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CHAPTER 8
PRODUCT AND SERVICES STRATEGY
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or
consumption that might satisfy a want or need is called a(n):
a. idea.
b. demand.
c. product.
d. service.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 278
2. Broadly defined, products include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. money and payments.
b. services.
c. ideas.
d. persons.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (3) Page: 278
3. A ______________________ is a form of product that consists of activities,
benefits, or satisfactions offered for sale that are essentially intangible and do not
result in the ownership of anything.
a. service
b. demand
c. need
d. physical object
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
4. All of the following are examples of services EXCEPT:
a. banking.
b. hotels and motels.
c. tax preparation.
d. computer software.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
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5. Examples of pure tangible goods include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. soap.
b. tax preparation.
c. toothpaste.
d. salt.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
6. Which of the following would be the best illustration of a pure service?
a. a water pick for cleaning teeth
b. a doctor’s exam
c. a waiter taking your order in a restaurant
d. flying on an airline
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (3) Page: 278
7. If a company has a hybrid offer, then its offer may be described as being one where
there is:
a. an equal amount of goods and services.
b. a tangible good with accompanying services.
c. a service with accompanying minor goods.
d. a clone service package.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (2) Page: 278
8. A(n) _____________ occurs when a company intentionally uses services as the stage,
and goods as the props, to engage individual customers in a way that creates a
memorable event.
a. hybrid offer
b. core service
c. augmented or ancillary product
d. experience
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (2) Page: 278, Marketing at Work 8-1
9. The most basic level of a product is called the:
a. core product.
b. central product.
c. fundamental product.
d. augmented product.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
167
10. All of the following are considered to be characteristics of the actual product
category or feature EXCEPT:
a. quality level.
b. installation.
c. brand name.
d. design.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (3) Page: 282, Figure 8-1
11. Actual products may have as many as five characteristics. All of the following could
be considered to be among these characteristics EXCEPT:
a. a quality level.
b. features.
c. warranty.
d. a brand name.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (3) Page: 282, Figure 8-1
12. The best illustration of an augmented product category or feature would be the:
a. brand name.
b. packaging.
c. warranty.
d. design.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, Figure 8-1
13. Products purchased frequently, immediately, and with a minimum of comparison and
buying effort are called:
a. consumer products.
b. convenience products.
c. shopping products.
d. specialty products.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (1) Page: 282
14. Products that the consumer usually compares with others on price, suitability,
quality, and style are typically called:
a. convenience products.
b. specialty products.
c. shopping products.
d. unsought products.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (1) Page: 282
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15. A(n) _____________ is a product bought by the final consumer for personal
consumption.
a. consumer product
b. industrial product
c. psychological product
d. stress-sensitive product
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 282
16. All of the following are characteristics of the convenience product EXCEPT:
a. low price.
b. mass promotion by the producer.
c. exclusive distribution.
d. frequent purchase, little planning, and little comparison.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, Table 8-1
17. The best illustration of a shopping product listed below would be:
a. a television.
b. a magazine.
c. fine crystal.
d. life insurance.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (3) Page: 282, Table 8-1
18. The best example of a specialty product listed below is that of a(n):
a. luxury good, such as a Rolex watch.
b. major appliance.
c. Red Cross blood donation.
d. laundry detergent.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, 283, Table 8-1
19. Consumer goods with unique characteristics or brand identification often requiring
a special purchase effort are called:
a. custom products.
b. specialty products.
c. convenience products.
d. shopping products.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (1) Page: 282, 283
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20. Consumer goods that the consumer does not know about or does not normally think
about buying are called:
a. custom products.
b. unsought products.
c. specialty products.
d. shopping products.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 283
21. ____________________ are products bought by individuals and organizations for
further processing or for use in conducting a business.
a. Consumer products
b. Services
c. Industrial products
d. Specialty products
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (1) Page: 283
22. The primary distinction between a consumer product and an industrial product is
based on the ___________________.
a. cost
b. size
c. description
d. purpose for which the product is bought
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (3) Page: 283
23. Which of the following would not be one of the three major groups of industrial
products and services?
a. computer software for PCs
b. materials and parts
c. capital items
d. supplies and services
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 283, 284
24. ____________ are industrial products that aid in the buyer’s production or
operations, including installations and accessory equipment.
