Question: What are some of the advantages and

> IMC Perspective 2–2 discusses the importance of the Hispanic market. What makes this subculture different, and what must marketers do to successfully target them?

> IMC Perspective 2–1 discussed the millennial generation. Discuss some of the ways that this market segment is different from previous age cohorts.

> Discuss the difference between benefit and demographic segmentation. Give examples of companies employing each. Is it possible for a company to employ both forms of segmentation simultaneously?

> As the media environment changes, explain how this impacts the role of advertising and promotion. Why is the IMC process different than it was, say, 20 years ago?

> Discuss the role that IMC assumes in the marketing mix. That is, how is this element of the mix coordinated with pricing, distribution, and product functions?

> Many companies compete in a number of market segments. Discuss an example of one such company and describe how it communicates with its customers in different market segments.

> Discuss the ethics of celebrities endorsing products in foreign countries but not in the United States to protect their image. Do you think celebrities hurt their reputations by doing endorsements and/or appearing in ads? Why or why not?

> Some marketers feel that grouping consumers into age cohorts like millennials, baby boomers, and so forth, results in unreliable generalizations and that such strategies might not be successful. Give the pros and cons of this argument.

> The lead-in to this chapter discusses Buick's attempt to reposition its cars to a younger audience. Explain why this may or may not work.

> Why is it important for those who work in marketing to understand and appreciate all the various integrated marketing communication tools and how they can be used effectively?

> Find an example of company or brand that has reduced its spending on traditional mass-media advertising and is allocating more of its IMC budget to digital media. Do you agree with this decision or do you think this company or brand should be maintaining

> What is meant by the categorization of touch points into paid, owned and earned media?

> What is meant by a customer contact or touch point?

> Discuss the opportunities and challenges facing marketers with regard to the use of mobile marketing. What are some of the ways marketers can use mobile marketing as part of their IMC program?

> Discuss how the digital revolution is impacting the way marketers plan and implement their integrated marketing communications programs. Identify three specific technological developments and discuss how each is affecting the IMC program of companies.

> Discuss some of the ways technology is making it possible for consumers to avoid advertising messages and the impact this is having on the advertising and media industries.

> Discuss the role integrated marketing communications plays in the marketing program of companies and organizations. Discuss some of the ways the use of the various promotional mix tools has changed over the past decade and factors driving these changes.

> Discuss how one of the consumer response models presented in Figure 5-5 could be used by a company such could be used by a company such as Apple in planning for the introduction of a new product such as the iPad Pro.

> Evaluate Procter & Gamble's decision to make digital and social media such an important part of the IMC program for Charmin. Why do you think P&G has been successful in using social media in the IMC program for Charmin?

> Discuss the role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing program for a brand such as Charmin. Discuss how Procter & Gamble uses various IMC tools to market Charmin and maintain its position as the leading brand of toilet tissue.

> A trend among advertisers is to make more use of consumer generated commercials to be placed on You-Tube and similar sites. Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of employing this strategy.

> There are indications that the popularity of blogs may have already reached the maturity stage. Take a position as to whether this is true or not, providing examples to support your opinion

> Discuss why mobile has become an attractive medium for advertisers. Provide examples of how companies have used mobile

> The growth of Facebook has had a major impact on the way advertisers attempt to reach their customers. Discuss how Facebook has changed the media environment, citing examples.

> Policy makers are concerned that some bloggers may not be disclosing the fact that they are being compensated for product or brand endorsements. Explain why they may be concerned about this and how it may lead to negative impacts on the consumer.

> Discuss the role of social media in an IMC program. What can these media contribute in regard to helping marketers achieve communications objectives?

> The new media discussed in this chapter have some distinct advantages over traditional media, but also have some disadvantages. Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of traditional and new media

> The drive to go viral has resulted in some major marketing mistakes. Explain why marketers are seemingly obsessed with going viral. Then explain some of the consequences that might occur should these efforts fail.

> Those responsible for most of the advertising and promotion decisions for consumer products are brand managers (client side) and account executives (agency side). These individuals are usually well paid, well-educated marketing professionals living in ur

> Some marketers have argued that the strength of the Internet in an IMC program is at the mid stage of the consumer funnel (knowledge, consideration, etc.) Discuss whether you agree or disagree with this position, and support your position with examples.

> Many marketers and policy makers believe the Internet and social media may constitute a “web of deceit”. Explain what they mean by this comment. Provide examples as to why they have this feeling.

