Exam 4 Q&A

Chapter 11

1. What is the primary reason that customers participate in incentive plans?
   A) To learn about new products
   B) For superior customer service
   C) To obtain discounts
   D) They are lured with spiff money

Chapter 12

1. Most customers are willing to sacrifice price, quality, convenience, availability, and performance for the sake of the environment.
   A) True
   B) False
   
2. The Wheeler-Lea Amendment, which prohibits false and misleading advertising, was enacted in what year?
   A) 1938
   B) 1944
   C) 1957
   D) 1961

Chapter 13

1. Applications that function within a website are called:
   A) Microsites
   B) Minisites
   C) Interstitials
   D) Widgets
   
2. The most frequently used Internet function is search.
   A) True
   B) False

Chapter 15

1. A group of people are asked to browse through a portfolio and identify the ads that stand out most. Which message evaluation technique is being used?
   A) Concept testing
   B) Recognition testing
   C) Attitude/Opinion testing
   D) Copy testing
   
2. Recognition tests are often used with ___ tests.
   A) Concept
   B) Emotional reaction
   C) Recall
   D) Physiological arousal
   

HW-11

Mothers who saw the "Motrin Mom" advertisement were offended because they felt that they were being ridiculed by the company. From my point of view, the commercial light-heartedly teased mothers who "wear" their babies in slings. However, some angry moms were unable to laugh with Motrin because they felt that they were being disrespected. One line from the ad said that wearing babies was "fashionable." The idea of comparing a child to an accessory was more than some mothers could tolerate. The commercial also pointed out that wearing a baby can put strain on a woman's back and shoulders. They were trying to illustrate that motherhood is not easy and that Motrin is there to relieve the pain. Unfortuneatly, not all moms were able to grasp the humor appeal. I think that they over-reacted and that this commercial was in no way inappropriate.

Motrin handled the incident by posting a public apology to the offended mothers on the Internet. One apology was sent directly to the bloggers who protested the campaign, and another was posted on Motrin's website. Both apologies were written by the Vice President of Marketing for McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Kathy Widmer. Widmer has three daughters herself so she probably felt that she knew how to speak to moms. I guess she was wrong in this case. In addition, Motrin promised to remove the commercials from the media. You can view the commercial and the apologies here.

If I were in Widmer's shoes I would have put a greater effort into calming the bloggers down. I would have tried to relate to the angry moms on a more personal level. As a mother, she could have shared some of her experiences and tried to build a connection. Writing the apology as a mother rather than the vice president of marketing would have been more effective. She could have gained understanding, acceptance, and ultimately forgiveness from the bloggers. It is necessary to put consumers first in every situation because what is important to them is vital to the business. Try to see things from their point of view. A great way to do so would have been to conduct a focus group first. They could have played the commercial for a small group of moms and got some feedback before airing it nationwide. I am guessing that as a mother, Widmer thought she knew what to say. She failed to realize that all parents do not think alike. Never make generalizations!!!

HW-10

When I checked my mailbox, I found an envelope entitled "Valpak" with an assortment of coupons inside. The majority of them, about 75%, were for food. One was for up to 40% off a grocery purchase at Save alot. The rest of the food coupons were for restaurants like Little Caesars, Denny's, Whiffle Boy's, and Fratelli. Then there were a few coupons for home products and services, ranging from furniture to cable and security systems. The last of the coupons were for tires and checkbooks. I live in a large apartment complex where I have 4 roommates. Each one of us received our own Valpak. I think that they just targeted us by sending us coupons for items that may come in handy. Everyone has to eat, so food coupons have a high redemption rate. I am not sure why they sent the furniture coupons, because the apartment that I live in came furnished so I am definitely not looking to buy any. The same goes for the Dish Network cable coupon, because cable is included in my rent. My guess is that they just grouped together a few random products that might come in handy and sent them out to everyone in my community. They are taking a chance with this strategy because the products are so general. They should have researched my apartment complex first and discovered some basic information about the residents. I might use one of the restaurant coupons, and I will hold on to the Midas tire coupon in case I get a flat, but the rest of these offers to do apply to me.

