All of the following are questions posed in the ethical decision-making metric except

Marketing 6th Edition by Dhruv Grewal – Test Bank

 Sample Questions

Instant Download With Answers

Chapter 02

Test Bank

  1. Strong supplier relations and efficient supply chains help firms such as Walmart achieve operational excellence.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Supply Chain Management

Feedback: Operational excellence is achieved through efficient operations and excellent supply chain and human resource management.

  1. To build a sustainable competitive advantage, companies should focus on a single strategy.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: In most cases, a single strategy, such as low prices or excellent service, is not sufficient to build a sustainable competitive advantage. Firms require multiple approaches to build a “wall” around their position that stands as high as possible.

  1. It is not always necessary to go through all the steps in the marketing planning process.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the elements of a marketing plan.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: It is not always necessary to go through the entire process for every evaluation. For instance, a firm could evaluate its performance in Step 5, and then go directly to Step 2 to conduct a situation audit without redefining its overall mission.

  1. A mission statement describes the specific actions a firm will take to achieve its goals.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the elements of a marketing plan.

Topic: The Mission Statement

Feedback: A mission statement is a broad description of a firm’s objectives and the scope of activities it plans to undertake.

  1. iTunes software is often credited with the success of the Apple iPod MP3 player, because it made the iPod easier to use than competing players, and was difficult for competitors to duplicate. This is an example of a sustainable competitive advantage.

TRUE

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: A sustainable competitive advantage is an advantage over the competition that is not easily copied and thus can be maintained over a long period of time. iTunes made the iPod so easy to use that it was difficult for other MP3 players to compete, even at lower prices. Over time, some competitors have created similar tools, but it has been difficult enough to copy that these competitors have never really caught up.

  1. STP refers to segmentation, testing, and promotion.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Steps in Market Segmentation

Feedback: STP stands for segmentation, targeting, and positioning.

  1. The components of a SWOT analysis are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and tactics.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-03 Analyze a marketing situation using SWOT analyses.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: The components of a SWOT analysis are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

  1. Firms are typically more successful when they focus on opportunities that build on their strengths relative to those of their competition.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: After identifying its target segments, a firm must evaluate each of its strategic opportunities. Firms typically are most successful when they focus on opportunities that build on their strengths relative to those of their competition.

  1. Duke’s is a surfer-themed restaurant chain in Hawaii. Most of its customers are tourists. In a SWOT analysis for Duke’s, the possibility that the recession might cut back on tourism in Hawaii would be considered a weakness.

FALSE

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-03 Analyze a marketing situation using SWOT analyses.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: A recession is an external factor with possible negative results, so it is a threat.

  1. Price should be based on the value that the customer perceives as giving them a good value for the product they receive.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Setting Prices

Feedback: As part of the exchange process, a firm provides a product or a service, or some combination thereof, and in return, it gets money. Value-based marketing requires that firms charge a price that customers perceive as giving them a good value for the product they receive.

  1. Geraldo manages the electrical turbine engine division of General Electric Corporation. He makes most decisions independently, without consulting headquarters. Geraldo manages a strategic business unit.

TRUE

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: Business Portfolio Analysis

Feedback: A strategic business unit is a division of the firm that can be managed and operated somewhat independently from other divisions and may have a different mission or objectives.

  1. The strategic planning process always proceeds sequentially through the five steps.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: Strategic Marketing Planning

Feedback: Planning processes can move back and forth between the steps as needed.

  1. Isaac is looking for ways to offer new goods and services to his existing customers. He is pursuing a market development strategy.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: This is a product development strategy. A market development strategy offers existing products and services to new customers.

  1. SanDisk’s MP3 player product line (called the Sansa) has a low relative market share. The MP3 player market is expected to decline over the next few years. In Boston Consulting Group (BCG) portfolio analysis, the Sansa would be considered a dog.

TRUE

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: The BCG Matrix

Feedback: The Sansa has low relative market share in a low-growth market, which is the definition of a dog.

  1. The “implement marketing mix” step of the strategic marketing planning process is part of the control phase.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the elements of a marketing plan.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: In the implementation phase, marketing managers identify and evaluate different opportunities by engaging in a process known as segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP). They then are responsible for implementing the marketing mix using the four Ps.

  1. Relative market share is an example of a marketing metric.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Marketing Metrics

Feedback: Relative market share might be used as a metric to evaluate a firm’s performance compared to its competitors.

  1. Product penetration is one of the four major growth strategies.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: The four major growth strategies are market penetration, product development, market development, and diversification.

  1. If a firm wants to develop a sustainable competitive advantage, it should
  2. begin an aggressive campaign to buy up competitors.
  3. copy the innovative features of other firms that are attractive to customers.
  4. C. examine its operations and customer relations to identify significant things competitors cannot easily copy.
  5. increase its marketing budget so that it outspends its competitors.
  6. arrange to meet with competitors to discuss how to avoid direct competition.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: A sustainable competitive advantage comes from doing things that add value and that are not easily imitated by competitors. The other options do not achieve this objective.

  1. Which of the following is not one of the four overarching strategies to create and deliver value and to develop sustainable competitive advantages?
  2. locational excellence
  3. customer excellence
  4. operational excellence
  5. product excellence
  6. E. planning excellence

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: The four overarching strategies are locational excellence, customer excellence, operational excellence, and product excellence.

  1. When Ramona, the keynote speaker at a major business leaders’ conference, arrived in the middle of the night at the Ritz-Carlton, she was exhausted and her suit was wrinkled from her 10-hour plane trip. The night clerk found someone to dry clean Ramona’s suit and have it ready for her morning presentation. She has been a loyal Ritz-Carlton customer ever since. In this example, Ritz-Carlton demonstrated the macro strategy of
  2. A. customer excellence.
  3. operational excellence.
  4. product excellence.
  5. promotional excellence.
  6. global excellence.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: The Ritz-Carlton clerk went to extra trouble to offer excellent customer service, which is one way to pursue a customer excellence strategy.

  1. Amazon’s latest attempt to shore up and enhance its competitive barriers by introducing a home service marketplace that may help it achieve a lasting, powerful advantage is an example of _______________ excellence.
  2. operational
  3. locational
  4. C. customer
  5. product
  6. service

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: A customer excellence macro strategy, which is one way to pursue a sustainable competitive advantage, focuses on retaining loyal customers and excellent customer service. Amazon’s latest attempt to shore up and enhance its competitive barriers by introducing a home service marketplace that may help it achieve a lasting, powerful advantage, is an example of customer excellence.

  1. Some banks offer special accounts designed to attract junior high school students. These kids save in such small amounts that the accounts cost banks more to maintain than they are worth; however bankers know that consumers are creatures of habit and hope that the young people they serve now will become adult customers. These banks recognize
  2. that operational excellence is an important macro strategy.
  3. B. the lifetime value of customers.
  4. that product excellence leads to loyal customers.
  5. the importance of making decisions based on short-term results.
  6. that as long as customers bring in some revenue, costs do not matter.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Viewing customers with a lifetime value perspective rather than on a transaction-by-transaction basis is key to modern customer retention programs.

  1. Nordstrom, an upscale department store, has a well-known reputation for going the extra mile to serve its customers. This reputation for excellent customer service will most likely result in
  2. product design excellence.
  3. mission statement satisfaction.
  4. sustainable price decreases.
  5. D. a sustainable competitive advantage.
  6. producer excellence.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: This is a good example of a potential sustainable competitive advantage based on customer service (i.e., a customer excellence strategy). A sustainable competitive advantage is an advantage over the competition that is not easily copied and can be maintained over a long period of time.

  1. Firms achieve ___________ through efficient procedures and excellent supply chain management.
  2. customer excellence
  3. locational excellence
  4. customer loyalty
  5. value-based pricing
  6. E. operational excellence

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: An operational excellence strategy depends on efficiency throughout the supply chain in order to keep costs low.

  1. Marketers want their firms to develop excellent supply chain management and strong supplier relations so they can
  2. persuade stores to refuse to carry competitors’ products.
  3. use their power within the supply chain to force weaker firms to accept less favorable pricing.
  4. control prices and lock in margins.
  5. D. create a sustainable competitive advantage.
  6. justify charging higher prices than competitors do.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Supply Chain Management

Feedback: Some of the potential answers here represent unethical (and potentially illegal) behavior. The best answer is far simpler—this type of operational excellence helps create a sustainable competitive advantage by keeping costs low.

  1. For many years, Southwest Airlines distinguished itself as the low-cost airline. Now, many other low-cost competitors have entered the market. Similarly, Southwest was one of the first airlines to offer online ticketing. Now, all airlines have online ticketing. These examples suggest that
  2. A. no single strategy is likely to be sufficient to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
  3. a situation analysis does not accurately predict a firm’s strengths.
  4. customer excellence cannot be achieved.
  5. product excellence is the only true source of a sustainable competitive advantage.
  6. innovation is pointless because competitors will develop copycat offerings.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: The example shows that competitors strive to copy good ideas. But that doesn’t mean innovation is pointless—being the first to do something can still give you an advantage if you do it best, or if you innovate in ways that are difficult to imitate. What this example shows is that you cannot come up with a single idea, stay with it long term, and expect to sustain a competitive advantage. You must always look for new sources of advantage.

