1. A Intentional, negligent, and strict. A tort is when a civil breach occurs and the injured party can sue for damages. There are three main types of torts: intentional, negligent, and strict. Intentional torts occur when a party purposely committed wrongdoing; negligent torts occur when a party fails to adhere to standards or duty; and strict torts bypass the issue of intention or negligence and often involve product liability. Loose is not a recognized type of tort. SOURCE: BL:069 Identify the basic torts relating to business enterprises SOURCE: St. Francis School of Law. (2021, November 9). Types of torts and examples. Retrieved August 31, 2022, from https://stfrancislaw.com/blog/types-of-torts-and-examples/ 2. B Selective. A sportswear company working with only a couple sporting goods retailers in a specific region is an example of selective distribution. Selective distribution is a distribution pattern in which a producer sells a product through a limited number of middlemen in a geographic area. Multiple distribution is distributing a product through many different channels. Exclusive distribution is when a producer sells a product through just one middleman in a geographic area. Intensive distribution is when a producer sells a product through every available wholesaler and retailer in a geographic area where consumers might look for it. SOURCE: CM:001 Explain the nature and scope of channel management SOURCE: LAP-CM-001—Chart Your Channels (Channel Management) 3. B They buy from producers and sell to retailers. Wholesalers are intermediaries that help move goods between producers and retailers by buying goods from producers and selling them to retailers. Wholesalers sell goods to retailers, not buy from them. Wholesalers buy from producers rather than sell to them. Producers contract with agents to sell goods to wholesalers or retailers. Wholesalers do not sell goods to agents. SOURCE: CM:003 Explain the nature of channels of distribution SOURCE: LAP-CM-003—Channel It (Channels of Distribution) 4. A It increases efficiency throughout the channel. Technological tools can help increase the overall efficiency throughout the channel. For instance, automatic order systems and order tracking technology can improve efficiency and productivity in packing and shipping activities, delivery lead times, and the overall transparency of the delivery process. This transparency in the delivery process improves customer service, as it tells customers when they can expect their orders. Technology improves collaboration along the channel and makes it easier to monitor progress. SOURCE: CM:004 Describe the use of technology in the channel management function SOURCE: Ingram, D. (n.d.). Channel management techniques. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/channel-management-techniques-3072.html 5. D A slotting allowance. A slotting allowance (also known as a slotting fee) is a payment from a manufacturer to a distributor or retailer to ensure that a product appears on the shelf. Coercion is the use of force or threats to persuade someone to do something. The gray market is the sales of goods or securities through unofficial means not authorized by the original manufacturer. Exploitation is the action of treating others unfairly and taking advantage of them to profit from them or benefit oneself. SOURCE: CM:006 Describe ethical considerations in channel management SOURCE: Gilbert, D. (2018, December 6). Slotting fees: What suppliers need to know. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.dotactiv.com/blog/slotting-fees 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 2 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 6. A Place. Place is a marketing element focusing on considerations in getting a selected product in the right place at the right time. By coordinating channel management—the processes by which marketers ensure that products are distributed to customers efficiently and effectively—with the place element of the marketing mix, Darius makes sure each product is in the best location for customers to access and purchase. The product element of the marketing mix refers to what goods, services, or ideas a business will offer its customers. The promotion element refers to the various types of communications that marketers use to inform, persuade, or remind customers of their products. The price element requires marketers to determine the amount of money they will ask in exchange for their products. SOURCE: CM:007 Coordinate channel management with other marketing activities SOURCE: Lake, L. (2021, January 6). What the marketing mix is and why it's important. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-a-marketing-mix-2295520 7. B Vertical. Vertical conflict is a type of channel conflict that occurs between channel members at different levels within the same channel. Because both the manufacturer and the retail stores are upset with the wholesaler, this is an example of vertical conflict. Horizontal conflict is a type of channel conflict that occurs between channel members at the same level (e.g., two retailers). Internal conflict is conflicting thoughts or ideas within yourself. Dual conflict is a fictitious term. SOURCE: CM:008 Explain the nature of channel-member relationships SOURCE: Mack, S. (2019, March 5). Horizontal & vertical marketing conflicts. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/horizontal-vertical-marketing-conflicts-65325.html 8. A Attracting new customers and building trust. Affinity marketing is when two or more businesses partner together to promote and sell products and grow their customer bases. When performed successfully, affinity marketing can attract new customers, build trust, raise brand awareness and identity, strengthen credibility, and build loyalty. Alienating customers, lowering brand identity, and decreasing brand awareness are not results of successful affinity marketing. SOURCE: CM:021 Explain the nature of affinity partner relationships SOURCE: Indeed. (2022, September 29). What is affinity marketing? (with benefits and tips). Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/affinity-marketing 9. A Maintain a growth mindset. When receiving feedback, it can be hard to remain objective. Maintaining a growth mindset can help you see feedback—especially critical feedback—as opportunities to learn and grow. This will help you limit any feelings of defensiveness. Responding without pause, automatically giving in to other people's ideas, and standing your ground are not responses that will help you remain objective when receiving feedback. SOURCE: CO:061 Defend ideas objectively SOURCE: Haddock, P. (2019, June 8). Defend your ideas without becoming defensive. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://gohighbrow.com/defend-your-ideas-without-becoming-defensive/ 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 3 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 10. C Chronological order. Using a chronological organizational method involves sequencing events in the order in which they occurred. For example, Stephanie would use chronological order to show her supervisor how the team took actions over the course of several weeks in the order that those actions were taken. Most important to least important, inductive order, and compare and contrast are all methods of organization, but they would not work well for Stephanie’s purpose and instead would be confusing ways to organize a progress report. SOURCE: CO:086 Organize information SOURCE: Burke, A. (2019, March 7). Examples of methods of organization. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-methods-organization-18982.html 11. D Revised. Revision is the act of making large, overarching changes to a document’s content and structure. When Gertrude made large structural changes that impacted her report’s content and organization, she revised the report. Editing involves making small, sentence-level changes to a document that typically don’t impact its content and organization. Proofing typically involves checking for spelling or grammar errors. A document is typically only published after it has been revised, edited, and/or proofread. SOURCE: CO:089 Edit and revise written work consistent with professional standards SOURCE: Stein, C. (2019, August 2). What is the difference between revising and editing? Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://thinkwritten.com/difference-between-revising-and-editing/ 12. A It uses touchpoints to allow the customer to learn something valuable about the company. Customer experience management includes the strategies, processes, and policies a business uses to meet or exceed customer expectations and to provide customers with outstanding experiences at every touchpoint. The goals of CEM and CRM are similar; the main difference is in perspective. CEM uses touchpoints to allow the customer to learn something valuable about the company. CEM looks outward, and its focus is on customer needs and wants (also known as customer-centric focus). CRM looks inward, and its focus is on the business itself. CRM uses touchpoints to learn something valuable about the customer. CRM asks, “How can we track customer information and use it to our best advantage?” SOURCE: CR:016 Discuss the nature of customer relationship management SOURCE: LAP-CR-016—Know When to Hold ‘Em (Nature of Customer Relationship Management) 13. C It refers to the ratio between two separate prices. Relative price is one price compared to another. In other words, it’s the ratio between two prices. Equilibrium price—the point at which the quantity of a product that buyers want to buy is equal to the quantity that sellers are willing to sell at a certain price—is equal to both the demand price and supply price. Demand price is the maximum price buyers are willing and able to pay for a product. Supply price is the minimum price producers are willing and able to receive for a product. SOURCE: EC:006 Describe the functions of prices in markets SOURCE: LAP-EC-906—When More Is Less (Functions of Prices) 14. A There is no profit. Income is whatever money comes into the business, while expenses are monies that a business spends. The formula for profit is: Income – Expense = Profit. Therefore, if expenses are greater than income, there will be no profit for the business. Increased profits and decreased expenses are not direct results of a business’s expenses being greater than its income. If a business’s expenses are greater than its income, there will not be leftover income. SOURCE: EC:010 Identify factors affecting a business's profit SOURCE: LAP-EC-910—Risk Rewarded (Factors Affecting Profit) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 4 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 15. A Their workers may hold a variety of different jobs. An industrial union is a union made up of a wide range of workers in the same industry, even though the workers may hold a variety of different jobs. Craft/Trade unions—unions made up of workers with a particular skill—include skilled laborers working in specific occupations, such as plumbers, carpenters, or machinists. Membership (and advancement) in a craft union is based primarily upon the degree of skill and experience possessed by the worker in a particular job. In an industrial union, new workers must successfully complete a probationary period and become permanently employed by a company to become members. Professional unions are unions made up of workers in the same profession (teachers, nurses) and are common in the public sector. SOURCE: EC:015 Explain the concept of organized labor and business SOURCE: LAP-EC-915—Get United (Organized Labor) 16. A Expansion. Each business cycle begins with an expansion, or growth, in economic activities. It is a time of economic prosperity. During this phase, consumers and producers have a hopeful outlook about business. A contraction is a period of diminishing economic activity. A recession occurs when a widespread economic contraction lasts for an extended period of time. Stagnation is not a business cycle phase. SOURCE: EC:018 Determine the impact of business cycles on business activities SOURCE: LAP-EC-018—Boom or Bust (Impact of Business Cycles) 17. A They embrace the opportunity to learn and grow. Change leaders are people who initiate and facilitate change at home, school, or work. Change leaders love to learn new things, and they embrace the opportunity to learn and grow. Rather than trying to maintain the status quo (the way things exist right now), change leaders aren't afraid to "go for it" and challenge the status quo. Change leaders care about more than just what is technically their responsibility—they are the type of people who constantly look for extra ways to help and contribute. Change leaders are independent, meaning they stand out from the crowd and do not go with the flow. SOURCE: EI:005 Lead change SOURCE: LAP-EI-005—Start the Revolution (Leading Change) 18. D Objective measure. By deciding that she is going to read no fewer than 20 pages per day during her spring break, Christine has set an objective measure for her success. If she reads fewer than 20 pages per day, she will not consider her goal to have been achieved. In this scenario, Christine is not basing her success on outperforming others, past performance, or trying something new. In fact, trying something new is considered a standard of excellence for achievement orientation rather than a standard for success. SOURCE: EI:027 Develop an achievement orientation SOURCE: LAP-EI-027—High Hopes (Developing an Achievement Orientation) 19. A Responsibility. Many people enjoy being given responsibility because it makes them feel valuable and respected. As a result, people are often driven to work hard in order to obtain greater responsibility. People who are given responsibility often feel honored that their unique talents and skills were recognized as ideal for a specific task or job. Pete is motivated to work hard because he has been assigned an important task, making him feel valuable and respected. It is not clear whether this task will advance his career, make an impact on society, or lead to self-improvement. SOURCE: EI:059 Motivate team members SOURCE: LAP-EI-059—Raise Them Up (Motivating Others) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 5 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 20. C Competitive. A competitive negotiation style occurs when one or both parties view the situation as a rivalry or game-like challenge. Jocelyn embraces the competitive style of the “I must win, so you must lose” mentality. Someone who uses an avoidant style does what they can to steer clear of an uncomfortable or unpleasant experience. People who accommodate others might find themselves doing or agreeing to something they don’t really like. Collaboration builds lasting relationships by embracing an “everybody wins” attitude. SOURCE: EI:062 Demonstrate negotiation skills SOURCE: LAP-EI-062—Make It a Win-Win (Negotiation in Business) 21. C Overcommitted. Being overcommitted means committing to more than what is possible, necessary, or desirable. People who are overcommitted have countless obligations, events, and tasks each day. Their calendars are stuffed to the brim, and they rarely have any free time. A perfectionist is someone who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection. Determining the order of completion based on importance is prioritizing. Goal setting is the ability to visualize, set, and focus on achieving objectives. Rachel is not necessarily demonstrating perfectionism, prioritization, or goal setting. SOURCE: EI:077 Manage commitments in a timely manner SOURCE: LAP-EI-135—Power Play (Using Power Appropriately) 22. C Reward. When people use reward power, they rely on incentives and prizes to motivate their followers to behave a certain way. For example, a team leader might offer to take her teammates out to dinner if they complete their project before its deadline. People who have authority, such as government officials, have legitimate power—the power of position or role. People with legitimate power have the formal or legal right to give directions and commands to others. When people are able to attract the loyalty and respect of others, they have referent power. When an individual has information or knowledge that other people do not have, they have informational power. SOURCE: EI:135 Use power appropriately SOURCE: LAP-EI-135—Power Play (Using Power Appropriately) 23. C Good faith money. Good faith money is typically deposited by a buyer into an account to indicate their intention of completing a business deal (i.e., to show “good faith”). Holding cost is the money it takes to keep inventory in stock. A mutual fund is a pool of shareholder’s money invested by professional managers in an assortment of different securities. A statement of income is a financial summary that shows how much money the business has made or has lost over a period of time. SOURCE: FI:063 Explain legal responsibilities associated with consumer financial products and services SOURCE: Scott, G. (2022, December 29). What is good faith money and how is it used? Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/goodfaithmoney.asp 24. D Stocks. A stock (or share) is a piece of paper—whether real or virtual—that says you own part of a corporation. As an owner (or shareholder) of this investment, you have the rights and responsibilities of ownership. But being an owner also means you risk losing money. Savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and bonds are all types of lending investments. SOURCE: FI:077 Explain types of investments SOURCE: LAP-FI-077—Invest for Success (Types of Investments) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 6 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 25. C Conflict of interest. Conflicts of interest can occur when you are not truly independent. And when there is a conflict of interest, it is impossible to be truly objective in the situation. For example, accountants face many potential conflicts of interest and have an obligation to report any potential conflicts of interest before they occur. Center of influence refers to a dominant member of a group. Credibility means believability. Confidentiality is the practice of keeping information secret or private. Confidentiality, credibility, and center of influence do not necessarily make it difficult to be objective. SOURCE: FI:351 Discuss the role of ethics in accounting SOURCE: LAP-FI-351—With Due Care (The Role of Ethics in Accounting) 26. B Asset. Assets are anything of value that a business or individual owns. Assets can be cars, laptops, jewelry— even loans extended to other parties, because that person is owed that amount. Because Jaclyn loaned Kate $1,000, that money is an asset for Jaclyn (and a liability for Kate.) A liability is a debt, usually money, that a business or individual owes. Salaries are money payments for labor. Protocol is the established set of rules that govern behavior within an organization. SOURCE: FI:562 Determine personal net worth SOURCE: Barone, A. (2022, July 1). What is an asset? Definition, types and examples. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asset.asp 27. D Primary information. There are two categories of marketing information and information sources. Primary information is developed from data that are collected in a systematic manner for use in one particular situation. A business that is planning to introduce a new product might survey prospective customers to determine demand for the product. Secondary information comes from data that have already been collected for other purposes. Information reporting involves handling the flow of information within a business. A marketing information system (MIS) is an organized way of continuously gathering, sorting, analyzing, evaluating, and distributing marketing information. SOURCE: IM:001 Explain the nature and scope of the marketing-information management function SOURCE: LAP-IM-001—Get the Facts Straight (Marketing-Information Management) 28. A Systematic and timely. Two ways to describe effective marketing research are systematic and timely. Marketing research is systematic because it follows a step-by-step process that involves gathering, recording, and analyzing information. Marketing research is timely because there are usually due dates associated with it. Other ways to describe effective marketing research include accurate, objective, thorough, reliable, and valid. Incomprehensive, superficial, and debatable are not terms used to describe effective marketing research. SOURCE: IM:010 Explain the nature of marketing research SOURCE: LAP-IM-010—Seek and Find (Marketing Research) 29. C Product. A restaurant's marketing team using data to determine that they want to make adjustments to their breakfast menu is part of an overall product strategy. A product strategy includes determining what products to offer or develop. A place strategy deals with the distribution of a product. A promotional strategy includes determining what messages to send and what target market to appeal to. A pricing strategy deals with determining the cost of a product. SOURCE: IM:012 Describe the need for marketing data SOURCE: LAP-IM-012—Data Do It (Need for Marketing Data) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 7 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 30. D No, asking for a competitor’s private marketing information is not ethical. It can be ethically questionable to try to obtain private marketing information from competitors, even if a friend works for that competitor. Generally, marketers should stick to publicly available competitive intelligence. There is no indication that Pat will give Tatiana false information. While Tatiana might be able to use this information to get an advantage, she would not necessarily be acting ethically. Pat also might not want to share the details just because he brought up the topic in general terms. SOURCE: IM:025 Explain the role of ethics in marketing-information management SOURCE: LAP-IM-025—Info with Integrity (Ethics in Marketing-Information Management) 31. B X-data. When collecting data, marketers often analyze both O-data (Operational data, including accounting and sales numbers) and X-data (Experience data, including insights and perspectives from people). B-data can sometimes refer to Behavioral data (e.g., blood pressure and heart rate) and is not related to processing marketing data. K-data is a fictitious term. R-data is a fictitious term; R analytics refers to data analytics using R programming language. SOURCE: IM:062 Explain techniques for processing marketing data SOURCE: Smith, S. (2020, December 7). 9 key stages in your marketing research process. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/marketing-research-process/ 32. D Financial records. Financial records are available for public corporations and are an example of secondary data that a business can find about a competitor. Call reports, sales invoices, and expense reports are examples of secondary data that a business has available from its own records but would not be able to obtain from a competitor. SOURCE: IM:184 Identify data monitored for marketing decision making SOURCE: LAP-IM-184—Data Diving (Identifying Marketing Data) 33. C 7. The range of the data set [9, 2, 3, 6, 8, 3, 4] is 7. The range is the highest value minus the lowest value. In this particular data set, the highest value is 9 and the lowest value is 2. Subtracting 2 from 9 results in 7, making it the range. The median of the data set is 4, the mode is 3, and the mean is 5. SOURCE: IM:191 Explain the use of descriptive statistics in marketing decision making SOURCE: Trochim, W.M.K. (2022). Descriptive statistics. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://conjointly.com/kb/descriptive-statistics 34. D External secondary. External data are secondary data that already exist outside the organization. Sources of external data include trade publications such as AdWeek. Internal data are secondary data that already exist in the organization’s own “in-house” information system. Qualitative data are subjective—based on thoughts, feelings, opinions, and experiences. Quantitative data are objective—based on statistics and facts and usually represented numerically. Qualitative and quantitative data are types of primary data. SOURCE: IM:281 Describe options businesses use to obtain marketing research data (i.e., primary and secondary research) SOURCE: LAP-IM-281—What’s the Source? (Obtaining Marketing-Research Data) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 8 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 35. B Why is the business's market share dropping? A decision problem is the basic issue that managers are facing— the reason they believe marketing research is necessary. A discovery-oriented decision problem is a decision problem aimed at answering "what?" or "why?" The questions "Which advertising campaign will be most effective?" and "How can the business's market share improve?" are both examples of strategy-oriented decision problems—aimed at answering "how?" or "which?" The question "When should the new product be introduced?" is not an example of a discovery-oriented decision problem. SOURCE: IM:282 Discuss the nature of marketing research problems/issues SOURCE: LAP-IM-282—What’s the Problem? (Marketing Research Problems) 36. A Predatory pricing. Predatory pricing is a strategy in which one company uses low prices to intentionally drive competition out of business and establish a monopoly. Because Company A intentionally lowered its prices so much that Company B could not compete and was driven out of the market, Company A engaged in predatory pricing. Price fixing is an illegal business agreement in which businesses agree on prices of their goods or services, resulting in little choice for the consumer. An incentive is a reward that motivates or encourages certain behavior. Hyperinflation is an environment in which prices are rising at a rapid or extremely high rate. SOURCE: PI:015 Describe the role of business ethics in pricing SOURCE: Kenton, W. (2022, January 30). Predatory pricing. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/predatory-pricing.asp 37. D Asking shoppers at a mall to try and review a new flavor of soda. A convenience sample is based on pure opportunity. Asking whoever happens to pass by at a mall to review a new flavor of soda is an example of convenience sampling. Dividing participants by zip codes and randomly sampling each group is an example of cluster sampling. Asking teachers who participate in a survey to share it with their colleagues is an example of snowball sampling. Putting the names of all employees into a hat and drawing 10 participants is simple random sampling. SOURCE: IM:285 Discuss the nature of sampling plans (i.e., who, how many, how chosen) SOURCE: LAP-IM-285—Take Your Pick (Nature of Sampling Plans) 38. A Focus groups. Qualitative data are information based on thoughts, feelings, experiences, or opinions and are descriptive and nonstatistical in nature. A focus group is a data collection method in which one or two researchers moderate a group discussion that usually includes anywhere from six to 12 participants (all being members of the target market). Rather than being used to find hard statistics or facts, focus groups are often used to gauge reactions to new products or marketing ideas. Surveys, tracking, and experiments are all quantitative methods for data collection. Quantitative data are information that are based on numbers, statistics, or hard facts. SOURCE: IM:289 Describe data-collection methods (e.g., observations, mail, diaries, telephone, Internet, discussion groups, interviews, scanners, tracking tools) SOURCE: LAP-IM-289—Hunting and Gathering (Data Collection Methods) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 9 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 39. D Researchers weren't able to contact potential respondents. A nonresponse error is a type of sampling error, which is any mistake in a sample size or selection. Thus, a nonresponse error occurs when a sufficient response is not collected from the surveys as a result of people refusing to respond or researchers not being about to contact potential respondents. A selection error is a type of sampling error where the survey is selfselected, or when only those people who are interested in the survey respond to the questions. A populationspecific error is a sampling error where the researcher does not understand who they should survey. A sample frame error is a sampling error where the wrong subpopulation is used to select a sample of data. SOURCE: IM:292 Identify sources of error in a research project (e.g., response errors, interviewer errors, nonresponse errors, sample design) SOURCE: Hayes, A. (2022, September 6). Sampling errors in statistics: Definition, types, and calculation. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/samplingerror.asp 40. B It is a leading question. Leading questions are those that subtly prompt the respondent to answer in a particular way. By asking how “awesome” the respondent thinks the company sales associates are, the question prompts respondents to answer positively, which can skew the accuracy of responses. This question is not a doublebarreled question, and it does not use unfamiliar terminology or have a confusing sentence structure. SOURCE: IM:293 Evaluate questionnaire design (e.g., types of questions, question wording, routing, sequencing, length, layout) SOURCE: SurveyMonkey. (1999-2023). Best practices for writing good survey and poll questions. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/writing-survey-questions/ 41. C Clear and neutral. Good survey questions should be clear, neutral, balanced, appropriately broad or narrow in scope, etc. Ambiguity is a state of vagueness, double, and uncertainty; effective survey questions are not ambiguous. Effective survey questions are also not universal or complex, as each quality is likely to confuse the respondent and provide unhelpful answers to the survey facilitator. SOURCE: IM:418 Explain characteristics of effective data-collection instruments SOURCE: SurveyMonkey. (1999-2022). Best practices for writing good survey and poll questions. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/writing-survey-questions/ 42. B Sugging. Sugging means “selling under the guise of research.” Sugging occurs when individuals or companies try to directly sell a product or service, build databases, or generate sales leads under the guise of market researchers conducting research. Viola was told she was completing a survey for market research, when in reality the survey was gathering information about her and her interests in an attempt to later sell a product. Frugging is fundraising under the guise of market research. Microtargeting is a marketing strategy that uses consumer demographic, psychographic, geographic, and behavioral data to identify specific individuals or very small groups of like-minded individuals to predict and influence their buying behavior. Onboarding refers to staffing tasks that must be performed when a new employee joins the company (e.g., orientation and paperwork). SOURCE: IM:419 Describe the regulation of marketing-information management SOURCE: The Market Research Society. (2022). Sugging and frugging FAQ. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/suggingfaq 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 10 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 43. C Situational. There are times when specific situations can override the more dominant influences on buying behavior, such as culture or personality. For example, you weren’t planning on buying a new bathing suit, but when you walked by the display, you noticed they were on sale for a great price. So, you purchased one. Psychological, social, and cultural influences all impact buying behavior, but they are not demonstrated in this example. SOURCE: MK:014 Explain factors that influence customer/client/business buying behavior SOURCE: LAP-MK-014—Cause and Effect (Buying Behavior) 44. D How to coordinate communication efforts. The promotion element of the marketing mix refers to the various types of communications that marketers use to inform, persuade, or remind customers of their products. When developing the promotion element of their marketing mix, marketers consider how to coordinate communication efforts, which messages to send, which media to use, and when and how they want messages delivered, among other things. Focusing on the types of special features a product has is something marketers would consider in the product element of the marketing mix. Where to make a product available is something marketers would consider in the place element. Bringing in the amount of income they need is something marketers would consider in the price element. SOURCE: MP:001 Explain the concept of marketing strategies SOURCE: LAP-MP-001—Pick the Mix (Nature of Marketing Strategies) 45. D It communicates a broad message to a large audience. Mass marketing is designing products and directing marketing activities to appeal to the whole market. As a result, mass marketing can be used to communicate a broad message to a large audience. Looking to discover customers' specific needs is an advantage of segment marketing—the classification of customers into similar groups to appeal to one or more individual segment(s)— rather than mass marketing. Segment marketing is more precise than mass marketing. Mass marketing allows a business to produce one product for everyone, which is more cost-effective than producing and marketing several products to several target markets. Thus, mass marketing provides the most possibilities for success at the lowest cost. SOURCE: MP:003 Explain the concept of market and market identification SOURCE: LAP-MP-003—Have We Met? (Market Identification) 46. B Strengths and weaknesses of competition. In a marketing plan, situation analysis is the determination of a firm’s current marketing situation. A situation analysis covers several key areas, which are sometimes referred to as the 5 C's: company, customers, competitors, collaborators, and climate. Information about the strengths and weaknesses of a company's main competitors is included in the situation analysis. A company's mission statement can be found in the executive summary of a marketing plan. Information about how the target market will use a product can be found in the desired target market section. Information on a market exit strategy is located in the marketing strategies and programs section. SOURCE: MP:007 Explain the nature of marketing plans SOURCE: LAP-MP-007—A Winning Plan (Nature of Marketing Plans) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 11 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 47. B It evaluates potential opportunities and threats. Environmental scanning is the process of collecting information about the environment surrounding your business. An environmental scan is part of a situation analysis—a determination of a firm’s current business situation and the direction in which the business is headed. Environmental scanning evaluates the environment both inside (internal) and outside (external) of an organization, and evaluates potential opportunities, threats, and trends that could affect the business. Environmental scanning helps companies of every size. SOURCE: MP:008 Explain the role of situation analysis in the marketing planning process SOURCE: Indeed. (2022). What is environmental scanning for your business? Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/environmental-scanning 48. B It can be expensive. Quantitative sales forecasting can be much more costly than qualitative forecasting when you add up the expenses of compiling and organizing data, purchasing survey results, subscribing to publications, etc. An advantage of quantitative forecasting is that it can be objective and neutral. A disadvantage of qualitative forecasting is that it can be less accurate. A disadvantage of qualitative forecasting is that it lacks a high level of accuracy because it cannot account for unexpected changes. SOURCE: MP:013 Explain the nature of sales forecasts SOURCE: LAP-MP-013—Futurecast (The Nature of Sales Forecasts) 49. C Privacy. Information management is the process of accessing, processing, maintaining, evaluating, and disseminating knowledge, facts, or data for the purpose of assisting business decision-making. When dealing with data, organizations must be compliant with laws and regulations limiting the way(s) this information is used, especially when it relates to consumer privacy. Technology, credibility (believability), and efficiency (accomplishing a task with minimal expenditure and time) are not legal issues associated with information management. SOURCE: NF:076 Explain legal issues associated with information management SOURCE: Indeed. (2022, August 30). What is information management? Definition and benefits. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-isinformation-management 50. C Credentials. Credentials refer to information about a person’s skills, abilities, and qualifications. While it’s possible for anyone to post/publish something online, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are qualified to do so. To determine the validity of a source, you should verify the author’s credentials to be sure they are qualified to write about a certain topic. An author’s income, followers (such as on social media), and creativity are not necessarily indications of an author’s qualifications and a source’s validity. SOURCE: NF:079 Evaluate quality and source of information SOURCE: Cooper, M. (2020, June 30). How to determine the validity of a research article. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://classroom.synonym.com/do-critical-evaluation-7646823.html 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 12 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 51. A Implement a thorough review process. To create and maintain a consistent voice on a shared document, it is helpful to implement a thorough and detailed review process that can help catch and address any voice inconsistencies. While each team member might be responsible for their own section, collaborating throughout the writing process and sharing writing examples with each other is a good way to make sure each member is writing with a shared voice. Drafting an outline is a helpful first step, but it should be done collaboratively, not independently. SOURCE: NF:215 Collaborate on and aggregate complex internal documents to create a common voice SOURCE: FastCompany. (2022, January 26). Here’s how to keep a consistent tone in your external content. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.fastcompany.com/90714738/heres-how-to-keep-aconsistent-tone-in-your-external-content 52. B Merchandising security. Many retailers use merchandising security to protect their products because it allows customers to still have access to those products. An example of merchandising security is a security stand, which mounts a product (like a cell phone) and tethers it to a display or furniture so that customers may pick up and try a product without being able to walk away with it. Smart inventory management tools, display locks, and surveillance cameras are all examples of anti-theft devices and strategies, but they don’t necessarily allow customers to pick up and test the store’s products, as Pamela would like. SOURCE: OP:013 Explain routine security precautions SOURCE: Nicasio, F. (2021, July 7). 7 anti-theft devices you can use to protect your retail store. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.vendhq.com/blog/anti-theft-devices/ 53. B Adversarial threat. There are many categories of cyber threats. Common categories of cyber threats include adversarial threats (e.g., insider threats, established hacker collectives, corporate espionage, and malware), natural disasters (e.g., tornados and floods), system failure, and human error. Malicious software (malware) is a type of adversarial threat. SOURCE: OP:064 Maintain data security SOURCE: Imperva. (2021, November 9). Cybersecurity risk management. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.imperva.com/learn/data-security/cybersecurity-risk-management/ 54. D Enterprise resource planning software. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software integrates different aspects of operations (e.g., product planning, procurement, inventory management, vendor/supplier communications, order tracking, etc.). By using ERP software, companies can help streamline communications, especially between different departments. The Central Registration Depository is a computerized database containing information about most brokers, including complaints filed and education and work history. A work breakdown structure is a document that details the division of a project workload into smaller, more manageable parts. Round-robin matrices is a fictitious term. SOURCE: OP:191 Describe the use of technology in operations SOURCE: Investopedia. (2022, September 10). What is enterprise resource planning (ERP)? Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/erp.asp 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 13 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 55. D Scope. A project’s scope is what it will and will not include. It is the work that will actually be done for the project. It is important to monitor scope because projects have the tendency to change over time. As you start working on your project, you may realize that you need to add to or take away from its scope—in Madison’s case, her team needed to add to its project scope. Budget, quality, and schedule are all aspects of a project that require attention, but they are not demonstrated in this example. SOURCE: OP:520 Monitor projects and take corrective actions SOURCE: LAP-OP-520—Check Your (Project) Pulse (Monitoring Projects and Taking Corrective Actions) 56. A Censorship. Generating as many ideas as possible within a specific period of time is a technique called brainstorming. Brainstorming is most effective in a group setting because participants can collaborate and build on each other’s ideas. This technique works best when there’s no censorship (suppression of ideas). The idea is to get as many thoughts flowing as possible without stopping to question or analyze them, so it’s important to be both creative and curious when generating ideas. SOURCE: PD:012 Demonstrate appropriate creativity SOURCE: LAP-PD-012—Imagine That (Demonstrating Creativity) 57. B Marketing analyst. People who work in product or brand management are in charge of monitoring and developing one or more existing products or brands. Some positions within product and brand management include marketing analyst, brand assistant, brand manager, product manager, and product director. An advertising director is a job title in the advertising field. A customer service manager is a position within customer service. A content strategist is a job title in digital marketing. SOURCE: PD:024 Explain employment opportunities in marketing SOURCE: LAP-PD-024—Career Opportunities in Marketing 58. C It manipulates consumers. Unethical marketing is a marketing tactic that uses false and exaggerated claims or messages. By using unethical marketing, companies manipulate consumers into buying their products or services. Even though unethical marketing has plenty of disadvantages, it can be effective, especially when it preys on someone's emotions or fears. Although some unethical marketing and advertising practices are illegal, not every type of unethical marketing is considered illegal. Companies that use unethical marketing often have hidden agendas and may use subliminal messages to communicate their message to consumers. SOURCE: PD:137 Explain the need for professional and ethical standards in marketing SOURCE: LaMarco, N. (2018, November 27). Ethical practices in sales & marketing. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-practices-sales-marketing-64319.html 59. B Ask her supervisor. If you don’t understand a certain guideline, don’t be afraid to ask questions—your supervisors would much rather you ask for clarification before a problem arises than after one has already occurred! Fiona has already consulted the company’s training materials (the employee handbook), so she should ask her supervisor to clarify the leave policy. Evaluating actions and holding colleagues accountable for following rules are also ways to adhere to company guidelines, but they are not demonstrated in this example. SOURCE: PD:250 Adhere to company protocols and policies SOURCE: LAP-PD-250—Do You Follow? (Adhering to Company Protocols and Policies) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 14 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 60. A Communicate goals on every level. Involving employees with meeting organizational goals includes several steps. For example, communicating goals on every level involves making sure employees at all levels are aware of and engaged in conversations about organizational goals, whether it’s in team meetings, performance reviews, and/or leadership planning. Setting clear organizational goals, getting buy-in from leadership, and helping employees achieve their goals are steps that help involve employees with meeting organizational goals, but there is no evidence that those steps are demonstrated here. SOURCE: PD:255 Ascertain employee's role in meeting organizational goals SOURCE: Ryba, K. (2021, February 23). How to align individual, team, and organizational goals for success. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/how-toalign-organizational-goals 61. B Realistic and competitive. Pricing is a marketing function that involves the determination of an exchange price at which the buyer and seller perceive optimum value for a good or service. Marketers must keep a number of characteristics in mind when setting effective prices. These include being realistic, competitive, and flexible. Impractical, unchangeable, and low are not characteristics of effective prices. SOURCE: PI:001 Explain the nature and scope of the pricing function SOURCE: LAP-PI-001—The Price Is Right (Nature of Pricing) 62. A Allocate their money. Selling price helps customers allocate their money. Since very few people can buy everything they want, selling price helps people decide which items they can afford and which ones are beyond their means. Selling price does not provide customers with enough information to allow them to determine the fixed costs included in an item’s price. A product’s selling price helps businesses pay operating expenses, not customers. How much a customer can buy is determined by the amount of money they have to spend. SOURCE: PI:002 Explain factors affecting pricing decisions SOURCE: LAP-PI-902—Make Cents (Factors Affecting Selling Price) 63. B Surveying customers for their opinions about a popular product. By surveying customers for their opinions about a popular product, researchers can collect customers’ thoughts, feelings, opinions, and experiences related to the product. Such data are qualitative in nature. A test market would provide measurable, specific results, also known as quantitative data. Calculating sales data and evaluating the number of internet searches would also result in quantitative data. SOURCE: IM:284 Describe methods used to design marketing research studies (i.e., descriptive, exploratory, and causal) SOURCE: LAP-IM-284—Better by Design (Marketing Research Design) 64. C Loss leader. A loss leader strategy involves selling a product or service at a very low price to attract new customers and/or sell additional items to those customers. Because Boris sells shaving razors at a very low price and makes his profit through the sale of replacement razor blades, he is most likely using a loss leader strategy. A bait-and-switch strategy involves promoting a low-priced item to attract customers to whom the business then tries to sell a higher-priced item. Pump and dump is an investment scam that takes place mostly online. Price fixing is an illegal business agreement in which businesses agree on prices of their goods or services, resulting in little choice for the consumer. SOURCE: PI:017 Explain legal considerations for pricing SOURCE: Banton, C. (2021, May 27). Loss leader strategy. