Mappi

Questions in Unit-3 Pattern ng Marks

COs

Topic: brand equity

What is meant by brand equity? Remember CO3 2
741
Key:
Brand equity — the degree of marketing advantage that a brand has over its
competitors
Topic: Branded Service Experiences
753 List out the ways of delivering Branded Service Experiences Remember CO3 2

Key:
Delivering Branded Service Experiences • Aligning the service product and
brand with its delivery process, servicescape and people with the brand
proposition. • Having processes in place • Creating the emotional experience can
be done effectively through the servicescape • Building of interpersonal
relationships, where trust is established between the consumers and the firm’s
employees • Investing in employees for they will be the ones who can deliver the
brand experience that creates customer loyalty
Topic: branding in service
917 Examine how branding is used in services marketing? Analyze CO3 16

Key:
Branding Strategies For Services Service organizations offer a line of products
rather than just a single product. Four broad branding alternatives: a. Branded
House – used to describe a company, that applies its brand name to multiple
offerings in often unrelated fields b. Sub-brands – the corporate or the master
brand is the main reference point, but the product itself has a distinctive name c.
Endorsed Brands – the product brand dominates but the corporate name is still
featured d. House of Brands – the corporate brands and its well-known sub
brands Branding Alternatives Tiering Service Products With Branding • In a
number of service industries, branding is not only used to differentiate core
services, but also to clearly differentiate service levels. This is known as service
tiering. • It is common in industries such as hotels, airlines, car rentals, and
computer hardware and software support. • Other examples of tiering include
healthcare insurance, cable television, and credit cards. Building Brand Equity •
Brand equity is the value premium that comes with a brand - what customers are
willing to pay for the service, beyond what they are willing to pay for a similar
service that has no brand. • Components of Brand Equity • Company’s presented
brand — mainly through advertising, service facilities and personnel. • External
 brand communications —from word of mouth and publicity. These are outside of
the firm’s control. • Customer experience with the company —what the customer
has gone through when they patronized the company. • Brand awareness — the
ability to recognize and recall a brand when provided with a cue. • Brand
meaning — what comes to the customer’s mind when a brand is mentioned. •
Brand equity — the degree of marketing advantage that a brand has over its
competitors.
Topic: Distribution in service
851 What is being distributed in service? Remember CO3 2

Key:
• Information and promotion flow — distribution of information and promotion
materials relating to the service offer.
• Negotiation flow — reaching an agreement on the service features and
configuration, and the terms of the offer
• Product flow — people processing or possession processing - physical facilities
for delivery and development of a network of local sites.
• Information-processing services - electronic channels, employing one or more
centralized sites
Topic: focus strategies for services
001 Describe the basic focus strategies for services Understan CO3 8
d
Key:
Basic Focus Strategies For Services
 Topic: new service development
767 How to achieve success in new service development? Remember CO3 2

Key:
Achieving success in new service development
• Services like products are not immune to the high failure rates
• Reasons for failure include not meeting a consumer need, inability to cover
costs from revenues, and poor execution
• Three factors contribute most to success:
o Market synergy
o Organizational factors
o Market research factors
Topic: New service development-flowers
900 Explain the flower of service concept and identify each of its petals. what Understan CO3 16
insights does this concept provide for service marketers? d

Key:
The Flower Of Service

Facilitating Supplementary Services: Information To obtain full value from any

good or service, customers need relevant information. Information includes the
following: • Direction to service site • Schedules/service hours • Price
 information • Terms and conditions of sale/service • Advice on how to get the
most value from a service • Warnings and advice on how to avoid problems •
Confirmation of reservations • Receipts and tickets • Notification of changes
Summaries of account activities Facilitating Supplementary Services: Order-
taking Once customers are ready to buy, a key supplementary element comes into
play — order-taking. • Order-taking includes: • Order entry • On-site order entry
• Mail/telephone/e-mail/online/mobile app order • Reservations or check-ins •
Seats/tables/rooms • Vehicles or equipment rental • Professional appointment •
Applications • Memberships in club/programs • Subscription services •
Enrolment-based services Facilitating Supplementary Services: Billing Billing is
common to almost all services (unless the service is provided free-of-charge). •
Billing can be: • Periodic statements of account activity. • Invoices for individual
transactions. • Verbal statements of amount due. • Online or machine display of
amount due for self-payment transactions. Facilitating Supplementary Services:
Payment A variety of payment options exist • Self-service • Inserting card, cash
or token into machine • Electronic funds transfer • Mailing a check • Entering
credit card information online • Online payment systems such as PayPal, Google
Wallet or Bitcoins • Direct to payee or intermediary • Cash handling or change
giving • Check handling • Credit/charge/debit card handling • Coupon
redemption • Automatic deduction from financial deposits • Automated systems •
Pre-arranged automatic deduction for bill payment through direct debit
Enhancing Supplementary Services Consultation - involves a dialog to probe for
customer requirements and then develop a tailored solution o Customized advice
o Personal counseling o Tutoring/training in service use o Management or
technical consulting Hospitality - reflect pleasure at meeting new customers and
greeting old ones when they return • Greeting • Food and beverages • Toilets and
washrooms • Waiting facilities and amenities o Lounges, waiting areas, seating o
Weather protection o Magazines, entertainment, newspapers • Transport
Safekeeping - assistance with safekeeping customers’ personal possessions •
Child care, pet care • Parking for vehicles, valet parking • Coat rooms • Baggage
handling • Storage space • Safe deposit boxes • Security personnel Exceptions -
supplementary services that fall outside the routine of normal service delivery •
Special requests • Problem-solving • Handling of
complaints/suggestions/compliments • Restitution
Topic: online services
859 What are the factors that attract customers to use online services? Remember CO3 2