  1. Customers around the world know Pepsi and consider it a primary “go-to” brand if they want a refreshing drink. This positioning reflects Pepsi’s
  2. locational excellence.
  3. operational excellence.
  4. C. careful targeting and marketing mix implementation.
  5. strategic business unit control.
  6. supply chain management.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the elements of a marketing plan.

Topic: Strategic Marketing Planning

Feedback: Customers around the world know Pepsi and consider it a primary “go-to” brand if they want a refreshing drink. This positioning reflects Pepsi’s careful targeting and marketing mix implementation.

  1. Carla has been directed by her regional marketing manager to cut prices on seasonal items, place an ad in the local paper, and tell distributors to reduce deliveries for the next month. Which step of the strategic marketing planning process is Carla engaged in?
  2. evaluate performance
  3. define the business mission
  4. perform situation analysis
  5. D. implement marketing mix and resources
  6. identify and evaluate opportunities

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: Carla is dealing with implementation of the marketing mix—price cuts (price), advertising (promotion), and distribution changes (place).

  1. When conducting a SWOT analysis, in what phase of the strategic marketing process is an organization presently engaged?
  2. A. planning
  3. implementation
  4. control
  5. segmentation
  6. metrics

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-02 Describe the elements of a marketing plan.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: SWOT analysis is part of the planning phase.

  1. The automobile manufacturing industry closely watches annual consumer satisfaction surveys. For years, Japanese car companies consistently had the highest levels of customer satisfaction, creating a(n) ________ for these companies.
  2. strategic marketing plan
  3. clear mission statement
  4. operational advantage
  5. D. sustainable competitive advantage
  6. diversification strategy

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Satisfied customers, if this satisfaction leads to loyalty, are a source of sustainable competitive advantage.

  1. Which of the following is least likely to provide a sustainable competitive advantage?
  2. A. lowering prices
  3. having a well-known brand name
  4. achieving high levels of customer satisfaction
  5. using patented technology
  6. creating an efficient supply chain

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Simply cutting prices is probably the easiest strategic move for a competitor to copy. In contrast, creating an efficient supply chain that lowers your costs, allowing you to pass on those savings to customers in the form of price cuts, can create a sustainable competitive advantage.

  1. Even when large discount retailers enter a market, a few small, local retailers survive and prosper. These small retailers have probably developed a(n) ________ that allows them to survive.
  2. advertising campaign
  3. plan to evaluate results
  4. C. sustainable competitive advantage
  5. set of performance metrics
  6. SWOT analysis

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: The other items listed could help the retailers develop or evaluate a plan to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, but on their own they will not be enough. Small retailers usually cannot compete with larger competitors on price. But they might survive by offering services their customers value (and are willing to pay extra to get), by offering specialty products not carried by larger retailers, or by locating in places where the larger stores don’t want to (or can’t) locate.

  1. As part of her company’s SWOT analysis, Valerie is assessing the company’s internal environment, including
  2. competition.
  3. the economy.
  4. C. strengths and weaknesses.
  5. demographics.
  6. opportunities and threats.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-03 Analyze a marketing situation using SWOT analyses.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: The internal components of a SWOT analysis are strengths and weaknesses.

  1. Samantha is charged with assessing her company’s external environment as part of a SWOT analysis. Samantha will study her company’s
  2. strengths and weaknesses.
  3. sales history.
  4. pension plan.
  5. product specifications.
  6. E. opportunities and threats.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-03 Analyze a marketing situation using SWOT analyses.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: The external components of a SWOT analysis are opportunities and threats.

  1. Manufacturers that use just-in-time manufacturing systems coordinate closely with suppliers to ensure that materials and supplies arrive just before they are needed in the manufacturing process. While just-in-time systems can offer major advantages in terms of inventory costs, they must be carefully managed. If a firm found that its just-in-time system was badly managed, leading to frequent manufacturing delays due to missing parts, this would represent a(n) __________ in a SWOT analysis.
  2. A. weakness
  3. opportunity
  4. threat
  5. strength
  6. metric

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-03 Analyze a marketing situation using SWOT analyses.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: The management of the just-in-time system is an internal issue; if it is being done badly, that makes it a weakness.

  1. For U.S. businesses with strong export capabilities, expansion of U.S. trade agreements with other countries creates
  2. weaknesses.
  3. B.
  4. strengths.
  5. threats.
  6. strategic plans.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-03 Analyze a marketing situation using SWOT analyses.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: Expansion of trade agreements is an external factor that could be favorable for firms to take advantage of. An external positive factor is an opportunity.

  1. In 2006, Ford Motor Company announced it would severely cut back its automobile production. For parts companies supplying Ford its parts, this represented a(n)
  2. weakness.
  3. opportunity.
  4. strength.
  5. D.
  6. strategic plan.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-03 Analyze a marketing situation using SWOT analyses.

Topic: SWOT Analysis

Feedback: For parts companies, Ford’s actions represent external factors. A possible cutback in orders is a negative factor. An external negative factor is a threat.

  1. Lionel is asked to conduct an STP analysis for his firm. The first step he should perform in this analysis is to
  2. develop a business mission statement.
  3. choose the best target markets.
  4. reposition existing segments.
  5. D. divide the marketplace into subgroups.
  6. conduct a SWOT analysis.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Steps in Market Segmentation

Feedback: With STP, the firm first divides the marketplace into subgroups or segments, determines which of those segments it should pursue or target, and finally decides how it should position its products and services to best meet the needs of those chosen targets. Business mission development and SWOT analysis take place before STP analysis starts, and targeting and positioning are later stages in STP analysis.

  1. In 2006, Walmart announced that it would begin selling organic food products. In doing so, Walmart was most likely trying to
  2. gain government subsidies.
  3. B. attract a different market segment.
  4. reduce its costs.
  5. save the environment.
  6. offset cost-based pricing pressure.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Target Markets

Feedback: Walmart was probably trying to attract customers who didn’t shop there because they wanted to buy organic products. These customers represented a different market segment for Walmart.

  1. For years, when considering new products, marketers at Celestial Seasonings asked themselves, “What would Stacy think?” Stacy was a fictional character representing 25- to 50-year-old educated, upper-income women who rarely watched television but did a lot of reading. “Stacy” represented Celestial’s primary
  2. mission statement.
  3. positioning.
  4. SBU.
  5. D. target market segment.
  6. sustainable competitive advantage.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Target Markets

Feedback: Stacy was created to help Celestial’s marketers understand its major target market segment. The segment is more than just a demographic. It includes elements of Stacy’s behavior (reading instead of TV). Stacy isn’t Celestial’s positioning—rather, the company needs to position its products to help women like Stacy understand the value Celestial products can offer them.

  1. After identifying various market segments that her company could pursue, Lisa evaluated each segment’s attractiveness based on size, income, and accessibility. Lisa was involved in
  2. A. target marketing.
  3. situation analysis.
  4. diversification.
  5. positioning.
  6. market penetration estimation.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Target Markets

Feedback: A key component of target marketing is the evaluation of potential target segments’ attractiveness.

  1. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and other athletes are paid huge sums of money by companies for celebrity endorsements. If endorsements by these athletes create a clear understanding among consumers of the companies’ products in comparison to competing products, they can help with the firm’s __________ strategy.
  2. product excellence
  3. targeting
  4. C. positioning
  5. segmentation
  6. customer excellence

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Positioning

Feedback: Positioning is the creation of a clear, distinct understanding of what the product does or represents compared to competitors. Celebrity endorsers are often used to convey this message.

  1. __________ involves the process of defining the marketing mix variables so that target customers have a clear, distinctive understanding of what a product does or represents in comparison with competing products.
  2. Targeting
  3. Market segmentation
  4. A sustainable competitive advantage
  5. D. Positioning
  6. A customer excellence strategy

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Positioning

Feedback: This is the definition of positioning, which is the final activity in STP analysis.

  1. Imagine that you are in a convenience store choosing your favorite “comfort” food instead of being in a classroom taking this test. You might notice the packaging, colors, labels, even the fonts used on labels. All of these efforts are part of the marketer’s
  2. value-based promotions.
  3. market segmentation.
  4. C. positioning strategy.
  5. customer excellence strategy.
  6. target market.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Positioning

Feedback: Packaging, colors, labels, and fonts all contribute to the consumer’s impressions of a product and to their understanding of what it offers. This is therefore part of the product’s positioning.

  1. When positioning products relative to competitors’ offerings, firms typically are most successful when they focus on opportunities
  2. A. that build on their strengths relative to those of their competition.
  3. for diversification.
  4. in international markets.
  5. where value-based pricing can be ignored.
  6. where customer excellence can be substituted for product excellence.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Positioning

Feedback: Firms typically are most successful when they focus on opportunities that build on their strengths relative to those of their competition.

