Q1: There are various factors which affect the marketing are such as:-

Environment Scanning as it refers to the careful monitoring of an organization’s internal and external
environment for detecting early signs of opportunities and threats that may influence its present and future
marketing plans. It helps the marketer in taking decisions regarding where to compete, how to compete,
and onwhat to compete.

Another factor which affect the choice of marketing is Demographic environment as it the study of
population and its characteristics. Marketers are always interested in population related growth indices
because eventual market growth rate in the long run depends largely on the growth of population.

Legal and political environment also influences marketing decisions in a significant way. Government
plays a great role in moderating the role of business in the society through legislation. There has been a
growth in the number of legislations over a period of time to let the business know that before they play
the game, they should learn the rules.

Social and cultural environment have maximum direct effect on consumers. Social forces shape
consumption habit of people. Taste and consumer behavior also vary from place to place. For example, in
India, brands like Dettol have a higher impact on people because of its burning sensation, whereas Savlon
does well in Europe due to its mild nature. The marketing manager needs to understand how the
consumers react to different products and marketing practices in a social setting. One of the most tragic
and avoidable marketing mistakes is the failure of marketing managers to understand and appreciate
societal differences within the Indian market.

Q2: A traditional definition of brand stands as a name, word, mark, symbol, device, or a combination
thereof, used to identify some product or service of one seller and to differentiate them from those of the
competitors. Creating a brand is the ultimate aim of marketing endeavor. The AMA defines it as “A brand
is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or
services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.A brand is a
name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies a seller's good or service as distinct from
those of other sellers.

The Advantages of Branding: 

1. There is a considerable saving of time and energy in shopping for goods because a brand renders
product identification much easier. The money value of this saving is significant in the industrial
buying. 

2. It is easier lodge complaints and claims against marketers when a branded product fails to live up
to its proclairned value satisfaction. 

3. More visibility for the brand 

4. More awareness 

5. Higher sales due to top of the mind brand recall. 

There are many different types of brand strategies that vary based on target audiences, marketing
campaigns, and budgets. A well-received brand strategy has the potential to build brand equity and
solidify its place as an established brand. Some companies employ multiple strategies to increase the odds
of a successful campaign.

Some of the branding strategies adopted by companies are:

1. Name Brand Recognition

A well-established company will often use the weight of its own name brand to extend to its products.
Most often, a company with large name brand recognition can be recognized by its logo, slogan, or
colors. Companies such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Apple, and Mercedes-Benz are all iconic while
featuring multiple subsidiary products featured under the company name.

2. Individual Branding

Sometimes a larger company may produce products that carry their own weight independent of the parent
company. This strategy involves establishing the brand as a unique identity that is easily recognizable.
General Mills, for example, distributes Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Kix, Total, Trix, and
more—and that’s just the cereal division. The company also distributes other major brands from every
food group.

3. Attitude Branding

Ambiguous marketing can often go above the actual product itself in the case of attitude branding. These
brands all use strategies that bring to life personality and a customized experience with products and
services. NCAA, Nike, and the New York Yankees made Forbes list of “The World’s Most Valuable
Sports Brands 2015,” and are automatically associated with a certain style. Other brands, such as Apple
and Ed Hardy, also reflect a customer’s self-expression.

4. “No-brand” Branding

A minimalist approach can speak volumes. No-brand products are often simple and generic in design. The
most successful company to establish this marketing method is the Japanese company, Muji, which
simply translates to “no label.”

5. Brand Extension

Brand extension occurs when one of your flagship brands ventures into a new market. Say you have a
shoe company that is now making jackets, athletic wear, and fragrances. The brand name carries its own
identity to your product mix.
6. Private Labels

Store brands—or private labels—have become popular at supermarkets. Retail chains such as Kroger,
Food Lion, and Wal-Mart can produce cost-effective brands to compete with larger retailers.

7. Crowdsourcing

These brands are outsourced to the public for brand creation, which allows customers the chance to be
involved in the naming process, and effectively drives up personal interest in a product.

