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Posted By: Anu Member Level: Bronze Posted Date: 07 Jul 2008
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2006 ICFAI University M.B.A Group-D Financial Management Question paper
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Question Paper
Marketing Management (MB221) : January 2006
Section A : Basic Concepts (30 Marks)
• This section consists of questions with serial number 1 - 30.
• Answer all questions.
• Each question carries one mark.
• Maximum time for answering Section A is 30 Minutes.
1. Which of the following is the value that a buyer obtains from a product and allows the
buyer to use the product as he wishes?
(a) Time utility (b) Place utility (c) Form
utility
(d) Possession utility (e) People utility.
< Answer
>
2.
Which of the following is least likely to be associated with a firm’s macroenvironment?
(a) A new staff incentive scheme
(b) Analysis of household savings ratios
(c) Study of the changing birth rate
(d) Cultural convergence
(e) Advancement in technology.
< Answer
>
3. A firm accrues the following benefits by retaining its customers except
(a) Increased revenue (b) Increase in cost of selling
(c) Advertising (d) Decrease in cost of selling
(e) Cross selling possibilities.
< Answer
>
4. Order processing, inventory management, materials handling, warehousing, and
transportation constitute which of the following activities?
(a) Strategic planning (b) Marketing (c) Logistics
(d) Channel management (e) Production.
< Answer
>
5.
The Consumer Protection Act came into force in India in 1986 to safeguard the interest
of consumers. A consumer can seek legal help in all of the following conditions except
when
(a) A trader adopts unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices
(b) Goods and services hired or availed suffer from one or more defects or
< Answer
>
deficiencies
(c) A trader charges a higher price, which is more than the fixed price of the product
(d) A consumer is dissatisfied with the product purchase
(e) Goods that are hazardous to life and safety are being offered to the general public
for sale, against the provisions of any law.
6. Customer information system (CIS) is a database that contains specific information
about the behavioral and transactional aspects of each customer. This advanced software
is helpful in conducting
(a) Financial analysis (b) Contribution Analysis
(c) Customer profitability analysis (d) Environmental analysis
(e) Marginal analysis.
< Answer
>
7. Which of the following is a form of competition where all the companies compete for
the same disposable income of the customers?
(a) Form competition (b) Industry competition
(c) Generic competition (d) Brand competition
(e) Price competition.
< Answer
>
8. Sanjay Mehta lives with his divorced mother and his sister Kavita. Sanjay wants to buy
a skateboard with the money he has saved. Kavita has discovered that the skateboard
Sanjay wants to buy does not have any brakes. His mother is afraid he will injure
himself on a skateboard and has said, “No.” Which of the following sentences best
describes the roles the individual family members played in making this decision?
(a) No family member served as decider
(b) The mother took the role of purchaser, influencer, and decision maker
(c) Kavita acted in the role of influencer and information gatherer
(d) Sanjay only acted in two roles-purchaser and decision maker
(e) The mother took the role of gatekeeper when she stopped Sanjay from making the
purchase.
< Answer
>
9. Reverse marketing is
(a)
A method consumers use to increase their influence, power, and rights when dealing
with institutions
(b)
The deliberate effort by organizational buyers to build relationships that shape suppliers'
products, services and capabilities to fit the buyer's needs and those of its customers
< Answer
>
(c) A synonym for benchmarking
(d) An industrial buying practice in which organizations agree to purchase each
other’s products
(e) The use of sales promotions following advertisements.
10. Ellen was the marketing research director for the local mall. She decided to conduct an
experiment in the mall's car park to see if shoppers would respond to a lower parking
price to park in some of the underutilized
sections of the car park. Ellen is using which type of market research?
(a) Exploratory (b) Causal (c)
Descriptive
(d) Investigative (e) Observational.
< Answer
>
11. Focus on companies that prefer leasing to buying would be an influence of which factor
of organizational purchasing approaches to segment industrial markets?
(a) Purchasing function organization (b) Power structure
(c) Nature of existing policies (d) General purchase policies
(e) Company technology.
< Answer
>
12. Which of the following is a model used to allocate resources to Strategic Business Units
of an organization?
(a) Boston Consulting Group (BCG) growth-share matrix
(b) Just-in-time (JIT)
(c) ABC executive judgment planning model
(d) Total Quality Management
(e) SWOT analysis.
< Answer
>
13. Turning marketing strategies into specific day-to-day, month-to-month activities is
related to which of the following?
(a) Marketing analysis (b) Marketing planning
(c) Marketing implementation (d) Marketing control
(e) Marketing audit.
< Answer
>
14. Businesses maintain their market position by making competitive moves to challenge
competition. Which of the following has a considerable market share and a significant
presence in the industry?
(a) Market challengers (b) Market followers
(c) Market leaders (d) Market nichers
< Answer
>
(e) Market supporters.
15. Among industrial products, large tools and machines used for production of goods or for
providing services for a considerable length of time are classified as
(a) Capital equipment (b) Accessory equipment (c)
Component parts
(d) Raw materials (e) Consumable supplies.
< Answer
>
16. Kimberly-Clark closed down a number of small under performing businesses like
Midwest Express that limited the opportunities for improving its airline business. This
is an example of
(a) Product line pruning (b) Product line extension
(c) Product line filling (d) Product line modernization
(e) Product line stretching.
< Answer
>
17. The use of symbols to provide strong brand recognition is a typical strategy used in
which of the following types of differentiation?
(a) Product (b) Services (c) Personnel
(d) Image (e) Channel.
< Answer
>
18. Bubble-
Right makes all the world’s bubble gums but sells them through middlemen who market
these bubble gums under individual store brands. This is an example of
(a) Manufacturer's branding (b) National branding (c) Private
branding
(d) Licensed branding (e) Generic branding.
< Answer
>
19. Which form of distribution has a limited number of intermediaries between the producer
and the customer?
(a) Intensive distribution (b) Selective distribution
(c) Expansive distribution (d) Exclusive distribution
(e) Priority distribution.
< Answer
>
20. Which of the following best describes the nature of distribution channels?
I. Intermediaries match supply and demand.
II. Producers can do without intermediaries, but not the functions they perform.
III. Information dissemination is an important marketing channel function.
IV. Distribution channels consist of interdependent organizations.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Both (I)
< Answer
>
and (III) above
(c) Both (II) and (III) above (d) (I), (II)
and (IV) above
(e) All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.
