Chapter 15

Marketing Strategy Implementation and Control

True / False Questions

1.How well marketing strategy is implemented and managed on a continuing basis is the
ultimate test of market targeting and positioning decisions. (Ans. True)

2 One comprehensive way to deal with difficulty in the implementation of the marketing plan
is to employ the sure-to-grow method. This process is a formalized management control
system that a given business unit strategy by means of activities across four areas: financial,
customer, internal business process and learning and growth (or innovation).(Ans. False)

3. The implementation of marketing strategy is affected by external organizations such as

strategic alliance partners, marketing consultants, advertising and public relations firms,
channel members and other organizations participating in the marketing effort.(Ans. True)

4 The purpose of reports is to state the results that management is seeking and also provide
a basis for evaluating the strategy's success.(Ans. True)

5 Since many possible marketing performance criteria can be selected, management must
identify the key measures that will show how the firm's marketing strategy is performing in its
competitive environment and point to where changes are needed.(Ans. True)

6.Marketing metrics use only external information about competitors to provide a

structure for monitoring the effectiveness of marketing activities and strategies.(Ans. False)

7. For strategic decision makers, the marketing dashboard should contain metrics related to
the main business drivers, the factors that directly and predictably affect performance and
should reflect the pipeline of growth ideas – how knowledge of customers is translated into a
strategy for sustaining growth – and review the marketing talent pool.(Ans. False)

8. Strategic evaluation activities seek to (1) identify opportunities or performance gaps and
(2) avoid planning actions that could correct existing problems.(Ans. False)

9 Opportunity monitoring and problem identification might include the emergence of

concerns about environmental and "green" issues in many countries.(Ans. True)

10.After identifying opportunities and performance gaps, management's corrective

actions would never include exiting from a product-market or new-product planning.(Ans.
False)

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Multiple Choice Questions
11. The indicates marketing objectives and the strategy and tactics for accomplishing
the objectives and guides implementation and control.
A. Strategic marketing plan
B. Annual marketing plan
C. Situation analysis
D. Positioning strategy

12. The guides short-term marketing activities. An annual planning period is

necessary, since several marketing activities require action within 12 months or less
and budgets also require annual planning.
A. Strategic marketing plan
B. Annual marketing plan
C. Situation analysis
D. Positioning strategy

13. A set of factors influencing marketing strategy implementation is issues, including

the company's marketing functions, control systems and policy guidelines.
A. Structural
B. Annual marketing plan
C. Situation
D. Positioning

14. A set of factors influencing marketing strategy implementation is issues,

concerning marketing managers' skills in bargaining and negotiation, resource allocation
and developing informal organizational arrangements.
A. Structural
B. Behavioral
C. Situation
D. Positioning

15 The flat, flexible _ offer several advantages in implementation, since they

encourage inter-functional cooperation and communication. These types are responsive to
changing conditions.
A. Organization designs
B. Incentives
C. Communications
D. Plans

16. Performance standards for the implementation must be fair and should encourage
something more than normal performance. Focusing rewards on the achievement of overall
plan goals rather than individual efforts is particularly relevant.
A. Organization designs
B. Incentives
C. Communications
D. Planning
 17. Rapid and accurate movement of information through the organization is essential in
implementation. Meetings, status reports and informal discussions help the .
A. Organization designs
B. Incentives
C. Communications
D. Planning

18. The approach allows consideration of specific activities which will accomplish the
objective, but also formally includes an assessment of the strategy component across all
aspects of the business unit at the same time.
A. Balanced scorecard
B. Incentives
C. Communications
D. Internal marketing

19. The results of the provide the basis for selecting performance criteria and choosing
relevant marketing metrics to assess actual performance against plans and strategic intent.
A. Balanced scorecard
B. Strategic marketing audit
C. Communications
D. Internal marketing

20. Reasons for conducting a(n) include: starting an evaluation program, corporate
restructuring, entry into new product and market areas, acquisitions and the impact of
Internet-based business models.
A. Balanced scorecard
B. Communications plan
C. Strategic marketing audit
D. Internal marketing plan

21 Marketing performance criteria needs to be established to monitor the total performance

of the marketing activities. Which of the following would not be in the marketing total
performance criteria?
A. Sales
B. Profit
C. Human resources quality control
D. Market share

22 Performance criteria are needed for the marketing mix components. Which of
the following would not be in the marketing mix performance criteria?
A. New-customer and lost customer tracking
B. Compare actual to list prices
C. Profit contribution
D. Production estimates
23. Groups of marketing metrics would not include .
A. Customer profitability
B. Sales and channel effectiveness
C. Human resources quality control
D. Web activities