Q3: Personal selling is a face-to-face selling technique by which a salesperson uses his or her
interpersonal skills to persuade a customer in buying a particular product. The salesperson tries to
highlight various features of the product to convince the customer that it will only add value. However,
getting a customer to buy a product is not the motive behind personal selling every time. Often companies
try to follow this approach with customers to make them aware of a new product.

There are many steps involved in the process of personal selling: prospecting, pre-approach, approach,
sales presentation, handling objectives, and follow up.

PROSPECTING

The first step of the personal selling process is called ‘prospecting’. Prospecting refers to locating
potential customers. There are many sources from which potential customers can be found: observation,
social contacts, trade shows, commercially-available databases, commercially-available mail list and cold
calling.

PRE-APPROACH

The nest step in the personal selling process is called the ‘pre-approach’. The pre-approach involves
preparation for the sales presentation. This preparation involves research about the potential customers,
such as market research. Research is useful in planning the right sales presentation. During the pre-
approach the salesperson may also plan and practice their sales presentation.

THE APPROACH

The next step in the personal selling process is called the ‘approach’. The approach refers to the initial
contact between the salesperson and the prospective customer. During this stage the sales person takes a
few minutes for “small talk" and get to know the potential customer. The goal of the approach is to
determine the specific needs and wants of the individual customer, as well as allowing the potential
customer to relax and open up.

SALES PRESENTATION

The next step in the personal selling process is called the ‘sales presentation’. The sales presentation
involves the salesperson presenting the product or service, describing its qualities and possibly
demonstrating features of the product. Ideally the sales presentation will be individualized to match the
needs and desires of the potential customer.
HANDLING OBJECTIVES

In some cases, after receiving the sales presentation, the potential customer will have some questions or
concerns. In order to secure a sale, the salesperson must address these questions or concerns; this step is
referred to as ‘handling objectives.’

CLOSING THE SALE

The next step in the personal selling process is referred to as ‘closing the sale’. ‘Closing the sale’ refers to
finalizing the sale and persuading the potential customer to make the purchase. During the ‘closing the
sale’ step, prices and payment options may be negotiated.

FOLLOW UP

The final step in the personal selling process is referred to as the ‘follow up.’ The follow up involves the
salesperson contacting the customer after the sale to ensure that the customer is satisfied. If the customer
has any existing issues with the product, the salesperson will address them. A successful follow up stage
of personal selling can be very effective in ensuring repeat sales, evaluating the effectiveness of the
salesperson, and obtaining additional referrals from the satisfied customer.

Q4: The Consumer or Buyer Decision Making Process is the method used by marketers to identify and
track the decision making process of a customer journey from start to finish.

1 – Problem Recognition

The first stage of the process is working out what exactly you or the customer needs. The customer feels
like something is missing and needs to address it to get back to feeling normal. If you can determine when
your target demographic develops these needs or wants, it would be an ideal time to advertise to them.

2 – Information search

This is the search stage of the process. Information is not only gathered about stuff and on things but from
people via recommendations and through previous experiences we may have had with various products.
In this stage a customer is beginning to think about risk management. A customer might make a pro’s vs.
con’s list to help make their decision. People often don’t want to regret making a decision so extra time
being put into managing risk may be worth it.

3 - Evaluation of Alternatives

This is the time when questions start being asked. Is this really the right product for me do? Do I need a
different product? If the answers are either “No it’s not right” or “yes I need a different product” then
stage 2 may recommence. The stage 3 to 2 transition may happen several times before stage 4 has been
reached. Once the customer has determined what will satisfy their want or need they will begin to seek
out the best deal. This may be based on price, quality, or other factors that are important to them.
Customers read many reviews and compare prices, ultimately choosing the one that satisfies most of their
parameters.
4 – Purchase

The customer has now decided based on the knowledge gathered what to purchase and where to purchase
what they desire.

At this stage a customer has either assessed all the facts and come to a logical conclusion, made a
decision based on emotional connections/experiences or succumbed to advertising/marketing campaigns,
or most likely a combination of all of these has occurred.

