Question1

Suppose you are the brand manager for Subtle, a lightly scented shampoo aimed at women. Sales of your product have been declining. Exploratory research suggests your brand is not price competitive. Outline a research plan that would provide you with the information you need to decide what to do. Justify your approach, choice of instruments, and contact methods.

Question2

Discuss the flaws in the following statement: "Customization is desirable for both companies and their customers, especially an Internet company"

Question3

You are the product manager for a new disposable infant diaper that absorbs better than any other diaper on the market. Normally, an infant's diaper must be changed 8 times in a 24- hour period. Your new diapers must be changed 4 8 times in a 24- hour period. Your diapers cost 40 cents each to manufacture and market. Competing diapers sell to the retail trade for 55 cents each, and they sell them to customers for 75 cents each.

a.    What price would you recommend charging the wholesaler for your diapers?

b.    What price would you recommend the retails to sell the diapers for to give them a 20% margin?

c.    What factors influenced your decisions to set your price and why?

Question4

Emily Jasko has designed a new line of clothing, shoes and accessories for professional women and she is considering 2 options for selling her new products.

a.      Distribution exclusively through upscale department stores such as Bloomingdales in NY

b.      Establishing a network of corporate owned stores that would carry all of Emily's products but no competitive products.

Emily's merchandising V.P. favors the first approach.

Fully discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the first approach relative to the second approach.

Question5

Greenwood Press publishes a book entitled"How to feed a family of 7 on less than $50 per week", a cookbook with advice on gardening, canning and freezing food. Discuss 5 segments that YOU would go after in your target to market this book that Greenwood Press can use to market this book; i.e. what characteristics do they have in common.

Question 6

You are the #8 company in the bath soap business. Your company, Merit Enterprises makes CLEANLY Soap, a product BRAND that has 2.3% market share in an industry that is growing about 1.9% a year, mostly due to population growth. CLEANY soap was the first stop that the company made 50 years ago. Since then you have added other Health and Beauty Aid products to your product line. Your customer base for CLEANLY soap is declining every year.

Your VP of Marketing has conducted her weekly staff meeting and she has put things cleanly on the line. The President has asked her to increase profits. Your VP, after the meeting, wants to gain your perspectives as to what should Merit Enterprises do with the product line, especially CLEANLY soap. Your role in the company is Manager of Strategic Directions, responsible for mapping out the company's STRATEGIC marketing direction and overall profitability. In your role, you work with marketing managers for the different product lines, including Dale Williams, marketing manager for CLEANLY soap.

What STRATEGIC recommendation would you consider suggesting, that would demonstrate a good strategic approach to the situation?

As you answer, demonstrate your comprehension of the term strategic vs. tactical.

Question 7

Pinquitos (tiny pink beans) seasoned with garlic and herbs have been a favorite dish at ranches around Santa Maria, California. Susan Righettis decided to market this traditional treat nationally, under the brand name, Susie Q. She sells a package of dried pinquitos beans and dehydrated seasoning mix to use when cooking. Discuss the 5 major decisions that she has to make when developing the Susie Q, advertising program.

Question 8

You have been hired as the marketing manager for BigPharma, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The company is launching a new product, which helps people to lose weight, stop smoking and stop gambling. The company stands to make billions and you personally stand to make millions in salary and bonuses. However, through a highly reliable friend of yours, you have found out that the drug has side effects (specifically, if you take it after midnight, you will gamble, drink and smoke more, rather than less). If you disclose this information, you will lose your job, the company will have a major decline in earnings, the stock price will plummet, thousands of employees will lose  their job and, most importantly, those people who stand to benefit from the new drug won't be able to use it.

As a marketing manager what should you do? (No wimpy answers accepted. You must take a decision and defend it). List the ethical issues that you should consider.

Question 9

In 2001, a famous singing group, decided to develop an expensive line of clothing that, according to the detailed marketing strategy prepared for the company, was targeted to their young and highly impressionable fans. The product was placed, marketed, and priced for this target market. The marketing plan's chief goal was to capture the lucrative market of" under 25 years old". The competition for that group has become intense.

The advertising campaign focused on a certain group of youth whose favorite pastimes, according to the marketing plan, include "movies", "partying" , and attending "concerts", "video arcades" , and sporting events.

After the marketing plan became public, intense pressure from the public and parenting organizations forced the company to cancel the new product introduction. Assume you are a Marketing Executive hired by the company. Analyze the ethical considerations for and against introducing this new product with the proposed advertising campaign.

Question 10

Your Fixed Costs FC for running your plant is $1,300,000 a month.

Your Variable Costs VC, of course will vary. These Variable Costs average $1,634,000 a month.

Your plant is able to produce 76,000 Tools each month.

Your price to your wholesaler is $71.25. The retailer's price from the wholesale distributor is $94.70.
Your suggested list price for consumers for The Tool at the retail store is $129.99              

a.      What is your Unit FC per Tool?

b.      What is your Unit VC per Tool?

c.       How many Tools do you  need to sell each month to "break-even"?