  1. Many small businesses whose competitors are national franchises advertise “we are locally owned” or “we have been here since 1951.” This is part of these firms’
  2. business mission.
  3. market segmentation strategy.
  4. C. positioning strategy.
  5. customer excellence strategy.
  6. target market.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Positioning

Feedback: These firms are positioning themselves against the competition, emphasizing their local presence in order to suggest that this local experience helps them do a better job of serving consumers.

  1. Among Internet users, some do research online, some shop, some look for entertainment, and many do all three. Each of these groups would be called a
  2. strategic group.
  3. strategic business unit.
  4. C. market segment.
  5. cash cow.
  6. marketing metric.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-04 Describe how a firm chooses which consumer group(s) to pursue with its marketing efforts.

Topic: Steps in Market Segmentation

Feedback: Among Internet users, some do research online, some shop, some look for entertainment, and many do all three. Each of these groups might be a market segment consisting of consumers who respond similarly to a firm’s marketing efforts.

  1. Suppose your university made a sizable investment in its career services—additional counselors, increased efforts to bring in recruiters, and other services aimed at helping students find jobs. This investment would enhance the university’s _____________ in an attempt to create value for students and recent graduates.
  2. segmentation strategy
  3. place strategy
  4. locational excellence strategy
  5. diversification strategy
  6. E. product value

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Product Value Creation

Feedback: The product the students buy—a degree—is enhanced by the ability to find a good job after graduation. Thus, this additional investment is related to the product value.

  1. The idea of value-based marketing requires firms to charge a price that
  2. covers costs and generates a modest profit.
  3. includes the value of the effort the firm put into the product or service.
  4. C. captures the value customers perceive that they are receiving.
  5. prioritizes customer excellence above operational excellence.
  6. matches competitors’ prices.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Pricing Strategy

Feedback: Value-based marketing is related to customers’ perceived value. If a price is set too high, it will not generate much volume. If a price is set too low, it may result in lower-than-optimal margins and profits. Therefore, price should be based on the value that the customer perceives.

  1. E-books, in addition to being an alternative product form, provide __________ value creation since they can be downloaded via the Internet immediately when and where they are needed.
  2. product
  3. B. place
  4. promotion
  5. price
  6. primary

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: The Four Ps

Feedback: Place refers to getting products to customers when and where they need/want them. This is what electronic downloading of e-books offers.

  1. In value-based marketing, the promotion element of the four Ps communicates the ________ to customers through a variety of media.
  2. mission statement
  3. operational excellence strategy
  4. C. value proposition
  5. relative market value
  6. target market definition

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Role of Promotion

Feedback: The value proposition is the value of the firm’s offering, as explained to the target market. Promotion is responsible for communicating this value proposition via a variety of media.

  1. When marketers use a variety of communication disciplines—advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and online marketing including social media—in combination to communicate a value proposition to the customer, it is referred to as
  2. A. integrated marketing communications.
  3. multimedia marketing.
  4. diverse marketing communications.
  5. comprehensive promotion.
  6. managed marketing communications.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: IMC

Feedback: Integrated marketing communications (IMC) represents the promotion P of the four Ps. It encompasses a variety of communication disciplines—advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and online marketing including social media—in combination to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communicative impact.

  1. Google and other search engines allow marketers to bid to have their ads shown when consumers search keywords related to the firm’s products. These marketers are attempting to create value through
  2. product.
  3. price.
  4. C.
  5. place.
  6. cost-based measures.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Role of Promotion

Feedback: Ads displayed in search engines are an example of promotion.

  1. Craig sees that his company’s quarterly sales and profits are significantly above projections and says, “That’s great. Let’s keep doing what we’ve been doing.” Craig is ignoring the __________ step of the marketing planning process.
  2. A. evaluate performance
  3. define the business mission
  4. perform situation analysis
  5. implement marketing mix and resources
  6. identify and evaluate opportunities

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: Craig should still evaluate performance, even if results were good. There’s always a chance that he was successful due to luck, not due to the quality of his plan. There’s also a chance that he did well, but that he could have done even better with a stronger plan.

  1. The first objective in the evaluate performance phase of the marketing planning process is to
  2. determine whether to raise or lower prices.
  3. adjust advertising allocations.
  4. find ways to cut costs.
  5. D. review implementation programs and results using metrics.
  6. consider changing the target market.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: The starting point for evaluating performance is to compare goals to actual performance and, for any goals not met, to review implementation programs looking for explanations.

  1. As it pertains to the marketing plan, understanding the causes of performance, regardless of whether that performance exceeded, met, or fell below the firm’s goals
  2. A. enables firms to make appropriate adjustments.
  3. allows managers to demonstrate their effectiveness.
  4. offers insights into crafting an appropriate mission statement.
  5. should always be followed by eliminating underperforming SBUs.
  6. allows firms to better assess customer loyalty.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: Once the causes of above- or below-goal performance are understood, firms can decide how the marketing plan should be adjusted. Some of the other answers might be true in some cases, but not in every case.

  1. A regional manager at GNC, a chain of retail stores selling nutritional supplements, is reviewing sales data after a recent in-store promotion. The data show success in some stores and limited response in others. To understand the differences between stores, the manager will probably next review the company’s
  2. financial statements, to investigate current and past profits.
  3. brand awareness study, to assess national levels of awareness.
  4. C. implementation programs, to see if the promotion was handled consistently in the different stores.
  5. mission statement, to see if it needs adjusting.
  6. analysis of national trends in vitamins and herbal supplements, to help predict future sales.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: The manager should seek to understand the differences in implementation programs between the different stores. Perhaps she will find that the successful stores did things the other stores didn’t. While studies of national trends might offer interesting and useful information for the overall planning process, to understand the difference between stores she needs to focus at a local level.

  1. After conducting STP analysis for her custom auto parts store and developing strategies for each of the four Ps, Monique now has to make _____________ decisions.
  2. competitive response
  3. B. resource allocation
  4. market growth
  5. product line
  6. mission statement

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: The Marketing Plan

Feedback: Monique has chosen a target market, determined positioning strategies, and developed marketing mixes. She now has to consider available resources and determine how they will be allocated across the different options available for implementation.

  1. Lamar owns four dry cleaning stores in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. He recently updated his STP analysis, and has just finished adjusting his marketing mix based on the STP results. His next strategic marketing decision will most likely involve determining
  2. how Disney World crowds will impact his business.
  3. which employees to promote or fire.
  4. C. how to allocate resources among his four stores.
  5. what new government regulations might create opportunities or threats.
  6. when to shift from a customer excellence to an operational excellence strategy.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-05 Outline the implementation of the marketing mix as a means to increase customer value.

Topic: Elements of the Marketing Plan

Feedback: Lamar should already have considered a strategy shift in an earlier step of the planning process, and should have evaluated the impact of Disney World and of possible government regulation in a situation analysis. After STP analysis, he should be considering his implementation plan for the four Ps and deciding how to allocate resources. In this case, he could invest equally in all four stores, or he could adjust his allocations according to the situation at each store.

  1. In most companies, portfolio management is typically done at the SBU or ___________ level of the firm.
  2. corporate
  3. B. product line
  4. customer care
  5. sales representative
  6. accounting

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: Business Portfolio Analysis

Feedback: In general, marketing resources are allocated to SBUs or product lines. The corporate level is too high unless it is a very small company with just a single product line, and the sales representative level is generally too low.

  1. A(n) ___________ is a group of products that consumers may use together or perceive as similar in some way.
  2. SBU
  3. STP
  4. C. product line
  5. market segment
  6. promotional service

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: Product Line

Feedback: This is the definition of a product line.

  1. Heather has been assessing several of her firm’s products using the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) approach to portfolio analysis. She has been trying to assess the strength in a particular market and is looking at the sales of the product and the overall market as well as the sales of competitors. Heather is trying to determine
  2. A. the product’s relative market share.
  3. the market growth rate.
  4. a source of competitive advantage.
  5. the impact of population shifts on future demand.
  6. cash equivalent values for each product.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: The BCG Matrix

Feedback: A company’s relative share of a market is determined by comparing its market share to market shares of competitors.

  1. To determine how attractive a particular market is using the BCG portfolio analysis, __________ is(are) established as the vertical axis.
  2. competitive intensity
  3. sales dollars
  4. market size
  5. D. market growth rate
  6. market profit potential

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: The BCG Matrix

Feedback: The BCG matrix uses market growth rate on the vertical axis and relative market share on the horizontal axis. The other factors are not unimportant—they are simply not part of BCG portfolio analysis.

  1. In BCG portfolio analysis, products in low-growth markets that have received heavy investment and now have excess funds available to support other products are called
  2. stars.
  3. B. cash cows.
  4. question marks.
  5. dogs.
  6. anchors.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: The BCG Matrix

Feedback: Cash cows are product lines with high relative market share as the result of past investment, but in low-growth markets. They typically generate excess cash that can be used to support other product lines.

  1. Fernando was thrilled to find out that his company had just decided to invest a great deal of money in the product he was managing. He knows that even with its recent high rate of growth and the fact that it dominates its market, he would need more money to establish it firmly. Using the BCG portfolio analysis, his product would be classified as a(n)
  2. A.
  3. cash cow.
  4. question mark.
  5. dog.
  6. anchor.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: The BCG Matrix

Feedback: A product with high relative market share in a high-growth market, in BCG analysis, is called a star. Stars typically require investment in order to continue to grow and to maintain or improve their market positions.