a. Computer software goods
b. Materials and parts
c. Capital items
d. Supplies and services
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 284
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25. ___________________ consists of activities undertaken to create, maintain, or
change the attitudes and behavior of target consumers toward an organization.
a. Nonprofit marketing
b. Services marketing
c. Organizational marketing
d. Cause-related marketing
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 284, 285
26. Which of the following would be the best illustration of corporate image advertising?
a. A hospital listing its phone number in the Yellow Pages.
b. A university sending a catalog to a prospective student.
c. IBM using television to establish itself as the company to turn to for “e-Business
solutions.”
d. Nike employing Tiger Woods to promote golf balls.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (32) Page: 285
27. When Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods use marketing to promote their careers and
improve their impact and incomes, they are using:
a. cause-related marketing.
b. idea marketing.
c. nonprofit marketing.
d. person marketing.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (1) Page: 285
28. New York State shouts “I Love New York!” This would be an example of which
of the following forms of marketing?
a. cause-related marketing
b. idea marketing
c. corporate image advertising
d. place marketing
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (1) Page: 285
29. “Keep America Beautiful” and “Say No to Drugs” are forms of which type of
marketing listed below?
a. social marketing
b. place marketing
c. nonprofit marketing
d. organizational marketing
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 285, 286
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30. ___________ is one of the marketer’s major positioning tools.
a. Quantity
b. Quality
c. Cost
d. Size
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 287
31. As explained in the text, product quality means conformance quality—consistency
in delivering a target level of performance and:
a. no recalls for at least one year.
b. freedom from defects.
c. standard engineering specifications.
d. global standards, such as ISO 9000.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (3) Page: 287
32. Beyond simply reducing product defects, the ultimate goal of total quality is to
improve:
a. distribution relationships.
b. promotional methods.
c. returns and allowances.
d. customer satisfaction and value.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (2) Page: 287
33. One way to add customer value is through distinctive product style and design.
According to the text, all of the following companies have reputations for outstanding
style and design EXCEPT:
a. Jeep in SUVs.
b. Black & Decker in cordless appliances.
c. Steelcase in office furniture and systems.
c. Bose in audio equipment.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (3) Page: 288
34. According to the text, _________ simply describes the appearance of a product.
a. style
b. design
c. feature
d. brand
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 288
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35. Good __________ contribute(s) to a product’s usefulness as well as to its looks.
a. style
b. design
c. brand enhancement
d. features
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 288
36. If Steelcase office furniture company wanted to make office furniture that really met
the needs of its consumers and provided value to the consumer that was not just
“skin deep,” it would try to improve its products’ ________________.
a. design
b. style
c. performance
d. ambiance
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (2) Page: 288
37. A _______________ is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination
of these, that identifies the maker or seller of a product or service.
a. product feature
b. sponsorship
c. brand
d. logo
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (1) Page: 288, 289
38. When a brand has achieved an impressive reputation for loyalty, performance, and
quality, it can be said to have:
a. brand endurance.
b. brand equity.
c. brand bonding.
d. brand prestige.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 289
39. All of the following are desirable qualities for a brand name EXCEPT:
a. it should suggest something about the product’s benefits and qualities.
b. it is best if it is a computer generated name (this gives it something that no one
else has).
c. it should be distinctive.
d. it should be capable of registration and legal protection.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 290, 291
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40. Once chosen, the brand name must be protected. Many firms try to build a brand
name that will eventually become identified with the product category. However,
success may threaten the company’s rights to the name. Some brand names lose
their distinctiveness and become “generic” (any seller can use the name or term).
