Section –A

1. List out the necessary skills for a Marketing Manager.

A1. Key skills for marketing executives

 Good teamwork skills

 Communication skills and networking ability
 Adaptability
 Strong attention to detail
 Good organisation and planning skills
 Creativity and writing skills
 Commercial awareness
 Numerical skills
 IT skills

2. Define Marketing Environment.

A2. Market environment and business environment are marketing terms that refer to factors and forces that
affect a firm's ability to build and maintain successful customer relationships. The business environment has
been defined as "the totality of physical and social factors that are taken directly into consideration in the
decision-making behaviour of individuals in the organisation."

The three levels of the environment are as follows:

1. Internal environment – the internal elements of the organisation used to create, communicate and
deliver market offerings.
2. External micro environment – small forces external the company that affect its ability to serve its
customers.
3. External macro environment – larger societal forces that affect the survival of the organisation.

3. Explain the concepts of need and want.

A3. The economic view of needs and wants utilizes the fictional concept of the economic man, who acts
rationally to maximize his potential to consume goods and services that offer him the highest degree of
utility or satisfaction. Our economic man's quest is limitless. While your needs may eventually be satisfied
for a while, according to economic theory, wants never are. For example, a one-bedroom apartment fulfils
your needs and wants for housing, but once you get married, you want a townhouse. The want changes to a
three-bedroom house when the first kid comes along. Then you decide you want a house with a few extra
bedrooms, and a pool wouldn't be bad either, even though the original house fulfils your need for family
housing.

4. Brief ‘Selling Concept”.

A4. The Selling Concept proposes that customers, be individual or organizations will not buy enough of the
organization’s products unless they are persuaded to do so through selling effort. So organizations should
undertake selling and promotion of their products for marketing success. The consumers typically are inert
and they need to be goaded for buying by converting their inert need in to a buying motive through
persuasion and selling action. This approach is applicable in the cases of unsought goods like life insurance,
vacuum cleaner, firefighting equipments including fire extinguishers. These industries are seen having a
strong network of sales force. This concept is applicable for the firms having over capacity in which their
goal is to sell what they produce than what the customer really wants.

5. Define product mix.

A5.  The Product Mix also called as Product Assortment, refers to the complete range of products that is
offered for sale by the company. In other words, the number of product lines that a company has for its
customers is called as product mix. The product mix has four dimensions: Breadth, Length, Depth,
and Consistency. The Breadth of a product mix shows the different kinds of product lines that firm carries.
Simply, it shows the number of items in the product line. 

6. Mention any four demerits of online buying.

A6. The major disadvantages of online shopping are as follows.

1. Delay in delivery

2. Lack of significant discounts in online shops

3. Lack of touch and feel of merchandise in online shopping

4. Lack of interactivity in online shopping

7. Explain the concept positioning.

A7. Positioning defines where your product (item or service) stands in relation to others offering similar
products and services in the marketplace as well as the mind of the consumer. A good positioning makes a
product unique and makes the users consider using it as a distinct benefit to them. A good position gives the
product a USP (Unique selling proposition). In a market place cluttered with lots of products and brands
offering similar benefits, a good positioning makes a brand or product stand out from the rest, confers it the
ability to charge a higher price and stave off competition from the others. A good position in the market also
allows a product and its company to ride out bad times more easily. A good position is also one which
allows flexibility to the brand or product in extensions, changes, distribution and advertising.

8. Write a short note on target market.

A8. A target market is a group of people with some shared characteristics that a company has identified as
potential customers for its products. Identifying the target market informs the decision-making process as a
company design, packages, and markets its product. A target market may be broadly categorized by age
range, location, income, and lifestyle. Many other demographics may be considered. Their stage of life, their
hobbies, interests, and careers, all may be considered.

9. Define direct marketing.

A9. Direct marketing is a form of communicating an offer, where organizations communicate directly to
a pre-selected customer and supply a method for a direct response. Among practitioners, it is also known
as direct response marketing. By contrast, advertising is of a mass-message nature. Response channels
include 800-numbers, reply cards, reply forms to be sent in an envelope, websites and email addresses. The
prevalence of direct marketing and the unwelcome nature of some communications [3] has led to regulations
and laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act, requiring that consumers in the United States be allowed to opt-out

10. What is macro environment?

A10. A macro environment refers to the set of conditions that exist in the economy as a whole, rather than in
a particular sector or region. In general, the macro environment includes trends in the gross domestic
product (GDP), inflation, employment, spending, and monetary and fiscal policy. The macro-environment is
closely linked to the general business cycle as opposed to the performance of an individual business sector.
The macro-environment refers to how the macroeconomic conditions in which a company or sector operates
influence its performance. Macroeconomics deals with aggregate production, spending, and the price level
in an economy as opposed to individual industries and markets.
 Section –B

1. Explain the stages of Product Life Cycle and strategies to adapt at every stage.

A1. A product life cycle normally looks like a bell-shaped curve showing four stages at different points of
the curve. The four stages of the product life cycle are;

1. Introduction: The introduction stage shows low sales numbers as the product is being introduced in
the market. Profit is zero or negative in this stage because of the heavy expenses of product
introduction.
2. Growth: With proper marketing, a product can go into the growth stage. During the growth stage,
sales rise rapidly as consumers begin to accept the product. The production runs become longer, and
economies of scale are achieved, reducing per-unit cost, and also helping profits to increase rapidly.
3. Maturity: During the maturity stage of the product life cycle, the sharp growth in sales begins to
slow, and profits at the beginning of this stage decline. The most notable characteristic of this stage
is the peaking of the product’s sales and profit curves. At the beginning of the maturity stage, sales
continue to grow but at a much slower rate.
4. Decline: For any product, it’s PLC will go to the decline stage, where the product’s sales and profits
fall very quickly, and most competitors leave the market.