Key:
o Convenience.
o Ease of search
o A broader selection.
o Potential for better prices.
o 24/7 service with prompt delivery
Topic: positioning
815 Identify the positioning principles according to Jack Trout Apply CO3 2

Key:
Positioning Principles (Jack Trout ):
• A company must establish a position in the minds of its targeted customers.
• The position should be singular, providing one simple and consistent message
• The position must set a company apart from its competitors
• A company cannot be all things to all people — it must focus its efforts.
015 Discuss how to develop a effective positioning strategy Create CO3 8

Key:
• Market, Internal and competitor analysis • Market analysis • Internal corporate
analysis • competitor analysis • Position statements
Topic: positioning map
843 What is meant by positioning map? Remember CO3 2

Key:
Positioning maps are important tool to help firms develop their positioning
strategy. They provide a visual way of summarizing customer perceptions of how
different services are performing on determinant attributes
024 Elaborate how can positioning map help managers better understand and respond Create CO3 16
to competitive dynamics with suitable example

Key:
Using Positioning Maps to Plot Competitive Strategy • Positioning maps are
tools to visualize competitive positioning along key aspects of its services
marketing strategy • A map usually has two attributes, although three-
dimensional models can be used to show three of these attributes. Example of a
Positioning Map

Topic: positioning statement

839 Summarise the basic elements to writing a good positioning statement Understan CO3 2
d
Key:
Basic elements to writing a good positioning statement
• Target audience — the specific group(s) of people that the brand wants to sell
to and serve (e.g., professionals as primary target customers, and employers and
advertisers as secondary target audiences).
• Frame of reference — the category that the brand is competing in (e.g., in the
social networking space).
• Point of Difference — the most compelling benefit offered by the brand that
stands out from its competition (e.g., largest network of professionals and
 recruiters to help advance your career, develop your business acumen, industry
knowledge and personal development).
• Reason to believe — proof that the brand can deliver the benefits that are
promised. (e.g., our network is many times bigger than that of our nearest
competitor).
Topic: positioning strategy
826 List out the six questions for developing an effective positioning strategy Remember CO3 2

Key:
1. What does our firm currently stand for in the minds of current and prospective
customers?
2. What customer do we serve now, and which ones would we like to target in
the future?
3. What is the value proposition for each of current service offerings and what
market segments is each one targeted at?
4. How does each of our service products differ from those of our competitors?
5. How well do customers in the chosen target segments perceive our service
offerings as meeting their needs?
6. What changes do we need to make to our service offerings in order to
strengthen our competitive position within our target segment(s)?
Topic: pricing
872 Summarise few pricing objectives in service Understan CO3 2
d
Key:
Revenue and Profit Objectives
a. Gain profit / Cover Costs Patronage And
User Base-related Objectives
b. Build Demand / Develop A User Base
Strategy-related Objectives
c. Positioning / Competitive Strategy
Topic: pricing methods
051 Critically analyse the three methods of pricing strategy in service Analyze CO3 16

Key:
Pricing strategy stands on three foundations 1. Cost 2. Competition 3. Value to
customer
Topic: segmentation
979 Explain why market segmentation important to service firm Understan CO3 16
d
Key:
 Segmenting Service Markets Segmentation Bases • Demographic segmentation •
based on age, gender and income • Psychographic segmentation • people’s
lifestyles, attitudes and aspirations • Behavioral segmentation • usage based: non-
users, light users or heavy users • Needs-based segmentation • multi-attribute
decision models: the purpose, who makes the decision, the timing of use (time of
day/week/season), whether the individual is using the service alone or with a
group, and if the latter, the composition of that group Important Versus
Determinant Service Attributes Segmentation based on Service Levels Some
service attributes are easily quantified, while others are qualitative. Quantitative
Aspects: • Price, for instance, is a quantitative attribute. • Punctuality of transport
services can be expressed in terms of the percentage of trains, buses, or flights
arriving within a specified number of minutes from the scheduled time
Qualitative Aspects: • Quality of personal service • A hotel’s degree of luxury
Topic: service attribute
784 Differentiate between important and determinant service attribute Analyze CO3 2

