2.3 Assignments
2.3.1 Find answers to the following questions:
What makes up a marketing mix?
What place does the customer occupy in a marketing mix?
How is the Product area connected to Place?
Why is Promotion important in a marketing mix?
Why is it important to decide the right Price?
2.3.2 Say whether the following statements are true or false:
A product has many quality levels.
The needs of the target customers are satisfied in different ways.
There are 4 basic variables in the marketing mix: Product, Place, Package, Price.
The customer is the main part of the marketing mix.
The Product area may involve a service, a physical good or a blend of both.
Personal selling is included in promotion.
The right Price is decided by marketing managers after analyzing the Product area.
2.3.3 Explain the meaning of the terms:
- target customers; - warranty;
- brand name; - price discounts;
- advertising media; - target market.
2.3.4 How would you explain the difference between sales force and sales specialists
2.3.5 Work in pairs (Compose 3 wh-questions to the text and ask your fellow-student to answer them)
2.3.6 There are 7 paragraphs in the text. List the items in the order in which they come in the text:
The Product area.
Price.
Ways of satisfying the needs of target customers.
The place of the customer in a marketing mix.
Promotion.
The four variables of a marketing mix.
Place.
2.3.7 Retell the text using the items in task 2.3.6 as a plan for your retelling and Exhibit 3
2.3.8 Match the English words and word-groups from text B with their Russian equivalents. They will help you understand the text
-
market segmentation;
2 depends more on judgement than;
1 значительный;
что касается;
3 to meet the criteria;
4 substantial;
5 as similar as possible;
6 the following guidelines;
7 with respect to;
8 likely response;
9 big enough;
10 to be profitable;
11 demographic dimensions;
12 income;
13 to be readily available.
настолько схожие, насколькo возможно;
зависит больше от суждения, чем;
следующие направления;
сегментация рынка;
отвечать критериям;
достаточно большой;
быть легко доступным;
доход;
быть прибыльным;
похожая реакция;
демографические параметры.
2.4 Text B. Market segmentation. (Look through the text and find the paragraphs which give the information about the criteria good market segments should meet)
Market segmentation is the process of naming and then segmenting broad product markets to find potentially attractive target markets.
The number of segments that should be formed depends more on judgement then on some specific rule. But the following guidelines can help.
Ideally "good" market segments meet the following criteria:
1. Homogeneous (similar) within - the customers in a market segment should be as similar as possible with respect to their likely responses to marketing mix variables and their segmenting dimensions.
2. Heterogeneous (different) between - the customers in different segments should be as different as possible with respect to their likely responses to marketing mix variables and their segmenting dimensions.
3. Substantial - the segment should be big enough to be profitable.
4. Operational - the segmenting dimensions should be useful for identifying customers and deciding on marketing mix variables.
It is especially important that segments be operational. This means you should avoid dimensions that have no practical use.
The need for segments to be operational may lead marketers to include demographic dimensions such as age, income, location, and family size to help in planning marketing mixes. Information on these dimensions is readily available, and this can be very useful - at least for Place and Promotion planning. In fact, it is difficult to make some Place and Promotion decisions without such information.
2.4.1 Check if you chose the correct Russian equivalents for the English ones in task 2.3.8. The correct equivalents are:
-
1 market segmentation;
1 сегментация рынка;
2 depends more on judgement than;
3 to meet the criteria;
4 substantial;
5 as similar as possible;
6 the following guidelines;
7 with respect to;
8 likely response;
9 big enough;
10 to be profitable;
11 demographic dimensions;
12 income;
13 to be readily available.
2 зависит больше от суждения, чем;
3 соответствовать критериям;
4 значительный;
5 настолько схожие, насколько возможно;
6 следующие направления;
7 что касается;
8 похожая реакция;
9 достаточно большой;
10 быть прибыльным;
11 демографические параметры;
12 доход;
13 быть легко доступным.
2.4.2 Read the text attentively, try to understand it. Translate the paragraphs which give the information about the criteria market segments meet. Use a dictionary if necessary
2.4.3 Work in pairs (Complete the sentences choosing one of the parts in the right column. Pay attention to subject clauses. Let your fellow-student comment on your statements using one of the phrases: “I think you are right …. “, “As far as I know from the text …”)
-
It is important that
- the segments be big enough to be profitable.
- you avoid dimensions that have no practical use.
- the segmenting dimensions be useful for identifying customers.
- the customers in different segments be as different as possible.
- the number of segments be formed depending on judgement.
- the segments be operational.
- the demographic dimensions be useful for planning marketing mixes.
- in a market segment the customers be as similar as possible
2.4.4 Exhibit 4 shows the criteria for market segmentation as discussed in the text:
Market
Segmentation
Criteria
Homogeneous |
|
Heterogeneous |
|
Substantial |
|
Operational |
-
Demographic dimensions
(age, income, location, family size)
Exhibit 4 Market segmentation
2.4.5 Work in pairs. (Retell the text using Exhibit 4. Let your group-fellow correct your answer or give the additional information if necessary)
2.5 Text C. Marketing Strategy Planning. (Read the text and find answers to the following questions:
What is marketing strategy planning?
What two aspects are important for specifying a marketing strategy?
What controllable variables are necessary in the process of marketing strategy planning?
What is the difference between target marketing and mass marketing approaches?)
Marketing strategy planning means finding attractive opportunities and developing profitable marketing strategies.
