Question: Camel is not the only Amazon tracking

> Find other examples of marketers creating controversy by promoting culture-based products that could be viewed as inappropriate by others outside of that culture.

> Discuss the major public policy issues in pricing practices within a given channel level and across channel levels.

> Since lighter skin and skin whitening are popular in Thailand, is it wrong for marketers to offer and promote products that encourage this belief and behavior? Explain why or why not.

> Research the internet for more information on how TOMS engages consumers using promotion tools. Choose two specific campaigns and evaluate TOMS’s promotion strategies for both.

> Explain how TOMS used public relations for the #withoutshoes campaign as part of the company’s promotion mix. It what ways did this tool helped promote TOMS?

> According to a Nielsen Global Survey, consumers are more likely to support companies that they perceive as socially responsible. Find three examples of advertisements that incorporate socially responsible marketing messages. Do these advertisements incre

> In a small group, select an advertisement that appropriately addresses each aspect of the communication process shown in Figure 14.2. Illustrate how each element is represented in the company’s advertisement. Discuss how the advertisement, by itself, doe

> How does a company determine its promotional budget?

> What is integrated marketing communications (IMC), and how does a company go about implementing it?

> Name and describe the five major promotion tools used in a company’s marketing communications mix.

> What challenges does Volvo Trucks face in maintaining the success it has achieved with this campaign?

> Why is Bass Pro Shops succeeding while Cabela’s is floundering?

> Compare and contrast upstream and downstream partners in a company’s supply chain. Explain why value delivery network might be a better term to use than supply chain.

> Describe how Bass Pro Shops became the nation’s leading outdoor retailer based on the retail marketing mix.

> Define Bass Pro Shops’ targeting strategy. Does the chain provide a truly differentiated experience?

> If this company’s stockturn rate was 3.5 last year, is the stockturn rate calculated above better or worse? Explain.

> Is it smart for Target to create such shopping frenzies even though some customers are dissatisfied? Explain why or why not.

> Is it ethical for retailers to create a promotion but not have sufficient merchandise for all shoppers who want to buy the items?

> If Selfycart or a similar mobile checkout app was available at your grocery store, would you use it? What benefits would you gain by using this new technology? Discuss the challenges you would face.

> Investigate the Selfycart app. What benefits and challenges will stores face in introducing Selfycart or any other mobile checkout app.

> Identify a retailer that is currently struggling. Discuss why it is having difficulties and suggest ways to turn things around.

> In a small group, present a plan for a new retail store. Who is the target market? Describe the merchandise, atmospherics, price points, services provided, location, and how you would promote your retail store. Describe how you will differentiate your st

> Name and describe the three major groups of wholesalers.

> What is psychological pricing and how is it used by sellers? Give an example.

> Define omni-channel retailing and explain its connection to shopper marketing.

> Is it a good idea for Bass Pro Shops to acquire Cabela’s? Explain.

> As completely as possible, sketch the value delivery network for Apple Pay.

> How many new retail accounts must the company acquire to break even on this tactic? What average number of accounts must each new rep acquire?

> Is it ethical that the trucking industry wants the hours-of-service rules repealed? Why or why not.

> Research the DOT’s trucker hours-of-service rules and write a brief report outlining the rules. What is the current status of the 2013 rules?

> Conduct your own research to learn more about Fabletics. Discuss how Fabletics is meeting customer needs through its value delivery network. What controversy surrounds the company?

> With respect to marketing channels, what are some threats to Apple Pay’s future?

> Can Lululemon continue to succeed with the current premium-pricing strategy? Explain.

> Identify all the reasons why Apple’s partnerships are essential to the success of Apple Pay.

> Discuss direct marketing channels and indirect marketing channels. Provide examples of each type of marketing channel.

> Based on principles from the chapter, explain how price affects customer perceptions of the Lululemon brand.

> Relative to customer value, explain customers’ willingness to pay premium prices for Lululemon’s products.

> Multimodal transportation is a crucial component of the logistics industry. Search the internet to find the largest multimodal facilities in the United States. Review the key features offered at these terminals and report your findings on their similarit

> The term last mile is often used in the telecommunications industry. Research what is going on in this industry and how the last mile has evolved in recent years, and then predict where it is heading in the future. What companies are major players in the

> What changes—if any—would you recommend that Trader Joe’s make?

> Is Trader Joe’s pricing strategy sustainable? Explain.

> Does Trader Joe’s pricing strategy truly differentiate it from the competition?

> Does Trader Joe’s employ good-value pricing or value-added pricing? Explain.

> List and briefly describe the major logistics functions. Provide an example of a decision a logistics manager would make for each major function.

> Under the concept of customer value-based pricing, explain Trader Joe’s success.

> If the company decides to sell through retailers instead of directly to consumers online, to maintain the consumer price you calculated in the previous question, at what price must it sell the product to a wholesaler who then sells it to retailers? Assum

> Given the cost per king-size sheet set above, and assuming the manufacturer has total fixed costs of $500,000 and estimates first year sales will be 50,000 sets, determine the price to consumers if the company desires a 40 percent margin on sales.

> According to one Harvard Business Review article over the past five years returns for the S&P Pharmaceuticals Select Industry Index have been virtually doubled those of the broader S&P 500 (roughly 24 percent versus 12 percent annually). What factors aff

> Research the Daraprim pricing issue. Is it wrong for Turing Pharmaceuticals to charge such a high price for this medication? Support your position.

> Go to www.camelcamelcamel.com and set up a free account. Track 10 products that interest you. Did any of the products reach your desired price? Write a report on the usefulness of this type of app for consumers.