  1. Using the BCG portfolio analysis, a “dog” should be phased out unless
  2. its marketing manager is a champion of the product.
  3. additional resources could increase its relative market share slightly.
  4. C. it complements or boosts the sales of another product.
  5. the market has a small chance of rebounding.
  6. none of these. Dogs should be phased out.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: The BCG Matrix

Feedback: Dogs can be worth keeping if they assist with the sales of another more successful product.

  1. The strategic marketing planning process
  2. is a five-step process that should always be completed in order.
  3. is frequently used in reverse.
  4. begins with establishing specific, measurable outcomes.
  5. D. is not always sequential.
  6. forces marketing managers to think rationally.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-06 Summarize portfolio analysis and its use to evaluate marketing performance.

Topic: Strategic Marketing Planning

Feedback: While the steps of the process are often executed in order, sometimes a firm may jump from a later step back to an earlier one to make adjustments. Metrics are established later in the process. And while the planning process may help managers think more clearly, irrational plans can still be developed.

  1. Which of the following is not one of the four major growth strategies marketers typically utilize?
  2. market penetration
  3. market development
  4. C. segment development
  5. diversification
  6. product development

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: The four growth strategies are market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.

  1. Adrienne decides to add new sales representatives and increase advertising to increase sales in her existing market for her current line of security systems. Adrienne is pursuing a __________ growth strategy.
  2. segment development
  3. market development
  4. C. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. product development

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Adrienne is trying to sell more of her current products to current customers, which is a market penetration strategy.

  1. A __________ growth strategy employs the existing marketing offering to reach new market segments.
  2. product proliferation
  3. B. market development
  4. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. product development

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: This is the definition of a market development strategy.

  1. Quitman Enterprises sells its business language dictionary to college students throughout the United States. Joseph Quitman, the owner, wants to start selling the book to international students abroad. Quitman wants to pursue a __________________ growth strategy.
  2. product proliferation
  3. B. market development
  4. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. product development

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Since Quitman wants to sell an existing product to new customers, this is a market development strategy.

  1. When Marvel launched several successful series on Netflix, including , , , and , it employed a ___________ strategy.
  2. A. product development
  3. customer development
  4. market penetration
  5. market development
  6. diversification

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: When Marvel launched several successful series on Netflix, including and , it employed a product development strategy.

  1. H&R is a small, local heating and air conditioning business. The local military base is a potential source of growth, and H&R already installs and services the type of equipment the military would require, but it is difficult to get established as a certified government contractor. H&R is considering a ____________ growth strategy.
  2. product proliferation
  3. B. market development
  4. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. product development

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: This is a market development strategy because the military is a new type of customer, but H&R’s current offerings would be used.

  1. Many states create licensing requirements for a variety of professionals (such as lawyers and accountants) designed to restrict entry into their market by professionals from other states. This strategy limits ____________ growth strategies.
  2. product proliferation
  3. B. market development
  4. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. product development

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: By restricting the ability of lawyers and other professionals to easily expand their businesses across state lines, states are preventing these professionals from selling existing services to new customers. These would be market development opportunities.

  1. Marketers who design and offer new products and services to their existing customers are pursuing a ____________________ growth strategy.
  2. product proliferation
  3. market development
  4. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. E. product development

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: A product development strategy offers a new product or service to a firm’s current target market.

  1. Most banks now have customer relationship software that, when a customer contacts the bank, tells the service representative what types of accounts, loans, and credit cards the customer currently has. Service representatives use this information to sell some of the other services the bank currently offers to these customers. This is a ___________________ growth strategy.
  2. product proliferation
  3. market development
  4. C. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. product development

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: A market penetration strategy employs the existing marketing mix and focuses the firm’s efforts on existing customers. Such a growth strategy might be achieved by attracting new consumers to the firm’s current target market or encouraging current customers to patronize the firm more often or buy more merchandise on each visit.

  1. Maryam phoned her auto insurance agent to renew her policy. The agent told her about new types of insurance now available—to cover her apartment, or even the engagement ring she just got from her fiancé. The agent was pursuing a ________________ growth strategy.
  2. A. product development
  3. market development
  4. market penetration
  5. diversification
  6. product proliferation

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: The agent is trying to sell new types of insurance to a current customer, which is a product development strategy.

  1. Introducing newly developed products or services to a market segment the company is not currently serving is called
  2. product development.
  3. market development.
  4. market penetration.
  5. D.
  6. product proliferation.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 02-07 Describe how firms grow their business.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: A diversification strategy introduces a new product or service to a market segment that currently is not served.

  1. Zara is a women’s clothing retailer headquartered in Spain, with stores located in many countries. Zara has developed a “quick response” system that allows store merchandise to be adjusted rapidly to fit changing customer preferences. Every aspect of Zara’s operation is optimized for this system, making it difficult for competitors like The Gap to duplicate. Zara has established
  2. customer loyalty.
  3. locational excellence.
  4. a diversification growth strategy.
  5. D. a sustainable competitive advantage.
  6. a related diversification opportunity.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Zara has established an advantage that is difficult to copy—this is a sustainable competitive advantage.

  1. Fourteenth National Bank prides itself on offering better service than any of its competitors. If this is accurate, and if customers recognize and value Fourteenth National’s superior service, the bank creates and delivers value through
  2. promotional excellence.
  3. product excellence.
  4. operational excellence.
  5. global excellence.
  6. E. customer excellence.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Superior service is a key facet of a customer excellence strategy.

  1. Anita has gone to the same hair salon for the past ten years. She believes that her stylist, the salon owner, does a better job of cutting and styling her hair than anyone else could. Other salons have opened closer to Anita’s home, some offering more plush facilities or lower prices, but she isn’t tempted to switch. Anita’s attitude toward the salon is an example of
  2. a sustainable competitive advantage.
  3. a customer retention program.
  4. an opportunity, in SWOT analysis.
  5. D. customer loyalty.
  6. the benefits of a locational excellence strategy.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: By refusing to consider competitive offerings and staying in a long-term relationship with the salon, Anita is demonstrating loyalty to her stylist and salon. If the salon has a large number of loyal customers due to the quality of its service, that could be considered a sustainable competitive advantage, but one loyal customer isn’t enough to establish that.

  1. Customer retention programs are based on what concept?
  2. Customer excellence is the easiest macro strategy to follow.
  3. B. Customer relationships should be viewed from a lifetime value perspective rather than on a transaction-by-transaction basis.
  4. It is important to maximize profits in the first few months of a customer relationship.
  5. Segmentation, targeting, and positioning analysis should not be rushed.
  6. Firms must spend large amounts of money to retain customers.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Taking a lifetime value view of customer relationships demonstrates that profits through the entire relationship matter more than short-term profitability. While it is true that STP should not be rushed, this is not the focus of customer retention programs. Maximizing profits at the expense of relationships is almost the opposite of customer retention programs, since it focuses on quick profits at the possible expense of larger profits in the long run. The other two incorrect choices may be true in a few instances but they are often not true; customer excellence can be extremely difficult to achieve, and customer retention does not necessarily demand high levels of spending.

  1. Most banks implement customer retention programs aimed at their best customers. They do this because they know that retaining customers usually results in
  2. a product development growth strategy.
  3. an operational advantage.
  4. opportunities for diversification.
  5. D. increased long-term profits.
  6. more clearly defined market segments.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Feedback: Customer retention programs recognize that it is often worth spending something in the short term to keep a customer in the long term. This approach looks at the value of the customer relationship on a lifetime basis instead of considering only the current transaction.

  1. Some universities offer online degree programs, competing with traditional colleges based on the convenience of taking online courses. These online programs are most likely pursuing which macro strategy?
  2. customer excellence
  3. B. locational excellence
  4. operational excellence
  5. product excellence
  6. purchase excellence

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 02-01 Define a marketing strategy.

Topic: Developing a Competitive Strategy

Chapter 04

Test Bank

  1. The purpose of conscious marketing is to make a product by selling products and services.

FALSE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Conscious marketing entails a sense of purpose for the firm that is higher than simply making a profit by selling products and services. It encompasses four overriding principles: Recognition of marketing’s greater purpose; consideration of stakeholders and their interdependence; the presence of conscious leadership, creating a corporate culture; and the understanding that decisions are ethically based.

  1. Marketing ethics is concerned with distinguishing between right and wrong actions and decisions that arise in a business setting, according to broad and well-established moral and ethical principles that might arise in a business setting, and any special duties or obligations that apply to persons engaged in commerce.

FALSE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Business ethics is concerned with distinguishing between right and wrong actions and decisions that arise in a business setting, according to broad and well-established moral and ethical principles that might arise in a business setting, and any special duties or obligations that apply to persons engaged in commerce.

  1. Marketing ethics can involve societal issues such as the sale of products or services that may damage the environment or global issues such as the use of child labor.