Exam 3 Q&A

Chapter 7

1. About ___ percent of all ads use celebrities.
   A) 15%
   B) 20%
   C) 35%
   D) 50%

Chapter 8

1. Assume there are 300 TV households in Carbondale. Last night, 220 households were watching TV. 60 were watching Gossip Girl. Find the share.
   A) 18%
   B) 20%
   C) 34%
   D) 27%
   
2. ___ x ___ = GRP (Gross Rating Points)
   A) Rating, Share
   B) Rating, Frequency
   C) Reach, Frequency
   D) Reach, Share

Chapter 9

1. A(n) ___ fee is charged by retailers to stock products, and a(n) ___ fee is paid to remove the product from shelves if it fails.
   A) Slotting, Exit
   B) Entrance, Exit
   C) Start-up, Drop
   D) Entrance, Drop
   
2. Trade shows are more important for B2C companies than for B2B.
   A) True
   B) False

Chapter 10

1. Which type of coupon has the highest rate of redemption?
   A) Response offer
   B) Instant redemption
   C) Bounce back
   D) E-Coupon
   
2. Refunds are offered with soft goods and rebates are offered with hard goods?
   A) True
   B) False

Chapter 11

1. Assume you are on the phone with your cable provider and the sales rep informs you that they now offer internt service as well. This is an example of ___ selling.
   A) Promotional
   B) Cross
   C) Database
   D) Dual
   

HW-9

A good coupon that I found online was for Trail Mix. It is for $2 off, which is about half the price of the product. You do not see many 50% off coupons. Trail Mix is not a product that I personally enjoy, but this looks like a great deal for those who do.

http://www.postcereals.com/trailmixcrunch/#

I was also able to find a coupon for JCPenny's. Appearantly they are having a sale this weekend. I might actually use this one. I like that you can use it for any purchase. People are more likely to use a coupon that can be applied to anything than a coupon that is product specific.

http://f.chtah.com/i/2/95827765/main.html?

HW-8

Point of purchase displays are an important component of an IMC program. Your task is to visit a nearby grocery store and take pictures of POP displays. Upload at least three pictures to your blog and talk about why you think they are effective or why do they fail at being effective.

I visited Walmart in Carbondale, where there are displays in every aisle.

I liked this Gatorade display because of the assortment of bright colored bottles. Bright colors immediately attract my attention.

. . . This Doritos display also caught my eye. The colors are not as bright, but the blues and reds still pop out. I also observed their strategy of placing the containers of dip right above the chips to make 2 sales at once.

Next I would like to compare and contrast 2 coffee displays. The one on the left is for Starbucks frappuccinos and the one on the right is for Folgers classic roast. The one that appealed to me is the Starbucks frappuccino display. It used warm, brown tones. The Folgers ad used red, which is usually an eye-cathcing color, but it was used in a boring way. At first glimpse of the Folgers display I thought that they were paint cans. It took closer inspection to realize that I was looking at coffee. The brown reminded me of coffee immediately.

Starbucks is a more youthful brand of coffee that is popular nowadays. I think that they were trying to appeal to college students with the Starbukcs display. Folgers is older and I could more easily see a middle-aged or older person drinking it. I think that is why they chose a more flashy display for Starbucks, to appeal to younger coffee drinkers.

HW-7

Sunday: May 31, 2009
12:00p.m. Woke up, showered, got dressed
1:00 p.m. Ate breakfast
2-3:00 p.m. Went to a meeting, 5 minute drive, not exposed to any advertising
4:00 p.m. Came home, laid down
5:00 p.m. Nap time : )
7:00 p.m. Woke up, watched a movie on HBO with roommates, no commercials
8:00 p.m. A few friends came over
9:00 p.m.-1:45a.m. Played cards and drank wine with company, exposed to advertising on bottles, music playing in background contained some product placement
2:00 a.m. Company finally left, went to sleep

Monday: June 1, 2009
8:00 a.m. Woke up, showered, got dressed.
9-11:00 a.m. Went to JRNL 301 class, not exposed to any ads on my 5 minute drive to campus, viewed a few ads in class (examples and AAF books that were passed around)
11:10 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Ate breakfast, played cards on MSN games while eating, TV on for background noise, did not pay much attention to commercials due to multitasking
1-4:50 p.m. Went to work on campus, checked facebook, surfed the Internet, exposed to advertisements online, received a lot of advertisements in spam mail, deleted them all without reading
5:00 p.m. Came home, made dinner, watched 106th & Park to see new videos, there is a lot of product placement in music videos (particularly clothes, cars, and liquor), left room during commercials
6-9:00 p.m. Talked to roommates, my roommate told me about a book she is reading and suggested that I read it too---word of mouth, viral marketing???
10-11:00 p.m. Got back online, checked facebook, mycourses, webmail etc. Saw a few Internet ads, mostly promoting weight loss products. Got on Blogger to do assignment.
12:00 a.m. Went to sleep

