Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
If you miss a class, you do not need to provide me with an excuse. Further, I recognize that there are many
other pressures (tests in other classes, etc.) and legitimate problems (sickness, etc.) that arise. Thus, you should not
worry unduly if you miss one or two daily assignments. In fact, I drop the two lowest daily grades for each student
because of just that sort of reason. So, you have some flexibility. But, overall, there needs to be a pattern of
responsible involvement in the course and in your own learning experience.
In general, prepared and constructive participation in class is expected. However, I try to weight it as a
positive, not as a negative. In other words, effective contributions to class tend to help grades, not hurt them. I
recognize that some students simply do not like to speak out in class – and that others are quick to take all the “air
time” that is available. I don‘t want to penalize someone who in general is less inclined to talk in class. However, I do
“cold call” and there is a difference between not being prepared to respond when called on and simply wishing to be
less verbal. Students who show a pattern of not being prepared will be graded down on class participation.
The significance of substantive (“content”) contributions will be evaluated relative to the context of the
assignment and class discussion. It is also useful to think about criteria that are used in evaluating process–oriented
aspects of class participation. These are summarized by the set of questions listed below:
* Is the participant a good listener?
* Are the points made – or questions raised – relevant to the discussion?
* Are points linked to the comments of others, but not just a restatement of a point that has already
been made?
Connect Marketing Homework
Connect is an online homework management program. You will find a link to Connect on Blackboard. The
product is free when you buy a new textbook with an included Connect registration code – see inside the first page of
your text. You can also purchase access to Connect.
A Final Note on Grades
The “percentages” given earlier for different components of performance are provided to give you a specific
and clear idea about how grades are calculated. No one’s final course grade will be lower than the grade calculated
based on the straight averages outlined above. At the end of the semester, however, I look carefully at what each
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I feel strongly that your grades will reflect your overall effort and knowledge. Further, you should feel free to
discuss your grades (or grade situation) with me along the way during the term. However, no changes will be made
in grades at the end of the semester unless I have made a clerical error. Thus, please don’t ask that a grade be
changed unless you think that there has been an error of that type.
THE HONOR CODE
behavior in you everyday life.
There is no need to review all of the details of the honor system here – complete details of the honor system
are provided in the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance. However, a few comments about what is proper and
what is not in this specific course will help to eliminate any possible confusion – especially as it relates to group work.
If you have questions about your responsibilities under the Honor Code, please bring them to me or consult
with the Office of the Dean of Students (phone: 966–4041) or the appropriate student leaders (phone: 966–4084).
SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES
Please participate. What you put into the class will determine what you get out of it – and what others get out
of it.
Please come on time. Late arrivals disturb everyone else.
I’ll work at learning names and faces as quickly as possible. I’ll use a seating chart because that will help to
speed the process. So please pick a seat that you like and stick with it – and be certain that you are on the seating
chart. (I’ll hand out a copy so you can get to know others in the class, too).
DAY–BY–DAY ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
Read syllabus carefully; read Chapter 1 and scan remainder of text. Go to the Basic Marketing Online
Learning Center and check it out; be familiar with the different study aids it offers. Class discussion will focus
on the objectives of the course, introduce distinctions between managerial (micro–) and macro–marketing, and
discuss the basic concepts of how a market–directed economy works.
… assignment materials continue, with varying levels of detail, but in particular noting key dates (tests, major
assignments, projects, etc.)
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2. SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING COURSE OBJECTIVES
Some schools are now requiring each instructor to write a set of course objectives – and some have gone
even further and specified that they be behavioral or performance objectives (i.e., that they should be
stated in terms of what the student should be able to do at the end of the course or even class by class).
To help you meet this requirement, the following suggestions are offered. Depending upon your own
personal objectives for the course, two basically different objective statements can be developed. And
depending upon the detail that is desirable at your own school, these statements can be either short or
very long – as explained below.
The second possible objective is more ambitious. If the instructor wishes students to be able to make use
of – apply – the concepts and tools that are introduced in a basic marketing course, then he might want to
specify the following objective:
Students should be able to identify and explain, and then apply (use) the (following)
important marketing concepts in case situations.