5 – Post Purchase satisfaction or dissatisfaction

The review stage is a key stage for the company and for the customer likewise. Did the product deliver on
the promises of the marketing/advertising campaigns? Did the product match or exceed expectations?

If a customer finds that the product has matched or exceeded the promises made and their own
expectations they will potentially become a brand ambassador influencing other potential customers in
their stage 2 of their next customer journey, boosting the chances of your product being purchased again.
The same can be said for negative feedback which, if inserted at stage 2, can halt a potential customer’s
journey towards your product.

Q5: Advertising in rural markets is a quite a challenge because of lack of standard opportunities; there
exists a sense of solidarity and complexity in the rural markets. Hence, creating an advertising campaign
for rural India is often considered a tough responsibility. Rural marketing is a different ballgame that
drives marketing gurus to unlearn the traditional concepts. Every facet and feature of marketing demands
a refashion when the focus is shifted to rural marketing. The rural market has been growing constantly
over the years, and more than about 800 million people live in villages in India. Today, Indian companies,
as well as multinationals like Colgate, Godrej, and Hindustan Lever, are focusing on rural markets.

Rural marketing is a specialized niche. Marketing in the rural markets demands a tremendous amount of
money to promote a brand in a small village. There are few effective strategies of attracting the rural
markets with less expense.

Street shows are quite popular in villages. There are many examples of effective street shows being
employed to promote a product.

Wall paintings are used in villages to promote products. It is a popular technique which has two benefits.
The wall is painted without any expense for the owner, and on the other hand, the advertiser doesn’t have
to spend anything more than what he does for the paint. Hence it is a win-win situation.

An audio announcement in bus stands has a great impact on the promotion of brands and products in
small towns. A lot of companies have created history by using bus stands for product promotions and
brand building. With intelligent product selection and extraordinary ideas, companies have been
successful and have made the best of the situation.

An experienced rural service provider can do wonders in marketing and in advertising your brand.
Working with local agencies to accomplish a rural advertising initiative is similar to learning a new
language. Employing an experienced service provider to work with can help escape these drawbacks. The
familiarity of the experienced personnel with respect to rural markets can avoid common mistakes and
enlarge your chances of a triumphant rural advertising opportunity.

Personal communication holds substantial value in rural communities. Personal presence in a

A few years ago, consumer electronics company LG launched a special marriage package for rural
markets. The package included a basic television, washing machine, and a refrigerator. Understanding
that these are the articles the people in rural areas gift for weddings, which proved to be a blockbuster
scheme!

Employing the above strategies will furnish a base for a successful rural advertising campaign. Success in
multiple communities can establish a brand loyalty that generates real returns.

In addition to conventional media, various innovative mediums are used in rural advertising and
marketing. Some of the most striking innovative rural media are Puppetry, Folk Theater, Wall painting,
and Demonstrations.

Puppetry is the first theatre of India. It is the least expensive form of marketing. The manipulator employs
the puppets as a means to express and communicate ideas, values and social messages.

Folk theatres are short and rhythmic. Folk media consists of folk songs, folk dances and other theatrical
forms, which is an intrinsic part of culture and heritage of the land. Simple tunes aid in informing and
educating people in an informal and interesting manner. The government of India has employed this
media for popularizing an improved variety of seeds, agricultural implements, and fertilizer and so on.

Wall Paintings are an effective and economical means of advertising in rural markets. This is the most
widely used form of advertising and is counted among the favorite of Indian masses. They are silent
advertisements unlike other forms of advertisements. Retailers welcome paintings of their shops since the
painting comes free of cost and the wall looks cleaner and better. Wall paintings endlessly remind rural
masses about the product and the brand. 

A direct or a face to face demonstration of the product with individual people and with groups such as
Panchayats and other groups in the village have proven to work well. Such contact helps in stimulating
villager’s interest and motivating them towards development. Demonstrations could be method
demonstration, result demonstration, simple demonstration and composite demonstration.

