.
complexity
b.
compatibility
c.
relative advantage
d.
observability
e.
distribution
74. Which product factor influencing the rate of adoption represents the degree of difficulty involved in
understanding and using a new product?
a.
Complexity
b.
Compatibility
c.
Relative advantage
d.
Observability
e.
Trialability
75. Oakley, the manufacturer of protective eyewear for sports enthusiasts, has recently introduced
Oakley’s Thump, UV sunglasses that allow the wearer to store and listen to 120 different songs. Which
of the following product characteristics would likely exert the greatest influence on the market success
of these new glasses?
a.
compatibility
b.
comparability
c.
complexity
d.
tangibility
e.
competitive advantage
76. Which product characteristic affecting the rate of adoption represents the degree to which the new
product is consistent with existing values and product knowledge, past experiences, and current needs?
a.
Complexity
b.
Compatibility
c.
Relative advantage
d.
Observability
e.
Trialability
77. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is famous for its unusual flavors, such as Wildberry Lavender, Goat
Cheese with Red Cherries, and Sweet Corn and Black Raspberries . Which of the following product
characteristics would most likely influence the market success of these flavors?
a.
Compatibility
b.
Comparability
c.
Complexity
d.
Tangibility
e.
Competitive advantage
78. When the Segway Human Transporter was introduced in 2002, many people expected the product to
be a phenomenal success. While the Segway is still on the market it has never been the success so
many expected. A recent Wall Street Journal article suggested that the Segway, while brilliant
technologically, seemed impractical to most people as it could not be used to replace their current
method of transportation. In other words, the Segway had problems with:
a.
compatibility
b.
relative advantage
c.
observability
d.
trialability
e.
longevity
79. Many product failures such as Cucumber antiperspirant spray, Toaster Eggs, and Health-Sea
sea-sausages most likely did not succeed because they did not conform to the product characteristic of:
a.
complexity
b.
trialability
c.
total advantage
d.
observability
e.
compatibility
80. The product characteristic affecting the rate of adoption characterized by the degree to which a product
is perceived as superior to existing substitutes is:
a.
compatibility
b.
complexity
c.
relative advantage
d.
product differentiation
e.
competitive advantage
81. Biopure Corp. is developing a human blood substitute called Hemopure. Unlike like donated human
blood that needs to be refrigerated and expires after a short period of time, Hemopure is shelf-stable
and can be stored for two years or more. Also, it does not need to be matched to a person’s blood
type like donated blood does. These factors make it well-suited for trauma cases where blood must be
transfused at an accident site or on the battlefield. Which product characteristic influencing the rate of
adoption does this represent?
a.
Complexity
b.
Compatibility
c.
Relative advantage
d.
Observability
e.
Trialability
82. Which product characteristic affecting the rate of adoption of a new product represents the degree to
which the benefits or other results of using the product can be communicated to target customers?
a.
Observability
b.
Diffusion
c.
Adoption
d.
Trialability
e.
Complexity
83. Razor scooters gained instant popularity because walkers and runners frequently saw people on the
scooters zipping by them and having fun. This information suggests the adoption rate of the Razor
scooter was most affected by which product characteristic?
a.
Complexity
b.
Trialability
c.
Relative advantage
d.
Observability
e.
Compatibility
84. A new medication to eliminate fungal growths on people’s toenails may have a slow rate of adoption
because it is not a highly visible item in homes. Also, this item is not often discussed among friends
and coworkers. This is an example of how the characteristic of _____ can work to slow the adoption
process.
a.
relative advantage
b.
observability
c.
trialability
d.
complexity
e.
compatibility
85. The degree to which a product can be used on a limited basis represents which product characteristic
influencing the rate of adoption?
a.
Complexity
b.
Trialability
c.
Observability
d.
Relative advantage
e.
Sampling
86. Which of the following products has the lowest level of trialability?
a.
An Internet chat room
b.
Low-fat ice cream
c.
Surgically implanted hearing aids
d.
Organic pet food
e.