Depending upon the instructor’s own preference with respect to teaching methods, this objective could be
achieved by using the text with the cases and video cases at the end of the text – and/or some of the
end–of–chapter questions and problems – and/or the computer–aided problems. The Practice Marketing
3. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PACE AND COVERAGE OF COURSES WITH
VARIOUS LENGTHS
This section provides some suggestions concerning the pace and coverage of the course to
accommodate school terms with various lengths. Sometimes, especially with distance learning courses,
the time for a student to complete the course is self–paced or customized. However, here our focus is
primarily on courses that are taught as part of a regular term schedule.
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
The suggestions here assume that topics will be covered in the textbook order. However, as discussed in
more detail in Section 1, care has been taken in writing so that the chapters can be used in different
orders – to meet different needs.
The Connect Marketing with LearnSmart offers a great way to integrate the material that students learn.
LearnSmart’s adaptive learning software provides a great way for students to reinforce the reading
material. Well–prepared students will go through each chapter’s LearnSmart in about an hour – although
the instructor can control the depth to limit the questions and make the review process faster.
There are several different possibilities to add more discussion and to stimulate student thinking and help
“set’ the course materials. We suggest you consider using some or all of the following:
• Connect Marketing homework assignments allow students to work through interesting homework
exercises which are the self–graded and recorded in an online gradebook – it even syncs with
your BlackBoard gradebook if you use that course management system. This works especially
well in large classes where discussion opportunities are more limited and it can be challenging to
grade individual assignments. We have found it useful to assign 2–3 homework assignments per
chapter, but base a grade on the best 15 scores. This allows students to get used to the
homework and encourages them to do more than the minimum.
“think, pair, share” on the internet for ideas about how to implement this approach in class.
• The Marketing Plan Coach and related end of chapter questions help students understand how
each part of the class fits into the marketing planning process. These questions require students
to review a real marketing plan.
• Similarly, one or a few cases probably would be beneficial.
• A marketing simulation provides a nice way for students to pull together their learning in the
course. We find it useful to assign a simulation during the last month of class. Practice
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4. COMMENTS ON ONLINE RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS: ONLINE LEARNING
CENTER, CONNECT MARKETING WITH LEARNSMART, AND LEARN THE 4 Ps
SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
These online resources have the potential to significantly enhance the teaching and learning experience
when utilized with Basic Marketing. The premium Connect/LearnSmart resources for students come for
free with the purchase of a new textbook and can be purchased separately. The other sites can be freely
accessed by students. The table below provides an overview of these resources and indicates where
each can be found. A more detailed discussion of each follows.
Online Learning
Center (OLC)
Learn the 4
Ps
Connect
Marketing with
LearnSmart
Description (cost)
Basic Marketing
site
Blog, Twitter
and Facebook
sites (free)
Premium resources
(Free with new
book or purchase)
X
Video Cases – clips from video cases in the book –
available for viewing on your computer or iPod.
X
Marketing Plan Coach – this online software tool
helps students build marketing plans by drawing on
concepts from Essentials of Marketing.
X
delivered on a blog, Twitter and Facebook. Invite
Connect Homework Exercises – Homework
exercises that are automatically graded and put in
your gradebook.
X
LearnSmart – An adaptive learning system
designed to help students learn faster, study more
efficiently, and retain more knowledge.
X
Practice Marketing. Computer simulation offers
students the opportunity to plan and implement the
marketing strategy for a simulated product.
X
applied in real print ads.
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
Instructor’s Manual to Accompany Basic Marketing III–17
Chapter Quizzes
The Online Learning Center at the Basic Marketing website features a set of 10 multiple–choice questions
keyed to each of the chapters. Students select answers from those presented and get immediate
Full–Motion Video Clips for Use with the Basic Marketing Video Cases
The Library resources for Connect Marketing offers video clips to go with each of the eight video cases at
the end of the text. We provide general suggestions concerning the video cases later in this manual, and
Marketing Plan Coach & Computer Aided Problems (CAPs)
The opportunities to use the Marketing Plan Coach and Computer Aided Problems (CAPs) merit a more
extensive discussion – and are consequently covered in separate sections a few pages ahead.