21. Which of the following factors is/are not true for marketing communications?
I. A mass marketing strategy is the way forward.
II. Customers can clearly distinguish between message sources.
III. Message structure and format illustrates what a marketing communicator decides
to say.
IV. Computers and IT are helping a shift towards effective mass marketing.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Both (I) and (III) above
(c) Both (III) and (IV) above (d) (I), (III) and (IV) above.
(e) All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.
< Answer
>
22. Which of the following statements about the promotional mix is true?
(a) The promotional mix only contains four promotional elements
(b) Of all the promotional elements only public relations is completely free
(c) Direct marketing is the only promotional element that provides immediate
feedback
(d) Advertising and direct marketing are the only promotional elements, which create
customized interaction
(e) The difficulty with effective sales promotions is the fact they can be easily
duplicated.
< Answer
>
23. Before the salespeople for Ascom Timeplex, Inc., set out to make a sales call, they use
their laptop computers to dial into the company's database. There, the salespeople can
retrieve the latest price lists, engineering and configuring notes for each customer, and
status reports on previous orders. The laptops can also be used to send customer orders
to Ascom Timeplex headquarters in New Jersey. Which of the following helps to make
the Ascom Timeplex salespeople more efficient and more effective?
(a) Decentralization (b) Field computerization
(c) Salesforce automation (d) A combination compensation plan
(e) Media convergence.
< Answer
>
24. Which of the following is a technique, which helps in evaluating the factors responsible
for the deviations in sales?
< Answer
>
(a) Sales analysis (b) Market share
analysis
(c) Sales variance analysis (d) Marketing expense to sales analysis
(e) Financial analysis.
25. Coca-Cola, Budweiser beer, and Marlboro cigarettes use this method of market entry in
foreign markets. This method allows these companies (and others) to retain control over
their products while others manufacture and distribute the products in foreign markets.
The companies are paid a fee or royalty for the right to manufacture their products.
Which of the following entry strategies would be associated with the method described?
(a) Exporting (b) Management contracting
(c) Direct investment (d) Licensing (e) Joint
venture.
< Answer
>
26. Which of the following are discussion groups located on commercial websites that link
users to libraries, directories or chat rooms?
(a) Bulletin boards (b) Web communities (c)
Cyberhoods
(d) Newsgroups (e) Forums.
< Answer
>
27. Which of the following are useful for serving as an early warning about service
problems?
(a) Policy manuals (b) Employee handbooks
(c) Complaint logs (d) Strategic plans
(e) Operations manuals.
< Answer
>
28. When a company adjusts price levels so that it can increase sales volume to levels that
match the organization's expenses, it is said to employ a ____________ pricing
objective.
(a) Market share (b) Cash flow
(c) Return on investment (d) Survival
(e) Profit.
< Answer
>
29. ________ pricing is possible when a firm is able to reduce its manufacturing costs at a
predictable rate through improved methods, materials, skills, and machinery.
(a) Experience-curve (b) Psychological (c) Geographical
(d) Promotional (e) Captive product.
< Answer
>
30. In new product development, which of the following expenses does a company have to
bear during test marketing?
I. High advertising costs considering the low volume.
II. Indirect cost of revealing the new product idea to competitors.
III. High distribution costs, because of low volumes.
< Answer
>
IV. Cost of distributing samples, coupons etc.
(a) Only (II) above (b) Both (I) and (III) above
(c) Both (II) and (IV) above (d) (I), (III) and (IV)
above
(e) All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.
END OF SECTION A
Section B : Caselets (50 Marks)
This section consists of questions with serial number 1 – 7.
Answer all questions.
Marks are indicated against each question.
Detailed explanations should form part of your answer.
Do not spend more than 110 - 120 minutes on Section B.
Caselet 1
Read the caselet carefully and answer the following questions:
1. What were the possible reasons for Candy’s failure? Why could it not sustain the interest it
had drawn during the initial months of its launch?
(7 marks) < Answer >
2. ‘Proper positioning is important, especially in markets where competition is intense.’ Explain
what could be the pitfalls in positioning a product?
(8 marks) < Answer >
Onida's market share in the Color Television (CTV) market went up from 9.5% in 1997-98 to
11.7% in 1999 (In 2000, Onida's market share was 13%). However, almost 45% of its sales had
come from the 21-inch segment. Onida therefore decided to increase its market share across all
categories. Onida, which was better known as a ‘21-inch television company,’ wanted to rejuvenate
the brand by entering the 14 inch and 20 inch segments.
In May 1999, Onida came out with a unique product, a 14-inch CTV set nicknamed Candy. Candy
came in four colors - Berry Blue, Mint Green, Lemon Yellow and Cherry Red-and was priced at Rs.
9,990.
Soon after the launch in Mumbai, G Sundar, executive vice-president of Onida, invited 80 dealers to
discuss how to make the Onida brand appealing to the youth. Onida finally decided to use the
cricket World Cup as a vehicle to rejuvenate the brand. Sundar banked on the World Cup to push
Onida ‘Candy’, the ‘cute, funky, nifty, little product.’ Since Candy came with a free cordless
headphone, one could listen to the cricket commentary on TV without disturbing anyone at home.
To capitalize on the fact that technology was no longer a driving force Onida decided to come out
with a superior looking television to attract the customer. Onida was banking on quality technology
and superior aesthetics to take Onida ahead in the future.
It seemed to be an ideal product launch before the World Cup. With this strategy in mind, Onida
started marketing Candy more aggressively than its other products. Hoardings were put up at prime
locations in Mumbai. Just before the World Cup, Candy was launched nationally. Onida sold almost
4,000 Candy sets in the first month of its launch in Mumbai. Dealers in Calcutta, Punjab, Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka also received a good response. Onida expected to sell around 2,000-3,000 sets
per month in each of these markets. In December 1999, six months after its launch, the brightly
coloured Candy seemed to be a runaway success. The company achieved its national sales target in
the Mumbai market alone.
In April 2000, Onida launched Candy in dual coloured television cabinets. Called Candy Duet, it
was available in four colours – Black Currant, Raisin Cream, Berry Delite and Double Mint in the
14-inch version. Onida maintained the old price tag of Rs 9,990 for its new products. Candy Duet
was also simultaneously launched in a 20-inch version in three colours, Cherry Ice, Cool Mint and
Berry Delite, priced at Rs 12,990 (somewhat higher than its competitors).