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Marketing ethics examines ethical situations that are specific to the domain of marketing, including societal, global, or individual consumer issues. They can involve societal issues such as the sale of products or services that may damage the environment, global issues such as the use of child labor, or individual consumer issues such as misrepresenting a product in advertising or marketing dangerous products.

  1. The consideration of stakeholders and their interdependence is one of the four overriding principles of conscious marketing.

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: The four overriding principles of conscious marketing include: recognition of marketing’s greater purpose; consideration of stakeholders and their interdependence; the presence of conscious leadership, creating a corporate culture; and the understanding that decisions are ethically based.

  1. Key corporate social responsibility (CSR) stakeholders include employees, customers, the marketplace, and society.

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Key corporate social responsibility (CSR) stakeholders include employees, customers, the marketplace, and society.

  1. When Walmart pressured its vendors to supply it with environmentally friendly merchandise with labels to prove it, this most relates to the concept of sustainability.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: This is an example of sustainability. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.” Therefore, sustainable actions, including sustainable marketing, allow “humans and nature [to] exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.”

  1. One way in which conscious marketing differs from corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that CSR takes a holistic, ecosystem view of business as a complex, adaptive system.

FALSE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-03 Differentiate between conscious marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) differs from conscious marketing in that CSR reflects a mechanistic view of business.

  1. From a conscious marketing perspective, social responsibility is at the core of the business through the higher purpose and viewing the community and the environment as stakeholders.

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-03 Differentiate between conscious marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: From a conscious marketing perspective, social responsibility is at the core of the business through the higher purpose and viewing the community and the environment as stakeholders.

  1. Coca-Cola spent $102 million through The Coca-Cola Campaign focusing on water stewardship, healthy and active lifestyles, community recycling, and education. This is an illustration of a CSR program.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: This is an example of a CSR program.

  1. The first step in ethical decision making is to gather information and identify stakeholders.

FALSE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: The first step in ethical decision making is to identify the issue.

  1. The Golden Rule test asks the question, “Would I like to be on the receiving end of this action and all its potential consequences?”

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: The Golden Rule test asks the question, “Would I like to be on the receiving end of this action and all its potential consequences?”

  1. A roofing company agreed to complete a job in one week and collected a 50 percent deposit, but never showed up to do the job. The same roofing company then donated $6,000 to a local children’s hospital. The roofing company could be considered socially responsible.

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-03 Differentiate between conscious marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Topic: Ethical Issues in Marketing

Feedback: It is possible to be socially responsible yet unethical, which describes this particular company. Its failure to meet its agreements demonstrates ethical issues; however, its community support shows social responsibility.

  1. BlendMate, a firm that manufactures high-end blenders, donates $10 per blender sold to a local food bank. This is a form of corporate social responsibility.

TRUE

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: When companies voluntarily embrace CSR, they appeal not only to their shareholders, but also to their primary stakeholders—including their own employees, consumers, the marketplace, and society at large. In this case, the company would be supporting a charity that helps society at large.

  1. Ethos Water donates 2 percent of its profits to children in need of clean water. This action demonstrates that Ethos Water is a firm with a strong ethical climate.

FALSE

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-03 Differentiate between conscious marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: This is an example of corporate social responsibility, as it is a voluntary action designed to help the community at large. While ethical firms are more likely to be socially responsible, the two do not always go hand in hand.

  1. Corporate social responsibility refers to the coordinated actions of government organizations to address the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of business operations.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Corporate social responsibility refers to voluntary actions taken by a company to address the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of its business operations and the concerns of its stakeholders.

  1. Among the key differences between conscious marketing and CSR is the unique view on shareholders that is absolutely critical to CSR.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Among the key differences between conscious marketing and CSR, we can highlight the unique view on shareholders that is absolutely critical to conscious marketing.

  1. Stakeholders typically include the firm’s employees and their families, customer groups, members of the community, the environment, and the firm’s partners and competitors.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Stakeholders effect on Marketing Strategy

Feedback: Stakeholders typically include the firm’s employees and their families, customer groups, members of the community, the environment, and the firm’s partners and competitors.

  1. Brainstorming in the ethical decision-making framework occurs immediately following the identification of issues.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: Brainstorming occurs after the firm has identified the stakeholders and their issues and gathered all available data.

  1. Badger Hardware was planning on raising the pay of its managers, but not its frontline employees. To determine the potential ethical issues, it should first identify the issues involved so that it can gather facts related to those issues.

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: Identifying issues is the first step in the ethical decision-making framework.

  1. A common view in today’s business climate is that the only responsibility of a business is to its shareholders, so its only purpose is to make a profit.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: At one point, a popular view held that the only responsibility of a business was to its shareholders, so its only purpose was to make a profit. In many parts of the world, that view has been supplanted with the idea that companies must consider their responsibilities to a wider range of stakeholders who make up society.

  1. Tipco Computer Company decided to market its tablet computers to preschoolers, even though the tablets were better suited for much older children. This potentially unethical activity takes place during the control phase of the strategic marketing planning process.

FALSE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Firms identify potential target markets and ways to deliver the four Ps to them in the implementation phase.

  1. Once the marketing strategy is implemented, controls must be in place to be certain that the firm has actually done what it has set out to do.

TRUE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Control is the final stage of the strategic marketing planning process.

  1. An example in the text describes a campaign by Grey Poupon that involved a Facebook campaign targeted toward people who had “good taste.” The campaign was criticized for privacy issues that made it unethical. This occurred during the implementation phase of the strategic marketing planning process.

TRUE

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Ethical Issues in Marketing

Feedback: Sometimes a firm’s choice of target market and how it pursues this target market can lead to charges of unethical behavior. In this case, Grey Poupon’s questionable behavior occurred during the implementation phase.

  1. The most basic corporate social responsibility to employees is to ensure the highest pay for the work performed.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: The most basic corporate social responsibility to employees is to ensure a safe working environment, free of threats to their physical safety, health, or well-being.

  1. Pepsi has cooperated with America on the Move to improve many of its products and their labels, such as reducing the saturated fat in its Frito-Lay Ruffles. This form of social responsibility most directly impacts shareholders.

FALSE

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Stakeholders effect on Marketing Strategy

Feedback: This most directly impacts customers, although if it increases sales of the products it could impact shareholders down the road.

  1. Business ethics and marketing ethics are synonymous terms.

FALSE

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Business ethics is concerned with distinguishing between right and wrong actions and decisions that arise in a business setting, according to broad and well-established moral and ethical principles that might arise in a business setting, and any special duties or obligations that apply to persons engaged in commerce. Marketing ethics, in contrast, examines ethical situations that are specific to the domain of marketing, including societal, global, or individual consumer issues.

  1. Conscious marketing encompasses all of the following overriding principles except
  2. recognition of marketing’s greater purpose.
  3. B. recognition of the company’s bottom line.
  4. consideration of stakeholders and their interdependence.
  5. the presence of corporate leadership, creating a corporate culture.
  6. the understanding that decisions are ethically based.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Ethical Issues in Marketing

Feedback: Conscious marketing encompasses these four overriding principles: recognition of marketing’s greater purpose; consideration of stakeholders and their interdependence; the presence of conscious leadership, creating a corporate culture; and the understanding that decisions are ethically based.

  1. Business ethics is concerned with all of the following except
  2. distinguishing between right and wrong actions in a business setting.
  3. distinguishing between right and wrong decisions that arise in a business setting.
  4. any special duties or obligations that apply to persons engaged in commerce.
  5. broad and well-established moral and ethical principles that might arise in a business setting.
  6. E. societal issues such as the sale of products or services that may damage the environment

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Marketing ethics, not buisiness ethics, is concerned with societal issues such as the sale of products or services that may damage the environment and global issues such as the use of child labor.

  1. The sale of products that may damage the environment, the use of sweatshop labor, and the marketing of dangerous products are examples of
  2. internal, controllable marketing issues.
  3. issues that don’t even need to be discussed in ethical firms.
  4. marketing issues but not ethical issues.
  5. D. marketing ethical issues.
  6. ethical issues but not marketing issues.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Ethical Issues in Marketing

Feedback: These are examples of ethical issues of concern to marketers. Even in a firm with a strong ethical climate, some business opportunities that arise may raise ethical concerns and need to be considered in the context of the firm’s ethical values.

  1. When Walmart issued new standards for livestock products that were raised on food without antibiotics or artificial growth hormones, it considered multiple ______, including the ranchers that supply the food, its customers, and animal welfare groups.
  2. A. stakeholders
  3. investors
  4. marketing executives
  5. bankers
  6. corporate shareholders

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: When Walmart issued new standards for livestock products that were raised on food without antibiotics or artificial growth hormones, it considered multiple stakeholders including the ranchers that supply the food, its customers, and animal welfare groups.

  1. All of the following are included in the decision-making metric except
  2. the publicity test.
  3. B. the likability test.
  4. the moral mentor test.
  5. the transparency test.
  6. the admired observer test.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: The ethical-decision making metric includes the following tests: Publicity, moral mentor, admired observer, transparency, person in the mirror, and golden rule.