Key:
Important Attributes • Choices among alternative service offerings on the basis
of perceived differences between them Determinant attributes • Those that
actually determine buyers’ choices between competing alternatives
Topic: service branding model
936 Describe a service branding model Understan CO3 8
d
Key:
A Service-branding Model

Topic: service categories

967 Discuss in detail about a hierarchy of service categories Create CO3 8
 Key:
A Hierarchy of New Service Categories • Style changes represent the simplest
type of innovation, typically involving no changes in either processes or
performance. • Service improvements involve small changes in the performance
of current products, including improvements to either the core product or to
existing supplementary services. Supplementary service innovations take the
form of adding new facilitating or enhancing service elements to an existing core
service or significantly improving an existing supplementary service. • Process
line extensions offer more convenience and a different experience for existing
customers, or attract new customers who find the traditional approach
unappealing. • Product line extensions are additions to a company’s current
product lines. • Major process innovations consist of using new processes to
deliver existing core products in new ways with additional benefits. • Major
service innovations are new core products for markets that have not been
previously defined.
Topic: targeting service markets
803 What is meant by targeting service markets? Remember CO3 2

Key:
Companies focus their efforts on those customers they can serve best — the
target segment
1. Market focus is the extent to which a firm serves few or many markets
2. Service focus describes the extent to which a firm offers few or many services
Topic: transnational strategies
038 Analyze CO3 8
Examine the factors favoring adoption of transnational strategies

Key:
•Market Drivers: consumer needs, presence of global customers, availability of
international channels •Competition Drivers: transnational policies of
competitors, presence of many competitors – domestic and international,
•Technology Drivers: enhanced performance and capabilities in
telecommunications, computerization, and software; miniaturization of
equipment; and the digitization of voice, video, and text •Cost Drivers:
economies of scale, sourcing efficiencies as a result of favorable logistics, lower
operating costs for telecommunications and transportation • Government Drivers:
favorable trade policies, compatible technical standards, and common marketing
regulations
Questions in Unit-4 PatternMapping COsMarks Topic: advertising and personal
communication: Write short note on advertising and personal communication in the services
marketing communication mix

Key:
Online social network Word of mouth  Trade show  Training  Telemarketing  Personal
selling Advertising • Broadcast • Print • Outdoor • Direct marketing • Online marketing
Personal communication
ApplyCO4 16

Topic: blueprinting Write note on blueprinting

Key:
Help to visualize the process of service delivery by showing the sequence of front-stage
interactions that customers experience, and supporting back-stage activities
UnderstandCO42

Topic: closing service quality gaps

Critically analyse the suggestions for closing service quality gaps

Key:
Close gaps 1 to 5 to consistently meet customer expectations Tangibilize and communicate
service quality delivered Gap 6: The Service Gap  Close internal and external communications
gaps by ensuring communication promises are realistic and correctly understood by customers
Gap 5: The Perceptions Gap  Ensure that performance meets standards Gap 4: The
Communications Gap  Establish the right service products, processes, and standards that are
based on customer needs and expectations Gap 3: The Delivery Gap  Educate management
about what customers expect Gap 2: The Policy Gap Gap 1: The Knowledge Gap
AnalyzeCO48
Topic: corporate design
Discuss in detail about the role of corporate design

Key:
• key to ensure that a consistent style and message is communicated throughout a firm’s
communications mix channels. • Employ unified and distinctive visual appearance for all
tangible elements to facilitate recognition and reinforce a desired brand image. • A few popular
corporate designs: a. Using the name as a central element in corporate design b. Using a
trademark symbol c. Creating tangible and recognizable symbols to associate with their
respective corporate brand names d. Using colors in the corporate designs
CreateCO48
Topic: fishbone diagram Explain the term the fishbone diagram

Key:
The Fishbone Diagram: Managers and staff brainstorm all possible reasons that might cause a
specific problem. Reasons then grouped into one of five groupings; i.e., Equipment, Manpower
(or People), Material, Procedures, and Other on a cause-and-effect chart (fishbone diagram). This
technique was initially used in manufacturing but is now widely used for services.
UnderstandCO42
Topic: Improving productivity Write short note on service i). Productivity ii). Efficiency and
iii). Effectiveness