A marketing strategy specifies a target market and a related marketing mix. It is a "big picture" of what a firm will do in some market. Two interrelated parts are needed:
1. A target market - a fairly homogeneous (similar) group of customers to whom a company wishes to appeal.
2. A marketing mix - the controllable variables the company puts together to satisfy this target group.
The importance of target customers in this process can be seen in Exhibit 5 where the customer - the "c" - is at the center of the diagram. The customer is surrounded by the controllable variables that we call the "marketing mix". A typical marketing mix includes some product, offered at a price, with some promotion to tell potential customers about the product, and a way to reach the customer's place.
The marketing mix
C
Exhibit 5
Note that a marketing strategy specifies some particular target customers. This approach is called "target marketing" to distinguish it from "mass marketing". Target marketing says that a marketing mix is tailored to fit some specific target customers. In contrast, mass marketing means trying to sell to "everyone".
2.5.1 Summarize the main ideas of the three texts of the unit (in short)
2.5.2 Check if you remember the active vocabulary of the unit. Choose the Russian equivalents for the English ones:
-
warranty;
blend;
billboard;
to estimate;
discount;
package;
target;
advertising media;
offering;
opportunity;
income;
sale;
sales promotion;
level;
marketing mix.
стимулирование сбыта;
доход;
цель;
смесь;
комплекс маркетинга;
гарантия;
предложение;
скидка;
отклик;
оценивать;
количество;
продажа;
марка;
качество;
рекламный щит;
упаковка;
уровень;
средства распространения рекламы;
возможность.
покупка.
3 Unit
The Problem Area of the Unit: Grammar:
What is marketing research? Degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs.
3.1 Pre-Тext Exercises
3.1.1 Memorize the following words and word-groups from the texts of the unit:
-
marketing research
marketing manager
need
to tabulate
to take charge of
to handle
top manager
framework
approach
to assume
guess
relationship
orderly
to define
data
available
quantitative
to set up
recurring
исследование маркетинга
управляющий маркетингом
нужда; нуждаться
составлять таблицу
руководить
обрабатывать (документы)
главный управляющий
структура
подход
предполагать
догадка
связь
точный
определять
данные
имеющийся в наличии
количественный
создавать
появляющийся
3.1.2 Form adjectives according to the model and translate them into Russian
Model: to value + able = valuable
ценить – ценный
-
to compare - сравнивать;
to rely - полагаться;
to change - изменяться;
to work - работать;
to profit – получать прибыль;
- to understand – понимать;
- to solve - решать (проблему);
- to manage – управлять;
- to accept – принимать;
- to predict – предсказывать.
3.1.3 Give degrees of comparison of the following adjectives and adverbs:
- important; - effective;
- much; - difficult;
- early; - good;
- cheap ; - easy;
- long; - serious;
- interesting; - expensive;
- reliable; - objective.
3.1.4 Complete the sentences choosing the correct variant in the right column. Pay attention to degrees of comparison
-
Marketing is_____ than advertising.
The situation on the market is ____ than we expected.
The new product will certainly be ____.
The company will position new products on the market _____ .
A marketing information system provides marketing managers with ______ information they need.
more much;
the more;
much more;
mucher.
serious;
more serious;
a more serious;
seriouser.
most the expensive;
the expensive;
a most expensive;
the most expensive.
at higher prices;
at prices the higher;
at a higher prices;
at more high prices.
many reliable;
reliabler;
the most reliable;
a most reliable.
3.1.5 Combine these sentences as shown in the example. Mind the meaning of the conjunction “both … and” – “как …так”
Model: Customers can be unpredictable.
On the other hand competitors can be unpredictable too.
Both customers and competitors can be unpredictable.
Small companies depend on salespeople in their marketing research. They also depend on top managers.
The scientific method can help marketing managers make better decisions.
The strategy planning can also help them in this work.
Marketing managers should use strictly objective methods of analysis.
Their methods should be also scientific.
Managers use their intuition to develop hypotheses.
They also use their observations to develop hypotheses.
Defining the problem is the most important step in the marketing research process.
It is also the most difficult step.
3.1.6 Translate the following verbs into Russian. They are used in the texts of the unit. Use a dictionary if necessary
-
to rely;
to develop;
to carry out;
to call in;
to depend on;
to require;
to involve;
to keep;
to be sure;
to use;
to happen;
to force;
to take up;
to define;
to gather;
to provide;
to foresee;
to try;
to satisfy;
to supplement;
to accept.
3.2 Text A. Marketing Research. (Read the text and do the assignments that follow)
The marketing concept says that marketing managers should meet the needs of customers. This means marketing managers have to rely on help from marketing research – procedures to develop and analyze new information to help marketing managers make decisions.
Most large companies have a separate marketing research department to plan and carry out research projects. These departments often use outside specialists – including interviewing and tabulating services – to handle technical assignments. Further, specialized marketing consultants and marketing research organizations may be called in to take charge of a research project.
Small companies usually don’t have separate marketing research departments. They depend on salespeople or top managers.
Good marketing research requires much more than just technical tools. It requires cooperation between researchers and marketing managers.
The scientific method combined with the strategy planning framework can help marketing managers make better decisions.
The scientific method is a decision–making approach that focuses on being objective and orderly in testing ideas before accepting them. With the scientific method, managers don’t just assume that their intuition is correct. Instead, they use their intuition and observations to develop hypotheses – educated guesses about the relationships between things or about what will happen in the future. Then, they test their hypotheses before making final decisions.
Marketing managers must be involved in marketing research too. Marketing
managers must be able to explain what their problems are – and what kinds of information they need.