APPLIED QUESTIONS
1. You have been hired by a five star deluxe hotel in Goa. This hotel has been experiencing uneven demand for its facilities. The management has asked you to develop a marketing plan to even out this demand.
2. A brand manager of a company producing household washing powder was re-evaluating the market strategy for this product. She had taken over the position from a manager who had developed cost leadership strategy for this product. Now she wondered, whether such a strategy was best. What will be your suggestions to her on any alternative
3. A company in the consumer durable industry has just added an electronic, cordless broom to its product line and has approached you for positioning. The product is targeted at the middle income households and is priced at Rs. 2,200. The company is a leader in its other product lines. Work out a positioning strategy and its rationale for this wonder product strategy. Give reasons for the same.
4. You are a marketing manager of toothpaste manufacturing company who has chosen to use a full market coverage pattern of target market selection. Discuss the two broad ways ( undifferentiated & differentiated marketing ) by which the firm can cover the whole market.
5. Mr. Vivek Rao, GM ( Marketing ) of Datsun Motors, plans to develop a communication campaign to persuade 2 wheeler owners to upgrade to the new entry level car the company has recently launched. How can Mr. Rao with the help of a well developed market research process develop an effective campaign?
6. Traditionally, jewellery has been more than just an ornament and adornment—it is seen as an investment and nest egg for times of need. With time and with Indian women redefining themselves, marketing jewellery to women has changed. Analyse how jewellery has evolved from being a traditional acquisition for purposes of marriage and investment to that of branded jewellery based on personal taste, international designs, and how marketers are targeting different segments today.
7. Shaadi.com has been wondering how it can bring back customers to its website. This is especially because once the objective of the customer to find a match has been achieved, the customer has no reason to return. The advertising revenues of shaadi.com are linked to number of customers the site is able to attract & retain. What strategy should this website adopt?
8. Discuss the basis for segmentation for the following products:
(a) Digital Camera
(b) Scented Candles
9. John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems said, “ make your customer the centre of your culture”. Customer centered companies are adept at building customer relationships, not just producing products; they are skilled in market engineering, not just product engineering. Taking insights from your study in marketing, explain the above statement & the various concepts mentioned therein.
10. A couple of years ago, a customer would need to dial a number and encounter an emotionless interactive voice response system to file a complaint with a bank. If that tested one's patience, one would go to a bank branch and wait endlessly for a customer service executive. But today, social media has completely transformed the promotion & the relationship spectrum. Comment.