Connect Homework Exercises, LearnSmart and Practice Marketing
These new resources – all accessed through the premium Connect Marketing website – have a range of
uses. So each is covered in a separate section a few pages ahead.
Learning with Ads – the Annotated Slide Show of Print Ads
For each chapter, the Library resources for Connect Marketing includes a number of print ads that have
been used by companies in a variety of marketing situations. The student simply clicks on the name of a
Additional Comments on the Basic Marketing Online Learning Center and Connect website
The Basic Marketing website address (url) is: http://www.mhhe.com/fourps. We recommend that you visit
the website, bookmark it, and check back on occasion to see what is new. We will plan to routinely add
new material not only on the student section of the website but also the sections that are reserved for
instructors.
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We urge you not to give your website password to anyone else. Even if you are not drawing on
certain materials that are intended to be used by instructors only, it will create problems for many other
instructors if these materials become available to students. Of course, this possibility has always existed
in the past to some extent. An instructor’s manual, for example, could end up in the wrong hands.
5. COMMENTS ON THE CONNECT HOMEWORK EXERCISES AND LEARNSMART
Connect Marketing is an exciting new addition to our supplement package. Connect Marketing for Basic
Marketing is a web–based assignment and assessment platform that enriches the learning experience for
your students. Connect Marketing also comes with LearnSmart, the adaptive learning system designed
to help students learn faster, study more efficiently, and retain more knowledge for greater success.
Connect Marketing provides access to a range of premium resources.
Connect Marketing Homework Exercises
We have created more than 80 – about 4 per chapter – of these interactive exercises. Connect exercises
go beyond basic recall and create highly engaging interactive content that assesses student performance
on key course objectives. If you use Blackboard, the popular learning management system, can be
integrated with your Connect. Students need to sign on just once and grades on Connect homework
exercises can be ported directly to your Blackboard grade book. The chapter–by–chapter overview in
Section IV of this manual includes a summary of the Connect homework exercises for each chapter.
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
Instructor’s Manual to Accompany Basic Marketing III–19
assignments are tied to AACSB Assurance of Learning knowledge standards and Bloom’s Taxonomy
guidelines.
You can also easily create your own exercises and online quizzes – that will also be automatically
graded. You can even pull questions right from the Basic Marketing test bank (linked to EZ Test) – create
your own quiz, offer it via Connect to your students, and set up all the policies for the quiz.
There are so many different ways you can use Connect Marketing for Basic Marketing, here are a few
ideas:
• Assign all the exercises – each one takes 10–15 minutes to complete.
LearnSmart for Basic Marketing
Many students really enjoy LearnSmart – an adaptive learning system that has been designed to help
students learn the content from their textbook in a systematic way. Each chapter includes about 125 –
175 questions – although students may not experience all the questions. The software adapts to student
learning. So for example, if a student indicates they are confident in their answer to a certain question
and they get the right answer – they will not see additional questions on that topic. On the other hand,
expressing uncertainty about the answer or getting an answer wrong will stimulate more questions to
assure the student really understands the concept. The questions include traditional multiple choice and
true/false formats – but also have matching, fill–in–the–blank, and ranking questions. We have found that
LearnSmart reinforces the content from the textbook.
Practice Marketing
The new simulation, Practice Marketing, is included with the Connect Marketing package. There is a
separate instructor’s manual and a student manual for Practice Marketing. Students enjoy the
competitive and high involvement learning experience from the simulation. It also thrusts them into the
active and dynamic role of a marketing manager. From an instructor perspective, the simulation is also
easy and fast to administer. Students can work individually or in teams – we find that having them work
in teams helps them understand the simulation by blending multiple perspectives.
