The nicher achieves high sales volume, whereas the mass marketer achieves high margin.

Gaining ________ requires delivering more value and satisfaction to target consumers than competitors do. A) competitive advantage B) first-mover advantage C) economies of scale

The first step in initiating competitive marketing strategies is to ________. A) balance customer and competitor orientations B) design broad competitive marketing strategies C) assess long-term organizational objectives   D) conduct competitor analysis

D) conduct competitor analysis

________ involves first identifying and assessing competitors and then selecting which competitors to attack or avoid. A) Competitor analysis B) Self-competition C) Blue ocean strategy Term

To plan effective marketing strategies, a company needs to find out all it can about its competitors. It must constantly compare its marketing strategies, products, prices, channels, & promotions with its close competitors. This is an example of A) blue ocean strategy   B) competitor analysis   C) organizational evaluation 

Companies can identify their competitors from both ________ points of view. A) industry and market B) product and customer C) customer and location Term

Companies can identify competitors from a(n) ________ point of view by defining competitors as companies that are trying to satisfy the same customer need or build relationships with the same customer group. A) customer   B) blue ocean   C) market D) myopic

A company is guilty of ________ if the company forgets latent competitors and only focuses on current competitors. A) perfect competition B) self-competition C) competitor backlinking D) competitor myopia

Kodak's film business didn't lose out to direct competitor Fujifilm; it lost out to Sony, Canon, and other digital camera makers, along with a host of digital image developers and online image sharing services. This is an example of A) a blue ocean strategy   B) competitor backlinking C) self-competition   D) competitor myopia

Two major coffee brands, competed neck and neck based on their product attributes and price promotions. They were soon blindsided by the arrival of Starcoffeez, which focused more on the coffee experience rather than the coffee. This resulted in major losses for the two companies. This is an example of:

From a(n) ________ point of view, Pepsi might see its competition as Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, 7UP, and the makers of other soft drink brands. From a(n) ________ point of view, however, the customer really wants "thirst quenching." A) market; industry   B) market; consumer C) industry; competitive   D) industry; market

Nintendo, producer of the Wii video game console, might define its competitors as other makers of physically interactive video games. But from a(n) ________ point of view, it would include all firms making physically interactive recreational products. A) industry   B) market   C) segment

From a market point of view, Universal Pictures film studio might see its competition as ________. A) Paramount Pictures B) Warner Bros. Pictures C) Walt Disney Pictures D) 20th Century Fox E) Broadway

From an industry point of view, Universal Pictures film studio might see its competition as ________. A) West End theatre B) Columbia Pictures C) Tomorrowland D) Summerfest Term

What is the LEAST relevant question to ask when assessing a firm's main competitor? A) What are the competitor's objectives? B) What is the competitor's strategy? C) What are the competitor's strengths? D) What are the competitor's locations?

D) What are the competitor's locations?

Each competitor has a mix of objectives. The company wants to know the relative importance that a competitor places on all of the following EXCEPT ________. A) company history   B) current profitability C) market share growth D) cash flow

A company that pursues ________ will react much more strongly to a competitor's cost reducing manufacturing breakthrough than to the same competitor's advertising increase.   A) product differentiation B) low-cost leadership   C) customer intimacy D) a middle-of-the-roaders strategyTerm

In the context of identifying competitors' strategies, the more that one firm's strategy resembles another firm's strategy, the more likely the two firms are to ________. A) merge B) compete C) globalize

Companies need to know each competitor's product quality, features, and mix; customer services; pricing policy; distribution coverage; sales force strategy; and advertising and sales promotion programs. These are all the dimensions that identify x groups w/in industry A) target B) focus C) control D) strategic  

In the audio equipment industry, Philips and Sony belong to the same ________. A) target group B) strategic group C) experimental group D) control groupTerm

Country Kitchen and Perkins are both a chain of family restaurants featuring diner-like menus with reasonably priced items. These companies are in the same ________. A) focus group   B) control group C) strategic group D) target group

Companies use secondary data, personal experience, and word of mouth to ________.   A) identify competitors' target customers and strategies   B) identify competitors' target locations and market share C) learn about their competitors' strengths and weaknesses

C) learn about their competitors' strengths & weaknesses

_______ is the process of comparing the company's products and processes to those of competitors or leading firms in other industries to find ways to improve quality and performance. A) Segmenting   B) Positioning C) Sales promotion D) Benchmarking

