Download Professors on the Go

Professors on the Go!
Chapter 3
Gathering Information and Scanning the Environment
Key Concepts:
1) Internal Records and Marketing Intelligence
Commission a marketing research study on topic(s) of interest to the students at your
institution. During the course of the semester (15–16 week), have the students develop
the questionnaire, collection method, conduct the survey, and tabulate the results. The
students can be divided into groups for this project. Suggested topics might include the
school or university students’ opinions on campus issues such as the athletic program,
sale of alcohol, use of and availability of technology, or students’ perceptions of their
current education experiences.
2) The Marketing Intelligence System
To illustrate the concept of marketing intelligence, select a different group of students
to conduct similar research to Key Concept 1 above using other universities and
colleges of similar size. These findings should then be presented to class as a
comparison to the findings prepared from the group(s) researching your own
university or college. Challenge the students to suggest the factors that differentiate the
two studies and ways to reverse or to continue the trend.
3) Population Age Mix
Obesity has been officially called an epidemic as cited in the opening vignette of the
chapter. In small groups, have the student’s collect from the university or college
administrators, information about the students eating habits (on-campus students
would be one group; commuting students another group), exercise, and lifestyle. For
example, how many students (as a percentage of the total student population) regularly
take advantage of the available exercise facilities? How many students presently on
campus are clinically obese? This is a very good project to demonstrate the skill of
data mining and the use of secondary data.
4) Ethnic and Other Markets
Each student is a member of an identifiable ethic and demographic segment of society.
As an individual assignment, ask each student to describe their sub-segment in terms
of population, age distribution, growth potential, income, education level, and other
demographic characteristics. The conclusion of their report should explain the
marketing implications of their findings in terms of potential market, over-saturated
market, declining market, or hidden or ignored market with potential.
7
Professors on the Go!
5) Geographical Shifts in Population
Marketing Debate—Is consumer behavior more of a function of a person’s age or
generation?
One of the widely debated issues in developing marketing programs that target certain
age groups is how much consumers change over time. Some marketers maintain that
age differences are critical and that the needs and wants of a 25-year-old in 2002 are
not that different from those of a 25-year-old in 1972. Others dispute that contention
and argue that cohort and generational effects are critical and that marketing programs
must therefore suit the times.
Take a position: Age differences are fundamentally more important than cohort
effects versus cohort effects can dominate age differences.
6) Social-Cultural Environment
Select or suggest a current “fad” or “trend” exhibited by students on campus. Each
student is to select either a fad or trend and then research this it in light of the
marketing opportunities present. Would a firm be successful in capitalizing on this
“fad”? If so, why? Should companies capitalize on this “trend”? What are the
“upsides” for producing products that are currently “trendy”? What are the
“downsides”? What generation do these fads and trends appeal to? How large is the
potential market for the fad and/or trend? Students should prepare a report with as
much detail into the specific characteristics of these markets as is available. This is a
good secondary data and data mining assignment.
7) Natural Environment
“Green Marketing” has been a challenge to firms producing environmentally friendly
products. The obstacles stated range from overexposure and lack of credibility, to the
consumer not willing to pay a premium prices for “green” products, to poor
implementation on the part of companies engaged in the practice.
Question: When faced with a decision to market its products as “environmentally
safe” or to market its products along conventional lines (matching competitive
positioning) does the company have a responsibility to choose the more socially
responsible manner or should the dictates of the marketplace (i.e. consumer) decide its
marketing strategy?
8) Growth of Special-Interest Groups
The Marketing Insight, Ten Megatrends Shaping the Consumer Landscape illustrates
those megatrends predicted to affect the consumer in the coming years. Select a
particular product or service (medical devices for example as a product; insurance
sales as a service) split the class into ten equal sections and ask each section to
comment on how their particular megatrend will affect the product and/or service.
8