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Feedback to students comes in the form of financial summaries and a variety of marketing research
reports. Thus, there is a “living case” that stimulates students to think about the profit implications of
marketing decisions. They must work within a budget – and that encourages them to think in detail not
only about what they want to accomplish, but how much it might cost to accomplish it. Thus, as with the
computer–aided problems, the simulation encourages students to develop a “bottom line” orientation in
thinking about marketing plans and marketing programs.
The amount of time required to use a simulation is always an issue. Practice Marketing allows for some
flexibility as instructors can determine the number of periods to run the simulation. The instructor can use
the simulation to illustrate key points in lectures throughout the course. The simulation is developed to be
consistent with – and build on – the marketing strategy planning frameworks developed in Basic
Marketing. Thus, students get very involved in the ideas – and as the course progresses and they learn
more about marketing they are eager to apply their new knowledge in the simulation.
6. COMMENTS ON THE MARKETING PLAN COACH
The Marketing Plan Coach offers students the opportunity to see how what they are learning links directly
to the development of a real marketing plan. The Coach is based on our framework for marketing
strategy planning and it’s designed to help students develop (or evaluate) a marketing plan. It also
includes an actual plan for a small service business (a veterinary clinic) to give students experience in
The main application of the Coach is for developing a marketing plan or analyzing an existing one (for
example, the sample plan that is integrated with the Coach). This use is consistent with the Creating
Marketing Plans exercises included at the end of each chapter in Basic Marketing. Students find it
difficult to analyze unfamiliar marketing situations because they are often not certain exactly where to
begin, or how to proceed. The Coach, like the text, offers a number of frameworks that are designed to
help a marketing decision maker tackle this type of problem. Even so, there is often a need in marketing
analysis to “iterate” among different decision areas – so that the strategy can be refined as more and
more detail about the target market and the marketing mix is developed.
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
decision areas. And, after linking to those decision areas, it is easy to continue exploring additional
frameworks – or to “back up” and consider a topic considered earlier.
Each instructor may have different ideas and suggestions for how students might use the Marketing Plan
Coach. To get students thinking about the possibilities, it’s useful to demo the Coach in class—projecting
each screen as it appears. The Coach might also be used “real time” in class to stimulate additional
thinking about a case that students have analyzed using conventional approaches. An instructor may
want to practice a bit before using this approach for the first time, but once some experience is gained it
works effectively without preparation – with students making suggestions about what to do next.
7. COMMENTS ON THE COMPUTER-AIDED PROBLEMS
Problems with a Focus on Marketing Decision–Making
The computer–aided problems describe 18 marketing management problems, and each problem in the
set is different. As a set, they are designed to cover a full array of important topics from the first
marketing course – ranging from issues related to market segmentation to the product life cycle to break–
even analysis.
Each problem is based on a specific marketing management decision situation – and is described in a
short “caselet” at the end of the chapter. Each case description is accompanied by questions for the
student to answer. The student reads the case description of the problem and the questions, and then
uses the spreadsheet at the Free OLC to analyze data related to the case and to make a decision. The
spreadsheet has been specially designed and tested to be easy for students to use. At the same time, it
provides students the opportunity to do the type of analysis that marketing managers do to evaluate the
appropriateness of different decisions in different situations.
Teaching/Learning Objectives
As a set, the computer–aided problems are designed to achieve three basic objectives:
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objectives. Here, using the software is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Specific Benefits of the Approach
There is a great deal of material to be covered in the first marketing course. And students must get a
good introduction to marketing concepts and ideas that are necessary for effective market–oriented
strategy planning. Basic Marketing – and class lectures/discussion – can do this very well. But it is
usually difficult for an instructor to create learning environments in the first course that help the student to
see how the qualitative ideas and the analytical aspects of marketing decision–making come together.
Case analysis can help here. But this is a primary focus of the computer–aided problems. As students
Complete Solutions to All of the Problems
The chapter–by–chapter materials in Part IV of this manual provide complete suggested answers for all of
the computer–aided problems. Along with the suggested answers for specific questions, this Instructor’s
Manual also provides summaries of all of the relevant spreadsheets and ideas for framing class
discussions. The instructor materials that accompany the computer–aided problems make it fast and
easy to incorporate them in the course and discuss them in class.