  1. ____________ provides a detailed, multipronged “Statement of Ethics” that can serve as a foundation for marketers.
  2. Johnson & Johnson
  3. B. The American Marketing Association
  4. The Better Business Bureau
  5. A group of well-respected marketing executives
  6. The Advertising Association of America

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-06 Describe how ethics constitute an integral part of a firm’s conscious marketing strategy.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: The American Marketing Association (AMA) provides a detailed, multipronged “Statement of Ethics” that can serve as a foundation for marketers, emphasizing that “As marketers . . . we not only serve our organizations but also act as stewards of society in creating, facilitating and executing the transactions that are part of the greater economy.”

  1. In the ethical decision-making metric, the question that asks “Would I want the person I admire most to see me doing this?” applies to the
  2. publicity test.
  3. B. admired observer test.
  4. moral mentor test.
  5. transparency test.
  6. person in the mirror test.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: This question applies to the admired observer test.

  1. The _________ for natural skin care company Burt’s Bees is to “create natural, Earth-friendly personal care products formulated to help you maximize your well-being and that of the world around you.”
  2. A. mission statement.
  3. market analysis
  4. company description
  5. financial plan
  6. executive summary

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: With strong leadership, marketers can introduce conscious marketing at the beginning of the planning process by including statements in the firm’s mission or vision statements. For example, the mission statement for natural skin care company Burt’s Bees is to “create natural, Earth-friendly personal care products formulated to help you maximize your well-being and that of the world around you.”

  1. In the ___________ stage, a firm will decide what level of commitment to its ethical policies and standards it is willing to declare publicly and how the firm plans to balance the needs of its various stakeholders.
  2. brainstorming
  3. implementation
  4. C. planning
  5. control
  6. evaluation

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: In the planning stage, the firm will decide what level of commitment to its ethical policies and standards it is willing to declare publicly and how the firm plans to balance the needs of its various stakeholders.

  1. Which of the following statements regarding corporate social responsibility is true?
  2. It incorporates higher purpose and a caring culture.
  3. It takes a holistic, ecosystem view of business as a complex adaptive system.
  4. It understands that decisions are ethically based.
  5. Social responsibility is at the core of the business through the higher purpose and viewing the community and the environment as stakeholders.
  6. E. It sees limited overlap between the business and society, and between business and the planet.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-03 Differentiate between conscious marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Corporate social responsibility sees limited overlap between the business and society, and between business and the planet. All of the other statements describe conscious marketing.

  1. Which of the following statements regarding conscious marketing is correct?
  2. A. It recognizes that business is a subset of society, and that society is a subset of the planet.
  3. It sees limited overlap between the business and society, and between business and the planet.
  4. It is often grafted on to traditional business model, usually as a separate department or part of PR.
  5. It reflects a mechanistic view of business.
  6. It is independent of corporate purpose or culture.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Analyze

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-03 Differentiate between conscious marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Conscious marketing recognizes that business is a subset of society, and that society is a subset of the planet. The other statements reflect corporate social responsibility.

  1. When marketers work in controversial or polluting industries such as tobacco or fossil fuels, their central activities largely bar them from becoming
  2. ethical human beings.
  3. B. conscious marketers.
  4. profitable.
  5. successful.
  6. recognized.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: When marketers work in controversial or polluting industries such as tobacco or fossil fuels, their central activities largely bar them from becoming conscious marketers.

  1. Which of the following descriptions embodies conscious marketing principles?
  2. not socially responsible
  3. questionable firm practices, yet donates a lot to the community
  4. neither socially nor ethically responsible
  5. not involved with the larger community
  6. E. both ethically and socially responsible

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-06 Describe how ethics constitute an integral part of a firm’s conscious marketing strategy.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: A firm that embodies conscious marketing is both socially and ethically responsible.

  1. New real estate disclosure regulations require sellers and their agents to tell prospective buyers about any existing problems with the property. Previously, they were expected only to answer buyers’ questions. The new regulation addressed the marketing ethics problem of
  2. high-pressure sales techniques.
  3. deceptive pricing tactics.
  4. misrepresentation of company data.
  5. misleading advertising.
  6. E. withholding information.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-06 Describe how ethics constitute an integral part of a firm’s conscious marketing strategy.

Topic: Ethical Issues in Marketing

Feedback: Withholding or destroying information that could hurt a company’s sales or image is considered unethical.

  1. When making decisions, managers often have to decide between doing what is beneficial for them (and possibly the firm) in the short run, and doing what is right and beneficial for the firm and for society in the long run. To address this conflict, a firm
  2. must evaluate its quarterly profit statement from an ethics standpoint.
  3. must state its long-term goals in general terms, so as to not interfere with managers’ short-term goals.
  4. must always put society’s needs ahead of the firm’s needs.
  5. D. must align the short-term goals of each employee with the long-term, overriding goals of the firm.
  6. should adhere rigidly to legal standards in its industry.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-06 Describe how ethics constitute an integral part of a firm’s conscious marketing strategy.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: To avoid potentially unethical behaviors, conscious marketing seeks to align the short-term goals of each employee with the long-term, overriding goals of the firm.

  1. To avoid having ethical situations become problematic for a firm, the short-term goals of each employee must
  2. A. be aligned with the long-term goals of the firm.
  3. be overridden by the overall goals of the firm.
  4. become secondary to the needs of the remaining stakeholders.
  5. be reviewed on an annual basis.
  6. change on a regular basis.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-06 Describe how ethics constitute an integral part of a firm’s conscious marketing strategy.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: To avoid unethical situations causing problems for a firm, it is important that the short-term goals of each employee be aligned with the long-term goals of the firm.

  1. Compared to the average company, firms with strong ethical climates tend to
  2. employ more business development consultants.
  3. offer more goods and services.
  4. C. be more socially responsible.
  5. invest more in sales training software.
  6. have higher turnover.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-06 Describe how ethics constitute an integral part of a firm’s conscious marketing strategy.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: A strong ethical climate and social responsibility often (though not always) go hand in hand.

  1. Courses of action such as halting the market research project, making responses anonymous, and instituting training on the AMA Code of Ethics for all researchers would be identified during the __________ stage.
  2. planning
  3. identification
  4. implementation
  5. D. brainstorming
  6. evaluation

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: After the marketing firm has identified the stakeholders and their issues and gathered the available data, all parties relevant to the decision should come together to brainstorm any alternative courses of action. These might include halting the market research project, making responses anonymous, or instituting training on the AMA Code of Ethics.

  1. The XYZ firm is in Step 4 of its ethical decision-making process. Executives were asked to take the Publicity test using an ethical-decision making metric. All scores were in the “No” column. What does this mean?
  2. The situation is not ethically troubling to the executives.
  3. The executives need to step back and reflect on how they wish to proceed.
  4. C. The situation is ethically troubling to the executives.
  5. The executives need to retake the test or take the moral mentor test instead.
  6. The results are invalid and the executives need to take the transparency test.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: If scores tend to be in the “Yes” area, then the situation is not ethically troubling. If, in contrast, scores tend to be in the “No” area , it is ethically troubling. If scores are scattered or are in the “Maybe” area, executives need to step back and reflect on how they wish to proceed.

  1. Ironically, while the leaders of Enron Corporation were manipulating the company’s finances for their personal benefit, the company was a major donor to Houston area charities. Enron had unethical business practices, but was also
  2. practicing marketing ethics.
  3. falsifying the company’s finances through charitable donations.
  4. creating a local ethical business climate.
  5. D. demonstrating corporate social responsibility.
  6. manipulating the public sentiment for its own benefit.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-03 Differentiate between conscious marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Enron was exhibiting unethical behavior through its financial manipulation, while at the same time demonstrating social responsibility through its charitable donations.

  1. The ethical decision-making framework includes all of the following steps except
  2. identify issues.
  3. B. promote the firm’s corporate social responsibility efforts.
  4. gather information and identify stakeholders.
  5. brainstorm alternatives.
  6. choose a course of action.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: Corporate social responsibility is separate from the ethical decision-making framework.

  1. Garrett has just purchased a beer distributorship. He wants to increase the visibility of his firm in local markets, but he knows there are a number of regulations and socially accepted practices associated with promoting alcoholic beverages. The first thing Garrett should do is to
  2. A. identify issues that need to be addressed.
  3. promote the firm’s corporate social responsibility efforts.
  4. gather information and identify stakeholders.
  5. brainstorm alternatives.
  6. choose a course of action.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: Identifying potential ethical issues is the first step in the ethical decision-making process.

  1. Hisaoki picks up the local newspaper and reads a stinging letter to the editor criticizing his beverage company for supporting a sporting event for children with disabilities. The letter writer is critical of a banner displayed at the event with the logos of alcoholic beverages and Hisaoki’s company name. Hisaoki never considered that this problem might arise. Hisaoki’s company failed to
  2. A. identify issues.
  3. promote the firm’s corporate social responsibility efforts.
  4. analyze the needs of the industry.
  5. brainstorm and evaluate alternatives.
  6. choose a course of action.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: Hisaoki failed to identify possible ethical issues in advertising alcoholic beverages at an event for children.