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lossleader.asp 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 15 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 65. A An entire department. Every business participates in product/service management, whether its employees realize it or not. In a big company, an entire product/service management department may exist, but even in a small business, the owner or manager is constantly making decisions about what to offer customers in the product/service mix. Generally, the bigger the company, the more people responsible for managing products and services. SOURCE: PM:001 Explain the nature and scope of the product/service management function SOURCE: LAP-PM-017—Serving Up Products (Nature of Product/Service Management) 66. B Trading up. Trading up is a product-mix strategy in which a business adds a higher-priced product or line to its product mix. Contraction of the product mix means removing, or deleting, product items or lines from the product mix. Positioning is the product-mix strategy in which a business creates a certain image or impression of a product in the minds of consumers. Trading down is a product-mix strategy in which a business adds a lower-priced product or line to its product mix. SOURCE: PM:003 Explain the concept of product mix SOURCE: LAP-PM-003—Mix and Match (The Nature of the Product Mix) 67. B Quality. A quality standard measures the degree of excellence of a good or service. Evaluating performance aspects of a company, such as the state of cattle or meat processing, would therefore be quality standards. A quantity standard measures the amount of work produced, not the condition. A cost standard measures the cost of a product, while a time standard evaluates the amount time needed to complete an activity. SOURCE: PM:019 Describe the uses of grades and standards in marketing SOURCE: LAP-PM-019—Raise the Bar (Grades and Standards) 68. D To use as a promotional tool. Many companies will advertise their warranties or guarantees in the hopes of gaining new customers. Warranties or guarantees seek to encourage feedback from customers rather than decrease it. Companies do not use warranties and guarantees to build relationships with competitors; rather, they are used to build relationships with customers by creating consumer loyalty. While they can provide the company some feedback regarding their products, warranties and guarantees are not typically used for product development. SOURCE: PM:020 Explain warranties and guarantees SOURCE: LAP-PM-920—Promises, Promises (Warranties and Guarantees) 69. B Insistence. Brand recognition occurs when consumers become aware of a brand and know a bit about it. Brand preference occurs when consumers prefer to purchase a certain brand based on their positive experience with the brand. However, if that brand is not available, the consumer will purchase another brand. And when consumers insist on “their” brand and will not accept a substitute, the brand has reached brand insistence. Only that particular brand will satisfy a customer for a given purpose. The brand name is the part of the brand that can be spoken, such as a word, a phrase, a letter, a number, or any combination of these. SOURCE: PM:021 Explain the nature of product/service branding SOURCE: LAP-PM-021—It’s a Brand, Brand, Brand World! (Nature of Product Branding) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 16 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 70. D Market saturation. Market saturation occurs when a product has been distributed throughout the population, and the only chance for increased sales occurs with population growth or a shift in market share. Fast food, for instance, has reached most of its potential customers in the United States. Price skimming and penetration pricing are marketing strategies, whereas market saturation is a consequence of a product’s stage in the life cycle. Population fixation is not a term used to describe oversaturation of a market. SOURCE: PM:024 Identify the impact of product life cycles on marketing decisions SOURCE: LAP-PM-024—Get a Life (Cycle) (Product Life Cycles) 71. C Prototype. A prototype is an early sample or model of a product. When Kyan’s team used advanced software to create a product sample, they used technology to develop a prototype. A protocol is an established set of rules that govern behavior within an organization. In finance, a prospectus is a document containing all vital information about a mutual fund. A proxy is a person who has been authorized to act on behalf of another. SOURCE: PM:039 Describe the use of technology in the product/service management function SOURCE: Bektas, A. (2021, December 23). What is product service management? Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://userguiding.com/blog/product-service-management/ 72. A Environmental impact. Product managers must consider the impact that their packaging materials will have on Earth before choosing which materials to use, which can lead to ethical dilemmas like this one. This is not an example of an ethical dilemma related to packaging graphics, customer safety, or product labeling. SOURCE: PM:040 Explain business ethics in product/service management SOURCE: LAP-PM-040—Safe and Sound (Ethics in Product/Service Management) 73. A Pure. Bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. Pure bundling occurs when those products are only available together and cannot be purchased separately. Because HelloFresh customers cannot purchase individual ingredients—only those included in the recipe—this is an example of pure bundling. Mixed bundling allows customers to buy bundled products together or as separate items. Cross-sell bundling involves bundling items across different product categories. New product bundling is a way to increase sales of a new product by bundling a newly launched item with an existing product. SOURCE: PM:041 Describe the nature of product bundling SOURCE: Qualtrics. (2022). Product bundling 101: Guide, strategies, and examples. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/product/product-bundling/ 74. C Product class. Positioning by product class is when a company markets a product by focusing on its product type of class rather than the product itself. Laptop and desktop computers have overlapping target markets— therefore, a company may seek to highlight the features of a laptop in contrast to a product in the same category, such as a desktop computer. An endorsement is the approval by a reputable external source such as a celebrity. Positioning by product attributes means focusing on the product’s performance, reliability, durability, etc. Positioning by people (service) means focusing on customer service. SOURCE: PM:042 Describe factors used by marketers to position products/services SOURCE: LAP-PM-042—Getting Piece of Mind (Factors Used To Position Products/Services) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 17 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 75. B A restaurant offering gluten-free, low-carb, and vegetarian options. Most new product ideas typically come from trends, customers, or existing products. A trend is the general direction in which people or events are moving. A restaurant offering gluten-free, low-carb, and vegetarian options is a response to various health food trends. A cell phone company changing its product based on an online survey is an example of a business developing products or services in response to customers. A cleaning company altering its services due to customer complaints is an example of a business developing products or services in response to customers and/or existing products. A toy agency tweaking its products based on its competitor's limitations is an example of a business developing products or services in response to existing products. SOURCE: PM:127 Identify methods/techniques to generate a product idea SOURCE: LAP-PM-127—Unleash Your Mind (Techniques for Generating Product Ideas) 76. B Divergent. Divergent thinking involves generating multiple ideas and/or solutions to a problem, often in a creative manner. Convergent thinking, on the other hand, involves seeking the single best answer to a problem or need. Because Louisa wants to generate multiple ways to meet the need of her target market, she would be best served by divergent thinking. Intuition is the ability to rely on your own instincts or inner reasoning; there is no indication that intuition leads to multiple ideas or solutions. Extroverted thinking is a fictitious term. SOURCE: PM:128 Generate product ideas SOURCE: Team Asana. (2021, December 20). Convergent vs. divergent thinking: Finding the right balance for creative problem solving. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://asana.com/resources/convergentvs-divergent 77. C Pepsi’s red, white, and blue circle. A logo is a distinctive symbol, design, or group of letters. For example, you probably recognize the panda used as the World Wildlife Fund’s logo or the red, white, and blue circle used as Pepsi’s logo. Commitment to customer service, the design of a single product, and the items listed on a menu are not examples of logos. SOURCE: PM:206 Explain the nature of corporate branding SOURCE: LAP-PM-206—Corporate Identity (Nature of Corporate Branding) 78. C Leave reviews. A customer review is an assessment of a product and/or service by someone who has experience with that product and/or service. By allowing customers to leave reviews about products and services they have purchased, companies can leverage the voice of the customer in branding efforts. Using coupons, ordering online, and receiving alerts are not examples of using the customer voice in branding efforts. SOURCE: PM:276 Describe the role of customer voice in branding SOURCE: Ayyar, R. (n.d.). Why you should be letting customer reviews define your brand. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.convinceandconvert.com/customer-experience/customer-reviews-defineyour-brand/ 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 18 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 79. B Thank you cards and billing. Touchpoints are all the opportunities that businesses have to connect with customers and reinforce their brand. Post-purchase touchpoints, which are the opportunities for businesses to connect with customers after a sales transaction, include thank you cards, billing communications, online help centers, follow ups, etc. Testimonials and social media are examples of touchpoint opportunities before a purchase has been made. Company websites, sales staff, and points of sale are examples of touchpoint opportunities during a purchase. SOURCE: PM:277 Identify customer touch points SOURCE: SurveyMonkey. (1999-2022). How to identify your customer touchpoints. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/identify-customer-touchpoints/ 80. C Remind. This is an example of how companies use promotion to remind their customers of their products. A company like Coca-Cola has a favorable company image that is already present in customers' minds. As a result, Coca-Cola uses the polar bear commercials to reinforce and build on its already favorable image. Because Coca-Cola isn't promoting a new flavor, it is not trying to inform customers on important information about their product. The commercial also isn't trying to directly persuade customers to buy the product over a competitor or to have certain views or opinions. While several promotions may look to entertain potential customers, entertain is not considered one of the three commonly identified objectives of promotion. SOURCE: PR:001 Explain the role of promotion as a marketing function SOURCE: LAP-PR-901—Razzle Dazzle (Nature of Promotion) 81. C It enhances a company’s image. Promotion can benefit a company by enhancing or developing its image. Companies that use promotion benefit directly from their efforts, and it helps create awareness of the company and its products. Customers becoming better educated is a benefit to customers themselves and not necessarily the business. Playing upon people’s fears and manipulating customers are considered disadvantages of promotion, not benefits. SOURCE: PR:002 Explain the types of promotion (i.e., institutional, product) SOURCE: LAP-PR-902—Know Your Options (Product and Institutional Promotion) 82. D Push. A push strategy is a promotional strategy in which a company takes its products directly to consumers. This is often achieved through intermediaries. A trade show is an example of an intermediate strategy that can be used to market a product. A pull promotional strategy seeks to bring customers to a product through the use of direct product promotion such as a commercial or online advertisement. Increasing and nonlinear promotional strategies are fictitious terms. SOURCE: PR:003 Identify the elements of the promotional mix SOURCE: LAP-PR-903—Spread the Word (Nature of the Promotional Mix) 83. C Space. Printed publications such as newspapers and magazines are considered space media because the cost and impact of their advertisements can depend on the size of the ad. Better put, it can depend on the space they take up on the page. Broadcast media, like television and radio, is considered time media because its advertisements last only as long as they are on the air. More often than not, newspapers and magazines cost money, so they are not considered free media. Specialty media is a type of “other” media that features a business’s logo, is useful, and is given away freely. Printed publications aren’t considered specialty media. SOURCE: PR:007 Explain types of advertising media SOURCE: LAP-PR-007—Ad-quipping Your Business (Types of Advertising Media) 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 19 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 84. C Main text. Copy is the main text (also called the “body”) of an advertisement that provides readers with information. Headlines are text set in large type usually positioned at the top of an advertisement. Illustration includes photographs, drawings, or other graphics, like a chart or table. White space is blank space in an advertisement unoccupied by text or illustrations. Headlines, illustrations, and white space are not referred to as “copy.” SOURCE: PR:014 Explain the components of advertisements SOURCE: Bear, J.H. (2019, July 26). Anatomy and elements of a print advertisement. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.lifewire.com/graphic-parts-of-an-ad-1077221 85. A Stealth marketing. Stealth marketing involves advertising that is done secretly. Product placement in movies and influencers promoting a product or service without disclosing that it’s actually an ad are common examples of stealth marketing. Fear-based advertising involves using an audience’s psychology to influence purchase decisions. White hat SEO refers to practices that improve search page rankings. Public relations is a function of business designed to establish and maintain positive relationships between the business and its various publics, or fan bases. SOURCE: PR:099 Describe the use of business ethics in promotion SOURCE: Queen, J. (2023, January 15). What is stealth marketing? Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.smartcapitalmind.com/what-is-stealth-marketing.htm 86. B Showcasing multiple products. Carousel ads can be featured on many mainstream social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook. They allow viewers to scroll through different pages or images so that multiple products or services can be displayed. Carousel ads function best when they display images due to their slideshow feature. Playable or video ads are better suited to show longer video clips. Polling data can be gathered through online surveys or polls. Ads themselves cannot be used to track click-through rate. SOURCE: PR:100 Describe the use of technology in the promotion function SOURCE: Newberry, C. (2019, May 6). Social media advertising 101: How to get the most out of your ad budget. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-advertising/ 87. D Family and friends. Recent studies show that upwards of 90% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over any other form of advertisement. While customer reviews can be effective word-ofmouth tools, studies indicate that customers will require multiple positive reviews to reach a high level of trust in a company or product. Social media influencers and commercials can also be effective marketing tools, but they do not possess the same levels of trust from consumers. SOURCE: PR:247 Describe word-of-mouth channels used to communicate with targeted audiences SOURCE: McMillen, J. (2021, July 22). Word-of-mouth marketing: Building a strategy that really works. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.yotpo.com/resources/word-of-mouth-marketing/ 88. D Coupon. A coupon is a certification—either print or digital—that entitles the holder to a reduced purchase price. Because Sam used the digital certificate on his phone to reduce the purchase price of his new sweater, he used a coupon. A rebate is a return of part of the price a customer pays for a good or service that is usually offered by the product’s manufacturer. Interest rate is the percentage figure used in calculating interest charges. There is no evidence that Sam used a seasonal discount, which is a time-based discount. SOURCE: PR:249 Identify communications channels used in sales promotion SOURCE: The Marketing Study Guide. (n.d.). Difference between coupons and rebates. Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://www.marketingstudyguide.com/difference-coupons-rebates/ 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 20 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 89. B Press kit. A press kit is a set of articles and pictures provided to the media to obtain publicity; press kits can include a company description, contact information, case studies, testimonials, and more. A sponsorship is an agreement that allows a company to pay a fee to an organization or event for the right to affiliate itself with that organization or event. A petition is a formal document that typically contains many people’s signatures and is submitted to a court or elected official to ask them to address an injustice. A website collection is a fictitious term not associated with public relations activities. SOURCE: PR:250 Explain communications channels used in public-relations activities SOURCE: Forsey, C. (2022, May 4). What is a media kit – And how to make one [+ press kit examples]. Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/media-kit-examples 90. D Improved comprehension. Using white space increases legibility and overall comprehension of content by providing a more open and clean design. Cognitive overload refers to too much information being given at one time. Utilizing white space reduces one’s cognitive load by creating more unmarked space. White space does not literally mean using the color white; white space can be any color or pattern used as a background to create space. White space does not directly correlate to the size of the page; it can be applied to designs of all shapes and sizes. SOURCE: PR:251 Explain the importance of coordinating elements in advertisements SOURCE: Hegde, P. (2017, October 10). Importance of white space in design. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://blog.prototypr.io/importance-of-white-space-in-design-5a40c0e65bfd 91. B Corporate social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility is the duty of a business to contribute to the wellbeing of society. By partnering with a humanitarian organization, this company is spending resources to promote the general welfare rather than solely focus on their own business interests. Internal communications are messages dispersed to the employees of a company. A paid advertisement is any messaging paid for by a company or organization that promotes their interests. This could be through print, broadcast, or online mediums. Crisis planning is the preparation for any negative possibilities and the ensuing response from a public relations perspective. SOURCE: PR:252 Identify types of public-relations activities SOURCE: Agility PR Solutions (2018). Public relations activities. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.agilitypr.com/resources/pr-glossary/public-relations-activities/ 92. A Recognize employees. An important role of internal public relations is to help boost employee relations and overall morale. Recognizing employees for individual or group accomplishments can be an effective way to increase morale. Public relations are not meant to control media coverage—solid media relations can benefit a company, but they are not able to completely control media reporting. It isn't the purpose of internal public relations to influence laws and legislation or improve community relations. These are the goals of external public relations. SOURCE: PR:253 Discuss internal and external audiences for public-relations activities SOURCE: Miller, J. (2016, July 27). What is internal public relations? Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.axiapr.com/blog/what-is-internal-public-relations 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 21 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 93. A Intangible product. An intangible product is a service or activity that the customer pays someone else to perform. Children’s daycare is a service performed by a business that is paid for by the customer. A tangible product can be touched, smelled, tasted, seen, or heard—therefore, daycare is not a tangible product. A manufacturer produces goods and sells them to an intermediary such as a wholesaler or retailer. An intermediary sells goods that were produced by a manufacturer. SOURCE: SE:017 Explain the nature and scope of the selling function SOURCE: LAP-SE-017—Sell Away (The Nature and Scope of Selling) 94. A Make sure their potential contact has the authority to make a purchase. When selling to a business, a salesperson should ensure that a potential customer is in a position to purchase their product or service. If this is not established, they risk wasting valuable time. If possible, a salesperson should reach out to someone they know in the company; having a good rapport within a company can be instrumental to making a sale. Personalized messages will also help to build rapport. A salesperson should qualify their own leads to know as much as possible about their prospective clients and to make sure their info is up to date. SOURCE: SE:048 Explain the selling process SOURCE: LAP-SE-048—Set Your Sales (The Selling Process) 95. B Overcome customer objections. Overcoming customer objections may be the most difficult part of an entire sales presentation, and it’s nearly impossible to do so without sufficient product information. If a customer raises an objection, salespeople want to counter with facts about the product to prove that it meets the customer’s needs or suggest another product that works better. Company morale is not affected by an individual’s preparation. Preparation does not directly influence sales quotas (although it might help the salesperson meet those quotas). The salesperson should ask important questions about the product before the sales presentation. SOURCE: SE:062 Acquire product information for use in selling SOURCE: LAP-SE-062—Get Informed (Acquiring Product Information for Use in Selling) 96. D Misrepresentation. Telling the facts in an inaccurate way is known as misrepresentation. That means that if you make an untrue claim about your product’s features or benefits, you’re misrepresenting the product—and breaking the law. Negligence is not doing something necessary or required—in other words, not providing your customers with important information that they need to make educated buying decisions. Slander is saying something untrue that damages a person’s or business’s reputation. Libel is writing something untrue that damages a person’s or business’s reputation. SOURCE: SE:106 Explain legal and ethical considerations in selling SOURCE: LAP-SE-106—Keep It Real—In Sales (Legal and Ethical Considerations in Selling) 97. C Prospecting. Prospecting is the act of identifying any person or organization with the potential to buy a product and compiling that information in an organized manner for future use. Advancements in analytics and customer data help make prospecting more efficient. While technology has arguably improved sales follow up, presentations, and marketing, those functions are not demonstrated here. SOURCE: SE:107 Describe the use of technology in the selling function SOURCE: Leung, S. (2015, August 3). 6 effects of technology on selling: How tech has streamlined sales. Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://www.salesforce.com/blog/6-ways-technology-streamlinedsales-3/ 2023 HS ICDC MARKETING CLUSTER EXAM—KEY 22 Copyright © 2023 by MBA Research and Curriculum Center®, Columbus, Ohio 98. A Lightweight. A feature is a physical characteristic or quality of a product. A product being lightweight is a description of the product that answers the question, “What is it?” Being affordable, convenient, or sustainable are product benefits, not features, because they describe the personal satisfaction or advantages a customer receives from the product. They describe how a particular feature would help a buyer. SOURCE: SE:109 Analyze product information to identify product features and benefits SOURCE: LAP-SE-109—Find Features, Boost Benefits (Feature-Benefit Selling) 99. D Offensive strategies maximize gain, while defensive strategies minimize loss. Buyer behavior choice theory states that buyers go through a choice process to help them decide how they will buy, rather than what they will buy. Part of the buyer behavior choice theory is whether the buyer uses offensive or defensive behavior strategies. Offensive behavior strategies are used to maximize gain or profit. Defensive behavior strategies are used to minimize loss. Neither are used to maintain the status quo. SOURCE: SE:359 Discuss motivational theories that impact buying behavior SOURCE: Fast Pay. (2021). Consumer behaviour theory: How has it changed. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://fastpayltd.co.uk/blog/consumer-behaviour-theory-how-has-it-changed 100. B Use nonverbal cues to show that they are listening. There’s more to paying attention than simply hearing what a customer has to say. Active listening is a method of listening that involves using nonverbal cues, paraphrasing, questioning, and other techniques to let a speaker know that their message has been heard and understood. This type of listening is one of the most important skills for salespeople to master. Listening to customers makes them feel important and respected, and often helps salespeople better understand their needs. When a customer is speaking, salespeople should focus on what the customer is saying. Salespeople should maintain eye contact at all times—they should avoid glancing around the store even if there are other customers that need help. It would be rude to interrupt a customer when they are speaking.