Other Factors to Consider: Time Required
The computer–aided problems are designed so that students can do them quickly. However, here as with
Content
These computer–aided problems cover topics across all of the chapters in Basic Marketing. More detail
about the learning objectives and managerial setting for each problem is provided in the chapter–by–
chapter materials (Part IV of this manual). However, to provide a brief overview, the following list shows
the major content focus of the different problems:
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
10. Intensive vs. Selective Distribution
11. Total Distribution Cost and Distribution
The content areas were carefully selected to give students exposure to analytical marketing problem–
solving in a variety of contexts. As students work through the problems, they see that careful analysis is
relevant in all areas of marketing decision–making – and that the decisions that the marketing manager
makes in these different areas has an impact on the success or failure of the firm.
The content of the problems follows the chapter organization in Basic Marketing. For example, the first
few deal with broad issues related to targeting, segmentation, and developing a competitive advantage.
Then, the next two deal with buyer behavior and how it affects marketing strategy. The following one
deals with how marketing research information is used. Then, the problems move into the marketing mix
decision areas – progressing through the “4Ps.” Thus, the organization of the problems represents a
logical building–up of marketing knowledge and topics. Like the text itself, however, the problems are
flexible and they can be used in a different sequence – if the instructor desires.
Ideas on Ways to Incorporate the Problems in the Course
The computer–aided problems can be used as a homework assignment, as an assignment for a recitation
section, or for independent study by the student. Some instructors use them for optional assignments –
perhaps for extra credit.
A basic decision here is the extent to which in–class time will be devoted to discussion of the problems.
There is quite a lot of flexibility in this regard. The problems are experiential in nature – so the student
can learn from doing the problems even without much class discussion. But, they can provide an
effective backdrop for subsequent class discussion.
III–24 Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy
Student work on the problems can be checked if the instructor desires – perhaps on an intermittent basis.
There is a button for students to print their spreadsheets (or save them as a file) along with their answers.
So, it’s quick and easy to turn in without a lot of busy work on the student’s part or eye strain on the part
of the instructor to read.
The computer–aided problems can add a different dimension to the first marketing course. They are a
high–quality teaching resource. But, they are not for everyone. The types of objectives that are achieved
with the computer–aided problems can sometimes be accomplished in other courses in the curriculum, or
in the introductory marketing course those objectives can sometimes be achieved through other
approaches – such as use of case analysis or participation in the Practice Marketing simualtion
8. COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET EXERCISES
The Internet exercises we offer represent a good balance of time spent and return on the effort. Most of
the exercises are quite directed and can be completed (assuming that the student has convenient Internet
access) in about 15 minutes. If the instructor wishes, and an Internet hookup is available in the
classroom (or computer lab), five or ten minutes of every class period can be spent covering the key
points of each exercise. The reason for any given exercise is usually self–evident from what students are
asked to do, where the exercise is located in the text, and what is actually experienced once the student
gets to the website. Thus, to a large extent the exercises are (and are intended to be) experiential in
nature. The understanding and thinking occurs as a result of doing the exercise. Discussion in class–
with some sharing of views and some checking to see that students have actually had the experiential “ah
ha” desired–can add value. But, it does not take an elaborate discussion to cover the basic points of
each exercise.
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
Chapter 1: Marketing’s Value to Consumers, Firms, and Society
Internet Exercise: Target
Go to the Target home page (www.target.com) and click on a tab for one of the product categories. How
many different manufacturers’ products or brands are shown? Would consumers be better off if each
manufacturer just sold directly from its own website? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 2: Marketing Strategy Planning
Internet Exercise: Preschoolians
Jeffrey Silverman, the founder of Toddler University, recently started Preschoolians, which specializes in
shoes for preschool kids. Go to the Preschoolians website (www.preschoolians.com) and review the site
to learn about the company. Concisely describe its strategy. For related discussion see the Basic
Marketing text.
