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ASSIGNMENT 2ND SEMESTER :
CHAPTERS COVERED
:
PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING
(M1)
MARKETING 1 (MAR101)
CHAPTERS 1 - 6
DUE DATE
:
3:00 p.m. 21 AUGUST 2012
TOTAL MARKS
MATERIAL REQUIRED
:
:
100
ANSWER SHEET PAGE 7
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES FOR COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
The complete ‘Instructions to Students for Completing and Submitting Assignments’ must be
collected from any IMM GSM office, the relevant Student Support Centre or can be downloaded
from the IMM GSM website. It is essential that the complete instructions be studied prior to
commencing your assignment. The following points highlight only a few important notes.
1.
You are required to submit ONE assignment per subject.
2.
The assignment will contribute 20% towards the final examination mark, and the other 80%
will be contributed by the examination, however, the examination papers will count out of
100%.
3.
Although your assignment will contribute towards your final examination mark, you do not
have to earn credits for admission to the examinations; you are automatically accepted on
registering for the exam.
4.
Number all the pages of your assignment (e.g. page 1 of 4) and write your name and
surname, student number and subject at the top of each page.
5.
The IMM GSM requires assignments to be presented in a typed format, on plain A4 paper.
Unless otherwise specified, this assignment must be completed within a limit of 1500 words,
excluding the bibliography. Students who exceed the word limit may find that only part of the
submitted assignment will be marked.
6.
A separate assignment cover, which is provided by the IMM GSM, must be attached to the
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7.
Retain a copy of each assignment before submitting, in case the original does not reach the
IMM GSM.
8.
The assignment due date refers to the day up to which assignments will be accepted for
marking purposes. The deadline is 3:00 p.m. on 21 August 2012. Late assignments will be
accepted, but 25 marks will be deducted from the maximum mark, if received after 3:00 p.m.
on 21 August 2012 and up to 5:00 p.m. the following day, after which no assignments will be
accepted.
9.
If you fail to follow these instructions carefully, the IMM Graduate School of Marketing cannot
accept responsibility for the return of the assignment. It may even result in your assignment
not being marked.
Results will be available on the IMM GSM website, www.immgsm.ac.za, on Friday, 5 October 2012.
Assignment: 2nd Semester 2012
© IMM Graduate School of Marketing
M1/MAR101
Page 2 of 7
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:
This is an ‘open-book’ assignment and is set to test your understanding of the
concepts and principles involved.
You will be penalised for copying the work of fellow learners, or simply
copying passages from the textbook, study notes or other texts. Be aware that
doing this is plagiarism!
It is only when you use your own words that the markers are able to establish
whether you have understood the concepts outlined in the study notes. The markers
are then in a better position to offer you constructive feedback.
Students are reminded that this is an individual effort and group submissions will be
penalised.
Answer ALL the questions.
Presentation marks are not awarded.
Examiner’s Advisory Note:
This first year subject forms the very foundation for your future studies in a course
with the specific outcome of preparing you to become a successful marketing
practitioner. As you have probably discovered by now, marketing is the blending of
the scientific disciplines with the artistic field of creativity. With this in mind, this
assignment is based on your textbook theory, but is extended to incorporate
marketing in the world we live in by asking you to refer your knowledge to marketing
activities which are encountered in our everyday lives. This is so that you start, at
this early stage, to find practical uses for the theory you are learning, so please give
this aspect of the question paper the attention it deserves. Please note, also, that
answers which are simply extracts from the textbook are NOT ACCEPTABLE as this
does not contribute to YOUR understanding of the topics.
Apart from the ‘essay-type’ questions, the paper includes ‘short-answer’ questions.
These are especially selected to broaden the spectrum of topics examined. As the
multiple choice questions WILL be included in your final exam, you are advised to
pay serious attention to them. Furthermore, it is in your own interest to work through
these questions without any ‘outside’ assistance if you are to gain the optimum
benefit. (In past assignments, some students have collaborated to gain maximum
marks in these areas, only to be very disappointed when similar marks are not
obtained in the critical final exam.) As a final tip, please remember that the
multiple choice questions call for the MOST correct alternative. This is not
necessarily the first possibly correct solution, so give each alternative careful
consideration before making your decision.
Assignment: 2nd Semester 2012
© IMM Graduate School of Marketing
M1/MAR101
Page 3 of 7
ANSWER ALL FIVE (5) QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1 Multiple choice
[20]
Indicate your answers to each of the following questions. Each answer is worth two
(2) marks.
For each section below select the MOST APPROPRIATE answer from the choices
given. Mark your answers with an X in the correct block on the ANSWER SHEET on
page 7.
1.1
In the product life cycle brand revival is most likely to take place
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
1.2
Test marketing is part of the phase during which the product
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
1.3
in the maturity stage.
in the introduction stage.
in the decline stage.
in the growth stage.
in none of the above.
is being developed.
is exposed to consumers in a series of focus groups.
is distributed to wholesalers.
is launched in a limited geographic market.
is revamped and reintroduced to the market.
LSM groups 1 to 3 would reflect which of the following characteristics?
A. High income, driver of a motor car, having a home with telephone, TV,
fridge, PC, higher education
B. Middle income, urban, matric education, active/sporting
C. Lower incomes, low level education, more rural and traditional lifestyle,
basic facilities
D. Upper incomes, expensive home and cars, jet-set lifestyle, holidays
overseas
E. Females, younger and better educated, full time employment
1.4
Marketing segmentation is generally considered to involve 4 levels. Which of
the following represent the four levels of marketing segmentation?