24.Cadbury Schweppes, in the Managing for Value program, some key measures
include: performance against strategic milestones; market share. This illustrates the use
of .
A. Customer profitability
B. CVP
C. Marketing metrics
D. CRM

25. Ford evaluated sponsoring Ferrari in Formula One by comparing attitudes toward the
Shell brand of those who were aware of the Ferrari link and those who were not illustrates the
use of .
A. Customer profitability
B. Sales and channel
effectiveness C. Marketing
metrics
D. Advertising effectiveness

26. The management takes its name by comparison with the instrument panel of an
automobile, which also presents key data in an easily understandable way.
A Dashboard
B. Cockpit
C. Marketing metric
D. PDF

27. The attraction of the concept is to provide decision makers with a reduced set of
vital measures in a form that is easy to interpret and apply. Advanced software packages
can display critical information in easy-to-read graphics, assembled in real time from
corporate information system
A. Marketing metric
B. Cockpit
C. Dashboard
D. PDF

28. A occurs when actual results achieved are different than planned results.
A. Computer gap
B. Performance gap
C. Dashboard gap
D. Cockpit gap
29. Defining the is(are) (a) critical factor(s) that can be difficult to discern since it is
easy to confuse symptoms with causes.
A. Computer gap
B. Performance gap
C. Dashboard gap
D. Problems and opportunities

30. No matter how extensive the information resources may be, they cannot . This is the
responsibility of marketing management.
A. Calculate the data
B. Interpret the strategic importance of the information
C. Report the information
D. Prioritize marketing metrics
 Essay Questions

31. Explain the dimensions in managing marketing planning as a process.

Ans. There are three dimensions in managing marketing planning as a process

 Analytical Process Dimension: - The analytical process dimension planning process

includes the systematic tools for systematic planning, techniques, procedures, systems
which are in nature of analytical system and are needed to use strategies and plans.

 Behavioral Process Dimension: - The Behavioral Process dimension planning process

includes and concerned with how the organization managers have a mindset about
planning activities and the assumptions they made and the managers how participate in
the planning process.

 Organizational Process Dimension: - The organizational process dimension planning

process includes the structure of the organization in which the planning is being done.

This also includes the organization information resources and the culture prevailing in the
company.

32. What role can internal marketing play in enhancing the effectiveness of implementation?

Ans. Internal marketing methods paly a very pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of the
implementation of the strategy.

 It involves the changing of the attitudes and the behavior of the staff who are more in
contact with the customers and that help more in retention and loyalty of the customers
towards the organization

 It also promotes and support the external marketing strategies and create a balance

 It also creates a better relationship between the customer and the employees of the
organization
Internal Marketing examines how the external policies are working and it target the key groups
in the company and the alliances which are very crucial for the company success.

33.How can the "balanced scorecard" methods assist managers in their

implementation efforts?

Ans. A balanced scorecard is a strategic management performance metric to identify and

improve various internal business functions and their resulting external outcomes. Data
collection is crucial to providing quantitative results as managers and executives gather and
interpret the information and use it to make better implementation of the strategy.

Role of balanced scorecards in assisting the managers in implementation efforts are:

 It helps in the implementation of the common strategy for the organization and thus
assist managers in their implementation efforts

 It also assesses the major specific the key activities that help to more clearly help in
achieving the objectives of the market segment

Major activities identify by the managers while using the balance scorecard method are

 The customer
 The financial area
 Process of the organization
 Growth prospect of the organization

 It integrates and link the marketing plan with the overall marketing strategy
 34. Explain the importance of marketing metrics.

Ans. Importance of marketing metrics are given are as follow:

 To measure the marketing performance of the company the use of marketing metrics is
there

 To measure the profitability, market returns of the company

 To checking out the various effectiveness of the advertising campaigns there is a need of
marketing metrics

 To know what is the consumer behavior and to know the change agents prevailing in the
market related to that

 To know the competitive position of the organization in the context of various firms
prevailing in the same market

 To know about the sales effectiveness and the revenue accuracy generation if the sales
team

35. Explain the use of simplifying assumptions in international marketing planning.

Ans. The use of simplifying the assumptions given below:

 A balance will be created between the standardized strategy and the implementation of
the strategies at the local level too

 More clarity and understanding will be there about the various conditions prevailing in
the international marketing while planning for it such as

 The culture
 The customs, beliefs
 The perception
  The trends and the tastes prevailing in that market

 To identify the opportunities more aptly

 To identify the threats more easily if the assumptions are more simplified while dealing
in the international marketing and planning for it