Chapter 3: Evaluating Opportunities in the Changing Market Environment
Internet Exercise: KeywordSpy
A marketing manager for Netflix may find it helpful to know more about how competitors advertise on
search pages (like Google and Yahoo). The website KeywordSpy (www.keywordspy.com) offers that
information and more. Go to this site and type “dvd rental” into its search bar. What competitors are
identified? What information can you learn about Netflix and its competitors at this site? How could this
information help Netflix’s marketing manager? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 4: Focusing Marketing Strategy with Segmentation and Positioning
Internet Exercise: Intercontinental Hotel Group
The Intercontinental Hotel Group owns a number of different hotel brands including Holiday Inn, Holiday
Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, and Staybridge Suites. Go to the Holiday Inn website (www.holidayinn.com)
and click on the link for “IHG brands” at the bottom of the screen (or search for “IHG brands” on Google).
Click through to each of the hotel brands. In which of the product–markets in Exhibit 4–12 does each
brand compete? Why? Why not? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
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Chapter 5: Final Consumers and Their Buying Behavior
Internet Exercise: Climate Counts
Climate Counts is a nonprofit organization that provides information to help consumers make choices that
have a positive impact on the planet. Go to the Climate Counts website (www.climatecounts.org), click on
the “Climate Scores” link, choose a market sector, and compare the different companies. Do you think
this information will affect how consumers behave? Do you think the information will affect how
companies behave? What will be the effect on consumer and company behavior if some consumers use
Twitter to tweet ratings, or e–mail to share ratings with others? For related discussion see the Basic
Marketing text.
Chapter 6: Business and Organizational Customers and Their Buying Behavior
Internet Exercise: Buyer Zone
Go to the BuyerZone website (www.buyerzone.com). Type office chairs into the search box. On this
page, look at the Buyer’s Guide—there are several links. Look at the Buyer’s Guides for other products
as well. What other features are available on this site? What can be learned about buying different
products from BuyerZone.com? For a marketing manager targeting smaller businesses, how could this
site be useful? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 7: Improving Decisions with Marketing Information
Internet Exercise: Social Mention
Marketing managers like to know what is being said online about their brand – and their competitors.
Social Mention is a service that searches social media and aggregates content it finds. Go to
socialmention.com and compare three tablet computers. Conduct three separate searches using “Apple
iPad”, “Kindle Fire” and “Microsoft Surface” – for each search in “All.” Which tablet has the most
positive sentiment? Negative sentiment? What is the ratio of positive to negative sentiment for each
tablet? Click on “negative” for each to learn the reasons for negative comments? Look at the measures
of strength, sentiment, passion and reach (hover over each to learn what it means) for each brand? How
could this information be used by a marketing manager for the Microsoft Surface tablet computer? For
related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
Chapter 8: Elements of Product Planning for Goods and Services
Internet Exercise: Nike
To support runners, Nike created a website and online services devoted specifically to them. Go to the
website (www.nikerunning.com) and explore its contents. Be sure to learn about Nike+. What services
are available? How do these services create value for runners? How does Nike gain value from the site?
For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 9: Product Management and New–Product Development
Internet Exercise: IDEO
IDEO is a consulting firm that helps organizations with the innovation process. Click on IDEO’s website
What elements of the marketing strategy planning model do you see in action? For related discussion
see the Basic Marketing text.
Marketing text.
Chapter 10: Place and Development of Channel Systems
Internet Exercise: Blue Mau Mau and Franchise Pundit
Franchising is a type of contractual channel. A franchisee buys into a business, agrees to contractual
guidelines for operating the business, and the franchisor provides support and advice. Franchisees
should learn more about the franchisor before signing a contract. One way to gather information is from
online blogs. Imagine someone thinking about opening a Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches shop. Go
John’s” in the search box and look at a few posts. What do you learn? With this new information would
you be more likely or less likely to open a Jimmy John’s franchise? Explain your reasoning. For related
discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Internet Exercise: My Bone Yard and Gazelle
Some websites are willing to buy your used electronics components. Go to My Bone Yard
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Chapter 11: Distribution Customer Service and Logistics
Internet Exercise: Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
Managers who are members of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals usually have
resources shown. How could this site be useful to these managers? How is it useful to students
interested in a career in a supply chain area? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 12: Retailers, Wholesalers, and Their Strategy Planning
Internet Exercise: Amazon Price Check for iPhone
Amazon Price Check for iPhone is a smartphone application that allows a shopper in a physical store to
use an iPhone to scan a product’s bar code and then check prices for the product at Amazon.com. Go to
Amazon’s website and read about this app (http://tinyurl.com/4qdw9bt). How will this type of application
affect retailers and their marketing mix decisions? Which types of stores will see Price Check as a
threat? How is this an opportunity for Amazon.com? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing
text.