Benchmarking has become a powerful tool for increasing a company's ________. A) product mix B) mass appeal C) employee training services   D) distribution channels E) competitiveness

A firm should compete with ________ competitors in order to sharpen its abilities. Succeeding against these competitors often provides greater returns.   A) strong   B) international   C) weak   D) distant 

An analysis conducted to determine what benefits target customers value and how they rate the relative value of various competitors' offers is known as ________.   A) customer lifetime value   B) customer value analysis C) quantitative analysis   D) brand value proposition

B) customer value analysis

In conducting ________, the company first identifies the major attributes that customers value and the importance customers place on these attributes. Next, it assesses its performance against competitors on those valued attributes. A) a customer value analysis   B) benchmarking C) entrepreneurial marketingTerm

A) customer value analysis

A market research firm conducts a survey of soft-drink consumers to assess Pepsi's and Coke's strengths and weaknesses in attributes valued by both company's target customers. The market research firm is using a(n) ________. A) customer lifetime value estimation   B) global marketing strategy C) customer value analysis

C) Customer value analysis

If a company's offer delivers greater value by exceeding the competitor's offer on important attributes, the company can charge a higher price and ________, or it can charge the same price and ________.   A) earn lower profits; gain higher profits   B) earn higher profits; lose profits   C) earn higher profits; gain more market share  

C) earn higher profits; gain more market share

Most companies will compete with ________ rather than ________. A) distant competitors; close competitors B) close competitors; distant competitors C) benchmarkers; distant competitors

B) close competitors; distant competitors

A company's close competitors are ________. A) considered "bad" competitors B) a serious threat and hence, must be attacked rather than ignored C) those that most resemble the company's operations

C) those that most resemble the company's operations

Which of the following are examples of close competitors? A) Applebee's and Subway B) Taco Bell and T.G.I. Friday's C) Pizza Hut and Burger King D) McDonald's and Taco Bell E) McDonald's and Burger King

E) Mcdonald's & burger king

What is most likely a strategic benefit of the existence of competitors? A) Competitors seldom lead to product differentiation. B) Competitors help legitimize new technologies. C) Competitors exclusively serve more-attractive segments.

B) Competitors help legitimize new technlogies

An industry often contains "good" and "bad" competitors. Good competitors ________. A) break the rules of fair competition B) ensure minimum competition between firms C) play by the rules of the industry

C) play by the rules of the industry

Most competitors in the music download industry see Apple's iTunes Music Store as a ________ because it created a closed system with mass appeal. A) good competitor   B) marginal competitor C) weak competitor D) bad competitor

Rather than competing head to head with established competitors, many companies seek out unoccupied positions in uncontested market spaces. They try to create products and services for which there are no direct competitors. This is called:A) horizontal integration approach B) commercialization process C) blue ocean strategy 

An example of a company exhibiting a blue ocean strategy is ________. A) Amazon's online shopping convenience B) a Starbucks opening in the same vicinity of an independent coffee house C)the first digital tablet iPad released by Apple

C)the first digital tablet iPad released by Apple  

Tomorrow's leading companies will succeed by seeking out unoccupied positions in uncontested market spaces. Such strategic moves, termed ________, create powerful leaps in value for both the firm and its buyers, creating new demand for new products.   A) customer lifetime value B) customer equity C) value innovation

Which is the first step taken in the competitive intelligence system?   A) collect published data and information from the field   B) check, interpret, and organize gathered information   C) identify the vital types of competitive information needed  

C) identify the vital types of competitive info needed

The competitive intelligence system continuously collects information from the field through ________. A) government publications B) online monitoring C) speeches D) online databases

Essential-Beauty considers one of its most important competitors to be Look-Lovely, another marketer of high-end makeup and skin care products sold in drug stores. Based on this, it is most accurate to say that Look-Lovely and Essential-Beauty are both A) niche marketers   B) in the same strategic group C) distant competitors 

B) in the same strategic group

Company e-mailed a survey to a group of most loyal customers. Survey asked what makeup/ skin care characteristics were most impt. to them. The company's mktg staff ranked the performance of products in each of the categories. Essentials was conducting a(n) A) customer lifetime value survey B) customer value analysis

B) customer value analysis

TRUE/FALSE: To plan effective marketing strategies, the company must ignore its competitors. 

TRUE/FALSE: A competitive analysis involves first identifying and assessing competitors and then selecting which competitors to attack or avoid.  

TRUE/FALSE: At the narrowest level, a company can define its competitors as other companies offering similar products and services to the same customers at similar prices.  