  1. Many corporations are shifting from defined benefit to defined contribution retirement programs. When considering changes to retirement programs, the primary stakeholders are the
  2. shareholders.
  3. B.
  4. customers.
  5. marketing managers.
  6. competition.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Stakeholders effect on Marketing Strategy

Feedback: The primary stakeholders are the employees whose retirement programs are changing.

  1. When Bernie Ebbers, WorldCom’s CEO, was convicted of financial crimes, WorldCom was forced to merge with MCI. One of the ramifications of this merger was the loss of WorldCom’s sponsorship of the Sea Pines Heritage PGA golf tournament. The tournament funds the Heritage Foundation, a major community charity. This example illustrates
  2. the need to identify issues.
  3. B. that the impact of unethical actions can reach far beyond the corporation.
  4. that unethical firms cannot be socially responsible.
  5. the lack of information needed to make ethical decisions.
  6. the questionable advantage of social responsibility.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: The impact of the CEO’s behavior reached beyond his company, affecting members of the community who formerly benefited from the work of the Heritage Foundation.

  1. All of the following statements regarding corporate social responsibility are true except
  2. firms believe that they have legal and economic duties in addition to responsibilities to society.
  3. B. a firm’s responsibilities to society are not associated with the demands, expectations, requirements, and desires of various stakeholders.
  4. CSR can be defined as context-specific actions and policies, taking stakeholders’ expectations into account, to achieve what is referred to as the triple bottom line.
  5. today, virtually all large and well-known companies engage in some form of CSR.
  6. CSR actions are voluntary.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: A firm’s responsibilities to society associated with the demands, expectations, requirements, and desires of various stakeholders.

  1. The Harvest County School Board is concerned about deteriorating school facilities, combined with a shrinking budget. The board began by studying the issue, and then identified parents, children, teachers, staff, and taxpayers as groups who have a vested interest in the problem. The school board has listened to each group’s concerns. In the ethical decision-making framework, its next action should be to
  2. identify issues of concern to lawmakers.
  3. assess impact of its actions beyond the classroom.
  4. C. engage in brainstorming alternatives.
  5. choose a course of action.
  6. evaluate the legal ramifications.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: The school board has completed the first two steps of the ethical decision-making framework. The third step is to assemble the stakeholders to brainstorm for alternatives.

  1. After a firm has identified the various stakeholders and their issues and gathered available data related to an ethical decision-making situation, __________ should engage in brainstorming and evaluating alternatives.
  2. the senior managers most involved
  3. key customers
  4. elected officials
  5. D. all parties relevant to the decision
  6. any individuals with competing interests

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: All relevant parties should participate in brainstorming and evaluation.

  1. After a firm has identified the various stakeholders and their issues and gathered available data related to an ethical decision-making situation, all parties relevant to the decision should
  2. engage in legal discourse.
  3. vote, with the majority deciding the best course of action.
  4. reidentify the issues.
  5. choose a course of action.
  6. E. brainstorm for alternatives.

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: It is too soon to make a choice—at this point, the involved parties should brainstorm and then evaluate alternatives.

  1. After a firm has identified the various stakeholders and their issues and gathered the available data, all parties relevant to the decision should engage in brainstorming and evaluating alternatives. __________ then review and refine these alternatives, and choose a course of action.
  2. A. Company leaders and managers
  3. The firm’s lawyers
  4. Key customers
  5. Community leaders
  6. All stakeholders

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: Although all stakeholders should be involved in the earlier steps of the process, company leaders and managers review and refine alternatives, leading to the final step.

  1. Darwin’s company is facing a difficult ethical issue. The firm has identified the various stakeholders and their issues and gathered the available data. Everyone with an interest in the issue has engaged in brainstorming and evaluating alternatives. Management reviewed and refined the alternatives. It should now choose the course of action that
  2. maximizes profits.
  3. creates the least possible publicity.
  4. involves the fewest employees.
  5. minimizes costs.
  6. E. seems best after weighing the concerns of all stakeholders.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: The purpose of the earlier stages of the process is to identify stakeholders’ issues and generate possible solutions. The final stage is to weigh this information and select the alternative that does the best job of addressing the issues.

  1. Rock-Bend Company is considering buying out a competing firm and closing most of the competitor’s factories. The firm has identified the various stakeholders and their issues and gathered the available data. Everyone with an interest in the issue has engaged in brainstorming and evaluating alternatives. Management reviewed and refined the alternatives, and then chose a course of action. If the managers are not confident about the decision, they should
  2. lower their offering price for the competing firm.
  3. B. reexamine their alternatives.
  4. consult customers.
  5. trust their instincts and move forward.
  6. choose the least risky option.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: Perhaps the chosen course of action is not truly the best choice. By reexamining the alternatives, the firm may find a better choice.

  1. Imagine the use (or misuse) of data collected from consumers by a marketing research firm. One of the issues that might arise is the way the data are collected. At what step in the framework for ethical decision making would this issue be identified by tthe marketing research firm?
  2. A. Step 1
  3. Step 2
  4. Step 3
  5. Step 4
  6. Step 5

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: There are four steps in the framework for ethical decision making. Step 1 is identifying issues. Step 2 is gathering information and identifying stakeholders. Step 3 is brainstorming alternatives. Step 4 is choosing a course of action.

  1. Denny is considering the question, “Did our actions have a negative impact on any stakeholder group?” Denny is addressing marketing ethical issues in the __________ phase of the strategic marketing planning process.
  2. planning
  3. B. control
  4. implementation
  5. brainstorming
  6. situation analysis

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Stakeholders effect on Marketing Strategy

Feedback: This question evaluates the outcome of marketing decisions, which takes place in the control phase.

  1. Every year, General Mills issues a report discussing how the firm has performed against its own standards of conscious marketing. This report is part of General Mills’s __________ phase of its strategic marketing planning process.
  2. planning
  3. implementation
  4. C. control
  5. evolution
  6. marketing mix

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: General Mills is evaluating its performance, which is a part of the control phase.

  1. Charges that firms are using “sweatshop” labor to produce their products are likely to occur during the __________ phase of the strategic marketing planning process.
  2. planning
  3. B. implementation
  4. control
  5. evolution
  6. marketing mix

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Ethical Issues in Marketing

Feedback: The implementation phase is where the marketing mix is implemented, and is thus the place where the use of sweatshop labor becomes a public issue.

  1. Marketers that include ethical policies and standards in the firm’s mission or vision statements are introducing these concepts at which stage of the strategic marketing planning process?
  2. implementation phase
  3. control phase
  4. C. planning phase
  5. evaluation phase
  6. idea generation phase

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: During the planning phase, marketers will decide what level of commitment to its ethical policies and standards it is willing to declare publicly. It is during this phase that ethical statements in the firm’s mission or vision statements can be incorporated.

  1. During the __________ phase of the strategic marketing planning process, marketers utilize systems to check whether each conscious marketing issue raised in earlier phases was addressed.
  2. implementation
  3. B. control
  4. planning
  5. assessment
  6. social responsibility

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: The firm assesses its performance regarding ethics during the control phase.

  1. Alicia has been asked to approve a marketing campaign that, although it is not illegal, promotes food products to children. She is concerned that the food products are not particularly nutritious, although they are not as bad for children as some others sold by competitors. By using the ethical decision-making metric, Alicia will
  2. ignore the metric as unworkable, since the campaign might pass some of the tests and fail others.
  3. consider the profit potential first; then explore the vague tests in the metric.
  4. not worry about the children; their parents are likely to make the buying decision, and they should be able to decide for themselves.
  5. D. evaluate the alternative using a series of questions.
  6. consult the firm’s code of ethics for guidance and leave personal ethical considerations out of the decision-making process.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: If Alicia has concerns arising out of her personal ethics, she needs to pause and ask more questions before making a go/no-go decision.

  1. CSR can be described as context-specific actions and policies, taking stakeholders’ expectations into account, to achieve what is referred to as the triple bottom line. The triple bottom line includes ________ performance.
  2. A. economic, social, and environmental
  3. economic, social, and political
  4. financial, economic, and social
  5. social, environmental, and political
  6. financial, social, and environmental

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: One definition describes CSR as context-specific actions and policies, taking stakeholders’ expectations into account, to achieve what is referred to as the triple bottom line: economic, social, and environmental performance.

  1. When Toyota owners began to report problems with sticking accelerator pedals and nonfunctioning brakes, Toyota at first ignored or rejected the claims. Eventually, the company evaluated the issue and issued a recall. Which of the four steps of the ethical decision-making framework was Toyota performing when it recalled several of its 2007-2010 models?
  2. assess risk
  3. identify issues
  4. gather information and identify stakeholders
  5. brainstorm and evaluate alternatives
  6. E. choose a course of action

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: When using the ethical decision-making framework, the first step is to identify the issues. The next three steps are to gather information, brainstorm/evaluate alternatives, and finally to choose a course of action. Toyota, in issuing its recall, had chosen a course of action.

  1. For every consumer who purchases a pair of TOMS shoes for $55, the company promises that a needy child will receive a pair of shoes. TOMS shoes is actively engaging in
  2. A. corporate social responsibility.
  3. business ethics.
  4. marketing ethics.
  5. environmental marketing.
  6. overpricing of its products.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: TOMS shoes is engaged in corporate social responsibility by making shoes available to children in need.