A new air freshener
87. This Saturday at the grocery store, Dorothy noticed a woman had a portable grill set up in the meat
department cooking Johnsonville sausages. The woman offered Dorothy a sample of the sausage and
directed her to the display of Johnsonville sausages in the meat case. In this case, Johnsonville is
relying on _____ to encourage adoption and diffusion of its sausages.
a.
compatibility
b.
comparability
c.
complexity
d.
trialability
e.
competitive advantage
88. A word-of-mouth communication strategy, particularly conducted via the Internet, is often referred to
as:
a.
guerilla marketing
b.
buzz marketing
c.
piggybacking
d.
blogging
e.
relationship marketing
89. Researchers have found that 39 percent of _____ reported spending five or more hours online each
day, compared to just 23 percent of other categories of adopters.
a.
early adopters
b.
innovators
c.
laggards
d.
early majority
e.
late majority
90. A biological metaphor that traces the stages of a product’s acceptance, from its introduction (birth) to
its decline (death) is called the:
a.
product diffusion process
b.
product phase
c.
product adoption stages
d.
product evolution cycle
e.
product life cycle
91. The stages of the product life cycle, in order, are:
a.
introduction, maturity, decline
b.
introduction, growth, maturity, decline
c.
growth, maturity, plateau, decline
d.
innovation, early adoption, late adoption, laggard
e.
category acceptance, category growth, brand acceptance, brand growth
92. What can the marketers of consumer products expect to find when they study and apply the product
life cycle theory to their products?
a.
All products go through every stage of the life cycle.
b.
Changes in a product can change its life cycle.
c.
The amount of time products stay in each stage is standardized for consumer products, but
not industrial products.
d.
All products except those considered faddish go through every stage.
e.
The theory helps to predict how long a firm will stay in each stage.
93. All the brands that satisfy a particular type of need such as shaving products, laundry detergent, soft
drinks, and furniture make up a(n):
a.
product life cycle stage
b.
primary group
c.
adopter category
d.
product category
e.
reference group
94. Microwave ovens, staplers, frozen yogurt, and purses are examples of:
a.
PLC line items
b.
line-extendable categories
c.
brand classes
d.
brand groupings
e.
product categories
95. A brand of iced tea, called Gold Peak, has high marketing costs as well as high production costs.
Promotions for the product are aimed at gaining distribution and informing consumers that this
premium product tastes like it’s home-brewed. In which stage of the product life cycle is Gold Peak
iced tea?
a.
introductory
b.
growth
c.
maturity
d.
decline
e.
saturation
96. The length of the introductory stage of the product life cycle for a new product is largely determined
by:
a.
the size of the product
b.
the product’s marketing mix
c.
the efficiency of the test marketing
d.
product characteristics, such as advantages over substitute products
e.
the size of the market
97. The phase of the product life cycle in which healthy profits usually begin to appear is the _____ stage.
a.
growth
b.
decline
c.
introductory
d.
maturity
e.
commercialization
98. The advertising strategy during the growth stage of the product life cycle should be to:
a.
aim at the needs of innovators
b.
make the mass market aware of brand benefits
c.
use advertising as a vehicle for introducing the product category benefits
d.
emphasize the product’s low price to help reduce inventories
e.
make the market aware of product category brands
99. During the growth stage of the product life cycle:
a.
there is little emphasis on the distribution strategy
b.
demand for the product is limited to high-income consumers
c.
prices increase due to economies of scale
d.
there is decreased direct competition
e.
profits peak
100. At the beginning of the maturity stage of the product life cycle, sales typically:
a.
become flat and do not change
b.
increase at an increasing rate
c.
decrease at a decreasing rate
d.
decrease at an increasing rate
e.
increase at a decreasing rate
101. Normally, the longest stage of the product life cycle is the _____ stage.
a.
maturity
b.
growth
c.
introductory
d.
decline
e.
development
102. Washing machines and refrigerators are in the _____ stage of the product life cycle.
a.
maturity
b.
growth
c.
introductory
d.
decline
e.
development
103. In which stage of the product life cycle do marginal competitors start dropping out of the market?
a.
Introduction
b.
Growth
c.
Maturity
d.
Decline
e.
Shake-out
104. A long-run drop in sales signals the beginning of which stage in the product life cycle?
a.
Laggard stage
b.
Saturation stage
c.
Deterioration stage
d.
Decline stage
e.
Decay stage
105. Which of the following products is most likely to be in the decline stage of its product life cycle?
a.
Cookie mixes
b.
Wireless mobile phones
c.
Programmable CD-ROMs
d.
Funeral caskets
e.
Prerecorded audiocassette tapes
106. The rate of sales decline during the decline stage of the product life cycle is largely governed by:
a.
the amount of money spent on advertising
b.
the number of competitors in the market
c.
the intensity of the competition’s marketing efforts
d.
the amount of shelf space allotted to the product
e.
how rapidly consumer tastes change or substitute products are adopted
107. You are a product manager for a manufacturer of trampolines. You have determined that the
trampoline is in the maturity stage of the product life cycle. To keep your product from entering the
decline stage, you should:
a.
use promotion to increase primary demand for trampolines