All of the following brand names are now considered to be “generic” EXCEPT:
(All of the brands have been put in lower case letters on purpose.)
a. yo-yo.
b. linoleum.
c. shredded wheat.
d. kleenex.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (3) Page: 291
41. A manufacturer has four sponsorship options. A ________________ is a brand
created and owned by a reseller of a product or service.
a. licensed brand
b. manufacturer’s brand
c. private brand
d. co-brand
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 291
42. A private brand is a brand created and owned by:
a. a manufacturer of a product or service.
b. a reseller of a product or service.
c. an international cartel.
d. a private family business.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 291
43. Sears created the Craftsman brand name for tools. This would be an example
of which of the following branding options?
a. licensed brand
b. manufacturer’s brand
c. private brand
d. co-brand
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (1) Page: 291
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44. If Bubble-Right makes 50% of all bubble gum sold in the United States, but sells it
through middlemen who market the product under individual store brands, then
Bubble-Right is utilizing which type of brand-sponsorship?
a. licensed brand
b. manufacturer’s brand
c. private brand
d. co-brand
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (3) Page: 291
45. Sam’s Grocery demands promotional payments from most of its food and beverage
suppliers before it will guarantee them shelf space on premium aisles for new
products. This practice has recently received much scrutiny from the Federal Trade
Commission. The industry calls such promotional fees
or payments:
a. paybacks.
b. promos.
c. slotting fees.
d. new product fees.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 291, 292
46. If Mark Mars pays Hershey Foods Corporation for the right to use its name on his
line of T-shirts, then Mr. Mars is using which type of policy?
a. licensing
b. manufacturer’s branding
c. private branding
d. co-branding
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (2) Page: 292, 293, 295
47. ______________ is the practice of using the established brand names of two different
companies on the same product.
a. Licensed branding
b. National branding
c. Store branding
d. Co-branding
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (1) Page: 295
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48. If Ford Motor Company and Eddie Bauer work together to design and sponsor a new
sport utility vehicle, then the companies are using which of the following brand
sponsorship options?
a. licensed branding
b. national branding
c. store branding
d. co-branding
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (2) Page: 295
49. All of the following would be possible advantages of co-branding EXCEPT:
a. combined brands create broader consumer appeal.
b. combined brands create greater brand equity.
c. combined brands always offer economies of scale and reduced prices.
d. combined brands allow a company to expand its existing brand into other
categories.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 295
50. Using a successful brand name to introduce additional items in a given product
category under the same brand name (such as new flavors, forms, colors, added
ingredients, or package sizes) is called:
a. a line extension.
b. a brand extension.
c. multibranding.
d. new brands.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 296, Figure 8-4
51. A company might introduce ________________ as a low-cost, low-risk way to
introduce new products in order to meet consumer desires for variety, to utilize
excess capacity, or simply to command more shelf space from resellers.
a. duobranding
b. line extensions
c. brand extensions
d. new brands
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 296, Figure 8-4
52. _______________ is a strategy of using a successful brand name to launch a new
or modified product in a new category.
a. Duobranding
b. Line extension
c. Brand extension
d. Multibranding
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Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 297, Figure 8-4
53. If Honda uses its company name to cover such different products as its automobiles,
lawn mowers, and motorcycles, it is practicing which of the following strategies?
a. new brand strategy
b. line extension strategy
c. multibrand strategy
d. brand extension strategy
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (2) Page: 297, Figure 8-4
54. Seiko watches cover many different buying motives, as well as desires for different
features. For example, higher-priced Seiko Lasalles cover the upper end of the
watch market, while Seiko’s Pulsar covers the lower end. The Lasalle and Pulsar
would be called:
a. bracket brands.
b. Hi-Lo brands.
c. flanker brands.
d. end-zone brands.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 297
55. When a company enters a new product category for which its current brand names
are not appropriate, it will likely follow which of the following brand strategies?
a. product extensions
b. line extensions
c. brand extensions
d. new brands
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (2) Page: 297, 298, Figure 8-4
56. If a company is following a branding policy of weeding out weaker brands and
only focusing their marketing dollars on brands that can achieve the number-one
or -two market share positions in their category, then the company is probably
pursuing a:
a. megabrand strategy.
b. metabrand strategy.
c. minibrand strategy.
d. brand elimination strategy.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (3) Page: 298
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57. ________________ is the activities of designing and producing the container or
wrapper for a product.
a. Labeling
b. Packaging
c. Product support services
d. Product line decisions
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (1) Page: 298
58. Traditionally, the primary function of the package was to:
a. promote the product.
b. introduce the product to a new market.
c. contain and protect the product.
d. describe the product and attract attention.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (1) Page: 298
59. The first federal Act to control labels on packages (to ensure that no false,
misleading, or deceptive labels or packages were allowed) was the:
a. Robinson-Patman Act.
