Exam SMM

LEAD STAR COLLEGE of MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

FINAL EXAMINATION FOR THE COURSE STRATEGIC MARKETING
MANAGEMENT
Name ___________________________________Id.No_________ Section ______Program____
Instructions
 This paper consists of seven questions and you all are expected to answer all of them.
 Please write your name on each answer sheet used.
 Your answer should not exceed half of a page for a single question, neatness of your
work worthy.
 Late submission of the time allotted may not considered.
Give clear and precise answer for the following questions.
1. Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers’ needs and wants.
Critics maintain that marketing does much more than satisfying customers’ needs and
wants and, in fact, create needs and wants that did not exist before. According to these
critics, marketers encourage consumers to spend more money than they should on goods
and services they really do not need. What is your opinion of this on-going debate? Take
a stance and defend your position using examples of companies that you perceive to have
created or satisfied customer needs.( 8 point)
2. As an independent marketing consultant, you have been asked to advise one of your
clients on the importance of effective marketing research and identify the key elements of
the marketing research process. (7 point)
3. Select an organization you are familiar with and write a basic description of it to include
its type, size, industry, products (or services), business strategy and so on. The
information you provide should be relevant and designed to orientate an entirely
uniformed type of reader. With a limited word count, the challenge for you is to decide
which information is most important.(7 point)
4. Brand characteristics that are symbolic and functional merge well to make attractive and
memorable brands. Is this a statement you would agree with or not? Identify two types of
brand characteristics and explain how these work together or separately to make the
brand effective for its producers. Use two or three organizations and their respective
brands to support your argument(s). (7 point)
5. What are segmentation, targeting and positioning? How important are they in offering
customers value? Why it may become necessary for companies to change their market
segmentation identification over time? Elucidate your explanation with examples.(7
point)
6. Explain various stages of Product Life Cycle (PLC). Discuss possible Marketing
Strategies for these stages of PLC. (7 point)
7. Identify the competitive forces identified by Michael porter and show how they affect an
organization. (7 point)
Answer for question #1

In my thought, marketing should have much more role than satisfying customers’ needs and
wants. Today’s marketing could create needs and wants that did not exist before. In modern
marketing, marketers can influence consumers to spend more money than they should on goods
and services they really do not need. This is because of we do not desire and wish to have
something until we are informed of it. Without marketing activity many individuals in society
would be oblivious to the services and products out there. Before knowing about that object and
being attacked with many ad campaigns, we had absolutely no desires to chase after the product.
For example, distance education
Students have no idea about the program before distance education has been applied but after it
is introduced many workers or employees had become customers for the program.
Consumers are not as rational as professional to reveal their needs and wants accurately. Thus
marketing shapes customers’ needs and wants. As a marketer we shouldn’t follow their needs
and wants because they can change their preferences at any time so we should try to convince
them by developing attractive products and service.
sMarket research can identify how customers and potential customers might view your business
and identify gaps in customer expectations. This is powerful information to have when
completing your marketing strategy. Having good market intelligence helps to minimize risks
when making key business decisions.
Define the objectives & problesm
Determine & prepare research instrument
Sampling & Data collection
Analyze data
Visulize & communicat results
I select Ethiotelecom
Type: it is state owned corporations - public enterprise, provides both products and services.
Size: large, the company has above 22,000 employees, annual profit of 47.7 ETB, and has
branches all over the county with a large capital.
Industry: it is categorized as telecom Service Provider
Products (or services): Mobile, Fixed line and Broadband, including international servise like
roaming,
Business strategy: Ethiotelecom has business strategy, including six major elements abbreviated
as BRIDGE, which means focuses on best customer experiences, reputable brand, innovative
products, develop people oriented learning organization, growth financial capacity and
excellence in operation.
First I agree with the statement, there is no doubt brand characteristics that are symbolic and
functional merge well to make attractive and memorable brands.
bProduct life cycle is the course that a product’s sales and profits take over its lifetime.
1. lProduct development stage:- is when the new product is first launched. It takes time,slow
sales growth. Little or no profit,high distribution and promotion expense,
2. Growth stage is when the new product satisfies the market. Sales increase,New
competitors enter the market,price stability or decline to increase volume,consumer
education, profits increase,promotion & manufacturing costs gain economies of scale
product quality increases, New features New market segments & distribution channels
are entered.
3. Maturity stage is a long lasting stage of product that has gained consumer aqcceptance.
Slowdown in sales, many suppliers, substitute products, over capacity leads to
competition and to support sales and profils.
Marketers consider modifying strategies in this stage:- Market modifiying is when a
company tries to increase consumption of the current product (New users, increase usage
of existing users, New market segments.
Product Modifying is changing characterstics (Quality features, or style) to attract new
users and to insire more usage.
Marketing mix modifying is when a company changes one or more of the marketing mix
elements.
Price, promotion and distribution channels

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LEAD STAR COLLEGE of MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Name _______________________________Id.No_ Section Program__

Give clear and precise answer for the following questions.

Answer for question #1

For example, distance education

them by developing attractive products and service.

Answer for question #2

Define the objectives & problesm

Determine & prepare research instrument

Sampling & Data collection

Answer for question #3

Industry: it is categorized as telecom Service Provider

Answer for question #4

Answer for question #6

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