  1. If Melissa decides to sell the best ice cream on earth, and intends to establish a strong ethical climate in her organization, during which phase of the strategic marketing planning process should she introduce ethical considerations?
  2. A. planning
  3. implementation
  4. control
  5. experience
  6. ethics

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: Firms should begin establishing an ethical climate at the planning phase by including ethical statements in the firm’s mission or vision statements.

  1. Anupam’s company manufactures industrial ladders. He is concerned that consumers who do not understand ladder safety will purchase these extra-tall ladders and injure themselves. During which phase of the strategic marketing planning process should this issue be addressed?
  2. control
  3. planning
  4. C. implementation
  5. design
  6. ethics

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: During the implementation phase, the company can discuss targeting decisions and implementing the marketing mix appropriately to minimize this risk. Perhaps safe use of the ladder should be emphasized in marketing communications, or perhaps steps should be taken to discourage certain consumers from buying these ladders.

  1. A meat-packing company discovers that six months ago it unknowingly distributed meat from a cloned cow. The firm is unaware of any specific risks to humans consuming the meat; however, some scientists have raised questions, and some consumers are afraid of possible future problems. The meat company has to decide whether or not to make this matter public. How should it begin the process of making an ethical decision?
  2. Brainstorm the available alternatives.
  3. Ask its managers to vote for or against public disclosure.
  4. Let the board of directors decide what to do.
  5. D. Identify the issues raised by the situation.
  6. Find out who purchased the meat, and offer them refunds in return for their silence.

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: It is too late to recall the meat—it has been consumed or discarded long ago—so emergency action is neither possible nor necessary. The company should begin the ethical decision-making framework by identifying all issues raised by this situation. This should happen before attempting to choose a course of action.

  1. Elena is the CEO of a small manufacturing firm. She is concerned with meeting the investment objectives of the firm’s shareholders, and sees no value in corporate social responsibility. Elena’s attitude is
  2. insupportable in the 21st century.
  3. B. consistent with the views of other critics of corporate social responsibility.
  4. typical of nearly all manufacturers.
  5. a reaction to regulatory directives of the U.S. government.
  6. unethical.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Which is the more important corporate objective: making a profit or protecting customers, employees, and the broader needs of society and the environment? This question underlies a primary dilemma that marketers have long faced.

  1. How might a technology company like Appleensure that it behaves in a socially responsible way toward its employees?
  2. It can pay at least minimum wage when the law requires it.
  3. It can adhere to government-mandated safety standards in the workplace.
  4. C. It can ensure that pay practices are fair at all levels of the company.
  5. It can ensure that its packaging materials are recyclable.
  6. Social responsibility isn’t relevant where employees are concerned; they are paid for their work and that’s enough.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Obeying the law when it comes to minimum wage and safety isn’t sufficient to be considered socially responsible—the firm is simply behaving legally. Using recyclable materials would be a socially responsible practice, but it serves society (the environment), not specifically employees. By ensuring fair pay practices, though, Apple would be treating its employees in a socially responsible manner.

  1. How might a technology company like Appleensure that it behaves in a socially responsible way toward its customers?
  2. A. It can protect the privacy of personal information collected on its website.
  3. It can adhere to government-mandated safety standards in its stores.
  4. It can ensure that it pays its employees fairly.
  5. It can ensure that its packaging materials are recyclable.
  6. Social responsibility isn’t relevant where customers are concerned; it has to do with serving society as a whole.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Obeying the law when it comes to safety isn’t sufficient to be considered socially responsible—the firm is simply behaving legally. Using recyclable materials would be a socially responsible practice, but it serves society (the environment), not specifically customers. Similarly, fair pay practices serve employees, not specifically customers. Apple can exhibit socially responsible behavior toward customers by treating their personal information with respect.

  1. How might Starbucks ensure that it behaves in a socially responsible way toward members of its supply chain?
  2. It can pay its employees minimum wage as required by law.
  3. It can use cups made from recycled paper.
  4. It can offer healthy drinks and snacks in its stores.
  5. D. It can purchase coffee beans from suppliers who pay coffee growers a fair price.
  6. Social responsibility isn’t relevant where channel partners are concerned; it has to do with serving society as a whole.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Most of these are reasonable social responsibility initiatives, but serve stakeholders other than channel partners. By choosing a socially responsible coffee bean supplier and paying a fair price, Starbucks behaves in a socially responsible manner toward its suppliers, who are part of the supply chain.

  1. All of the following terms are generally associated with the definition of corporate social responsibility except
  2. voluntary.
  3. stakeholders.
  4. social impact.
  5. environmental impact.
  6. E.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-02 Describe what constitutes marketing’s greater purpose.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

Feedback: Corporate social responsibility generally entails voluntary actions taken by a company to address the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of its business operations and the concerns of its stakeholders.

  1. When companies embrace __________, they appeal not only to their shareholders but also to all of their key stakeholders.
  2. social media
  3. B. conscious marketing
  4. CSR
  5. profit sharing
  6. conscious advertising

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Stakeholders effect on Marketing Strategy

Feedback: When companies embrace conscious marketing, they appeal not only to their shareholders but also to all of their key stakeholders.

  1. For corporate leaders, their firm’s ability to ___________ must be of paramount importance.
  2. balance profits and expenses
  3. balance employees’ needs with the needs of the environment
  4. C. balance shareholder interests with the needs of society.
  5. benefit shareholders only
  6. make a profit

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-01 Define conscious marketing.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: For corporate leaders, their firm’s ability to balance the needs of various stakeholders—while building and maintaining consumer trust by conducting ethical, transparent, clear transactions that have a positive impact on society and the environment—must be of paramount importance.

  1. All of the following are questions posed in the ethical decision-making metric except
  2. Would I want to see this action described on the front page of the local paper?
  3. B. Will this action help advance my career?
  4. Would the person I admire most engage in this activity?
  5. Can I give a clear explanation for my action?
  6. Will I be able to look at myself in the mirror and respect what I see?

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Remember

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Learning Objective: 04-07 Identify the four steps in ethical decision making.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

Feedback: The ethical decision-making metric poses a set of questions to help make ethical business decisions. All of the questions listed are part of the metric except for wondering if an action will help further one’s career.

  1. When integrating conscious marketing into a marketing strategy, a key task is to ensure that all managers are evaluated on their actions from a conscious marketing perspective.This action would take place during which stage of the strategic marketing planning process?
  2. brainstorming phase
  3. planning phase
  4. implementation phase
  5. D. control phase
  6. revision phase

AACSB: Ethics

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

Blooms: Understand

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Role of Ethics in Marketing

Feedback: During the control phase of the strategic marketing planning process, managers must be evaluated on their actions from a conscious marketing perspective. Systems must be in place to check whether each conscious marketing issue raised in the planning process was actually successfully addressed.

Essay Questions

  1. Burt’s Bees mission is to be an “Earth Friendly, Natural Personal Care Company.” As part of that mission, Burt’s Bees has a “Zero Waste to Landfill” initiative. During which phase of the strategic marketing planning process would this initiative be pursued?

The initiative would need to be discussed during the implementation phase, which is when firms identify potential markets and discuss how to successfully deliver the four Ps.

AACSB: Ethics

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-05 Explain how conscious leadership can produce a conscious culture in the firm.

Topic: Ethical Decision Making

  1. Identify how a company might evaluate whether or not to support the United Way, a program that collects donations and distributes them to a wide range of charities.

If a company decides to support the United Way, it must ensure that the charities it supports will benefit the firm’s various stakeholders identified in Exhibit 4.3 (employees and their families, current and potential customers, partners, competitors, the community, and the environment).

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Stakeholders effect on Marketing Strategy

  1. The CEO of your firm, a distributor for a domestic beer manufacturer, has asked you to take on a special project. She has been hearing about a growing trend toward corporate social responsibility, but she wonders if this is a reasonable investment for the firm. Outline the costs and benefits in general terms and draw your own conclusion for her consideration.

A number of options could be considered, but the student should focus on ways in which the distributor could serve the different stakeholders identified in Exhibit 4.3 (employees and their families, current and potential customers, partners, competitors, the community, and the environment). As the company is a beer distributor, the student can bring in issues associated with alcoholic consumption and/or recycling and green marketing considerations.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Blooms: Analyze

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

  1. Paul wants to work for a firm that demonstrates corporate social responsibility. Draw up a list of questions Paul could use in an interview to determine the level of commitment of potential employers.

The student should include questions addressing the ways in which the firm serves the various stakeholder groups identified in Exhibit 4.3 (employees and their families, current and potential customers, partners, competitors, the community, and the environment).

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

Blooms: Apply

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Learning Objective: 04-04 Describe the ways in which conscious marketing helps various stakeholders.

Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility

  1. How would you distinguish a firm that practices corporate social responsibility from one that practices conscious marketing?

Although CSR is an important element of conscious marketing, it is not the same thing. The student should cite examples from Exhibit 4.2: How