The best way to appeal to me would be through viral marketing. I spend the majority of my time conversing with other people, and I am more likely to take their words into consideration than those of advertisers. A second option would be through online advertisements since I get on my computer several times a day. I do not open my emails, but I can not help but notice banners on some of the web pages I visit. I do not watch much TV, and when I do I block out the commercials, so that is not an effective medium. Product placement within programs/movies would be much more effective than commercial breaks. I do not listen to the radio either because I have an mp3 player so in order for a message to reach me it would have to be strategically placed within the song.


My Media Budget
Viral: 40%
Internet: 25%
TV: 15%
Billboards: 10%
Radio: 5%
Print Ads: 5%

Exam 2 Q&A

Chapter 4

1. Which is a method of secondary research?
   A) Conduct a focus group
   B) Study Nielsen ratings
   C) Hand out questionnaires
   D) Set up phone interviews
   
2. Which is a carryover effect?
   A) Promotion becomes old and boring
   B) Advertising has a negative effect on sales
   C) The product is purchased only when needed
   D) The company stops advertising

Chapter 5

1. Which of these duties is an account executive responsible for?
   A) Writing creative briefs
   B) Ensuring works get completed
   C) Managing schedules and deadlines
   D) Producing and developing ads


2. A company advertises every month, but varying amounts are spent. What type of scheduling strategy is in use?
   A) Continuos
   B) Flighting
   C) Pulsating
   D) Hiatus

Chapter 6

1. An advertisement for perfume is most likely to use a(n) ____ appeal.
   A) Emotional
   B) Humor
   C) Rational
   D) Sex


2. Which type of appeal is based on the hierarchy of effects model?
   A) Scarcity
   B) Rational
   C)Music
   D) Emotional

Chapter 7

1. If Don Taco were to come out with an ad saying that they have "the best Mexican food in Southern Illinois," which cognitive message strategy would they be using?
   A) Preemptive
   B) Comparative
   C) Generic
   D) Hyperbole

HW-6

Personal Drive Analysis

This is a PDA for Justin, a 23-year-old African American male. Justin was born and raised in East St. Louis, IL. He recently graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a degree in graphic design. Soon he will be moving into his own apartment. He has been offered a job in Chicago and is excited about the transition to city life. Justin is about 5'10", built, and fairly good-looking. He enjoys working out, shooting pool, and clubbing every now and then. So far, he has been content shopping at Walmart, Macy's, and Kohl's. Brand names are not too important where he is from, but he knows they mean a lot in the big city. He is trying to raise his awareness by reading magazines like GQ and watching current music videos. His favorite type of music is socially conscious hip-hop. He wants to create a hip, urban image to carry with him to the city. He will be making a decent amount of money at his new job, and can finally afford some labels. He is pretty artistic and likes bright, vivid colors and edgy designs.

HW-5

1. Rapaille's method of exploring 'why do people do what they do' seems to hint at deeper reasons for why we purchase the things we do. Contemplate this by looking at the things you buy and the decisions you make. Do you see instances that might go along with this line of thinking. Or do you feel he is just a con man trying to make some money off clueless corporations?

Rapaille made a valid point when he said that we buy out of want, not need. We try to rationalize why we purchase certain products. Our explanations for our purchases are disconnected from the actual reasons we make them. The real reasons are often subconscious. I can easily apply this theory to my own buying behavior. I am a loyal customer to the Jordan brand of shoes. When you think of these expensive shoes, star athletes come to mind. I, however, am a college student. I am going to school for advertising, not athletics, and I am not involved in any sports. I may try to rationalize that I buy Jordans because they help me run faster or jump higher, but it is fairly easy to conclude that athletic performance is not my real motivation. There must be some deep, underlying issue that is causing me to spend my money on Jordans rather than a more practical brand of shoes. I can not tell you what it is, which is why we have marketing "gurus" like Rapaille who analyze our decision making processes and make sense of such irrational behavior.

2. What about our friend from Fox News, Frank Luntz? He says he can give you the exact words that will sway people to vote one way or the other. Will this help us derive pinpoint and directed communication initiatives? And more generally how does political advertising affect you while voting?

