Assignment Questions for DLM IInd Semester, M&S Note:- These are 8 set of questions on which we will have

a class discussion in subsequent classes. An group will be called up at random to present their analysis on the same:-

1.

Explain how the shopping characteristics for the following consumer and industrial goods affect the channels for them: Consumer Goods Bread Breakfast cereal Womens hats Refrigerators Industrial Goods Computer printer ink cartridges Uranium (for nuclear power plants) Cement Data-processing equipment

2.

Describe how the necessary channel flow performance differs when selling and servicing an ultrasound machine (a piece of medical equipment) when targeting two different segments of buyers: (a) a hospital emergency room, and (b) an academic medical researcher on a tight government-funded budget, using the machine for laboratory research. The service on high-end automobiles is of very good quality: timely, done by polite and competent professionals, and done at service facilities that give the auto owner access to many amenities (like free refreshments, free loaner cars, etc.). In what sense can there be a demand-side gap in this service channel? For each of the three scenarios below, categorize the demand for bulk-breaking, spatial convenience, waiting/delivery time, and assortment/variety as "High," "Medium," or "Low." In each case, explain your answers. a. A woman in an emerging-market country of Southeast Asia wishes to buy some cosmetics for herself. She has never done so before, and is not entirely sure of on what occasions she will wear the cosmetics. She does not live near a big city. She is too poor to own a car, but has a bit of extra money for a small luxury. b. A manufacturer uses a particular industrial chemical in one of its large-scale production processes and needs to buy more of this chemical. The rest of the raw materials for its plant operations are delivered in a "just in time" fashion. c. Before you visit certain parts of the world, you are required to get a yellow fever vaccine. Many travelers let this slip until the last minute, forgetting that it is advisable (or avoiding an unpleasant shot as long as possible). But, they definitely realize they need the shot, and don't want to have to cancel their trip at the last minute because they didn't get it. They often find themselves making a long trip to a regional medical center because they didn't plan ahead.

3.

4.

5 For the three scenarios , describe a marketing channel that would meet the target enduser's demands for service outputs. 6. If a consumer buys an item through a catalog over the phone with a credit card, is the credit card company a channel member? If the product is delivered by Federal Express, is Fed Ex a channel member? If yes, what flows do they perform? 7. Why do greater sales and greater coverage go together? Should manufacturers always seek greater coverage? Conversely, should resellers always seek to carry more brands in their assortment for a given product category? Why or why not? 8. Use the concept of demand-side gaps to explain why it is frequently a bad idea to transplant a channel design from one country directly to another without any modification.