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Mpssa Final Exam Notes
Mpssa Final Exam Notes
Team
MARKETING TWITTER
o Questions
How is user market segmented
What segment is Twitter focused on
How to describe value of twitter to them
How does T reach potential new users
How easy is it for customer to discover T and understand
How does T inspire trial
o What is role of Mkting leader? Requires broad perspective – it’s not just
advertising
Wears many hats: analyst, visionary, dept manager, org leader, strategy
implementation leader, strategist
How do we add value & beat competition and get to our target
customers
Mkting leader is strategy implementation leader; change management
VOSS WATER
o Success resulted from: 1) clear market position, 2) value proposition
ALL OTHER DECISIONS CAME AFTER POSITIONING
o Consistent tactics in price, packaging, location, promos
o Positioning/strategy might change with team to evade competition, saturation,
etc.
STARBUCKS
o Total Offering creates value and differentiation
o Ex: it’s not just coffee that’s the offering (that’s just the product); it’s the
EXPERIENCE
o Markets evolve & require ongoing monitoring
o Not all customers are of equal value
o “Back of the Envelope” business calculation
SAMSUNG
o Differentiation is only an advantage if customers value it
o Attractive vs Uniqueness scale
o Clear understanding is necessary to understand difference bw loss of mkt share
vs declining market???
o Markets differ bw developing & developed economies
TESCO
o Mkt strategy rooted in comprehensive mkt & consumer research
o Retailing requires deep understanding of consumer behaviour & preferences
o Breaking consumer habitual behaviour is significant barrier to growth
o Copy&Paste strategies from other markets are RISKY
They used UK strategy in US… didn’t work
o Not all markets have opportunity; markets could be saturated
RED LOBSTER
o Key ideas:
What is positioning? What is that distinctive place in the customers’
minds that you want to own? What opinion do you want them to have
when they think about you? Who will customers compare us to?
WE WANT TO BE THE PREFERRED CHOICE OF OUR TARGET SEGMENT
o Price-Value Curve
It can also shift over time but moving around might mean losing some
segments
We can compete in many different areas, BUT we don’t want to be above
or below the curve
o The more specific we are with our targeting, the better our message will
resonate with target customers
Although, broad target provides more volume
COLGATE
o Share-point value
o Understanding competitor behaviour at individual product manager level can
product important insight
o No-win positions require foresight (prisoner’s dilemma)
o Ultimate goal is driving profitability; not demise of competition
HCL BEANSTALK
o Use Segment Preferences & Competitive Perceptions to discover positioning
options
SABRE SIMULATION
o World is dynamic
o Competitors are smart
o Generating profits is difficult
o Managers need to help move through bad outcomes
VISA
o What is the ROI of marketing?
Spend money now but realize benefits in future
o Measuring market shares needs you to know size of market, but this isn’t always
easy to obtain
o MEASURING KPIs is important
GOAL: Ask the right questions to generate insights that maybe competitors have missed
EXAM DETAILS
Past exam cases: clean edge razor, voss, kraft coffee, starbucks, mountain man, red
lobster, colgate, soren
USE MAIN FRAMEWORK TO STRUCTURE THINKING allows you to look at all aspects
Marketing analysis planning process:
o Context
What are we dealing?
What problem are we facing?
What are our goals?
What alternatives do we have?
What kinds of things do you want to know? (ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS)
o Situation Analysis (Size up)
Answer questions generated above
Ask “why does this matter” for every situation (implications of decisions)
o Evaluation of Alternatives
Qualitative & quantitative
Analyze every alternative on every criteria
Strategy will drive tactical decisions
o The Decisions and The Plan
Best Alternative & why?
Summarized strategy
Execution plan
Case exam
o Management report
o Use Examplify & hand-written stuff; will be graded in conjunction
Can do the whole thing by hand too
o Open book; will have access to computer files
o Can use excel or bring actual calculator
o What is a good approach to the report:
Use the 4 sections: context, situation analysis, evaluation of alternatives,
decisions & plan; EXEC SUMMARY IS USEFUL BUT NOT MANDATORY
o Make small notes if using notes from other cases
Exam Tips
o Headings & subheadings help
o Bullet points okay; but sentence fragment doesn’t make sense to reader
o MAKE SURE HAND-WRITTEN PORTIONS ARE LEGIBLE
o Read first paragraph & last paragraph, read headings & exhibit titles, THEN read
case
o Write questions as they pop in your head; some may be answered, but some
may not and the ones not answered may be key
o What numbers should you do? Enough to make a good decision & possible make
some projections
- Past Exam
o Clean Edge Razor
o Voss Water
o Kraft Coffee Pod
o Starbucks
o Mountain Mna
o Red lobster
o Colgate
o Soren
DMA
Same format
- Executive Summary
- Summary for VP
- ICI
- JAIKUMAR
- Enron
- Clonara
- Techventures