b. Sherman Antitrust Act.
c. Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914.
d. Lanham Act.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 300, 301
60. A group of products that are closely related because they function in a similar manner
is called a:
a. product line.
b. brand line.
c. brand family.
d. product position.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (1) Page: 303
61. The number of items within the product line is identified as being the:
a. product line width.
b. product line strength.
c. product line length.
d. product line consistency.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 303
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62. _______________ occurs when a company lengthens its product line beyond its
current range.
a. Product line strength
b. Product line consistency
c. Product line mobility
d. Product line stretching
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (2) Page: 303
63. When a company lengthens its product line beyond its current range, it is engaged in:
a. brand extension.
b. product line stretching.
c. product line reduction.
d. product line filling.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 303
64. Companies in the middle range of the market who wish to extend their product lines
to both the upper and the lower end are considering:
a. an upward stretch.
b. a downward stretch.
c. a stretch in both directions.
d. a middle-end stretch.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (1) Page: 304
65. ________________ is the set of all product lines and items that a particular seller
offers for sale.
a. Product line
b. Product mix
c. Product allotment
d. Product choice
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (1) Page: 305
66. Product mix ________________ refers to the number of different product lines the
company carries.
a. width
b. depth
c. length
d. consistency
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (2) Page: 305
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67. The total number of items that the company carries within its product lines refers to
the ___________ of the product mix.
a. width
b. depth
c. length
d. consistency
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 305
68. The number of different versions of each product offered in the product line is
called its:
a. width.
b. depth.
c. length.
d. consistency.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 305
69. How closely related the various product lines are in end use, production requirements,
distribution channels, or in some other way is called:
a. width.
b. depth.
c. length.
d. consistency.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (2) Page: 305
70. The characteristic of service meaning that it cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard, or
smelled before being bought is called:
a. intangibility.
b. inseparability.
c. variability.
d. perishability.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (2) Page: 306, Figure 8-5
71. The fact that services are sold, produced, and consumed at the same time refers to
which of the following service characteristics?
a. intangibility
b. inseparability
c. variability
d. perishability
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (1) Page: 306, 307, Figure 8-5
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72. The quality of a service depends on who provides it, as well as when, where,
and how it is provided. This is an example of which characteristic of services?
a. intangibility
b. inseparability
c. variability
d. perishability
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 307, Figure 8-5
73. The fact that a business traveler may have one very positive check-in experience at a
hotel and then a very negative check-in experience with a different employee on a
subsequent visit is evidence of service:
a. intangibility.
b. inseparability.
c. variability.
d. perishability.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (1) Page: 307, Figure 8-5
74. The fact that services cannot be stored for later use or sale is evidence of their:
a. intangibility.
b. inseparability.
c. variability.
d. perishability.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (1) Page: 307
75. Successful service companies focus their attention on both their customers and their
employees. They understand ___________________, which links service firm
profits with employee and customer satisfaction.
a. internal marketing
b. service-profit chains
c. interactive marketing
d. service differentiation
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (3) Page: 307
76. If a firm is practicing ____________________, the firm is training and effectively
motivating its customer-contact employees and all of the supporting service people to
work as a team to provide customer satisfaction.
a. double-up marketing
b. internal marketing
c. interactive marketing
d. service marketing
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 309
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77. __________________ means that service quality depends heavily on the quality of
the buyer-seller interaction during service encounters.
a. Double-up marketing
b. Internal marketing
c. Interactive marketing
d. Service marketing
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (2) Page: 309
78. The solution to price competition is to develop a differentiated:
a. product, price, and promotion.
b. offer, delivery, and image.
c. package and label.
d. international Web site.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (2) Page: 310
79. Companies should take steps not only to provide good service every time but also
to recover from service mistakes when they do occur. The first step a manager
should take to ensure service quality is to:
a. empower front-line service employees.
b. always take back merchandise if requested.
c. offer a complaint hot line.
d. refer customers to the service policy found at the bottom of most sales receipts.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (2) Page: 311
TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS
80. Products include more than just tangible goods.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
81. A product can be a person, place, or an idea.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
82. A good example of a pure tangible good would be air travel.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
83. A company’s offer to the marketplace often includes both tangible goods and
services—for example, when people patronize restaurants both for their food and
their service. This would be an example of a hybrid offer.