> Direct marketers are very good at determining the effectiveness of their programs. Many direct marketers now measure the impact of the program on the consumer funnel. Explain how direct marketers measure effectiveness, and how they now use the consumer f

> Direct marketing has been an effective tool for marketers for a long time. Provide some reasons why direct marketing has been so effective. Do you think this trend will continue?

> A study by the Harvard Business School has shown that e-mail marketing is much more effective than traditional direct mail in that it provides a much greater return on investment (ROI) Explain some of the reasons this would be.

> Explain what is meant by Customer Lifetime Value. How does this formula benefit the direct marketer?

> Some marketers believe that traditional catalogs are on the way out and that they will be replaced by digital catalogs. Explain why digital catalogs will or will not drive the traditional catalog into extinction. Cite some of the advantages of maintainin

> What is the future of the traditional home shopping channels like QVC and HSN? Given the decline in television viewership, what will these channels have to do to survive?

> Explain the role that direct marketing can play in the IMC program. Can direct marketing be used for anything other than a behavioral response? If so, give examples.

> While a very effective medium, direct marketing also has a number of distinct disadvantages. Discuss some of these, and what marketers could do to decrease them.

> Discuss the various elements of the communications process.

> What is an infomercial? What are some of the reasons that infomercials have been so successful? Which types of products and services do you think are likely to be candidates for successful infomercials?

> Why has the use of guerrilla marketing been on the increase? Take a position as to whether or not this form of marketing has become controversial, and explain whether or not this criticism is warranted.

> Digital advertising media seem to be more and more effective, but at the same time, more and more controversial. Explain why both of these situations have arisen.

> Explain why marketers have increased their use of product placements and integrations. Do you think that product placements and integrations are effective? Explain your answer.

> Content sponsorship has been on the increase in a variety of mediums. Give examples of sponsorships in different media and explain why their use is increasing.

> There are some who predict that traditional outdoor ads like billboards may soon cease to exist, in part due to the rapid growth of digital signage. Take a position in support or opposition to this prediction supporting your argument with examples.

> Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of branded entertainment and give examples of both good and bad uses of this medium.

> What is in store for the Yellow Pages? Will this medium continue to survive in the future? Explain what the Yellow Pages must do to continue to exist.

> Place-based advertising has continued to expand to a variety of locations. Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of this medium.

> The text discusses the use of cultural anthropology to understand consumer behaviors. Why is it necessary for marketers to use alternative approaches to consumer behavior?

> Discuss some recent examples of product placements and/or integrations. Describe the context in which they were used, and how they intended to reach their target markets. Explain where these placements and/or integrations would fit on Hudson's branded en

> What are the major challenges facing the newspaper industry and the use of newspapers as advertising medium? How can newspapers respond to these challenges?

> Discuss some of the reasons why marketers advertise in college newspapers. Analyze the types of companies that advertise in the newspaper published by your university.

> The Association for Magazine Media promotes the value of advertising in traditional print magazines by citing research showing that print advertising is superior to online ads with regard to its ability to deliver a reading experience that supports compr

> IMC Perspective 12-1 discusses how Playboy Enterprises is trying to rebrand Playboy magazine in order to attract male millennials and the advertisers trying to reach them. Do you think the company will be successful in rebranding Playboy? Why or why not

> If you were purchasing magazine advertising space for a marketer of running shoes such as Nike, Ascis or New Balance what factors would you consider? Would your media plan be limited to running magazines or would you run ads in other types of publication

> What is meant by native advertising? Do you think it is appropriate for advertisers to run native ads that appear to be editorial content rather than sponsored advertising? Why or why not?

> Discuss the role of magazines as part of an advertiser’s media strategy. What are the advantages and limitations of magazines?

> The chapter opener discusses the Print Magazine Sales Guarantee that is being used by a number of major magazine media companies to encourage advertisers to run ads in print editions of their publications. Evaluate the decision by magazine publishers to

> What are some of the advantages online newspapers have for advertisers? Find the online media kit of a newspaper and analyze how the publisher is promoting the digital edition to prospective advertisers.

> Recently there has been a great deal of attention paid to environmental issues resulting in a number of companies embarking on “green” campaigns. Discuss some of the reasons as to why companies are developing such campaigns. Do you think these campaigns

> What are some of the reasons there has been such a dramatic decline in the readership of newspapers? What might newspaper publishers do to address this problem?

> Find a copy of a national newspaper such as USA TODAY or your local newspaper and analyze the types of companies that are advertising in it and how they vary by section. Why do you think these companies are advertising in this newspaper?

