Digital Marketing Media

Digital Marketing Media

1-Word of mouth (WOM) advertising has taken on a new form given the amount of social media networks available. Today, WOM advertising is referred to as "viral marketing" and is defined by Kotler & Keller (2016) as "a form of online word of mouth, or 'word of mouse', that encourages consumers to pass along company-developed products and services or audio, video, or written information to others online" (p. 524). The more marketers can create a "buzz" about their products, the more exposure they will get. One could make a case that all talk about a brand is good whether it is positive or negative. Others would argue that a negative "buzz" can have disastrous effects. For this assignment, you will take a position on whether "Any buzz about a product is supportive for building brand loyalty and equity" or "Negative buzz can have long lasting negative consequences." Support your position with credible research.

2-It has been suggested that over 70 percent of all buying decisions are made in the store and as a result, point-of-purchase advertising has grown in its appeal. For this assignment, you will discuss with your classmates the effectiveness of point-of-purchase advertising. Provide three examples of point-of-purchase advertising that you have recently come across (ads in-store, personal selling by a cosmetic counter salesperson, etc.) and comment on whether this type of advertising was effective to you. Did you buy the product? Did the advertising annoy you? Moreover, in the role of a marketing executive, would you recommend spending part of your advertising budget on this form of media?

3-Is the distribution channel selected always consistent with the products image? We have all heard the saying that image is everything. If you discover a Coach handbag on sale at Walmart and you had recently purchased one at Coach's retail location in an upscale mall, what might you think about the brand?

A display ad for Stihl chain saws reads "Why is the world's number one selling brand of chain saws not sold at Lowe's or The Home Depot?". Why has Stihl decided to not include these major channels as part of their strategy? Is there a specific stereotype associated with products sold at these mass merchant locations?

If a product is prominently displayed in a retail location and your target customers have been known to frequent the store, is the image of the channel member a factor? Some marketers claim that the image is not an issue. Others, however, argue that the image of the channel member must match the image associated with the product.

For this assignment, you will take a position on whether “the image of the intermediary does not need to be consistent with the image of the brand" or "the image of the

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intermediary must match the image of the brand." Support your position with credible research.

4-We all have “service failure” stories to tell such as the time that such and such firm provided sub-par service to us as consumers. Sometimes these stories are humorous and other times they are sad. For this assignment you are to share a recent “service failure” story in this discussion board, but before doing so you should first analyze the incident in terms of the concepts and tenants presented in Chapter 10 and identify (as close as possible) the causes of the service failure (Fig. 10.3) and discuss the service recovery the firm engage in and whether it was successful. What steps would you recommend to the firm to improve its service quality?

5-Take a position on the following: "Mass marketing is dead" or "mass marketing continues to be a viable source for marketers to reach their target customers." Support your position with credible research.

6-Key manufacturers and others must be concerned with how customers view products (customer satisfaction perceptions) being disseminated throughout the “electronic world” via the Internet. No longer can one discount the “power of the mouse” for affecting potential customers. For this assignment, you are to select a particular firm or product and are to research what is being said on the Internet regarding this company/product. Address the following questions:

? What affects/effects does this type of dissemination of consumer opinions via the Internet have on the company’s marketing strategies?

? What can the company do to stem the tide of such comments? ? How does a company defend itself against blatantly untrue consumer opinions?

7-Opponents argue that marketing goes outside the lines and produces needs and wants that did not previously exist. Kotler and Keller (2016) proclaim the main criticism of marketers is that they "get people to buy things they don't want" (p. 9). For this assignment, you will discuss with your classmates the role of the marketer in meeting or

creating consumer wants and needs. Take a position on the following question: Do marketers shape customer needs and wants or do they simply mirror the needs and wants of consumers? Support your position with credible research.