182
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278
84. The product can be perceived as having three distinct levels. The first of these is
called the actual product.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (1) Page: 278, 279, Figure 8-1
85. The augmented product includes such variables as packaging, the brand name, and
the quality level of the product.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, Figure 8-1
86. A key component of the augmented product is the warranty.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, Figure 8-1
87. The convenience product is a consumer product that the customer usually buys
frequently, immediately, and with a minimum of comparison and buying effort.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 282
88. A good illustration of a specialty product is a magazine or a newspaper.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, 283, Table 8-1
89. If a marketer were attempting to sell life insurance, the type of consumer product
category that it would most likely fall into would be an unsought product.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (2) Page: 283, Table 8-1
90. Red Cross blood donations are considered to be specialty products and, therefore,
have a specialty offer to the consumer.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, 283, Table 8-1
91. The distinction between a consumer product and an industrial product is based on
the purpose for which the product is bought.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 283
92. Capital items are industrial products that aid in the buyer’s production or operations.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 284
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93. The Ad Council’s “Say No to Drugs” is a good example of corporate image
advertising.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (1) Page: 285
94. Recently, marketers have shifted from TQM (total quality management) approaches
to ROQ (return on quality) programs.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (2) Page: 287
95. Unlike design, style is more than skin deep.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (3) Page: 288
96. There is a move away from branding because of the high cost of maintaining
branding reputation and image today.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 289
97. A powerful brand (to be powerful and stay powerful) must have brand equity.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 289, 290
98. A good brand name should suggest something about the product’s cost and price.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 290, 291
99. Because of poor image and quality, store brands are no real threat to manufacturer’s
brands as evidenced by recent sales reports.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 291, 292
100. If Dannon Yogurt produces an economy-sized yogurt, this would be an example
of a line extension.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 296
101. The packaging concept states what the package should be or do for the product.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 300
102. A product line is each individual product made by the company as it attempts to
meet the needs of the marketplace.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (1) Page: 303
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103. Product line stretching occurs when a company tries to milk all the promotional
dollars possible out of the company’s promotional budget.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 303
104. Product mix width refers to the number of different product lines the company
carries.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (2) Page: 305
105. Product line depth refers to how closely related the various product lines are to one
another.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 305
106. Service intangibility means that a service cannot be stored for later sale or use.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 306
107. Service inseparability means that services cannot be separated from their providers.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 306, 307
108. Because the customer is present as the service is produced, provider-customer
interaction is a special feature of services marketing.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (1) Page: 307
109. Internal marketing means that perceived service quality depends heavily on the
quality of the buyer-seller interaction during the service encounter.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (2) Page: 309
ESSAY QUESTIONS
110. Each year, Revlon sells more than $2.4 billion worth of cosmetics, toiletries, and
fragrances to consumers around the world. Revlon knows that when it sells perfume, it
sells much more than fragrant fluids. List and then briefly discuss what Revlon sells in
addition to a tangible product.
Answer:
Fragrance marketers know that if there is “No smell; no sell,” however, the maker sells
many things beyond the scent. In fact, it might be the last element developed. According
to information presented in the text, Revlon carefully researchers women’s feelings about
185
themselves and their relationships with others. It then develops and tests new perfume
concepts that match women’s changing values, desires, and lifestyles. To summarize,
Revlon takes the physical product, the product’s name, and even the package to market to
women’s lifestyles, self-expression, and exclusivity. It does this by focusing on
achievement, success, status, femininity, romance, passion, fantasy, memories, hopes,
and dreams.
Difficulty: (1) Page: 275-277
111. Explain the meaning of the terms product and service. Compare the differences and
similarities by explaining the product-service continuum.
Answer:
A product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or
consumption that might satisfy a want or need. It includes physical objects, services,
persons, places, organizations, and ideas. A service is any activity or benefit that one
party can offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the
ownership of anything.
A company’s offer to the marketplace often includes both tangible goods and services.
Each component can be a minor or a major part of the total offer. This continuum
includes: (1) a pure tangible good, such as soap or toothpaste; (2) a tangible good with
accompanying services, such as an automobile company offering a car plus its warranty
and repair services; (3) a service with accompanying minor goods, such as an airline
offering transportation service but serving meals while traveling; and (4) pure services
where the offer is primarily a service, such as a doctor’s exam.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 278
112. Demonstrate the three levels of product and any accompanying features that might
be present at each level.