Onida was eying for the replacement TV market, in which black TVs were exchanged for colour
TVs, as well as an Add-On-TV market at the same time. The replacement market accounted for
25% of the CTV market. Onida positioned Candy to tap this market. Research carried out by Onida
in 1998 revealed that 60% of TV repurchases were done by 24 to 35 year olds. It seemed that Candy
was ideally placed to tap this age group. Onida also planned to create a niche market for Candy
targeting youth. However, in mid-2001, after two years in the market, Candy seemed to be in
trouble. Onida Candy was vying in an overcrowded CTV market. Company sources did not reveal
the exact sales figures. However, some estimates from industry sources indicated that, in mid 2001,
Onida sold only 3,500 Candy sets per month nationally with the Mumbai market contributing less
than 500.
Onida planned to gradually bring variants of the product like video games, calculators built into the
TV and possibly Internet facilities. The company was also planning wall or ceiling mounting for
Candy and customised colour designing. Commented Sundar, “If successful, the Candy variety will
be used for the large screen TVs. We will use the sub-brand to tickle the taste buds of the youth.”
Caselet 2
Read the caselet carefully and answer the following questions:
3. Did the macro environmental factors in India prove lucrative for Canon, for investment?
How?
(6 marks) < Answer >
4. What would be the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of
Canon?
(8 marks) < Answer >
From being known as a camera and copier company, Canon has moved on to being a reckoning
force in the peripherals market. But this didn’t come easy to this 100% subsidiary of the Japanese
imaging giant. Since it came in early 1997, Canon India has had a checkered past. The major
players in the market were Modi-Xerox - the market leader with 58% of market share, RPG-Ricoh
and HCL Toshiba. Within two years, Canon proved the analysts wrong by capturing 18% of the
photocopier market, knocking Ricoh out from the number two slot.
In India, though the government was a coalition, yet it was pro-liberalisation. This spelt stability on
the economic policies front and thus the political environment was conducive to investment. The
new economic policies were pro-investment. Deregulation, and liberalization of Industrial
Licensing had already taken place. FERA was liberalised which meant that foreign investment and
technology import were made easier. Fiscal and monetary reforms were in the pipeline and pointed
towards a bright future. Public sector participation was being abetted by the government.
Though the middle class was burgeoning, yet the population below the poverty line was a concern.
A major part of the Indian population lived in small villages, which did not even have access to
electricity. However, this was not of much of a concern to the firm.
India was fast being recognized worldwide as the leader in Information Technology. Allied
industries were booming and India seemed to be on its way up. The development of Information
Technology pointed to emerging 'paperless offices'. The Indian market was experiencing the
Internet and IT business boom, which led to an increase in PC penetration
Canon’s cameras were already selling through the Mahatta Camera Corporation. It decided to sell
the copiers and fax machines through national distributors. The first three years of operation of the
subsidiary didn’t turn out to be successful. The competition was too tough, and there was also the
gray market to contend with.
In 2000, when the Indian market was experiencing the Internet and IT business boom the increase
in PC penetration led to a spurt in inkjet printer sales. At that point, there were mainly HP and
Epson in the inkjet market. While Canon’s photocopiers and fax machines were doing average
business, and cameras had their own presence, there was a need to come forward in the PC
peripherals area too. Canon had printers in its Indian portfolio, and initially things looked okay,
with market share reaching almost 12% at one point. But that was the short-lived effect of a push
factor that dwindled later.
Coinciding with a market slowdown, 2001 saw aggressive price wars in the inkjet arena. Both HP
and Epson dropped prices of their entry-level models. Canon’s inkjet share dipped to almost 3%.
While HP and Epson had sound channel strategies, Canon seemed to have missed out on that.
The results of the market analysis led Canon to rethink its marketing and distribution strategies.
Clearly the peripheral market was where the action was. Cameras were still Mahatta’s domain.
Photocopiers were still there, and were picking up, but they weren’t enough.
In 2001, Canon seemed to have finally hit paydirt in the peripherals market. Apart from its own
strategies, problems faced by the competition have also helped. HP was preoccupied with its
parallel shipment problems. Epson’s Stylus 480 didn’t live up to its expectations and Epson didn’t
manage to recover from that, and Lexmark, which had so far been selling through TVSE, decided it
was time to go solo and proceeded to revamp its distribution plan. As the company went into the IT
Peripherals space, it became necessary to reach B&C class cities. Now, with a consumer products
thrust, the company plans to tap even smaller locations in India.
Though the market leader, Modi-Xerox, had the lion’s share of the market. Modi-Xerox was
concentrating on the offices and corporate clients. This was one of their strength areas. Since Modi-
Xerox was not focusing on another major segment – the ‘jobber’ segment (the corner-shop which
does a photocopy)- Canon, India decided to vigorously attack it! However, the jobbers segment is
spread over a large geographical area - in all major and small towns of India. At this time, RPGRicoh
(the second largest player) was involved with restructuring its business and could not employ
any tactics to thwart Canon, India’s entry. The timing of the entry seems to be strategically very
appropriate as RPG-Ricoh was unable to react due to its restructuring. Eyeing the huge market
segment of jobbers (which accounted for 60% 0f India’s photocopying work), Canon, India
formulated several market penetration strategies. Modi-Xerox was catering to the corporate clients
and was thus high priced. Canon, India introduced slow machines at cheap prices to satiate the
demand of the jobbers segment.
In late October 2002, Canon India planned to launch more than 20 new products ranging from
inkjets, direct photoprinters, scanners to digital cameras, camcorders, and more. With things more
stable, Canon is confident that it’s the right time to take over the digital camera business. The
future, according to Canon, lies in digital imaging. In the same year, they unveiled some of these
products in an expo at Beijing in China, and the thrust clearly was on printing pictures at home
directly from your digital camera. With the world reaching the level of digitization it has, Canon
feels direct photo printing will make the printer and the digital camera together reach a level where
they’re regarded as consumer appliances rather than just as IT peripherals. India, though not as far
ahead as some other countries in the region, seems ripe to receive this technology.
The president and CEO of Canon’s South East Asia regional headquarter Singapore, Fukui Eiji, is
confident that India is going to be an important market for Canon. With the upcoming launch of
products, its distribution strategy in place, cross-selling opportunities in digital cameras, and
competitive pricing, Canon India’s spirits are buoyant. Going forward, two product categories –
digicams and projectors – will be the prime focus areas for Canon’s consumer strategy. These
product categories are vital for it to scale its operations from business communications or
automation to IT peripherals to consumer products. “It’s a big change for Canon,” says Alok
Bharadwaj, Director and GM, Consumer Imaging & Information Division.