Frank Luntz is correct when he says that certain words will sway a voter one way or the other. A few carefully chosen words can make all the difference in the world. Politicians have a habit of using certain terms to obscure issues. An example is using the term climate change, which sounds far less alarming than global warming. Also, use of the blunt term "death tax" in place of the milder "estate tax" stirred up quite a controversy. The change of wording caused people to start questioning the once uncontroversial practice. Politicians can tweak these words any way they like. While consumers are lawfully protected from the false advertising of products, politicians can legally say whatever they want. Some words just have the ability to sell an issue better than others. According to Luntz, 80% of our life is emotion and only 20% is intellect. Therefore, it is more important to understand how consumers feel than how they think. You have to know which ways are appropriate to talk about an issue and which are not. Political advertising definitely has an effect on me because a lot of the ads clarify political agendas that I would otherwise not understand. Whether they are misleading or not, the ads make complex political ideas a lot clearer, and therefore generate my interest.

3. What is narrow-casting? Why is this the future? Cite some examples of narrow-casting.

In The Persuaders, narrow-casting is the phenomenon of reaching out to voters on a one-to-one basis. It makes it possible to send very direct messages to small audiences. Politicians can say things to a specific target group that they may not want everyone else to hear. This way, they can be sure that those who hear the message will respond favorably.
Narrow-casting, which applies to advertising as well, is made possible by companies like Acxiom. Acxiom collects personal information about consumers and sells it to businesses and political parties. This information goes beyond the basics to include credit history, catalog subscriptions, and shopping patterns. By studying this info businesses can predict which products an individual is likely to purchase in the future. Now, probable consumers can be targeted directly which saves time and money.
Narrow-casting has many advantages in both advertising and politics. Today it is more necessary than ever before to understand the consumer on a deeper level. Through narrow-casting marketers gain an inside look on consumer's interests and personalities. This clip from the film Minority Report shows us a society with a very advanced narrow-casting system. The character is scanned by 3D screens as he walks through the mall. The screens are able to detect all of his personal information, credit history, and buying behaviors. The result is so effective it is frightening.

HW-4

Viral Marketing is defined as any strategy that encourages people to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth. Like viruses, these strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication, spreading the message to millions. A classic example is Hotmail, one of the first free web-based email services. Users told their friends, who told their friends, who recommended their friends to the site. Eventually, nearly everyone had a hotmail account. Viral marketing is effective because it allows friends to refer each other to a product. People are more likely to believe first-hand accounts from their friends than messages from advertisers. Word-of-mouth is cost-free, so advertisers are able to save alot of money. Here is a short film about viral marketing.

Guerilla Marketing is an unconventional system of promotions that is dependent upon time, energy, and imagination rather than a big marketing budget. Tactics are typically unexpected and unconventional, which makes the idea being marketed memorable and likely to generate buzz. The goal is to get maximum results using minimal resources.

This ad for a South African charity, Feed SA, featured images of poor, starving children in the bottom of shopping carts. Any food placed in the cart appeared to be delivered right into the needy child’s hands. These effective ads brought on a marked increase in donations and a significant boost in website traffic.

Ambient Advertising refers to intrusive ads in public places. It refers to almost any kind of advertising that occurs in some non-standard medium outside the home. Nowadays, marketers are aggressively seeking out new advertising vehicles. Also known as place-based marketing, ambient marketing is advertising wherever customers happen to be. It is all about blending in with your surroundings. The whole concept of ambient marketing is that you aren’t trying to let the customer know you are marketing something. That is sometimes hard to do but if there is a group of people in one place there is no better way to get their attention than by being an ambient presence. This Volvo commercial demonstrates how ambient advertising works.

Exam 1 Q&A

Chapter 1

1. Which of the following is NOT a component of IMC?
   A) Advertising tools
   B) Integration tools
   C) Promotional tools
   D) Coordination tools
   
2. The only way to gain sales is to:
   A) Wrap the product in bright, colorful packaging
   B) Hand out plenty of free samples
   C) Take customers away from competition
   D) Lower prices by reducing product quality
   

Chapter 2

1. Which of the following components of corporate image is intangible?
   A) Corporate name and logo
   B) Media reports
   C) Factory where product is produced
   D) Advertising, promotions, etc.
   