Answer:
Product planners need to think about products (and also services) on three levels. The
most basic level is the core product, which addresses the question: What is the buyer
really buying? This level is at the center of the marketing offer. Second, the product
planner must build an actual product around the core product. Actual products may have
as many as five characteristics: a quality level, features, design, a brand name, and
packaging. These features are combined to deliver the core benefit. Lastly, the product
planner must build an augmented product around the core and actual products by offering
additional consumer services and benefits. The augmented product can include
installation, delivery and credit, after-sale service, and a warranty.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 278, 279, 282, Figure 8-1
113. Demonstrate the differences and similarities between the four major types of
consumer products.
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Answer:
The four major types of consumer products include convenience, shopping, specialty, and
unsought products. Convenience products are those consumer products that the customer
usually buys frequently, immediately, and with a minimum of comparison and buying
effort. They generally have a low price, widespread distribution, are found in convenient
locations, are mass produced, and are exemplified by products such as toothpaste and
magazines. Shopping products are consumer goods that the customer, in the process of
selection and purchase, characteristically compares on such bases as suitability, quality,
price, and style. They are generally higher in price, found in selective distribution
outlets, are supported by advertising and personal selling, and exemplified by major
appliances and televisions. Specialty products are consumer products with unique
characteristics or brand identification for which a significant group of buyers is willing to
make a special purchase effort. They are generally high in price, found in exclusive
outlets, carefully targeted by producers and resellers, and exemplified by luxury goods
such as Rolex watches. Lastly, unsought goods are consumer products that the consumer
either does not know about, or knows about but does not normally think of buying. They
are generally supported by aggressive advertising and personal selling, and exemplified
by life insurance. Price and distribution varies.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 282, 283, Table 8-1
114. List and briefly describe the three groups of industrial products and services cited in
the text.
Answer:
The three groups are:
a). Materials and parts—includes raw materials and manufactured materials and parts.
Raw materials consist of farm products and natural products. Manufactured materials
and parts consist of component materials and component parts.
b). Capital items—industrial products that aid in the buyer’s production or operations,
including installations and accessory equipment.
c). Supplies and services—operating supplies and repair and maintenance items.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 283, 284
115. What is social marketing? Give an example of a social marketing effort.
Answer:
Social marketing is the design, implementation, and control of programs seeking to
increase the acceptability of a social idea, cause, or practice among a target group. An
example (several are listed in the text) would be the Advertising Council’s “Smokey the
Bear” campaign.
Difficulty: (1) Page: 285, 286
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116. Discuss the differences between a product’s design and style.
Answer:
Design is a larger concept than style. Style simply describes the appearance of a product.
Styles can be eye-catching or yawn producing. Unlike style, design is more than skin
deep. It goes to the very heart of a product. Good design contributes to a product’s
usefulness as well as to its looks.
Difficulty: (1) Page: 288
117. What characterizes a good brand name? List the desirable qualities a good brand
name should have.
Answer:
A good brand name should do the following:
a). It should suggest something about the product’s benefits and qualities.
b). It should be easy to pronounce, recognize, and remember.
c). The brand name should be distinctive.
d). It should be extendible.
e). The name should translate easily into foreign languages.
f). It should be capable of registration and legal protection.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 290, 291
118. Characterize and explain the four possible brand strategies discussed in the chapter.
Answer:
A company has four choices when it comes to brand strategies. It can introduce line
extensions, brand extensions, multibrands, or new brands. Line extension is a strategy of
using a successful brand name to introduce additional items in a given product category
under the same brand name, such as new flavors, forms, colors, added ingredients, or
package sizes. A brand extension is using a successful brand name to launch a new or
modified product in a new category. An example would be Honda Motor Company
moving its name from automobiles to motorcycles, snowblowers, and lawn mowers.
Multibranding offers a way to establish different features and appeal to different buying
motives. It also allows a company to lock up more reseller shelf space. Forms can be
flanker or fighter brands. In the new brand category, company may create a new brand
name when it enters a new product category for which none of the company’s current
brand names are appropriate.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 296-298, Figure 8-4
119. A company’s product mix has four important dimensions: width, length, depth, and
consistency. Define or characterize each.