Caselet 3
Read the caselet carefully and answer the following questions:
5. The winds of change seen in the Indian market place in recent times have brought about a
clear shift in consumer buying behaviour. Briefly, explain the personal and psychological factors
that influence consumer-buying behavior.
(8 marks) < Answer >
6. “Consumers look for “perceived value” and not at price alone.” Justify.
(6 marks) < Answer >
7. How should marketers deal with perceived value, if they aim at attaining loyalty for brands?
Discuss.
(7 marks) < Answer >
For many years, product and service marketers felt customers were there with them for life, and
started taking brand loyalty for granted. However, there has been a transformation in the Indian
market and consumers are now loyal to ‘perceived value’ and not necessarily to brands.
Due to intense competition and a wide choice of brands, every Indian consumer today is equipped
with ‘an imaginary remote control’. With this imaginary remote control, the consumer explores
various brands, only momentarily, and evaluates them according to the ‘perceived value’ he is
getting. This is not to say that brand loyalty can no longer exist. However ‘perceived value loyalty’
will precede brand loyalty. Only after a thorough assessment would a consumer settle for a
particular brand. Only brands that are able to give regular, sustainable and consistently high
‘perceived value’ can attract and retain customers.
How did this trend suddenly emerge? Well, the first reason is competition, followed by the rising
standards and expectations of Indian consumers. Further, many brands never had brand loyalty;
they had a mere monopoly in a particular category or consumers bought their products just out of
habit. Thus consumers were not loyal to the brand out of choice, but because they had few other
options. In the long run, price wars do not really work in the branded market.
Consumers look for “perceived value” and not at price alone. Value is a blend of quality and price.
A consumer is willing to pay a certain price for a certain quality. Different segments of consumers
look at different ‘perceived value’ points and not just price points. This is the tangible part. The
intangible part of perception, which is a combination of image and emotional value, also contributes
to consumers’ purchase and consumption decisions. The tangible value and the intangible
perception make up the ‘perceived value’ of any brand in the minds and hearts of the consumers.
Thus ultimately it is the ‘perceived value points’ that the consumer looks for and the wars that are
actually won are “perceived value” wars and not ‘price’ wars. Since brands are different from
commodities, non-price factors also play a role in adding to the perceived value. Therefore,
reducing the price may give a wrong signal to the consumer about the product. Rash, thoughtless
and desperate price-cutting measures, directly or through promotions, actually reduce and discount
the perceived value of the brand in the minds and hearts of the consumers.
In recent times, Star TV’s Star Plus channel has shaken brand loyal TV consumers and has
aggressively increased its market share. This again is the result of the Indian viewer taking out his
‘imaginary remote control’ and surfing channels in the search of ‘perceived value’. The viewer’s
involvement with ‘perceived value’ is so high that he looks at programmes, and not channels, and
evaluates each one before settling down to watch it. If a channel is able to provide a mix of good
programmes that have higher ‘perceived value’, the consumer gives up his brand loyalty to that
channel and moves towards greater enjoyment and satisfaction. Here too, brand loyalty has declined
and ‘perceived value loyalty’ towards programmes and hence the channel has increased. If another
channel comes with better programmes and gives higher ‘perceived value’ to viewers, they would
not even hesitate for a second to switch the brand. Due to the changes in the consumer behaviour,
Brand managers and marketing heads will have to clean up and polish their act because nothing
stops the Indian customer from deciding not to continue with any brand that does not provide him
with the desired ‘perceived value’.
There has been an acceleration of the concept of perceived value loyalty through the phenomenon
of multi-brand purchasing. Most non-durable consumer product classes comprise several brands
that are so similar in terms of their basic attributes that consumers find it difficult to distinguish one
from the other. Thus it is hardly surprising that consumers do not, on the whole, show total loyalty
to any one brand, but select from a small set of tried and tested brands that are close substitutes.
This can be called the ‘Consideration Set’. Since all products tend towards parity, for Brand Switch
one must create disparity. There is a great deal of evidence that consumers behave in the manner
stated above. The markets for established non-durable products are characterised typically by more
or less stable sales, at least in the short to medium term. The buying behaviour of individuals
usually involves several brand choices, but the aggregate level of market sales and brand shares is
stable and predictable.
Customers may change brands often – the vast majority frequently do make substitutions – but not
in the sense of irrevocably switching brands; that is, never again buying that which is rejected.
Buyers of a given product class typically choose several brands over a sequence of purchases. The
original concept of brand loyalty (which was measured by the degree to which a consumer
purchases a brand without considering alternatives) is fading away, making way for Perceived
Value Loyalty.
END OF SECTION B
Section C : Applied Theory (20 Marks)
This section consists of questions with serial number 8 - 9.
Answer all questions.
Marks are indicated against each question.
Do not spend more than 25 -30 minutes on section C.
8. CHOOKS fresh & tasty is a fast food chain of 15 stores, in Southern Australia, that sells
burritos, tacos, and salads. In order to expand nationwide, CHOOKS has decided to franchise its
operations. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of franchising to CHOOKS.
(10 marks) < Answer >
9. Fuegotech Ltd., a newly set up business management company, launches a public relations
program as it believes that public relations is “one of the best places to spend your marketing rupees
because though advertising may get you visibility, PR gets you credibility.” In this light, explain the
major decisions involved in launching a public relations program, for Fuegotech.
(10 marks) < Answer >
END OF SECTION C
END OF QUESTION PAPER
Suggested Answers
Marketing Management (MB221) : January 2006
Section A : Basic Concepts
1. Answer : (d)
Reason: Possession utility allows a buyer to use the product as
he wishes. It is the value that a buyer obtains from the
product. (b) Marketers provide time utility to their
< TOP >
customers by providing their products when the
customers want them. (c) Place utility is provided when
a marketer provides the product at locations preferred by
the customer. (d) Form utility is created when raw
material is converted into a finished product.
2. Answer : (a)
Reason: A new staff incentive scheme should be considered as
part of the internal environment and not the macroenvironment
of a firm. .
< TOP >
3. Answer : (b)
Reason: Increase in cost of selling is not a benefit of retaining
customers. The remaining options are benefits of
retaining customers.
