Q&A Hero

Q: Discuss how marketers can use virtual worlds to convey marketing communications.

Q: Identify an important difference for marketers between Twitter and Facebook.

Q: Explain how companies identify and use brand ambassadors and brand evangelists.

Q: Hotmail put the message "Get Your Free Email at Hotmail.com" at the bottom of every email sent by Hotmail users. What type of marketing technique did Hotmail use?

Q: Why has traditional mass market diminished as a way to talk to younger consumers?

Q: Explain the buzz building form of viral marketing. What are the aims of viral marketing, and how are they accomplished? Give an example of a successful viral marketing campaign.

Q: Compare the traditional one-to-many marketing communication model to the updated many-to-many communication model. What has caused the shift? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the new model for marketers?

Q: In 2001, IBM had hundreds of "Peace Love Linux" logos painted on sidewalks to publicize the company's adoption of the Linux operating system. This is an example of buzz marketing.

Q: Tired Toes is a new line of foot care products. The company's marketing team wants to help build buzz for the line by creating a brand community. The marketing team should use social networks to achieve this objective.

Q: A brand community can be created by marketers or can develop on its own among consumers.

Q: Buzz works best when companies put paid consumers in charge of creating their own messages.

Q: Brand ambassadors are volunteers spreading a company's brand message, while brand evangelists are paid employees using potentially unethical marketing tactics to spread a company's brand message.

Q: Only small companies with limited promotional budgets have successfully used viral marketing.

Q: Happy customers are more likely to tell their friends about their pleasant customer experiences than unhappy customers are to tell their friends about their unpleasant customer experiences.

Q: The idea of buzz isn't really new, but the magnifying effect that technology has on the spread of buzz is new.

Q: If you visit diamondsforever.com, you can design your own ring. This site, which is operated by Engaging Engagements, then allows you to email a picture of your ring to friends and relatives. This way, they can share in the excitement and be informed of the website's existence. Engaging Engagements is using ________. A) location-based social networking B) viral marketing C) stealth marketing D) direct marketing E) virtual marketing

Q: A manufacturer of a variety of technological devices asked its marketing department to develop inexpensive methods of building and maintaining brand awareness and excitement. The marketing department then recruited consumers who were early adopters of technological devices to spread the word about the company's new products. This is an example of using ________. A) avatars B) brand communities C) brand evangelists D) location-based social networks E) direct marketing

Q: Which of the following were designed to allow users to alert their friends of their exact whereabouts via their mobile phones? A) virtual worlds B) location-based social networks C) product review sites D) social networking sites E) avatars

Q: Viral marketing primarily uses which of the following communication channels? A) billboards B) print media C) radio D) cable television E) the Internet

Q: Advertising by sampling that is designed to create buzz is called ________. A) tryvertising B) groundswelling C) brand evangelizing D) viral marketing E) location-based networking

Q: The gap between good buzz and bad buzz is referred to as ________. A) groundswell B) viral marketing C) evangelist marketing D) brand polarization E) the magnifying effect

Q: Yelp and TripAdvisor are both examples of ________. A) virtual worlds B) geospatial platforms C) product review sites D) social networking sites E) avatars

Q: Which of the following is true of virtual worlds? A) They are among the most popular product review sites. B) They are likely to replace Twitter. C) They are the most popular tool for stealth marketing campaigns. D) They are a booming marketplace for virtual goods paid for in actual money. E) They use "dashboards" so businesses can monitor the locations of avatars.

Q: An avatar is a ________. A) site that creates a connection between a consumer and a brand B) mobile app with increasing popularity C) type of geospatial platform D) tweet of more than 140 characters E) graphic representation of a user

Q: Which of the following is a service that lets users post short text messages to followers who subscribe to their microblog? A) Second Life B) LinkedIn C) Facebook D) Twitter E) Yelp

Q: Blogs, wikis, and virtual worlds are all examples of ________. A) traditional media B) social media C) virtual worlds D) review sites E) geospatial platforms

Q: A ________ is a loyal customer who works for a brand for free. A) relationship manager B) stealth marketer C) brand ambassador D) public relations specialist E) brand avatar

Q: Viral marketing is most closely related to which of the following? A) buzz building B) personal selling C) shilling D) public relations E) direct marketing

Q: WOM stands for ________. A) with original marketing B) weak owners' market C) word of mouth D) word of marketing E) without original marketing

Q: Which of the following refers to everyday people participating in marketing by sharing their opinions with their friends, neighbors, and acquaintances? A) personal selling B) buzz C) indirect marketing D) stealth marketing E) shilling

Q: Today's consumers are increasingly getting information from one another rather than from the original source. This new communication landscape is referred to as ________. A) the groundswell B) evangelist marketing C) integrated marketing communications D) stealth marketing E) the infiltration

Q: Why might a company with a small advertising budget turn to guerilla marketing?