TRUE/FALSE: A group of firms in an industry following the same or a similar strategy in a given target market is known as a strategic group. Term

TRUE/FALSE: Benchmarking involves comparing the firm's products and processes to those of the competitors to identify best practices to improve quality and performance.  

TRUE/FALSE: Continuous innovation is a weak response by a company trying to protect its market share.  

TRUE/FALSE: Most companies prefer to compete against strong competitors.  

TRUE/FALSE: In some markets, competitors live in relative harmony.  

TRUE/FALSE Most companies tend to compete with distant competitors that are typically unlike them, rather than with close competitors.  

TRUE/FALSE: The presence of competitors may serve less-attractive segments or lead to more product differentiation.  

TRUE/FALSE: "Destroying" a close competitor can actually damage a company's market share in the long run

TRUE/FALSE: The existence of competitors in a market may cause a decrease in total demand. 

TRUE/FALSE The goal of a "blue ocean strategy" is to make competition irrelevant. 

TRUE/FALSE The competitive intelligence system of a company supplies key information to relevant decision makers about the company's competitors.  

TRUE/FALSE: A good competitor plays by its own rules at the expense of the industry as a whole.

A company uses x to identify best practices and find ways to improve its own product quality and performance.

A competitor analysis requires the assessment of all of the following EXCEPT the competitors' ________. A) objectives B) organizational hierarchy C) strategies D) strengths and weaknesses

B) organizational hierarchy

Strategies that strongly position a company against competitors and that give the company the best possible strategic advantage are ________ strategies. A) competitor analysis B) customer relationship   C) competitive marketing D) competitive relationship  

Companies that operate large marketing departments, conduct expensive marketing research, spell out elaborate competitive strategies, and spend huge sums on advertising are using ________ marketing strategies. A) informal   B) formulated   C) entrepreneurial D) intrepreneurial

As small companies achieve success, they inevitably move toward more ________ marketing. They adopt more-developed marketing tools and adhere to them closely. A) ambush   B) formulated   C) entrepreneurial   D) intrepreneurial   E) multi-level

Dell produces and delivers PCs of competitive quality at lower costs. The company constantly aims to achieve low production and distribution costs to win a large market share. Dell utilizes a(n) ________ strategy very effectively. A) overall cost leadership   B) differentiation C) focus

A) overall cost leadership

Porsche is a German automobile manufacturer that competes against BMW and Audi, but only in the sports car and SUV segments of the automobile market. Porsche utilizes a(n) ________ strategy. A) overall cost leadership   B) focus C) middle-of-the-roaders

Companies that pursue a clear strategy will likely perform well. Firms that do not pursue a clear strategy are called ________. A) jack-of-all-trades B) middle-of-the-roaders C) niches D) red oceans

Sears and Holiday Inn encountered difficult times because they did not stand out as the lowest in cost, highest in perceived value, or best in service of their primary target market segment. Both companies are ________. A) niches   B) jack-of-all-trades   C) middle-of the roaders   D) red oceans

When a company provides superior value by leading its industry in price and convenience, it has obtained ________. A) product leadership B) focus C) operational excellence D) customer intimacy

C) operational excellence

Fifty percent of the market is in the hands of Company A, 30 percent is in the hands of Company B, 15 percent is in the hands of Company C, and the remaining 5 percent is in the hands of Company D. Based on these hypothetical numbers, Company B is the market ________. A) leader   B) challenger   C) follower   D) nicher

A runner-up firm that wants to hold its share in an industry without rocking the boat is a ________. A) market follower B) market maven C) market challenger D) market nicher

Firms that serve small segments not being pursued by other firms are called ________. A) market followers B) market mavens C) market challengers D) market nichers

Which of the following is a market leader strategy? A) expanding market share B) multiple niching C) full frontal attack D) following at a distance

A) expanding market share

TRUE/FALSE: Companies with multiple products or businesses typically choose one marketing strategy for all their different businesses or products.  

________ are those runner-up firms that are working to increase their market share in an industry.   A) Market leaders   B) Market challengers C) Market followers D) Market mavens

TRUE/FALSE: An advantage of a competitor-centered company is that it ends up simply matching or extending industry practices rather than seeking innovative new ways to create more value for customers.  

When companies watch both their buyers and their competitors, they are called ________ companies. A) product-centered B) market-centered   C) customer-centered   D) competitor-centered

TRUE/FALSE: Market challengers can grow by further increasing their market shares.  

