Question 1

Given that Angry Birds is available for iPhones,Microsoft,and Android phones,it is fair to say it enjoys __________.&#10;A) multiple distribution&#10;B) economies of scale in regard to marketing channels&#10;C) high-profile placement&#10;D) a price monopoly&#10;E) market segmentation

Accepted Answer

These three giants allow for marketing channels that can attain economies of scale (i.e.,specialization and division of labor)by marketing the app to end users.

Question 2

Because the Angry Birds app is sold through __________ you will probably never see it sold __________.&#10;A) wholesale distributors/directly to consumers&#10;B) virtual distributors/in a box&#10;C) virtual distribution/in spinoff forms for non-phone platforms&#10;D) retail channels/as a standalone product&#10;E) app stores alone/Game Stopper and the like

Accepted Answer

The Internet as well as cell phone networks has enabled virtual distributors to sell products that will never require conventional packaging.Spinoffs do exist,however,which are not apps.And these are being sold too as downloads as gaming systems have access to the Web.

Question 3

What Microsoft &#34;jumped the gun&#34; on in making it possible for users of its Windows Phone 7 to play Angry Birds can best be described as __________.&#10;A) intellectual theft, at least temporarily&#10;B) an intermediary&#10;C) a reseller&#10;D) a wholesale distributor&#10;E) a franchisee

Accepted Answer

In the marketing channel for apps,Microsoft,like the Apple's App Store,would play the role of an intermediary in the transaction.

Question 4

Just like a company that manufacturers the smartphones on which users can play Angry Birds,Rovio Mobile benefits from the principle of __________ in distributing its product via Microsoft,the App Store,and Android Market?

A) economies of scale
B) intermediaries
C) contact efficiency
D) overcoming discrepancies
E) all of the above

Accepted Answer

The contact efficiency of having these online stores means that the producer,Rovio,is free from the costs of making its own transactions with end users.

Question 5

At this writing,you cannot download Angry Birds for your BlackBerry phone.As yet Angry Birds can't achieve the kind of economies of scale it could producing the app.

Accepted Answer

Since BlackBerry cannot sell Angry Birds,it just means it cannot be part of its market channel.However,it can compete with its knockoff,Angry Farm.

Question 6

None of the classic marketing discrepancies apply to the marketing channels for a downloadable product such as Angry Birds.

Accepted Answer

As a downloadable product, Angry Birds is not subject to traditional marketing discrepancies such as product distribution or physical accessibility. The product can be downloaded by anyone with an internet connection, making it widely accessible to consumers around the world.

Question 7

Which of the following nonstore outlets would best describe Microsoft's mode of selling Angry Birds?&#10;A) automatic vending&#10;B) online retailing&#10;C) online vending machine&#10;D) direct retailing&#10;E) none of the above since an app store is a store

Accepted Answer

Purchasing an app on a smartphone is analogous to purchasing it on PC via the Web.

Question 8

Online sales of apps should always be seen as a direct channel to consumers.

Accepted Answer

Online sales is often,indeed more often,done through middlemen.In this case,the middleman was Microsoft in a retailer channel.

Question 9

Rovio Mobile,in its ongoing negotiations with Microsoft described in the case,was being courted by the software giant to sell Angry Birds to the users of its Windows Phone 7 platform.

Accepted Answer

The producer,Rovio,would not be conducting its own transactions with phone users.Microsoft would handle these.So neither would be a direct seller.

Question 10

Which of the following channel functions applies in the download delivery of Angry Birds?&#10;A) logistics&#10;B) facilitating&#10;C) promoting&#10;D) assorting&#10;E) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Microsoft,in its premature advertisement of Angry Birds,was promoting the product.It also facilitates it in the information it gathers about who downloads the game,it performs the assorting function,too,and Windows Phone 7 servers and phones provide the logistics for getting the game to the consumer.

Deck 50: Microsoft Implies Distribution of Angry Birds on Windows Phone 7