> Discuss the digital disruption that is impacting the traditional print media of newspapers and magazines. Do you think magazine and newspaper publications can respond to these changes and attract and retain readers and in turn advertisers?

> What is a commercial rating and how does this measure differ from a program rating? Discuss why advertisers and media planners prefer commercial ratings rather than program ratings.

> Discuss recent developments in the measurement of television viewing audiences and their implications for advertisers. Do you think advertisers should have to pay for viewers who watch TV shows on a time-shifted basis on their DVRs or video on demand?

> Evaluate the use of sweeps ratings periods as a method for measuring local television viewing audiences. Do you feel think sweeps ratings provide reliable and valid estimates of local television viewing audiences? How might they be improved?

> What are the various options available to advertisers for purchasing advertising time on television? How does the use of these options differ for national versus local advertisers?

> Discuss how digital and social media are influencing the way people watch television. What are some of the ways television advertisers can leverage social media to work to their advantage?

> IMC Perspective 11-1 discusses how intercollegiate athletic programs have become very dependent on revenue from broadcast rights for football and basketball games. Discuss the reasons behind the growing popularity of sports programming on television and

> Discuss the advantages and limitations of television as an advertising medium and how these factors affect its use by major national advertisers as well as smaller local companies.

> Why is understanding consumer behavior of such importance to marketers? Give examples of how marketers apply their understanding of consumer behavior to their marketing strategies.

> Discuss how radio stations, as well as advertisers, can deal with the clutter problem on radio and draw attention to their commercials.

> Discuss the way Nielsen measures the listening audience for radio stations. Do you think the rating methods are providing reliable measures of radio audiences?

> Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of advertising on radio. Discuss how radio advertising might be used by national versus local advertisers.

> The chapter opener discusses the major developments impacting the television industry. Discuss these developments and how they are likely to impact TV’s role as an advertising medium. How might these factors impact the way marketers use television as pa

> Discuss the differences between CDI and BDI. When would an advertiser use these indexes?

> One of the more popular metrics now being used in nontraditional media (Internet, social media, etc.) is engagement. This term has also been used in evaluating traditional media. Explain what is meant by engagement. Is this term being used the same in re

> Figure 10–27 discusses the advantages and disadvantages of media. Describe any factors that may be taking place that might change the disadvantages or advantages of various media.

> Explain the differences between CPM and readers per dollar. Which is the most valuable relative cost comparison for advertisers to use? Why?

> The media landscape is rapidly changing. Explain what is meant by this statement. Then discuss some of the reasons why this is occurring. What can traditional media do to continue to exist? A number of studies have examined the role that personality and/

> What are GRPs and target GRPs? Explain what these terms mean and discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of using them.

> Discuss the responsibilities and duties of an advertising or marketing communications manager in a company that uses a centralized organizational system versus a company that uses a decentralized system.

> Compare the definition of integrated marketing communications developed by Don Schultz with the original definition developed by the American Association of Advertising Agencies. How do they differ?

> According to Hofstede and Hall, Asians are (a) more group-oriented, (b) more family oriented and (c) more concerned with social status. How might such orientations affect the way you market your product to Asian consumers?

> A country’s natural environment influences its attractiveness to an international marketer of industrial products. Discuss.

> How can the change of major political goals in a country have an impact on the potential for success of an international marketer?

> Describe the ways in which foreign exchange fluctuations affect (a) trade, (b) investments and (c) tourism.

> Distinguish between: (a) free trade area, (b) customs union, (c) common market, (d) economic and monetary union and (e) political union.

> How useful is GNP when undertaking a comparative analysis of world markets? What other approaches would you recommend?

> Identify different types of barriers to the free movement of goods and services.

> Distinguish between internal and external validity. What are the implications of external validity for international marketers?

> What are the dangers of translating questionnaires (which have been designed for one country) for use in a multi-country study? How would you avoid these dangers?

> How should the firm decide whether to gather its own intelligence or to buy it from outside?

> What is meant by the concept of ‘psychological’ or ‘psychic distance’?

> In forecasting sales in international markets, to what extent can the past be used to predict the future?

> Do demographic variables have universal meanings? Is there a chance that they may be interpreted differently in different cultures?

> What are some of the problems that a global marketing manager can expect to encounter when creating a centralized marketing information system? How can these problems be solved?

> Explore the reasons for using a marketing information system in the international market. What are the main types of information you would expect to use?

> What were the most important export motives in the Japanese firms (Exhibit 2.2)?