TRUE/FALSE: Firms competing in a given target market, at any point in time, are similar in their objectives and resources.  

Name the 3 value disciplines

1) Operational excellence 2) customer intimacy 3) product leadership

A company that focuses on customer developments in designing its marketing strategies and on delivering superior value to its target customers is a ________ company. A) market-centered   B) cost-centered C) competitor-centered D) customer-centered  

A x-centered company spends most of its time tracking competitors' moves and market shares and tries to find strategies to counter them.  

A x-centered company focuses more on customer developments in designing its strategies. By watching customer needs evolve, they can decide what customer groups and what emerging needs are the most important to serve.  

A market nicher can most likely specialize along all of the following lines EXCEPT ________. A) specific end users B) unique products C) customized services D) quality-price E) mass marketing

Which is most critical for successful niching? A) catering to global markets B) buzz marketing C) follow-up D) specialization

Whereas the mass marketer achieves ________, the nicher achieves ________. A) low margins; low volume B) low volume; high margins C) high volume; high margins D) high volume; low margins

C) high volume, high margins

Almost every industry includes firms that specialize in serving target subsegments called market ________. A) niches B) mavens   C) baskets D) indicators E) mixes

Rather than challenging head on, a challenger can make a(n) ________ attack on the competitor's weaknesses or on gaps in the competitor's market coverage. A) bypass   B) frontal   C) indirect   D) guerrilla

________ can adopt one of two competitive strategies: they can challenge the leader or they can play along with competitors and not rock the boat. A) Runner-up firms B) Market nichers C) Global investors

Profitability increases as a business gains share relative to competitors in its ________. A) higher market B) direct market C) secondary market D) served market

Which is the best response a company can make to competitive threats? A) continuous innovation B) surrender to the competitor C) exit from the market

The market subsegment that a company exclusively caters to may dry up, or it might grow to the point that it attracts larger competitors. This is why such companies practice ________. A) multiple niching   B) mass marketing C) overall cost leadership

TRUE/FALSE: Entrepreneurial marketing exclusively involves developing formal marketing strategies and adhering to them closely. 

TRUE/FALSE: Many large and mature companies get stuck in formulated marketing. They pore over the latest Nielsen numbers, scan market research reports, and try to fine-tune their competitive strategies and programs. 

Which is a negative aspect of a competitor-centered company? A) It may end up simply matching industry practices. B) It fails to identify competitors' weaknesses. C) It becomes stable and unreactive.

A) it may end up simply matching industry practices

TRUE/FALSE: Gary Hirshberg started the Stonyfield Farm yogurt company. His marketing strategy: building a casual bond with customers using guerilla marketing. This is an example of formulated marketing

TRUE/FALSE: According to the overall cost leadership competitive strategy, the company works hard to achieve the lowest production and distribution costs.  

Which conditions would enable higher market share to produce higher profits?   A) when unit costs drop as market share increases B) when unit costs increase as market share increases C) when production volume drops as market share increases

A) when unit costs drop as market share increases

A market challenger that matches the competitor's product, advertising, price, and distribution efforts is most likely ________.   A) creating multiple niches B) pursuing an indirect attack   C) launching a full frontal attack D) exiting from the current market  

C) launching a full frontal attack

Market leaders can expand the market by ________ and more usage of the product. A) identifying competitors B) initiating monopolistic practices C) developing new users D) ensuring users adhere to higher standards

Marketers can expand markets by discovering and promoting ________. A) subliminal points of interest B) the deficiencies of competitors C) subtle advantages of the product D) new uses of the product E) green technologies  

D) new uses of the product

The market leader normally gains the most when ________. A) its total market diminishes B) it achieves expanded market share C) its personal communication channels expand D) the niche marketing efforts by other firms expand

B) it achieves expanded market share

Most of the market is in the hands of the ________, the firm with the largest market share. A) market challenger B) market follower C) market leader D) market nicher

Which is a competitive position or role that firms play in the target market? A) surrogate consumer B) market analyst C) market maven D) market nicher E) laggard

If a company's aim is to make its own and competing products obsolete and serve customers who want state-of-the-art products and services, it is using a value discipline called ________. A) overall cost leadership   B) product activation C) product binning D) product leadership

American Express will do almost anything to build long-term customer loyalty and to capture customer lifetime value. Which competitive marketing strategies is being pursued by American Express?   A) consumer capitalism   B) customer equity   C) product differentiation   D) product leadership   E) customer intimacy  

