1. Identify and discuss reasons why firms become so infatuated with pricing. Why is pricing given a great deal of attention?
2. In many (if not most) circumstances, cutting prices to increase sales volume is not a good idea. Explain why this is so. What are some alternatives that are preferable to cutting prices?
3. Discuss the steps involved in the AIDA model of outlining promotional goals. How does IMC strategy shift from one step to the next in the model? How does the important of various promotional elements vary across the steps?
4. Identify and discuss the issues and challenges involved in measuring the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. Is it relatively easier to measure effectiveness before or after the campaign has been implemented? Explain.
5. Discuss the role of sales promotion in consumer markets. In your answer, identify several types of consumer sales promotion activities and how they might be used in an overall IMC program.
6. In terms of managing customer expectations, what are the three possible outcomes that may occur when expectations are compared to actual product performance? What should marketers do to manage expectations effectively, especially when customers' expectations are unrealistic? Should a firm attempt to delight its customers by constantly exceeding their highest expectations?
7. Discuss the relationship between customer expectations and customer satisfaction. What might cause expectations to be higher or lower? How is the zone of tolerance a useful diagnostic tool in terms of developing strategies aimed at improving customer satisfaction?
8. Explain the overall objective of customer relationship management and the stages that customers are pulled through in the process. For each stage, identify the marketing goals during the stage as well as examples of strategies that may be used.