Key:
Productivity: the output one can get from a certain amount of input • Improving service
productivity using generic strategy, • Customer Driven Strategies • Total Quality Management •
ISO 9000 Certification • Six Sigma • The DMAIC Model • Malcolm-Baldrige And EFQM
Approaches Efficiency: comparison to a standard which is usually time-based; measure how well
you do things Effectiveness: the degree to which an organization meets its goals and desired
outcomes
UnderstandCO416

Topic: intangibility in service communication Identify the strategies to overcoming the

problems of intangibility in service communication

Key:
• Specific communications strategies can be created by marketers • Using tangible cues and
metaphors are two other methods firms can use to create strategies Tangible Cues - “vivid
information” that catches the audience’s attention. Metaphors - metaphors that are tangible in
nature to help communicate the benefits of their service offerings and to emphasize key points of
differentiation
RememberCO42
Topic: integrated marketing communications
Illustrate the concept integrated marketing communications

Key:
IMC ties together and reinforces all communications in order to deliver a powerful brand
identity. The communications from different media and communications approaches all become
part of a single overall message about the service firm and its products.
ApplyCO48
Topic: integrated service marketing communications
What is meant by integrated service marketing communications?

Key:
• Communication is the most visible or audible form of marketing activities. • Through
communications, marketers explain and promote the value proposition their firm is offering. • It
should be used intelligently in conjunction with other marketing efforts for maximizing value. •
Communications must be viewed with a broader perspective than just as media advertising,
public relations, social media and professional salespeople
RememberCO42
Topic: marketing and communications planning
List out the 5 ‘W’s model for marketing and communications planning
Key:
• Who is our target audience? • What do we need to communicate and achieve? • How should we
communicate this? • Where should we communicate this? • When should the communication
take place?
RememberCO42
Topic: measuring service quality Discuss in detail about measuring service quality

Key:
Learning From Customer Feedback Customer Feedback Collection Tools Unsolicited Customer
Feedback Focus Group Discussions And Service Reviews Online Reviews And Discussions
Analysis, Reporting And Dissemination Of Customer Feedback
Analyze CO416
Topic: mystery shoppers
Explain the term mystery shoppers

Key:
Mystery shoppers to determine whether frontline staff display desired behaviors
UnderstandCO42Topic: pareto analysis
Write note on pareto analysis with suitable example

Key:
Pareto Analysis Identifies the main causes of observed outcomes, by separating important causes
from the trivial; allows services firms to focus improvement efforts. 80/20 rule — 80% of the
value of one variable (number of service failures) is caused by only 20% of causal variables
(number of possible causes as identified by the fishbone diagram). Example of a pareto analysis
of the causes of flight departure delays
ApplyCO42
Topic: publicity and public relation Describe the publicity and public relation in the services
marketing communications mix

Key:
•Press releases •Press conference •Special events •Sponsorship •Thought leadership •Media
oriented coverage in Traditional media Online media
UnderstandCO48
Topic: Service Quality What Is Service Quality?

Key:
Service quality from user’s perspective can be defined as a high standard of performance that
consistently meets or exceeds customer expectations.
RememberCO42
Topic: service quality gap Examine the various level of service quality gap

Key:
AnalyzeCO416
Topic: service quality measures What are soft and hard service quality measures?

Key:
Customer-defined standards and measures of service quality can be grouped into two broad
categories: “soft” and “hard” Organizations known for service excellence make use of both soft
and hard measures.
RememberCO42
Topic: soft measures of service quality Describe about soft measures of service quality

Key:
Hard measures refer to operational processes, or outcomes and include data such as uptime,
service response times and failure rates. Control charts are a simple method of displaying
performance over time against specific quality standards. Analyze and address service quality
problems Return on quality The importance-performance matrix Optimal level of reliability
UnderstandCO416
Topic: sources of message
Critically analyse the three key sources of message in service

Key:

AnalyzeCO416
Topic: Strategic Service Communications Objectives
What are Strategic Service Communications Objectives?

Key:
Strategic Service Communications Objectives Include building a service brand, and positioning
it and its service products against competition.
RememberCO42
Topic: tactical service communications objectives State the tactical service communications
objectives

Key:
Tactical Service Communications Objectives Relate to shaping and managing customer’s
perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior in any of the three stages of the service consumption
process. The Service Marketing Communications Funnel is aligned to the Attention-Interest-
Desire-Action (AIDA) and Hierarchy of Effects models.
RememberCO42
Topic: user as target audience Define the term user as target audience

Key:
Users — existing target audience Reach by cross- or up-selling efforts by frontline employees,
point-of-sale promotions, other information distributed during service encounters, and location-
based mobile apps
RememberCO42