Discussion Questions

1. What are the most common marketing channels for consumer products? For industrial products?

2. What are the three levels of market coverage? What types of products is each used for?

3. List the services performed by wholesalers. For whom is each service performed?

4. Identify three kinds of full-service wholesalers. What factors are used to classify wholesalers into one of these categories?

5. What can nonstore retailers offer their customers that in-store retailers cannot?

6. What is physical distribution? Which major functions does it include?

7. Many producers sell to consumers both directly and through middlemen. How can such a producer justify competing with its own middlemen?

8. In what situations might a producer use agents or commission merchants rather than its own sales offices or branches?

9. If a middleman is eliminated from a marketing channel, under what conditions will costs decrease? Under what conditions will costs increase? Will the middleman’s functions be eliminated? Explain.

10. What is integrated marketing communications, and why is it becoming increasingly accepted?

11. Identify and describe the major ingredients of a promotion mix.

12. Identify and give examples of the three major types of salespersons.

13. What are the major tasks involved in managing a sales force?

14. What are the major differences between consumer and trade sales promotion methods? Give examples of each.

15. What is the difference between publicity and public relations? What is the purpose of each?

16. Why do firms use event sponsorship?