< TOP >
4. Answer : (c)
Reason: Market logistics decisions involve order processing,
inventory management , and the transportation process.
< TOP >
5. Answer : (d)
Reason: A customer being dissatisfied with a product purchase
does not form sufficient ground to seek legal help.
Therefore, its not included in the consumer protection
act
< TOP >
6. Answer : (c)
Reason: Customer profitability analysis is carried out with the
help of customer and operational data by using
specialized analytical techniques and advance software
technology. All other options are not applicable. CIS is
crucial for determining the profitability of each
customer.
< TOP >
7. Answer : (c)
Reason: Generic competition is a form of competition where
all the companies compete for the same disposable
income of the customers
< TOP >
8. Answer : (c)
Reason: Influencer is a person whose views and advice
influence the buying decision. Kavita acted in the role of
influencer and also as information gatherer because she
got the information that the skateboard Sanjay wanted to
purchase does not have any brakes. Kavita also
influenced the mother to stop the purchase. No family
member served as decider is false since the mother took
the role of decider. Sanjay acted in the role of initiator.
< TOP >
9. Answer : (b)
Reason: Reverse marketing is a process in which the
organization specifies the quality level of the raw
< TOP >
materials it requires from its suppliers and suggests that
they take sufficient steps to conform to the quality level.
Service also plays an important role, because no
organization would like to buy goods from a vendor who
cannot provide timely and efficient service.
10. Answer : (b)
Reason: In causal research, the cause and effect relationships
between two variables are analyzed. This research helps
managers select a particular strategy. It is carried out by
considering a detailed questionnaire. (a) Exploratory
research helps the management identify the presence of
potential opportunities and threats for the company. (c)
Descriptive research is generally conducted after the
exploratory research. As the problem is clearly defined
in exploratory research, the quantum or intensity of the
problem is identified. Option (d) and Option (e) are not
applicable.
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11. Answer : (d)
Reason: Opting for leasing or buying relate to purchasing
policies. Purchasing policies of organizations differ.
Some organizations have a policy of buying systems
rather than individual components. Government
organizations usually buy through bidding. Therefore,
suppliers who have a comparative cost advantage may
prefer to target such markets.
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12. Answer : (a)
Reason: The BCG matrix is a model used to allocate resources
to Strategic Business Units of an organization.
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13. Answer : (c)
Reason: To implement a strategy, a firm needs commitment,
leadership, and superior managerial skills. Strategy must
be converted into actions to be achieved on a day-to-day
basis.
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14. Answer : (c)
Reason: Market leaders have considerable market share and a
significant presence in the industry.
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15. Answer : (a)
Reason: Capital equipment comprises of the large tools and
machines that are used for the productions of goods or
for providing services. (b) Accessories are those
products that help in production or office activities. They
do not become part of final product. (c) A component is
a finished product or a product that needs a little
processing before becoming a part of the main product.
(d) Raw material is the basic material used in producing
a product. (e) Consumable supplies are products that are
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consumed during production and delivery of the product
but they do not become part of the final product.
16. Answer : (a)
Reason: Product line pruning is reducing the depth of a product
line by deleting less profitable offerings in a particular
product category. (b) Product Line Extension is adding
depth to an existing product line by introducing new
products in the same product category. Product line
extensions give customers greater choice and help to
protect the firm from a flanking attack by a competitor.
(c) Product line filling is adding more products to the
existing range of the product line. (d) Product line
modernization is a strategy in which items in a product
line are modified to suit modern styling and tastes and
re-launched. (e) Product line stretching is introducing
new products into a product line.
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17. Answer : (d)
Reason: A company may differentiate itself from its
competitors by image; the particular image or
"personality" it acquires is created by its logo and other
symbols, its advertising, its atmosphere, its events and
personalities. (a) Product differentiation implies
differentiating on the basis of product form, features,
benefits etc. Services differentiation lies in adding
valued services. (c) Differentiation achieved through
having better-trained people is personnel differentiation.
(d) Companies can achieve a distinct differentiation for
their products on the basis of the distribution channel
they use.
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18. Answer : (c)
Reason: A private brand is a brand that is designated, owned
and used by a wholesaler or retailer.
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19. Answer : (d)
Reason: Exclusive distribution has a limited number of
intermediaries between the producer and the customer.
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20. Answer : (e)
Reason: The most crucial activity of the marketing channel
members is to match the needs of buyers and sellers.
Normally most sellers do not know where they can reach
potential buyers and similarly, buyers do not know
where they can reach potential sellers. From this
perspective, the role of the marketing channel to match
the buyers and sellers needs becomes very vital.
Producers can do without intermediaries, but not the
functions they perform. The smooth flow of products
from the producer to the end-user takes place with the
help of intermediaries. The flow of information from the
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channel to the customers is essential in order to create
awareness among them about the availability of the
products. A set of interdependent organizations involved
in the process of making a product or service available
for use or consumption by the consumer or industrial
user is called a distribution channel.
21. Answer : (d)
Reason: Customers can clearly distinguish between message
sources is true. A mass marketing strategy implies an
unsegmented market where there would be little need for
marketing communication; hence it is not a way forward
for marketing communication. Message structure and
format does not illustrate what the marketing
communicator decides to say instead it is the message
content. Computers and IT are not helping a shift
towards effective mass marketing; instead the shift is
towards effective customized marketing.
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22. Answer : (e)
Reason: The difficulty with effective sales promotion is the
fact they can be easily duplicated is true. (a) The
promotional mix contains seven elements. (b) Public
relations is not free. (c) Public relation is another
promotional element that provides immediate feedback.
(d) Advertising is a promotional element, which does not
create customized interaction.
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23. Answer : (c)
Reason: Salesforce automation (SFA) is the use of technology
designed to make the sales function more effective and
efficient.
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24. Answer : (c)
Reason: Sales variance analysis is a technique, which helps in
evaluating the factors responsible for the deviations in
sales.
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25. Answer : (d)
Reason: Licensing is a form of providing access to a patent or a
trademark to some other company by charging a fee or
royalty. This will facilitate the licensed company to
leverage the value of these patents or trademarks and
increase its business potential.
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26. Answer : (e)
Reason: Forums are discussion groups located on commercial
websites that link users to libraries, directories or chat
rooms.