Which are market challenger strategies? A) expand total market and protect market share B) expand market share and follow closely C) full frontal attack and indirect attack

C) full frontal attack & indirect attack

Discuss the steps in analyzing competitors. --Creating a) advantage begins with competitor analysis. 1) The company's b) must be identified.   2) Assessing competitors' objectives, strategies, strengths, weaknesses, and reaction patterns.   Based on this information, the company can select which competitors to attack or c). 

a) competitive b) competitors c) avoid

Explain how the U.S.P.S has "competitor myopia." The U.S..P.S. loses billions of $s every year, but direct competitors such as FedEx and UPS aren't the problem. Instead, indirect competition from the a) has hurt the U.S. Postal Service's revenue, as more people b) and make c) transactions rather than mail transactions.

a) Internet b) e-mail c) online

Discuss the different levels at which competitors can be identified. (broad-broadest) 1) Offering similar products & services to the same customers at a) prices.   2) All firms making the same product or b) of products. 3) All companies making products that supply the same c)   4) All companies that compete for the same consumer d)

a) similar b) class d) service d) dollars

A x group is a group of firms in an industry following the same or a similar strategy in a given target market.  

General Electric and Whirlpool belong to the same strategic group because:

each produces a full line of medium-price appliances supported by good service. 

Which is true of the approaches to marketing strategy?   A) Intrepreneurial marketing applies to companies that sometimes lose their marketing creativity and passion that they had at the start. B) As small companies achieve success, they inevitably move away from more-formulated marketing

A) Intrepreneurial marketing applies to companies that sometimes lose their marketing creativity & passion that they had at the start

What are the stages that the approaches to marketing strategy and practice usually pass through?   A) ambush marketing, multi-level marketing, and guerrilla marketing B) entrepreneurial marketing, formulated marketing, and intrepreneurial marketing  

Most companies are started by individuals who live by their wits. They visualize an opportunity, take risks, and knock on every door to gain attention. Which stage in the marketing strategy is being illustrated here? A) exponential marketing   B) formulated marketing   C) entrepreneurial marketing

C) entrepreneurial marketing

According to Michael Porter, what are three effective competitive positioning strategies?   A) middle-of-the-roaders, focus, and overall cost leadership   B) focus, differentiation, and middle-of-the-roaders   C) overall cost leadership, differentiation, and middle-of-the-roaders   D) overall cost leadership, differentiation, and focus

D) overall cost leadership, differentiation, & focus

Which are value discipline strategies? A) operational excellence, overall cost leadership, and differentiation   B) customer intimacy, operational excellence, and focus   C) employee relations, product leadership, and overall cost leadership   D) operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leadership

D) operational excellence, customer intimacy & product leadership

Fifty percent of the market is in the hands of Company A, 30 percent is in the hands of Company B, 15 percent is in the hands of Company C, and the remaining 5 percent is in the hands of Company D. Based on these hypothetical numbers, Company D is the market ________.   A) leader   B) challenger   C) follower   D) nicher  

Michael Porter suggested four basic competitive positioning strategies that companies can follow, three winning strategies and one losing one. Name them.

3 Winning: Overall cost leadership, differentiation, focus. 1 Losing: Middle-of-the-roaders

"when the company works hard to achieve the lowest production and distribution costs"

"when the company concentrates on creating a highly differentiated product line and marketing program so that it comes across as the class leader in the industry.   "

"When the company puts its efforts on serving a few market segments well rather than going after the whole market. "

"Firms that do not pursue a clear strategy. Do not do well"

A company can become so ________ centered that it loses its even more important focus on maintaining profitable ________ relationships. A) customer; competitor B) competitor; customer C) market; customer D) market; competitor

Discuss why a company really needs & benefits from competitors: Competitors may share the costs of market and product development and help to legitimize new a) . They may serve less-attractive segments or lead to more product b) . Finally, competitors may help increase total c)

a) technologies b) differentiation c) demand

x competitors play by the rules of the industry

x competitors, in contrast, break the rules. They try to buy share rather than earn it, take large risks, and play by their own rules. 

Yahoo! Music Unlimited sees Apple's iTunes Music Store as a x competitor, one that plays by its own rules at the expense of the industry as a whole. With the iPod, Apple created a closed system with mass appeal. 

A company might be smart to support a) good/bad competitors, aiming its attacks at b) good/bad competitors.  

