Marketing Questions: Targeted, Parity, Drive etc.
1. Is Targeting Ever Bad?
As marketers increasingly tailor marketing programs to
target market segments, some critics have denounced these efforts as
exploitive. They see the preponderance of billboards advertising cigarettes and
alcohol in low-income urban areas as taking advantage of a vulnerable market
segment. Critics can be especially harsh in evaluating marketing programs that
target African Americans and other minority groups, claiming they often employ
stereotypes and inappropriate depictions. Others counter that targeting and
positioning is critical to marketing, and that these marketing programs are an
attempt to be relevant to a certain consumer group.
Take a position: Targeting minorities is exploitive versus
Targeting minorities is a sound business practice.
2. B2C and B2B Concepts
Consider some of the consumer behavior topics for
business-to-consumer (B-to-C) marketing from Chapter 6. How might you apply
them to business-to-business (B-to-B) settings? For example, how might
noncompensatory models of choice work? Mental accounting?
3. What are Points of Parity (POPs) and Points of Difference
(PODs)? Site examples.
4. Does marketing drive society or society drives marketing?
5. Why is it important to differentiate these types of
buying decisions (the straight rebuy, modified rebuy, and new task)?