A. Macro-marketing; micro-marketing; selected marketing; progressive
marketing
B. Micro-marketing; segment marketing; niche marketing; mass-marketing
C. Mass-marketing; macro-marketing; micro-marketing; segment marketing
D. Segment marketing; macro-marketing; niche marketing; micro-marketing
E. None of the above
Assignment: 2nd Semester 2012
© IMM Graduate School of Marketing
M1/MAR101
Page 4 of 7
1.5
The product concept represents the product value package of the business,
which encapsulates all the attributes being offered to consumers. Which, if
any, of the following elements are most likely to be included in the product
concept?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
1.6
Which of the following is typical of probability sampling methods?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
1.7
Complex random sampling
Level one random sampling
Stratified random sampling
Quota sampling
All of the above
In market research there are two basic types of data – primary data and
secondary data. Which one of the following describes good examples of
external sources of primary data?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
1.8
Product image, customer service, branding, packaging
Core product, augment product, product image, tangible product
Tangible product, intangible product, product price, product image
Core product, guarantees, sales service
None of the above
Consumers, competitors, suppliers
Trade magazines, government statistics, sales records
Internet, trade associations, customers
Customer complaints, retailers, consumers
None of the above
Rogers’ Innovation Adoption Model identifies various categories of consumers,
according to their readiness to try new products or innovation. Which of the
following best describes the typical ‘early majority’ category?
A. Adventurous, keen and eager to try something new
B. They do not like change, are conservative and suspicious of new things
C. They are sceptical and will only adopt the product when many others have
tried it
D. They are cautious consumers preferring to adopt only after the product has
proved successful
E. They are well educated and often opinion leaders in their communities
Assignment: 2nd Semester 2012
© IMM Graduate School of Marketing
M1/MAR101
Page 5 of 7
1.9
Michael Porter identifies ‘five forces of competition’ operating in a market
environment that affect industry attractiveness and profit potential. Which of
the following identifies the five forces correctly?
A. Threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of
buyers, bargaining power of sellers, legislation
B. Bargaining power of individuals, threat of competition, legislation,
bargaining power of buyers, threat of new entrants
C. Threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of
suppliers, intensity of rivalry of competitors, threat of substitute products
D. Threat of substitute products, specific business strategy, bargaining power
of suppliers, intensity of competitive rivalry
E. None of the above
1.10
Ansoff’s competitor strategies are summarised regarding ‘present’ and ‘new’
market and product. Identify the correct four strategies from the following
options:
A. Product development, market development, diversification, market
penetration
B. Product development, diversification, product rationalisation, market
penetration
C. Market penetration, market development, product opportunities, product
diversification
D. Channel development, market development, product penetration,
diversification
E. Product penetration, product diversification, market development, market
segmentation
QUESTION 2
[30]
The contents and steps/phases of the marketing plan are identified in early chapters
of the prescribed textbook.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
Identify each of the 8 steps/phases and briefly describe each one in your own
words to show your understanding.
(16)
Define the marketing environment.
(4)
Why does the marketing environment tend to be ‘very dynamic’? and
(5)
What implications does this have for the marketer?
(5)
QUESTION 3
[10]
Write short notes to explain the meaning of the following:
3.1
3.2
Economic environment
Marketing
Assignment: 2nd Semester 2012
(5)
(5)
© IMM Graduate School of Marketing
M1/MAR101
Page 6 of 7
QUESTION 4
[20]
4.1
There are various individual/‘psychological’ influencers, as well as ‘social’
influencers which influence and affect consumer behaviour. Identify three
(3) psychological influencers, and three (3) social influencers.
(6)
4.2
Companies can apply the New Product Development (NPD) process to
convert ideas into marketable products.
Identify and describe the steps in the NPD process to show how the process
works (use an example).
(14)
QUESTION 5
5.1
[20]
Market research is required to help marketing decision making.
There are two types of data collected and analysed by research – primary
data and secondary data.
Explain what is meant by ‘primary data’; and identify at least five (5) external
sources from which data is typically collected.
(9)
5.2
Competitors are a major threat to any organisation. Identify the three
(3) generic competitive strategies used by organisations as they compete at
individual product/market level.
(3)
5.3
Select any ONE of the three generic competitive strategies, and give a brief
explanation to show your understanding.
(3)
5.4
Explain briefly what is meant by the term ‘product mix’.
(5)
ASSIGNMENT TOTAL: 100
Assignment: 2nd Semester 2012
© IMM Graduate School of Marketing
M1/MAR101
Page 7 of 7
ANSWER SHEET
(DETACH THE ANSWER SHEET AND INCLUDE IT WITH YOUR ASSIGNMENT)
ASSIGNMENT:
PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING (M1)
MARKETING (MAR101)
DATE:
21 AUGUST 2012
QUESTION:
ONE (1)
STUDENT
NUMBER:
S
QUESTION
NO.
1.1
A
B
C
D
E
1.2
A
B
C
D
E
1.3
A
B
C
D
E
1.4
A
B
C
D
E
1.5
A
B
C
D
E
1.6
A
B
C
D
E
1.7
A
B
C
D
E
1.8
A
B
C
D
E
1.9
A
B
C
D
E
1.10
A
B
C
D
E
SELECTED ANSWER
Assignment: 2nd Semester 2012
© IMM Graduate School of Marketing
M1/MAR101