188
Answer:
a). Width refers to the number of different product lines the company carries.
b). Length refers to the total number of items the company carries within its product
lines.
c). Depth refers the number of versions offered of each product in the line.
d). Consistency of the product mix refers to how closely related the various product lines
are in end-use, production requirements, distribution channels, or some other way.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 305
120. Identify and briefly discuss the four major service characteristics.
Answer:
A company must consider four special service characteristics when designing marketing
programs: intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability. These
characteristics may be summarized as follows: (1) service intangibility—services cannot
be seen, tasted, felt, heard, or smelled before they are bought (a good strategy would be to
try and make the service more tangible), (2) service inseparability—services are produced
and consumed at the same time and cannot be separated from their providers, whether the
providers are people or machines (a strategy might be to try to increase the providercustomer interaction), (3) service variability—the service has the quality of varying
greatly, depending on who provides it and when, where, and how it is provided (try to
achieve consistency in the service offering), and (4) service perishability—services
cannot be stored for later sale or use (service firms need to design better strategies for
producing a better match between demand and supply).
Difficulty: (3) Page: 306, 307, Figure 8-5
121. Identify what a service-profit chain is and identify the critical five links of the chain.
Answer:
A service-profit chain is the chain that links service firm profits with employee and
customer satisfaction.
The critical five links are:
a). internal service quality
b). satisfied and productive service employees
c). greater service value
d). satisfied and loyal customers
e). healthy service profits and growth
Difficulty: (3) Page: 307
122. Draw a distinction between internal marketing and interactive marketing.
189
Answer:
Internal marketing is marketing by a service firm to train and effectively motivate its
customer-contact employees and all the supporting service people to work as a team to
provide customer satisfaction.
Interactive marketing is marketing by a service firm that recognizes that perceived
service quality depends heavily on the quality of buyer-seller interaction.
Difficulty: (2) Page: 309
APPLICATION QUESTION
123. A company must manage its product lines carefully. Jefferson Pool and Billiard
Company (who has manufactured high-priced, high-quality pool and billiard tables to
discriminating individuals for 50 years) recently decided to embark into a new business
venture which they hoped would remedy their sagging sales. The company decided to
begin to manufacture and market a line of durable but value-priced pool tables intended
for private and arcade use. Using the correct terminology with respect to product line
decisions, describe what Jefferson is attempting to do and give a judgment about whether
you think the new product line might be a good fit. Be sure to explain your rationale and
justify your conclusions.
Answer:
The instructor might want to give additional instructions or embellish the example to fit
individual course needs. However, if taken in the form presented above, the student
should explain, and then choose from the following product line alteration options: a)
Product line stretch(ing)—occurs when a company lengthens its product line beyond its
current range. This stretch can occur through downward, upward, or both direction
stretches. If the company initially began as an upper-end market company (as Jefferson
did), they can later stretch their lines downward to plug a market hole that otherwise
would attract a new competitor, to respond to a competitor’s attack on their upper end, or
add at this level because low-end products seem to be having faster growth (this is
probably what is happening in the Jefferson case). Or, if the company began in the lowend portion of the market (which Jefferson did not), the company might stretch their lines
upward because it finds faster growth taking place in higher-end market. The company
could also decide to stretch in both directions. b) The company could also pursue a line
filling strategy (where the company would add more items within the present range of the
line). There could be several reasons for adding a product line filling strategy—reaching
for extra profits, satisfying dealers, using excess capacity, being the leading full-line
company, and plugging holes to keep out competitors. Since markets rather than
products seem to be involved in this case, this alternative is not as sound as the
downward stretch option.
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Students should see that the best alternative for the company would be to exercise a
downward stretch. If the company is concerned that the stretch might cheapen their
image and prestige, the move could be accomplished under another brand name. The
company should also consider that, if they only been selling to individuals, selling to
arcades might be a real challenge. Whatever they decide, the students should provide a
rationale for their decision. The instructor might also allow for creativity (such as the
student that recommends new product lines such as Air Hockey or Foosball).
Difficulty: (3) Page: 303, 304
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