1.What kinds of things would you expect to find in a trash can in a classroom?College library?Dorm?How would this information be useful to marketers?Are there ethical issues in sifting through people’s trash?
2.Determine and implement a research methodology to determine which cookie brand is the chippiest, tastiest, and overall best.This of course will mean determining what “chippiest”, “tastiest” and “best” mean and how to measure these.You need to report your methodology, results, and level of certainty
3.Visit the Epinions.com Web site (www.epinions.com), a clearinghouse for consumer reviews about different products and services. Think of a particular business with which you are familiar, and review the ratings and comments for that business. Discuss the extent to which this site might be useful to a marketer for that company who needs to gather market research about the company and its competitors. Identify the type of research this process involves—secondary or primary? Exploratory or conclusive?
4.Charles Revson, the founder of Revlon Cosmetics once said “In our factory we make lipstick.In our advertising we sell hope”.What does this mean?
5.Nikeowns several brands: Converse, Chuck Taylor, Cole-Haan, Jumpman, and Air Jordans, among others. Each brand features many designs, each of which has a unique identifying name. Wouldn’t it be easier to just identify them all as Nikes? Justify your answer.
6.You are the brand manager for a firm that makes herbs, spices, and other food additives. You have had complaints from some of your retail outlets that they are finding empty bottles of pure vanilla extract stashed around the store. Apparently, due to its high (35 percent) alcohol content of pure vanilla extract, people are grabbing the cute little bottles, having a drink, and getting rid of the evidence. Anecdotal evidence from store employees indicates that the majority of the imbibers are teenagers. The cost of placing a tamper proof cap on the extract is a relatively insignificant percentage of the purchase price, but will make it more difficult to open, particularly for older customers. Also, there has been a significant rise in sales to retailers as a result of the vanilla bean “addicts.” What should you do?
- You have been provided with a box of cereal.Examine this product and make a list of all of the functions of the package.
8.Go to www.inventables.com and click on the Product tab. Review the Example Research. Then peruse the Concept Studio. What type of innovations appear on each of these pages? Choose one selection from each and try to imagine potential applications of these ideas. Do you believe the new products will be successful? Why or why not? For which selection, Research or Concept, is it more challenging to come up with an application? Why?
- In what stage of the product life cycle is a new model of a PlayStation video game console?Is Sony’s marketing strategy-its four Ps—consistent with the product’s stage in its life cycle? How is it different from that of the deodorant in the previous question? Explain.
10. Disney World is considered a”Service”, albeit a very complex one.Does it embody each of the features of a service?Can you think of other complex services?
11. What type of deodorant do you use? What stage of the product life cycle is it in? Is the deodorant manufacturer’s marketing strategy—its four Ps—consistent with the product’s stage in its life cycle? Explain.
12. In what stage of the product life cycle is a new model of a PlayStation video game console? Is Sony’s marketing strategy-its four Ps—consistent with the product’s stage in its life cycle? How is it different from that of the deodorant in the previous question? Explain.
13.You have recently been hired by a cosmetics company in the product development group. The firm’s brand is a top-selling, high-end line of cosmetics. The head of the development team has just presented research that shows the “tween” girls, aged 11 to 15, are very interested in cosmetics and have the money to spend. The decision is made to create a line of tween cosmetics based on the existing adult line. As the product moves through development you begin to notice that the team seems to lean toward a very edgy and sexual theme for the line, including naming the various lines “envy,” “desire,” “prowess,” and “fatal attraction.” You begin to wonder, is this concept too much for girls in the targeted age group?
14. What does product quality mean?Does the definition change depending on the type of business?With your partner(s) define what quality means for each of the following
Visit to the dentist
Computer
Motorcycle
Haircut
Pair of blue jeans
Cup of coffee
Stereo system