Chapter 13: Promotion – Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications
Internet Exercise: Reputation
Reputation.com offers services to help companies and individuals monitor and manage their online
reputations. Go to the company’s website (www.reputation.com) and view the services it offers for
businesses. What types of companies might find this service useful? Why? Is there any ethical issue
with managing your online reputation? Why or why not? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing
text.
Ideas about teaching the first marketing course
Chapter 14: Personal Selling and Customer Service
Internet Exercise: Logitech
Go to the Logitech community support forum at http://forums.logitech.com. Scroll down the list to
“Universal Remotes” and then choose the list of forums for “Harmony Remotes—Programming.” Look
through a few of the threads. Are customers getting their questions answered? How quickly do they get
answers? How do you think this affects customer satisfaction for Logitech? For related discussion see
the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 15: Advertising, Publicity, and Sales Promotion
Internet Exercise: eBags
the “Best Sellers.” Read a few of the reviews—both positive and negative. Look at pictures of your best
seller choice and other information about it. Would you buy this bag? How was each source of
information helpful in making a decision? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 16: Pricing Objectives and Policies
Internet Exercise: X–Rates
click on “Currency Calculator,” and determine how much $100 U.S. is worth in Thai bahts, British pounds,
and euros. How do those numbers compare with April 2011 (see Exhibit 16–7)? For related discussion
see the Basic Marketing text.
Internet Exercise: FatWallet
Chapter 17: Price Setting in the Business World
Internet Exercise: Bizrate
Bizrate.com is a website that makes it easy to find different brands of products from different sellers and
compare prices. Go to www.bizrate.com and search for “popcorn popper.” Review the products and
prices listed and check a few of the links to related information. How useful is this sort of service? Is
Part III
there more variety in features and prices than you expected? Do you think that this sort of comparison
makes people more price sensitive? Why or why not? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing
text.
Internet Exercise: Best Buy
How many TVs come up? Scroll down and check the box marked “compare” underneath 2–3 of the 46–
inch models and then click compare. Note: If you do not find at least two models, choose another size.
What is the price of each model? What additional features are available on a more expensive model?
Which model do you think will sell the best? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 18: Implementing and Controlling Marketing Plans: Evolution and Revolution
Internet Exercise: Customer Complaints
Companies handle customer complaints in different ways. Select three products that you use, and then,
for each product, go to the website of either the firm that produces it or a retailer that sells it. How easy is
it for you to register a complaint with each business? Does the company encourage phone calls? Or
emails? Was it easy to find this information? Which of the three companies you visited does the best job
with complaint management? Why? For related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 19: Managing Marketing’s Link with Other Functional Areas
Internet Exercise: Kickstarter
Crowd funding site Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com) matches people who want to support creative
projects with projects that need funding. Go to the website and choose two projects in your area. You
can enter your city or a major city nearby and potential projects will appear. Evaluate the projects. How
well have they been funded? What type of people would be willing to support these projects? For related
discussion see the Basic Marketing text.
Chapter 20: Ethical Marketing in a Consumer–Oriented World: Appraisal and Challenges
Internet Exercise: American Customer Satisfaction Index
some industries, ACSI has been measuring customer satisfaction since 1994. What industries have
shown the greatest improvement since that time? What industries have declined in customer
satisfaction? Why do you think some industries have moved up, while others have moved down? For
related discussion see the Basic Marketing text.