In any form of rural communication, we have to think and act locally, and at the same time, the need for
focused communication aimed at the rural market must not be underestimated

Q6:

Marketing Myopia

Marketing Myopia, first expressed in an article by Theodore Levitt in Harvard Business Review, is a
short-sighted and inward looking approach to marketing which focuses on fulfillment of immediate needs
of the company rather than focusing on marketing from consumers’ point of view. Marketing Myopia is a
situation when a company has a narrow-minded marketing approach and it focuses mainly on only one
aspect out of many possible marketing attributes. Marketing myopia strikes in when the short term
marketing goals are given more importance than the long term goals.

“ Business, according to Levitt, is actually a customer satisfying institution and hence should be based on
customers’ needs and desires.”

Market Share

Market share is the percent of total sales in an industry generated by a particular company. Market share
is calculated by taking the company's sales over the period and dividing it by the total sales of the industry
over the same period. This metric is used to give a general idea of the size of a company in relation to its
market and its competitors. A company's market share is its portion of total sales in relation to the market
or industry in which it operates. The calculation for market share is usually done for specific countries,
such as a Canada-only market share or U.S.-only market share.

USP

A unique selling proposition (USP) refers to the unique benefit exhibited by a company, service, product
or brand that enables it to stand out from competitors. The unique selling proposition must be a feature
that highlights product benefits that are meaningful to consumers.

As described by Dr. James Blythe, the USP "contains the one feature of the product that most stands out
as different from the competition, and is usually a feature that conveys unique benefits to the
consumer."Communicating the USP is a key element of branding. The USP approach is recommended
where high levels of technological innovation characterise a product category.

Niche Marketing

Niche marketing is an advertising strategy that focuses on a unique target market. Instead of
marketing to everyone who could benefit from a product or service, this strategy focuses
exclusively on one group—a niche market—or demographic of potential customers who would
most benefit from the offerings. The benefit of niche marketing is that it allows brands to
differentiate themselves, appear as a unique authority, and resonate more deeply with a distinct
set of customers. Rather than blend in with the many other brands that offer the same type of
product or service, a brand can use niche marketing to stand out, appear more valuable, reach
its growth potential, and build a stronger, longer-lasting connection with its ideal audience.

E-Commerce

Ecommerce, also known as electronic commerce or internet commerce, refers to the buying and
selling of goods or services using the internet, and the transfer of money and data to execute
these transactions. Ecommerce is often used to refer to the sale of physical products online, but it
can also describe any kind of commercial transaction that is facilitated through the internet.
Whereas e-business refers to all aspects of operating an online business, ecommerce refers
specifically to the transaction of goods and services. The history of ecommerce begins with the
first ever online sale: on the August 11, 1994 a man sold a CD by the band Sting to his friend
through his website NetMarket, an American retail platform.

Retailing

Retailing, the selling of merchandise and certain services to consumers. It ordinarily involves the
selling of individual units or small lots to large numbers of customers by a business set up for
that specific purpose. In the broadest sense, retailing can be said to have begun the first time one
item of value was bartered for another. In the more restricted sense of a specialized full-time
commercial activity, retailing began several thousand years ago when peddlers first began
hawking their wares and when the first marketplaces were formed. As with most other business
activities, retailing is extremely competitive, and the mortality rate of retail establishments is
relatively high.

Warehousing

Warehousing is the act of storing goods that will be sold or distributed later. While a small,
home-based business might be warehousing products in a spare room, basement, or garage,
larger businesses typically own or rent space in a building that is specifically designed for
storage. Whether the purpose is strictly storage or storage plus order fulfillment, warehouses use
specific elements that help manufacturers, distributors, and retailers monitor inventory and store
it safely. Warehousing and all that goes along with it is part of a sophisticated industry known as
logistics management. Logistics includes procurement, inventory management, and distribution.
It falls under the supply chain umbrella, which also includes product development, marketing,
sales, and other product-related disciplines.