2. Assume that You are a Consultant in Marketing. A deodorant product segmented for teenagers are to be
launched through online marketing. Suggest online website marketing strategy.

A2. 1. Organize a pre-launch giveaway

2. Increase your organic visibility

3. Create shareable content

4. Take a chance with remarketing

5. Create a recommendation system

6. Optimize your website speed

7. Establish relationships with influencers

8. Take care of your customer service

9. Prepare your FAQ before launching your product

10. Don't forget about email marketing

3. Discuss the trends of online marketing among the youth, with suitable examples.

A3. Youth marketing is any marketing effort directed toward young people. This group is typically broken
down into smaller segments depending on their age, including tweens, teenagers, college students, and
young adults aged 23-34. Each market segment has products and ad campaigns that are targeted specifically
for them. This advertising strategy is not limited to any one marketing channel or technique. Youth
marketing takes place on TV, radio, in print and in dozens of forms online. Companies often sponsor
extreme athletes, musicians, and high school sports teams as a way to insert themselves into youth culture.
Authenticity is particularly important to the young — they want the brands they support to reflect their
values and tastes.  Young people make such valuable consumers because they influence the purchasing
decisions of their friends and family. In addition to being consumers themselves, teens can affect where their
family goes on vacation, the car they choose to buy, and the clothes that their friends wear. If a product or
brand is popular with young people, it gains an image of being “cool.”

4. Enlighten the term marketing management and its concepts with relation to Society.

A4. The roles of marketing in the society are explained below.

1. Adjusting Supply with Demand: Supply and demand is a fundamental concept of economy and this
concept is fulfilled by marketing activity also. The needs and requirements are fulfilled properly by
marketing.

2. Proper Distribution: It is most important that to consume the product of production because by this
consuming the production will be successful. Distribution for society is one of the most important things
among of all work.

3. Creating Utility: Marketing is very important in creating utility. It creates time, place and possession
utilities. Transport or vehicle creates place utility, storage or stock creates time utility, promotional or
advertisements create information or knowledge utility etc.

4. Research and Development: Consumers always want new and amazing product. Research and
development helps to do this work properly.

5. Consuming Unproduced Products: All kinds of goods do not produce in one country. Some goods
produce in other country. Marketing helps to consume these goods that produce in other country. Goods are
supplied by importing from other country by marketing. At a result, the consumers get chance to consume
that kind of product that does not produce in that country.

6. Facilitating Large-scale Production: The demand is increased for new product and expanded the market
by marketing. The organization must produce a lot of goods for fulfilling expended market demand. As a
result, the large production scale gets the proper chance.

5. Write a detailed note on natural and technological environment. How these factors affect market?

5. The analysis of the mega environment must also cover aspects like extent of endowment of natural
resources in the country, ecology, climate, etc. These constitute the natural environment. Business firms
depend on natural resources. The extent to which the country/region under reference is endowed with these
resources has an impact on the functioning of the firms. Raw material is one major part of these resources
and firms are concerned with their availability; they need to know whether there will be a shortage in any of
the critical raw material. They also need to know the trends governing their costs. Besides raw materials,
they are also concerned about energy, its availability as well as cost. Escalations in energy cost are of
particular concern to any business firm.

Today, technology is a major force which industry and business have to reckon with. Technology leads
practically all the forces that shape people’s lives. For a business firm, technology affects not only its
final products but also its raw materials, processes and operations as well as its customer segments. In the
present times, rapid changes are taking place in the realm of technology. The IT industry is one example. It
is possible that several levels of technologies are floating at the same time in an industry. Firms have to scan
the technology environment and select technologies that will be appropriate for the firm and the given
product-market situation. They have to forecast technological trends, assess current and emerging
technologies, and develop the inputs for right technology choice. The policy of the government on
technology import is also a concern in this regard. India is adopting a fairly liberal approach to technology
import. It is also at the same time encouraging efforts of internal technology development by all sections of
Industry by giving them tax rebates and concessions.
6. Describe the steps of consumer decision making process.

A6. 1. Problem recognition: The first step of the consumer decision-making process is recognizing the need
for a service or product. Need recognition, whether prompted internally or externally, results in the same
response: a want. Once consumers recognize a want, they need to gather information to understand how they
can fulfill that want, which leads to step 2.

2. Information search: When researching their options, consumers again rely on internal and external factors,
as well as past interactions with a product or brand, both positive and negative. In the information stage,
they may browse through options at a physical location or consult online resources, such as Google or
customer reviews.

3. Alternatives evaluation: At this point in the consumer decision-making process, prospective buyers have
developed criteria for what they want in a product. Now they weigh their prospective choices against
comparable alternatives.

4. Purchase decision: This is the moment the consumer has been waiting for: the actual purchase. Once they
have gathered all the facts, including feedback from previous customers, consumers should arrive at a
logical conclusion on the product or service to purchase.

5. Post-purchase evaluation: This part of the consumer decision-making process involves reflection from
both the consumer and the seller.

7. Expound the scope of branding.

A7. A brand is a perceptual entity that is rooted in reality but reflects the perceptions and perhaps even the
idiosyncrasies of consumers. Ultimately a brand is something that resides in the minds of consumers.
Therefore, the scope of branding expands beyond boundaries. To successfully brand a product it is necessary
to teach consumers:

1. What the product is.

2. What the product does.
3. Why consumers should choose that particular brand.

A branding strategy shall be considered successful only when the consumers have an answer to the above
three questions which is strong enough to make them believe that there are significant differences in the
products or services provided by a brand than others. Making sure the above three takes deep understanding
of consumer and therefore the scope of branding becomes critical