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27. Answer : (c)
Reason: A complaint log is used to record details of customer
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complaints about service delivery. It serves as feedback
for the firm and in taking corrective actions to improve
service delivery. (a) A policy manual details the
organization’s policies. (b) An employee handbook
contains instructions, codes for employees. (d) Option is
irrelevant. (e) An operations manual contains details
about how various procedures and processes are to be
implemented.
28. Answer : (d)
Reason: Survival can be the short-term objective of an
organization’s pricing strategy to compete in the fiercely
competitive environment. Organizations feel that a
reduction in the price can be compensated with the
increase in sales volume.
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29. Answer : (a)
Reason: In experience curve pricing, new products are
introduced at a low price. Organizations believe that as
employees acquire experience in producing the product,
they will learn the technology and production process
better and work more efficiently. Therefore, more units
are produced in the same period of time and the
organization’s cost of production decreases significantly.
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30. Answer : (e)
Reason: All statements are expenses that a company has to
bear during test marketing.
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Section B : Caselets
1. The possible reasons for Onida Candy not doing well are:
Wrong product positioning. This is where everything got haywire for Onida candy. Onida was eying for the
replacement TV market, in which black TVs were exchanged for colour TVs, as well as an Add-On-TV market
at the same time. The replacement market which accounted for 25% of the CTV market seemed very attractive.
Onida positioned Candy to tap this market, as it seemed to be ideally placed to tap this age group. However, this
did not seem to have worked too well for Onida. Positioning it as both for the replacement market and as an addon
could have created confused positioning.
Poor product differentiation. Candy did not effectively promote itself to its target market.
The CTV market being over crowded, Onida Candy could not successfully differentiate itself.
Price: Candy was priced too highly compared to its competitors. This could also have been
a reason for the decline.
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2. The pitfalls involved in positioning a product are:
• Quite often, it happens that a product is positioned on the basis of the obvious aspects of
the product features: this becomes too predictable and the charm in positioning is lost.
However, many times, the obvious aspects have to be used for positioning. For instance,
when Coca-Cola was the first entrant in the cola market, it positioned itself as the "Real
Thing." This positioning made sense at that time but as time passed, it lost its charm and
the company had to alter its positioning strategy by coming out with a new punch line
"Always Coca Cola," Companies have to resort to such changes when they feel that
positioning on the clearly obvious aspects of the product is not drawing the desired
benefits.
• Most companies try to live in the future rather than position their products based on their
current capabilities. They might achieve newer technologies or resources in the future, but
need to take care to position their products on the basis of their current advantages. It is
important to ensure the success the company can achieve today, rather than trying to
position the product on the basis of a technology that might accrue in the future.
• Marketers often commit the mistake of diluting the positioning strategy to make it more
attractive. Products should be positioned with powerful ideas and communicated as they
are, but normally marketers come out with a simple positioning idea and pass it on to the
creative department. This is where the strength of the positioning gets diluted and the
process is known as under positioning.
• Just as under positioning of a brand is a possibility, there is also scope for over
positioning a brand. In this situation, buyers may have a very narrow image of the
company's brand. Over positioning is usually seen in cases where the firm initially
promotes its brand as a premium brand.
• Positioning is normally done by managers with an inside-out thinking and is based on
what is going on in the organization. But, actually for a positioning strategy to be
successful, it has to be based on an outside-in strategy. An outside-in strategy is one where
a manager tries to develop the positioning based on what customers and other stakeholders
think about the company.
• Companies often position their products such that it helps them achieve short-term sales
and profits. Issues like stocks and share prices are a major reason for this type of
positioning. But positioning has to be done keeping in mind long term gains in the market
and not short-term gains.
• Another pitfall is confused positioning. Marketers should not confuse consumers by
meddling too much with the positioning strategies of their established brands. For instance,
Pepsi once introduced a clear Pepsi with the name Crystal Pepsi. Consumers thought that
if it was not brown, then it could not be a cola, and as a result the product failed in the
market.
• Sometimes companies try to create brand awareness among customers even before
positioning the brand clearly in the market. This phenomenon, known as doubtful
positioning, often generates a negative attitude towards the brand. For instance, many of
the dot com companies spent heavily on television advertising, without themselves being
clear about what they were selling.
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3. Canon evaluated the environmental factors appropriately before investing in India. The
macro environment can be evaluated as follows:
The political environment at the time of Canon’s entry in 1997 was stable. Though the
government was a coalition, yet it was pro-liberalisation. This spelt stability on the economic
policies front and thus the political environment was conducive to investment.
Economic environment, in India, too was very healthy. The new economic policies were pro-investment.
Deregulation, and liberalization of Industrial Licensing had already taken place. FERA was liberalised which
meant that foreign investment and technology import were made easier. Fiscal and monetary reforms were in the
pipeline and pointed towards a bright future. Public sector participation was being abetted by the government.
All in all, the economic environment too was ripe.
The social environment in India was a mixed bag. Though the middle class was
burgeoning, yet the population below the poverty line was a concern. A major part of the
Indian population lived in small villages, which did not even have access to electricity.
However, this was not of much of a concern to the firm.
The technological environment prevalent in India was very dynamic. India was fast being
recognized worldwide as the leader in Information Technology. Allied industries were
booming and India seemed to be on its way up. The development of Information Technology
threatened to produce a ‘paperless office’. But despite this the growth augured well for Canon.
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4. Opportunities
• Canon identified weaknesses of competitor’s and converted them into opportunities Modi-Xerox, had the
lion’s share of the market, Canon, India was spot on in analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. Modi-Xerox
was concentrating on the offices and corporate clients. This was one of their strength areas. Since Modi-
Xerox was not focusing on another major segment – the ‘jobber’ segment (the corner-shop which does a
photocopy)- Canon, India decided to vigorously attack it!
RPG-Ricoh (the second largest player) was involved with restructuring its business and could not employ
any tactics to thwart Canon, India’s entry. The timing of the entry seems to be strategically very appropriate
as RPG-Ricoh was unable to react due to its restructuring. Thus, Canon, India capitalized on another
weakness (though a temporary one).
In 2001, HP was preoccupied with its parallel shipment problems. Epson’s Stylus 480 didn’t live up to its
expectations and Epson didn’t manage to recover from that, and Lexmark, which had so far been selling
through TVSE, decided it was time to go solo and proceeded to revamp its distribution plan.
• Canon realizes that its core competencies lie in the area of digital imaging.