> Your company has developed a new weight-loss breakfast shake that has proven to be successful in the test market phase. Users have experienced an average weight loss of two pounds per week. You hold a patent on the product. The cost to produce the shake

> In a small group, discuss your perceptions of value and how much you are willing to pay for the following products: automobiles, frozen dinners, jeans, and athletic shoes. Are there differences among members of your group? Explain why those differences e

> Define price elasticity and discuss why it is important for marketers to understand this concept.

> Determine by how much sales can drop and still let the company maintain the total contribution it had when the contribution margin was 40 percent.

> What is cost-based pricing? How do companies use fixed and variable costs in cost-based pricing models?

> Why is finding and implementing the right pricing strategy critical to a company’s success?

> Analyze Adidas’s business according to the Societal Classification of Products.

> Of the five sustainable marketing principles discussed in the text, which one best describes adidas’s approach?

> Give as many examples as you can for how adidas defies the common social criticisms of marketing.

> How many dozen eggs does a conventional farmer need to sell to break even? How many does an organic farmer need to sell to break even?

> Most large egg farmers sell eggs directly to retailers. Using Kroger’s prices, what is the farmer’s price per dozen to the retailer for conventional and organic eggs if Kroger’s margin is 20 percent based on its retail price?

> Is it wrong for marketers to create wants where none exist in the marketplace in order to make profits? Support your answer.

> In a small group, conduct research on this topic and formulate a sustainable, responsible marketing plan for marketing infant formula across the globe. Present your plan.

> Is Facebook acting responsibly or merely trying to monetize kids as critics claim?

> If the company’s original contribution margin was 40 percent, calculate the new contribution margin if price is increased 10 percent. Refer to Appendix 2, Marketing by the Numbers, paying attention to endnote 6 on the price change explanation in which th

> In a small group, discuss each of the morally difficult situations in marketing presented in Table 20.1. Which ethics philosophy is guiding your decision in each situation?

> Suppose that you are leading PepsiCo’s environmental sustainability efforts. How would you gauge the effectiveness of these programs? How would you communicate your efforts to loyal consumers of your brand?

> Describe the sustainability principles marketers can use to operate in a responsible and ethical manner?

> What is environmental sustainability? How should companies gauge their progress toward achieving it?

> What are the major social criticisms of marketing? How do marketers respond to these criticisms?

> Would adidas be more financially successful if it were not so focused on social responsibility? Explain.

> Which strategy does L’Oréal employ for entering a new market? How does the company benefit from this approach?

> On a scale of one to five, to what degree does L’Oréal adapt its offering in each global market? Support your answer.

> Of the five global product and communications strategies, which best describes L’Oréal’s approach?

> Calculate the market sales potential using the current exchange rate between euros and U.S. dollars (see www.xe.com/currencyconverter/). Is the dollar currently strong or weak compared to the euro? Why are U.S.-based international companies concerned wh

> Develop a list of the products you buy from a grocery store, dollar store, or convenience store where one of two things has occurred: The price has increased or the quantity in the package has decreased. Were you aware of the changes? Explain.

> Refer to Appendix 2, Marketing by the Numbers, to calculate the annual market sales potential for Spain in euros and U.S. dollars. There are 18,217,300 television households in Spain, with 75 percent having high-speed internet. Assume 50 percent of the h

> Discuss world organizations that assist companies in developing and abiding by global standards to protect consumers worldwide.

> Suppose that your company is preparing to enter the Chinese market with a product line that you believe will have great success. What is the best mode of entry for your company? Review the economic and political climates. Is the timing right for entering

> Research the Great Firewall of China. How will such government control affect social media marketing in China? Report on a Western online company now operating in China. How is it able to work within and around Chinese regulations?

> You have been asked to consult with a small business owner who wants to expand her company overseas. She has asked you to develop a global marketing strategy. You are not certain if the owner thoroughly understands the international expansion process and

> In a small group, identify and research an environmental threat—such as a regulatory threat, a cultural threat, or and economic threat—posed to global marketers. Analyze the issues related to this threat, discuss how affected companies are reacting, and

> Briefly outline the strategies used for adapting products to a global market. Provide an example for each strategy.

> Name and describe the four types of joint ventures as methods for entering another country. How does joint venturing differ from other methods of entering a foreign market?

> Will L’Oréal continue to succeed at such a high level? Why or why not?

> Which basic competitive strategy does Google follow?

> Week after week, consumers shop for many of the same groceries. At some point, the product may be priced the same and look the same as before but with less in the package. If consumers are not made aware of the change, is this deception? Is this differen

> Of all Google’s competitors, which ones should it attack? Which ones should it avoid?

> Define YouTube in terms of competitive advantage.

> How much revenue does one market share point represent in this industry? Assuming total market sales remain the same, what sales must Resource attain to be among the top 10 selling brands?

> What competitive thinking moved Volkswagen, one of the world’s major automakers, to cheat on emission standards rather than comply with them? How could Volkswagen have prevented this scandal, and what are the lessons for other firms?

> Is Volkswagen a competitor-centered company, customer-centered company, or marketcentered company? Explain your answer.

> How is Facebook Login expanding the total demand for social networks?

> Compare the evolving company orientations used to adapt to the fast-changing competitive environment. Is there one orientation that companies should be following?

> Describe the strategies market challengers can adopt and explain why challengers might have an advantage over market leaders.

> Define competitive advantage. How do companies go about finding their competitive advantage?

> Is Google a market-centered company? Support your answer.

> Using www.krazycouponlady.com, click on Stores, Coupons, and Deals on the navigation bar and make a list of the featured products. Identify the pricing strategy used by the retailer.

> Name and describe the two broad new-product pricing strategies. When would each be appropriate?

> Deschamps Company’s ending Goods in Process Inventory account consists of 5,000 units of partially completed product, and its Finished Goods Inventory account consists of 12,000 units of product. The factory manager determines that Goods in Process Inven