MP 1 Pick the mix

Marketers plans where they need to go and how to get there efficiently to

• lay out their strategies

• agree upon a goal

• measure their success

• achieve satsifying connection

Answer explanation

Agreeing upon a goal, laying out their

strategies, and measuring their success are steps marketers take toward reaching their

ultimate aim of achieving satisfying connections between producers and customers.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

For the strategy of conducting customer surveys, with tactics including

contacting customers and tabulating survey results, which of the following is the goal:

• Improving this year’s sales training results by 7% over last year’s results

• Improving this year’s customer satisfaction by 7% over last year’s ratings

• Improving this year’s telemarketing skills by 7% over last year’s skills

• Improving this year’s proposal writing by 7% over last year’s writing

Answer explanation

The strategy of conducting customer surveys supports the goal of improving this year’s customer satisfaction ratings. It does not support improving sales training results, which is about making sure the company’s salespeople are performing their roles appropriately. It does not support improving telemarketing skills, either, because telemarketing skills belong to the caller—not to the customers who are surveyed. In addition, it does not support improving proposal writing, because, of course, the writers are not customers.

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which of the following is a strategy for the goal of increasing this year’s website

sales by 9% over last year’s sales:Which of the following is a strategy for the goal of increasing this year’s website

sales by 9% over last year’s sales:

• Printing the web address on company business cards

• Including the web address in advertising

• Letting people know the web address

• Putting the web address on company vehicles

Answer explanation

A strategy for the goal of increasing

this year’s website sales is letting people know the web address. Printing the web address on company business cards, including the web address in advertising, and putting the web address on company vehicles are all tactics that support the strategy.

Which of the following is a tactic for the strategy of training customer service

staff to reach

the goal of improving this year’s customer service by 15% over last year’s:

• Scheduling customer service training dates

• Improving the customer waiting area

• Increasing customer benefits

• Offering customers a payment plan

Answer explanation

As a specific action supporting

the strategy, the tactic for training customer service staff is scheduling customer service

training dates. Improving the customer waiting area, increasing customer benefits, and offering customers a payment plan are three strategies that might support a goal of increasing sales or enriching customer relations. However, they are not tactics for the listed strategy.

A goal can be evaluated to determine its

• advantage.

• progress.

• success

• benefit

Answer explanation

When evaluating a goal, marketers consider whether it can be measured for

success or failure. Advantages or benefits are communicated to the customer during

promotion. Progress is moving toward the goal.

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Sawyer is a marketer who is planning his strategy. He most likely wants to choose

a route that is

• reasonable.

• easy.

• straight.

• efficient.

Answer explanation

To reach their goal, marketers plan the route they believe to be efficient. A reasonable route is a road that may take the marketer to their goal, but it may not be the best option. An easy route may not require much effort, but it may not return a successful outcome, either. A straight route may seem direct, but it may not speed the marketer’s way. For example, a construction project might slow down an otherwise straight journey. An easy route may take the marketer way off course. And selecting a reasonable, or satisfactory, route implies the navigator applied a half-hearted effort.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Which of the following is an important characteristic of marketing tactics:

• The tactics should support the marketing mix.

• The tactics should line up with marketing strategies.

• The tactics should focus on customers.

• The tactics should bring in enough money.

Answer explanation

Tactics may seem to focus on the customers or may happen to result in bringing in enough money. But, when marketers determine their tactics, they make sure their tactics line up with their strategies. The marketing mix supports the strategy for which the tactics are selected.

A firm’s strategy is important because it shows

• how its goal will be reached.

• how its prices will be lowered.

• how its tactics will be organized.

• how its marketing mix will be

  blended.

Answer explanation

Although the strategy may involve lowering

prices or organizing the tactics, a firm’s strategy is important because it shows how its goal will be reached. The marketing mix is blended after the strategy is selected.

To select the best strategy available to them, marketers should consider

• how to get their product into more customers’ hands.

• how the marketing concept applies to their situation.

• resources needed to research and develop their product.

• when they want promotional messages delivered to customers.

Answer explanation

Marketers can use a number of different options to reach their goals and objectives. To select the best strategy available to them, marketers consider how the marketing concept applies to their situation, when they want to reach their goal, and which resources are on hand. After determining their marketing strategy, marketers may consider how to get their product into more customers’ hands (an aspect of the price element of the marketing mix), resources needed to research and develop their product (an aspect of the product element), and when they want promotional messages delivered to customers (an aspect of the promotion element).

Franklin is a marketer who has selected what he thinks is the best strategy. What

should he

do next?

• List the available resources

• Determine the final deadline

• Set aside the needed funds

• Apply the marketing concept

Answer explanation

Once marketers select what they think is the

best strategy, they set aside or obtain the needed funds. Applying the marketing concept, determining the final deadline, and listing the available resources are considered while selecting the best strategy.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.3

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.8.3

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