• India is a strategic market for Canon in Asia
• Many product segments can be tapped for growth – peripherals, SOHO and consumer segments
Threats
• The development of Information Technology pointed to emerging ‘paperless offices’.
• Competition from HP, Epson, Modi Xerox and RPG Ricoh.
• Sound channel strategies of HP and Epson
Weaknesses
• Canon, India realized that its weakness lies in the fact that it is serving the jobbers
segment. This is a weakness that the jobbers segment is spread over a large geographical
area- in all major and small towns of India. Thus, the geographical spread which Canon,
India had to cover to service the machines would make after sales service a very arduous
task.
Strengths
• Focus on revamping distribution and marketing strategies
• Presence in many product segments helping realize synergies
• Large distribution network, cross-selling and competitive pricing
• Strategic focus on the product categories of digicams and projectors, which are products
based on new technology
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5. Personal factors that affect consumer buying behaviour are:
Age and lifecycle: Over the life cycle stages, people use different products and their demand
for goods and services keep changing. People at different ages will have different tastes in
food, clothes, furniture and recreation. Even families pass through different stages of the life
cycle over time. Therefore, marketers should determine the needs of their target markets and
introduce different products and marketing efforts targeted at different stages.
Occupation and financial status: Occupation and income level of a person have a major
impact on his savings and buying behavior. For example, a blue collar worker will indulge
more in purchasing clothes, shoes, etc., which he can wear to work. Similarly, a company's
chairman may buy clothes, accessories and other products and services that suit his lifestyle.
The financial condition of an individual such as his disposable income, savings, his ability to
buy costly products and services on installments and bear the interest rates, etc. will have a
significant influence on his buying behavior.
Lifestyle: An individual's way of leading his life will determine his lifestyle. Factors such as
work life, interests, social groups, etc. influence the life style of an individual.
Psychological Factors that affect consumer buying behaviour are:
Motivation: A motive is a strong urge that drives a person's activities towards unfulfilled
needs and wants. Customers are influenced by a motive or a set of motives when they have
unfulfilled needs. In other words, needs are the motivational elements behind the purchasing
decision of customers. One of the most widely known motivational theory, the hierarchy of
needs, was proposed by Abraham Maslow and explains why people are driven by particular
needs at particular times. According to Maslow, needs can be classified as (a) physiological
needs, (b) security needs, (c) social needs, (d) esteem needs and (e) self actualization needs.
Customers tend to satisfy their needs on the basis of the intensity or requirement of the
needs. For example, physiological need is the most basic need and hence, an individual would
satisfy it first. Satisfaction of one need leads to emergence of higher level unfulfilled needs.
Needs are general in nature but wants arise out of the desire to fulfill the needs in a specific
way. For example, food can be classified as a need, but eating a particular dish or at a
particular food joint is a want. Wants that are conditioned by certain motives are known as
buying motives. Marketers must work to create these wants in the customers and
target/position their product in such a way as to invoke desire in the customer to fulfill these
wants.
Perceptions: Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes
and interprets stimuli into meaningful thoughts and pictures. Customers base their perception
on their needs, wants, past experiences and something that they consider to be true. For
example, a subscriber/reader who reads a particular newspaper or journal might perceive it to
give the true picture of the happenings around him.
Perceptions of a person are affected by many factors like reality, sense, risk etc.
• Customers perceive their environment through the sense of touch, smell, taste, hearing,
etc.
• Customer's buying decisions are also influenced by the risk factor involved. For example,
does the customer perceive the product to be safe, does he find it worth spending the time
on shopping, and does he think that the price is worth the amount paid for? Marketers can
address these problems through appropriate marketing communication strategies.
• Understanding the customer's perception helps the marketers position their product better
than that of the competitors. It helps them develop the right store image, product quality,
price, distribution channel etc.
Therefore, marketers must make an effort to understand the perceptions of the customers
and adjust their marketing mix accordingly. ,
Beliefs and Attitude: A belief is a descriptive image or thought that an individual holds
about something. People acquire beliefs and attitudes through experience as well as learning.
The beliefs and attitudes held by people, in turn, influence their buying behavior.
A person's attitude is a set of his feelings and the way in which he reacts to a given idea or
thought. Attitudes can be positive, negative or neutral. Customer attitudes and beliefs
influence his perception and buying behavior. Customer attitudes are based on their past
experiences with the products and through their interaction and relationship with their
respective reference groups.
Customers’ attitudes can have a major impact on a firm’s marketing efforts.
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6. In the branded sector consumers make decisions based on ‘perceived value’ and not just price. This can be
supported by the following justification:
A consumer is willing to pay a certain price for a certain quality because for a customer
value implies a combination of quality and price. Different segments of consumers look at
different ‘perceived value’ points, which constitute the tangible part. At the same time, the
intangible part of perception, which is a combination of image and emotional value, also
contributes to consumers’ purchase and consumption decisions. The tangible value and the
intangible perception together constitute the ‘perceived value’ of any brand in the minds and
hearts of the consumers. In fact ‘perceived value’ wars work in brands because they are
fought for the mind and heart of consumers. Price wars do not work in the branded sector
because they are fought mainly in the short-term trade and pocket level. Thus ultimately it is
the ‘perceived value points’ that the consumer looks for and the wars that are actually won are
“perceived value” wars and not ‘price’ wars.
The success of Star TV is also an instance of how perceived value is more important over
other factors. The viewer’s involvement with ‘perceived value’ is so high that he looks at the
product value, and not brands, and evaluates each one. For products that have higher
‘perceived value’, the consumer gives up his brand loyalty and moves towards greater
enjoyment and satisfaction. Surely, ‘perceived value loyalty’ emerging rapidly.
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7. Brand managers and marketing heads will have to clean up and polish their act because
nothing stops the Indian customer from deciding not to continue with any brand that does not
provide him with the desired ‘perceived value’. Marketers should consider the following:
• Marketers must focus on the consumer and not on the competition. Comparing and
contrasting with competition, and even following the price cut road to a bottomless pit, is
suicidal. Every company must focus on its consumer segments and customize its offerings.
• Avoid unwarranted and adhoc promotions, that are actually disguised price cuts that
reduce the equity and the image of the brand as they focus on the ‘deal’ rather than the
branded product.
• There is difference between brands and commodities. Faceless and nameless
commodities, have only one recourse – Price. Branded products, on the other hand, satisfy
various needs of the consumer and non-price factors can be very important.