2. Which of these corporate names is implied?
   A) Fedex
   B) Krispy Kreme
   C) American Airlines
   D) Monster

Chapter 3

1. What is the first step in the consumer decision making process?
   A) Information search
   B) Evaluation of alternatives
   C) Problem recognition
   D) Purchase evaluation
   
2. What does a gatekeeper do?
   A) Test a recently purchased good or service
   B) Make purchase decisions on behalf of the business
   C) Shape buying decision by providing info
   D) Control the flow of info to members
   

HW-3

Evidently we live in a world of clutter of information. How do you think we deal with these messages? How do marketers cope with the clutter? What is the future of advertising to ensure that the messages are effective? Keeping this in mind, what is the role of branding? What does it do while making decisions to buy products we need?

1. The clutter of messages is not hard to deal with for most people in today's society because we are so accustomed to it that it is barely noticeable. As stated in The Persuaders, "we have developed immunity to advertising."


2. Marketers are fighting to break through the clutter. Past advertisements were strictly business; their primary goal was to sell a product. Today marketers are trying a different approach by speaking to consumers on a deeper, more personal level. The goal is to engage consumers with not only a product, but a lifestyle.


3. Advertising is not as effective as it used to be because consumers have grown immune to it. Effective ads must offer a lot more than a good product. The majority of products are quality these days so it is not material goods that the consumer is lacking. Marketers must dig deep to find what voids people are actually trying to fill. Social acceptance, community ties, and family values are in high demand. An effective ad will sell these concepts along with the product.


4. Branding exists to set one product apart from all others. A good brand is salient, memorable, and noteworthy. Being salient is all about associations. A brand that is associated with a specific concept is salient. A brand that is tied to any of the concepts mentioned in question three will likely appeal to consumers on an emotional level. Branding is intended to convince people that a product is different and better than everything else on the market. An example that comes to mind is Chevrolet. Recent Chevy commercials have featured R&B singer Mary J. Blige. These ads show us that Mary has stayed true to herself despite her wealth and fame. She opts to drive a Chevy, a classic American car, unlike most celebrities who buy expensive luxury vehicles when they get money. The message is that people who drive Chevys are "real" and down-to-earth. Many youths think it is extremely important to be perceived as "real" and hope to acquire this image by buying a Chevy.


5. Branding assures us that we are purchasing a quality good. It helps us to identify with a product. Once we identify with a product we become loyal to it because we are convinced that it is the best fit for us. Therefore, we know exactly what to shop for which reduces search time and makes it harder for competitors to distract us.

HW-2

This afternoon I visited Victoria's Secret. There were only a few other customers in the store while I was shopping. There was a group of young women who appeared to be in their early twenties and were probably college students. There was also a middle-aged woman shopping alone.

The store features a lingerie section, a beauty section, and a section for the Victoria's Secret clothing brand P!NK. I noticed that the lighting was dimmer in the lingerie section than the rest of the store. The low lights create a sexy, sensual mood. The music was very upbeat and it was all by female artists. The combination of lighting and music effectively represents the strong and sexy female consumer.

Victoria's Secret is extremely overpriced, so I only shop for deals. I usually buy either the 5 for $30 lotions or the 5 for $25 panties. There was only one sales associate working today, and her attitude did not match the atmosphere of Victoria's Secret at all. I was not greeted when I entered the store and she never offered me assistance. I finally approached her to ask her the price of an item and she seemed to be irritated by my question. I was surprised because Victoria's Secret usually offers good customer service. She also surprised me by wearing a white shirt; associates are usually required to wear all black, which looks sleek and sexy.

The poor service did not effect my overall impression of Victoria's Secret. This was my first negative experience so I will not hold it against them. As long as they continue to make great smelling beauty products and sexy lingerie, I will remain loyal to the brand. Victoria's Secret represents beautiful and confident young women, and the store's environment portrayed that image well.

HW-1

Advertising is a method of promotion which involves increasing product awareness and attracting consumer interest; a variety of mediums are used to reach the public.

It is a powerful force in modern society, and thus plays a role in my daily decisions. Advertisments work for me by showcasing my options and providing valuable consumer information. The way a product is presented in an ad either draws me in or pushes me away.

An ad that I like right now is for Doritos.



It was funny and there was a good concept behind it.

I already purchase Doritos regularly and am loyal to the brand. This commercial makes them more appealing because it made me laugh. Now when I think of Doritos I will remember a commercial that put a smile on my face. A comic appeal is usually effective in advertising.