Q: Why might public relations efforts have a strong impact on public awareness at a substantially lower cost than advertising?

Q: Describe public relations and four objectives it is often used to achieve.

Q: Compare and contrast proactive public relations activities and crisis management.

Q: When the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association spent eight million dollars creating and placing a print campaign arguing that the most expensive drugs represent just five percent of national health care expenditures, the association was using public relations.

Q: Guerrilla marketing strategies can be used to achieve public relations objectives.

Q: Special events are public relations activities for which companies provide financial support to help fund an event in return for publicized recognition of the company's contribution.

Q: It is more difficult to assess the bottom-line impact of public relations activities than the bottom-line impact of advertising.

Q: Planning a public relations campaign is a two-step process: develop objectives and then execute those objectives.

Q: Introducing new products to consumers is not an objective that falls within the responsibilities of the PR department.

Q: Crisis management is typically a public relations function.

Q: Public relations activities can be used to influence the attitudes and perceptions of various publics toward politicians and celebrities.

Q: Dancers and singers hired by the California Board of Tourism staged a series of seemingly impromptu performances of a medley of Beach Boys songs, including "Surfing U.S.A." and "California Girls," in busy airport terminals around the country. This is an example of ________. A) lobbying B) guerrilla marketing C) sponsorship D) media relations E) internal PR

Q: The Red Baron Gallery has provided funding to Georgia Public Television to help pay for the rights to broadcast theAntiques Roadshow and is credited at the beginning of the show for its financial support. This is an example of ________. A) ambient advertising B) a special event C) a sponsorship D) a sales promotion E) guerilla marketing

Q: In an attempt to set the company apart from its competitors, United Parcel Service has its employees wear brown uniforms and drive brown trucks. What type of public relations tool is UPS using? A) buzz marketing B) social networking C) corporate identity materials D) product publicity E) public service materials

Q: Kathy Champe, a public relations specialist for a regional chain of pharmacies, regularly contacts members of the local and state-wide media with information about community events and charity fundraisers sponsored by her company. She is using ________. A) press releases B) product publicity C) crisis management D) institutional advertising E) lobbying

Q: A manufacturer of toilet tissue sent its brand mascot to help refurbish restrooms at fairgrounds across the country. As part of this project, each restroom was to provide fairgoers with a clean oasis featuring aromatherapy, soothing music, constant maintenance, and premium toilet tissue. Newspaper articles about the company's role in making restrooms inviting are an example of ________. A) corporate advertising B) a sales promotion C) media planning D) publicity E) sponsorship

Q: When a company provides financial support for an event such as a concert or tournament, it is using the public relations activity of ________. A) lobbying B) sponsorship C) ambient advertising D) guerilla marketing E) flash mobbing

Q: Which of the following is the placement of messages in nontraditional media, such as signs on elevator doors or in a restaurant's restrooms? A) lobbying B) mobbing C) sponsorship D) ambient advertising E) direct marketing

Q: A flash mob is a type of ________. A) lobbying B) guerilla marketing C) sponsorship D) crisis management E) ambient advertising

Q: Annual and quarterly financial reports are both examples of ________ activities. A) lobbying B) corporate identity C) sponsorship D) investor relations E) media relations

Q: Internal PR activities target a company's ________. A) current customers B) prospective customers C) brand ambassadors D) investors E) employees

Q: Which of the following is NOT a public relations activity? A) speech writing B) advice and counsel to management C) creative strategy D) sponsorships E) investor relations

Q: Which of the following is a strategy that involves a company "ambushing" consumers with promotional content in places consumers would typically not expect to see information about a product or service? A) sales promotion B) guerrilla marketing C) sponsorships D) internal PR E) crowdsourcing

Q: Planning and implementing special events are typically responsibilities of ________. A) a planning agency B) a full-service agency C) creative services D) the PR department E) the sales promotion department

Q: ________ in the form of logos, stationery, brochures, signs, business forms, business cards, buildings, uniforms, and company trucks can be used to help a company create an identity that the public immediately recognizes. A) Direct marketing B) Social marketing C) Public service activities D) Corporate identity materials E) Sponsorships

Q: Lobbying, or building and maintaining relations with legislators and government officials to influence legislation and regulation, is part of ________. A) outdated business ethics B) media relations C) reactive PR D) crisis management E) public relations