• It is important first to look at the consumers and their needs and thereafter all other
stakeholders.
• A price reduction sometimes gives a wrong signal to the consumer making one feel that it
is a liquidation exercise, a desperate move, tampering with quality or earlier excess
profiteering.
• The element of parity should also be considered. If one marketer can reduce price so can
the others. It is important to create disparity through positioning, core values and
enhancing the ‘perceived value’ in minds and hearts of consumers. There is nothing wrong
in launching a new brand or a variant at a low, medium or high ‘perceived value point’.
This is consciously done to focus on a given segment.
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Section C: Applied Theory
8. Advantages to the franchiser
Low capital and low risk: Franchising helps a franchiser to penetrate new markets. The
franchiser can add on to his number of distribution outlets and improve his business on the
basis of capital obtained from the franchisee. This allows the franchiser to utilize his capital to
improve other aspects of the business, like enhancing the manufacturing capacity.
Speedier Expansion: The company grows faster, since new distribution outlets have been
added in the form of franchisees. Such speedy expansion would not be possible for companies
handicapped by limited capital.
Extended Market Penetration: The speedy expansion due to the addition of distribution
outlets helps the franchiser to enter and capture new markets before its competitors can gain a
stronghold in them
Motivation of the Franchisee: Since the franchisee invests capital in the business, the
motivation of the franchisee to succeed is high. It has been observed that franchisee
businesses have a higher success rate than company-owned or non-franchisee types of
businesses. The success of the franchisee in the business directly affects the profits of the
franchiser. Thus, the franchiser also benefits with improvement in the franchisee's business.
Controlling the quality: Quite often, when business expands, it becomes difficult for a
marketer to focus on quality management issues. This results in poor quality output of
products and services. However, in franchising, the franchisee takes care of the day-to-day
operations of the business, leaving the franchiser with enough time to concentrate on issues
related to quality and standardization of products and services.
Disadvantages to a franchiser
Business Control: The franchiser runs a risk by agreeing to do business with the franchisee
because any negligence or failure in maintaining quality standards on the part of the
franchisee will have an adverse impact on the franchiser's business or brand image. Moreover,
the franchising agreement made with the franchisee should be devoid of any loopholes or
flaws that would benefit the franchisee. Failure to have a strong franchising agreement can
lead to the franchiser's loss of control over his business.
Expenses Involved: Franchising involves a lot of expenses for a franchiser such as
expenditure pertaining to legal documentation during the agreement process, expenses of
conducting a certified financial audit of company records, advertising expenses to attract
potential franchisees and, at times, expenses incurred to fight legal battles against the
franchisee. Keeping in view these expenses, franchising may not appear to be a viable option
for marketers with a limited capital. Hence, before deciding to enter into a franchising
agreement, a marketer has to carefully weigh these costs against the benefits that will be
accrued in the form of market expansion, franchisee success rate, and so on.
Lower Profit Potential: Since the franchiser only licenses the franchisee to do business and
the actual operation of the business is carried out by the franchisee, the franchiser gets a
narrow profit percentage as royalty from the franchisee.
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9. Major Decisions in PR like any other marketing activity, PR follow the following systematic
approach:
(i) Setting objectives
A company can have a number of objectives like:
• Build awareness: It can publish stories/articles in the media or take part in social activities
to attract the attention of the customers_ towards its products.
• Build credibility: This can be achieved when the views regarding the company is carried
in the editorial section of newspapers/publications or when the news is carried out as a
news item in the broadcast medium.
• Motivate sales force: Companies can motivate their sales force by publishing stories about
a new product in various media before actually launching the product. Thus, they can
create an interest about the product in the sales force as well. This also stimulates other
channel members like the retailers to stock the new product, which reduces the lead-time.
• Cut dawn promotional cast: Publicity and PR can help the firm in cutting dawn its
promotional cast to an extent.
(ii) Selecting the message and media vehicle
PR managers must identify and develop interesting news and stories for the media. They
must conduct news events or sponsorship programs that can serve the dual-purpose of
conveying the message as well as help in developing the message in the course of the event.
Messages can be carried out in various media like the newspapers, newsletters, the TV, the
Internet, intranet, radio broadcast, etc. in the form of news release, news item, a captioned
photograph, etc. Hence, marketers should take care in selecting the right media and the media
vehicles.
(iii) Implementing the plan
Major Tools of PR
Firms can use a number of PR tools to communicate with the public and create a positive
image far themselves in the society. PR managers prepare brochures, newsletters, logos, inhouse
magazines, annual report and news releases. PR managers also use publicity, to
enhance the image of the company. It can be used to provide information about new product
launches, mergers, research and development carried out by the firm, acquisitions by the
company and so an. Examples of publicity based public relation tools can be news releases,
featured articles, captioned photographs, press conferences, sponsoring social events etc.
Techniques for PR
Consumer communication: Companies use a variety of communication tools like customer
press releases, promotional videos, consumer exhibitions, competitions and prizes, product
launch events, celebrity endorsements, web sites, etc.
Business communication: A company can communicate to its business associates and other
publics through a) Company and product videos, b) Direct mailings, c) Trade press releases,
d) Web sites, e) Trade exhibitions, f) Articles. It can also use a host of other external corporate
communication channels like a) Company literature like annual reports, brochures, videos,
etc., b) Community involvement programs, c) local, national and international media relations,
d) shareholder meetings (including the annual general meeting) and e) meetings with stock
market analysts, fund managers, etc.
Employee communication: Employee morale is strengthened if the public perceives the firm
favorably. Hence, firms use various techniques to communicate with its employees like a) inhouse
newsletters and magazines, b) internal/employee communication channels, c) Intranet
and email, d) notice boards, e) company get together and picnics, f) employee conferences etc.
(iv) Evaluating PR
It is actually quite difficult to measure whether the key messages have been communicated to
the target audience, because the number of techniques used in PR to reach various target
audiences is quite large. In any case, measuring the effectiveness can be quite a costly affair,
as it would involve a large amount of regular research. However, the main measures of
effectiveness concentrate on the process of PR and they include
• Monitoring the amount of media coverage obtained: In the case of press media, a
company can maintain press cuttings to know how many times its news items appeared in
various print media.
• Measuring attendance at meetings, conferences, etc.
• Measuring the number of inquiries or orders received in response to specific public
relations efforts.
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< TOP OF THE DOCUMENT >
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