Companies that have been in existence for some time often lose the marketing creativity and passion that they had at the start. They often need to refresh their marketing strategies and try new approaches, known as A) multi-level marketing   B) formulated marketing   C) ambush marketing   D) intrepreneurial marketing  

D) intrepreneurial marketing

Walmart, Costco, and Southwest Airlines serve customers who want reliable, good-quality products or services that are also reasonable and easily available. These companies are all known for pursuing a value discipline known as A) operational excellence   B) customer intimacy   C) product differentiation   D) product leadership  

A) operational excellence

When companies serve customers who are willing to pay a premium to get precisely what they want and the company responds quickly to satisfy these customers' needs, the company has achieved ________. A) customer intimacy   B) product differentiation C) operational excellence

Although it might seem that the market leader has the most going for it, challengers often have what some strategists call a ________. The challenger observes what has made the leader successful and improves upon it.   A) "marketing myopia"   B) "second mover advantage" C) "absolute advantage"   D) "blue ocean strategy"

B) "second mover strategy"

Market niching is profitable because the company ________. A) copies or improves on the leader's products and programs, usually with much less investment   B) knows the needs of the target customer segment better than other firms that casually attempt to sell to the same segment

B) knows the needs of the target customer segment better than other firms that casually attempt to sell to the same segment  

Main reason a market nicher can succeed is that knows the target customer group so well that it meets the group's needs better than other firms that casually sell to that niche. Nicher can charge a substantial markup over costs because of the + value. Whereas the mass marketer achieves high a), the nicher achieves high b)

The marketing team at G.G. carefully tracks the moves of competing companies, watching for shifting strategies and new promotions. They stay in constant touch w/customers, using surveys and other feedback methods to find out what kind of services customers value the most. Greener-grass most likely has a x orientation.  

He stated that his company could do better with < advertising, < marketing research, & >guerrilla marketing. He came up w/innovative marketing ideas to promote his products such as having sales personnel dress up as large yogurt cartons to distribute free yogurt samples. Which mktng. strategy was being implemented by Hirshberg?  

entrepreneurial marketing

Samsung and Apple actively generate new ideas, relentlessly pursue new solutions, and quickly work to get new products to market. They serve customers who want state-of-the-art products and services, regardless of the costs in terms of price or inconvenience. Which value discipline is illustrated from this example? 

Which is most likely true of market follower strategies? A) Market followers have the resources to expand the market by developing new users, new uses, and more usage of its products.   B) Market followers must keep manufacturing costs and prices low or product quality and services high.

B) Market followers must keep manufacturing costs and prices low or product quality and services high.

ADP is only a fraction the size of software giant TTS Inc. ADP manufactures every variation of computer mouse imaginable (for left-handed people, wireless mice, shaped like actual mice, LED mice, etc.). Through skillful x,, the firm dominates the PC mouse market, w/TTS as its runner up. 

Explain how a market follower can gain advantage from a market leader

It can copy or improve on the leader's products and programs, usually with much less investment.

The market x often bears the huge expenses of developing new products and markets, expanding distribution, and educating the market

the market x can learn from the leader's experience.  

Which is a positive aspect of a competitor-centered company? A) It carries out its own customer relationship strategy. B) It bases its own moves on competitors' moves. C) It searches out competitors' weaknesses.

C) it searches out competitors' weaknesses

Companies normally learn about their competitors' strengths and weaknesses through a) data, personal experience, and word of mouth. They can also conduct primary marketing research with customers, suppliers, and dealers, or they can benchmark themselves against other firms.  

Competitive a) must be collected, interpreted, and distributed continuously. Company marketing managers should be able to obtain full and reliable information about any competitor affecting their decisions.  

Before deciding to launch the new line of products, E.B. conducted extensive market research to make sure the products were optimally positioned. A complete mktng. plan was established long before the products themselves were ready for market. E.B. was using x marketing

Lovelies is the leading workout & fitness center for women. Has traditionally catered to women age 40+ who are interested in strength and cardio. Lovelies has recently begun promotions to bring younger women into its gyms. This is an example of how the market leader A) competes with mature products B) develops new users 

Building a) customer b) requires satisfying target consumer needs better than competitors do. Must keep perform competitive c) to develop competitive marketing strategies that position it effectively against competitors & give it the strongest possible competitive d) 

a) profitable
b) relationships c) analysis d) advantage

In order to prepare an effective marketing strategy, a company must consider its x as well as its customers. 

x-intimate companies serve customers who are willing to pay a premium to get precisely what they want. They will do almost anything to build long-term customer loyalty and to capture customer lifetime value.