Q: A company newsletter is an example of ________. A) media relations B) sponsorship C) corporate identity D) internal PR E) publicity

Q: Which of the following is a relatively inexpensive objective measurement that public relations (PR) specialists can use to gauge the effectiveness of their efforts? A) personal evaluation of PR activities B) opinion surveys among the firm's publics C) coverage in print and broadcast media D) gross ratings points (GRP) E) cost per thousand (CPM)

Q: Timely topics and research project stories are both types of ________. A) advertising appeals B) advocacy advertising C) puffery D) press releases E) creative strategies

Q: The most common way for public relations specialists to communicate is through the use of ________. A) sponsorship B) lobbying C) press releases D) special events E) speech writing

Q: One of the barriers to greater reliance on ________ is the difficulty of gauging its effectiveness. A) online advertising B) catalog marketing C) direct mail D) sales promotion E) public relations

Q: There are three steps involved in creating a public relations campaign. The first step is to ________. A) conduct a SWOT analysis B) develop objectives C) formulate a mission statement D) recruit and train public relations specialists E) pretest components of the proposed public relations campaign

Q: The basic rule of ________ is "do something good, then talk about it." A) customer relationship management B) public affairs C) public relations D) social marketing E) promotions

Q: Which of the following promotion tools is most closely associated with building up a positive corporate image and handling unfavorable stories and events? A) sales promotion B) personal selling C) direct marketing D) public relations E) advertising

Q: Why does a firm's number of prospects always equal or exceed its number of qualified customers?

Q: Explain the follow-up step of the creative selling process.

Q: Identify the seven steps in the creative selling process. What may be the most difficult step for most salespeople?

Q: Prospecting and cold calling are interchangeable terms.

Q: The final stage of the creative selling process is the close.

Q: Because customers almost always have objections during the presentation or closing step of the selling process, all salespeople should anticipate and be prepared to respond to objections.

Q: You want to collect information to evaluate your sales force in New England. Which of the following would you be LEAST likely to consider in doing so? A) call reports B) expense reports C) customer satisfaction surveys D) customer turnover rates E) partner relationship management data (PRM)

Q: Southern Security makes safes for storing valuables. When Ed sold safes for the company, he sometimes told a prospect, "The model safe you are looking at is on sale this week. If you wait until next week to buy, you will spend $100 more." When Ed used this approach, he was using the ________ close. A) canned B) standing-room-only C) assumptive D) minor points E) stimulus-response

Q: Southern Security makes safes for storing valuables. When Ed sold safes for the company, he would deal with a prospect's concerns such as the cost of the safe and then ask, "Are you ready to purchase a safe for your family, or are there other concerns that we need to discuss?" When Ed asked this question, he was ________. A) using a last objection close B) fostering a transactional relationship C) anticipating objections D) engaging in the approach stage of the creative selling process E) using a standing-room-only close

Q: Southern Security makes safes for storing valuables such as jewelry and family records. When Ed sold safes for the company, he had to be prepared with a response when a prospect said, "I have no room for a safe" or "My family heirlooms aren't valuable enough to put in a safe." In other words, Ed had to ________. A) prepare several different closings B) use a canned sales presentation C) treat each sale as a transaction D) utilize cold calling E) anticipate objections

Q: As the salesperson entered the prospect's office, the salesperson extended his hand and said, "Your old college roommate Tiara Johns suggested I call on you." This action occurred in which stage of the creative selling process? A) approach B) prospect and qualify C) preapproach D) close E) follow-up

Q: Marlene Arau is a member of the sales force at Urban Fashions, a clothing manufacturer. Marlene is getting ready for a first meeting with a wholesaler who is a potential customer, and she is preparing herself by learning as much as she can about the wholesaler's organization. Marlene is in the ________ step of the personal selling process. A) prospect and qualify B) preapproach C) approach D) handle objections E) follow-up

Q: A young couple contacted a realtor about buying a new home. Now that the realtor has prospects, his next step should be to ________. A) handle any of their objections B) qualify them C) prepare his approach D) make a thorough sales presentation E) close the sale

Q: Your new-business sales force is responsible for prospecting and qualifying customers. Which of the following will likely occur? A) The number of qualified customers will exceed the number of prospects. B) The new-business sales force will call on all prospects. C) A salesperson may have to approach many qualified customers just to make one sale. D) Salespeople will only contact a few of the customers they research in the preapproach stage. E) Order takers will take responsibility for the approach and sales presentation steps.