Are these Marketing Tasks?

Discussion Exercises, Free Activities, Introductory Concepts, Review Exercises, Strategy and Plans

Topics

the role of marketing, marketing function, strategic hierarchy

Teaching Notes

Please refer to the journal article link at the bottom of page (relevant to Q4 below).

Review the activity below or download the PDF student worksheet

Student Discussion Activity

Introduction

For this exercise, review the list of work tasks below and identify which ones are likely (or not) to be part of a marketing role.

For this activity, we will assume that the company in question manufactures cookies and snack foods.

As you go through the list, consider at which “level” of employee (refer to the list in question area) each of the decisions probably be made?

Are these Marketing Tasks?

  1. Which newspapers/magazines should we advertise in?
  2.  Determining the total amount of the marketing budget?
  3. Which product categories (cookies, snacks, candy etc.) should we offer?
  4. What new products should we launch this year?
  5. What training does our retail sales team need?
  6. What campaign slogan to use for the launch of a new product?
  7. Whether we should introduce a new flavor in an existing range of cookies?
  8. What price should we charge for our products?
  9. What geographic markets should we compete in?
  10. What bonuses should be paid to sales staff?
  11. What marketing research do we need?
  12. How should we address the potential threats from new competitive product/s?
  13. How can we motivate our sales team on a day-to-day basis?
  14. Who should approve the annual marketing plan?
  15. What level of production is required?

Student Discussion Questions

  1. At what managerial level in the organization would each of the above decisions most likely be made? (Choose from CEO/Executive, Marketing Manager, Marketing Coordinator, or Non-marketing Manager.)
  2. Given the likely range of managerial levels involved in these decisions, how important is the role of communication in the strategy and planning process within a firm?
  3. To what extent, do you think, it is possible to align the various marketing tasks considering the various players involved?
  4. Only around 50% of Fortune 500 firms in the USA have a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Given the functions listed above, what challenges does NOT having the marketing function represented at the executive level possibly cause for a firm?

Further Information

Related Activities

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