ESSAY 1:

For nearly 30 years now, the Blindekuh ("Blind Curve") restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland, has been serving restaurant patrons who come for the opportunity to eat a gourmet meal in complete darkness. Patrons arrive at the restaurant and enter darkness, being guided to their seats and served by 'darkroom professionals' and servers.On their website, Blindekuh states that they are one of the largest private-sector employers for people with impaired vision. They foster dialogue between sighted people and those with visual impairments and provide new perspectives for all who visit. They have another restaurant location in Basel, Switzerland, and the concept has been replicated in a handful of cities around the world.

a) Describe this business in terms of the 'product levels' framework we discussed in class. (15 pts)

b) Does this business fit your understanding of 'societal marketing'? Explain why or why not. (5 pts)

c) What do you think the future holds for this enterprise? Think 5-10 years into the future and provide at least three suggestions that would help ensure that this business is still in existence and successful. Explain your reasoning. (20 pts)

ESSAY 2:

Consider the MyEye Pro, a thumb-drive-sized smart camera that weighs less than an ounce and effectively attaches to the side of almost any pair of glasses. Using real-time artificial intelligence technology, it instantly and discreetly reads printed and digital text aloud from any surface at a low volume that is easy for the wearer to hear. It also recognizes faces, surroundings, paper money denominations, and nearly anything else the user points a finger to. It allows for independent living and shopping that would not be possible for a low-vision wearer without the device. It does not require an internet connection. Users have called it a personal assistant with me all the time.' This wearable assistive device is in use today in over 40 countries and 20 languages. It was named one of TIME magazine's top 100 inventions of 2019.

a) Identify what stage of the product life cycle you think this product is in and explain why. (5 pts)

b) Describe potential target markets for this product and the benefits sought by each of the markets you identify. You should be able to identify at least three different target markets. (15 pts)

c) Select one of those potential target markets and propose a marketing mix strategy to be successful with that market: (20 pts)

--in a sentence or two, describe the product, features, services, and possible additional elements that would appeal to this market

--describe the method you would propose for determining an appropriate price for this product, then, indicate what you would set the price to be if it were up to you

--what distribution options exist for this product? And which would you recommend?

--how would you suggest the marketer communicate most effectively with the target market? What theme(s) would you recommend for advertising appeals? promotional efforts? Are there any specialized, social, or direct media that you would recommend?