Karen works as a salesperson for Wsthof, a company that makes cutlery and kitchen knives. She is driven to make as many sales as possible to as many people as possible in order to increase her commission. Although she has many great customer relationships, she also has a reputation for overly aggressive sales tactics. Karen has been able to convince customers to purchase more expensive knives even after they say they are not interested. As a result of Karens high sales, she is a top sales associate at the company.

Recently, however, Karens sponsor has been informed of complaints that customers have levied against Karen accusing her of badgering them into buying products. The sponsor meets with Karen and tells her it is unacceptable to pressure consumers into purchasing items they do not want.

Refer to Scenario 1.1. Which variable of the marketing mix does this issue involve?

-Marketing environment

-Price

-Promotion

-Distribution

Product

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An indie nail polish brand, Holo Taco, conducts in-depth marketing research to determine what customers want. Its long-wearing nail polishes are made with the highest quality holographic glitter. The company creates buzz around its product offerings by discussing the product weeks before it is launched. This anticipation builds up until the product is launched, resulting in wide-scale sales that often result in its website selling out of the newest product.

Refer to Scenario 1.2. Holo Tacos emphasis on marketing research is used to enhance what variable of the marketing mix?

-Promotion

-Distribution

-Supply chain management

-Price

-Product

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Scenario 1.2.

An indie nail polish brand, Holo Taco, conducts in-depth marketing research to determine what customers want. Its long-wearing nail polishes are made with the highest quality holographic glitter. The company creates buzz around its product offerings by discussing the product weeks before it is launched. This anticipation builds up until the product is launched, resulting in wide-scale sales that often result in its website selling out of the newest product.

Refer to Scenario 1.2. Holo Tacos skills at creating buzz for its newest product offering weeks before its release is an example of what marketing variable?

-Supply chain management

-Product

-Promotion

-Price

-Distribution

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Christopher, the CEO of a linguistics company, worked with his chief technology officer to develop an information system to discover customers real needs. Christopher uses the information to create satisfying products for his target market, increasing his sales revenue and profit. He strives to perfect his marketing mix to keep business booming. Christopher embraces the marketing concept. What is the major focus of the marketing concept?

-Target market

-Customer satisfaction

-Profit

-Marketing mix

-Sales revenue

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Dylan manages a highly reputable cybersecurity business. This company has been voted as having the best cybersecurity software. Consumers appreciate the fact that they can make secure transactions without worrying about privacy or identity theft. Dylan knows that the companys product far surpasses that of the competition. One thing has been bothering him, though. In order to put so many resources into ensuring the best software, Dylan had to lay off employees at the customer call center. Recently, consumers have begun complaining about long wait times when they call in with a problem or concern. Although its cybersecurity software is still considered one of the best, customer satisfaction with the firms customer service has plummeted. Dylan does not understand why consumers are getting so upset. He believes the exceptional software more than makes up for long waiting periods and other issues with its customer service. After all, he says, they cant have it all. If I invest more in customer service, that means less investment on ensuring the quality of our product offering.

Refer to Scenario 1.3. Dylan has asked you, a marketing consultant, to give him advice. He cannot understand how a cybersecurity company with the best product offering in the industry could get such low satisfaction ratings simply because the customer service is not up to par. You suggest that Dylan has a narrowly defined view of the companys product offering. You tell Dylan that successful marketers should define their products as what they _______.

-do to satisfy customers

-produce

-cost customers

-make

-deliver

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Dylan manages a highly reputable cybersecurity business. This company has been voted as having the best cybersecurity software. Consumers appreciate the fact that they can make secure transactions without worrying about privacy or identity theft. Dylan knows that the companys product far surpasses that of the competition. One thing has been bothering him, though. In order to put so many resources into ensuring the best software, Dylan had to lay off employees at the customer call center. Recently, consumers have begun complaining about long wait times when they call in with a problem or concern. Although its cybersecurity software is still considered one of the best, customer satisfaction with the firms customer service has plummeted. Dylan does not understand why consumers are getting so upset. He believes the exceptional software more than makes up for long waiting periods and other issues with its customer service. After all, he says, they cant have it all. If I invest more in customer service, that means less investment on ensuring the quality of our product offering.

Refer to Scenario 1.3. On your advice, Dylan decides to invest more in customer service training and hiring. Satisfaction increases, but not to the level Dylan thinks it should be. He conducts a marketing research study and finds that while most consumers like the product many would like to see additional software available. However, what type of software customers want tends to vary by customer. Dylan has come to believe that customers just do not know how to assess value correctly. Dylan appears to believe that determining value is a(n) _______ process, while in reality the process of assessing value is highly _______.

-irrational; rational

-rational; irrational

-objective; subjective

-subjective; objective

-complex; simple

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Karen works as a salesperson for Wsthof, a company that makes cutlery and kitchen knives. She is driven to make as many sales as possible to as many people as possible in order to increase her commission. Although she has many great customer relationships, she also has a reputation for overly aggressive sales tactics. Karen has been able to convince customers to purchase more expensive knives even after they say they are not interested. As a result of Karens high sales, she is a top sales associate at the company.

Recently, however, Karens sponsor has been informed of complaints that customers have levied against Karen accusing her of badgering them into buying products. The sponsor meets with Karen and tells her it is unacceptable to pressure consumers into purchasing items they do not want.

Refer to Scenario 1.1. Karens sponsor tells her that it is important for her to determine her customers needs and then find the product that best meets those needs, regardless of price. She recommends that Karen adopt the _______. In other words, Karen should move from a _______, where she is focused on using her aggressive direct selling talents to maximize profits, toward embracing the more customer-centric _______.

-relationship marketing model; market orientation; production orientation

-relationship marketing model; production orientation; sales orientation

-marketing concept; sales orientation; market orientation

-marketing concept; sales orientation; production orientation

-marketing concept; production orientation; sales orientation

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Scenario 1.2.

An indie nail polish brand, Holo Taco, conducts in-depth marketing research to determine what customers want. Its long-wearing nail polishes are made with the highest quality holographic glitter. The company creates buzz around its product offerings by discussing the product weeks before it is launched. This anticipation builds up until the product is launched, resulting in wide-scale sales that often result in its website selling out of the newest product.

Refer to Scenario 1.2. From the information provided about Holo Taco and its marketing strategies, Holo Taco most likely embraces a _______.

-marketing concept orientation

-promotion orientation

-production orientation

-market orientation

-sales orientation

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Brandy is a frequent shopper at REI. She reluctantly purchases a pair of climbing shoes that are more expensive than she would like. After a month of frequent use, Brandy regrets her purchase and decides to return the shoes. REI gladly accepted the worn shoes because of its 100% satisfaction guarantee which allows customers to return products up to one year after purchase. This is an attempt by REI to reduce what type of cost?

-Effort

-Purchase risk

-Quality

-Monetary

-Time