1. Marketing Trends 

Consider the broad changes occurring in marketing today and identify themes that you believe are emerging from these changes. Can these themes and changes be related to societal forces? How? Provide examples of societal changes and how these changes have impacted the way marketing activities are conducted. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Customer Needs and Wants 

Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers’ needs and wants; however, marketing critics argue that marketing can be unethical by creating needs and wants that did not exist before. Marketing can encourage customers to spend money on goods and services they really do not need or want. Take a position on the following ethical dilemma: Do you think marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of consumers, or that marketing creates unnecessary customers’ needs and wants? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Market Research 

Describe methods you would use to analyze one of these three different markets: consumer, industrial or international markets. What challenges would you face to ensure accurate data gathering in the market and what recommendations would you make to overcome those challenges?  Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Customer Loyalty 

Successful companies recognize that high satisfaction leads to high customer loyalty. Provide an example of a company to which you are loyal in terms of buying products or services. What marketing actions does the company take to promote your loyalty and satisfaction?   Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Branding Debate 

Take a position on one of the following statements: a) “All brands have a limited life as indicated by the product life cycle and will slip or disappear.” b) “There is no reason why a successful brand can’t live forever.”  Provide examples to support your position.  Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

Retail Stores

Visit any retail establishment of your choice in order to gain specific knowledge about the marketing activities of the operation. Provide a 2-3 page report on your visit using at least two references (one reference to be the textbook) to support your analysis. Suggested areas to analyze include:

1. Type of outlet (convenience, shopping specialty, etc.) 2. Location – Describe reason for specific location. 3. Customer profile – Who shops there? Target market segments? 4. Unique competitive positioning – What separates them from competition?

1. Branding Debate 

Take a position on one of the following statements: a) “All brands have a limited life as indicated by the product life cycle and will slip or disappear.” b) “There is no reason why a successful brand can’t live forever.”  Provide examples to support your position.  Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

New Product Development 

Have you ever had a need for or interest in a new product or service that you wish someone had developed? Identify what you believe could be a new product or service and why you think it would be successful. Is the product or service targeted to a particular group or would it be available to the mass market? Describe how you would test market the product or service to determine if it has commercialization potential. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Price and Ethics 

Discuss the ethics of pricing products to match the value that consumers are willing to pay for products (e.g., $2.50 bottle of water, $150 running shoes, etc.). Is it unethical to charge high prices when the cost of making a product is significantly less than the retail price?  Provide examples. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Service Marketing 

Identify the differences between product and service marketing. For example, how does Ashford market its services (education) differently than businesses offering products such as the retail store you visited in week three? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

1. Super Bowl Advertising 

Super Bowl commercials cost millions of dollars (as an example, companies paid an average of $2.6 million for 30 seconds of airtime in Super Bowl XLIV for the chance to reach a projected audience of 90 million viewers worldwide). View the latest Super Bowl

ads. Identify which ad you believe was the most effective for domestic and international markets and why. Respond to two of your classmates and discuss whether you believe their choices would be successful for domestic and international markets. Why or why not?

AMA 

Visit the American Marketing Association, AMA, website and review the statement of ethics. Identify two companies that you believe integrate corporate social marketing in their overall strategic marketing plan. Provide examples. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.