Question 1

________ consists of people,equipment,and procedures to gather,sort,analyze,evaluate,and distribute needed,timely,and accurate information to marketing decision makers.
A) A marketing information system
B) A marketing research system
C) A marketing intelligence system
D) A promotional campaign
E) A marketing database

Accepted Answer

The description matches the definition of a marketing information system, which is designed to provide relevant and timely information to support marketing decision-making.

Question 2

The major responsibility for identifying significant marketplace changes falls to the ________.
A) U.S. Department of Labor
B) company's marketers
C) American Marketing Association
D) industry lobby groups found in Washington D.C.
E) marketing research industry

Accepted Answer

The company's marketers are the ones responsible for identifying significant marketplace changes as they are constantly monitoring and analyzing market trends, consumer behavior, competitive activities, and technological innovations that can impact their business. While other entities such as the U.S. Department of Labor, American Marketing Association, industry lobby groups, and marketing research industry can provide valuable insights and data, ultimately it is the company's marketers who should be leading the charge in identifying and responding to marketplace changes.

Question 3

All of the following questions EXCEPT one would be considered to be forms of information needs probes.Which one
A) What decisions do you regularly make?
B) What information do you need to make decisions?
C) What data analysis programs would you want?
D) What magazines and trade reports would you like to see on a regular basis?
E) What products would be most closely matched to consumer needs?

Accepted Answer

The question about products closely matched to consumer needs is more about understanding consumer preferences rather than probing for information needs.

Question 4

A significant fact about population growth and population shifts is that in 2005,________.
A) the youth market exceeded that of the adult market
B) people over the age of 60 outnumbered those under five years of age
C) baby boomers were eclipsed by Gen X young adults
D) most age group segments were about equal
E) N Generation young adults surpassed the baby boomers as the largest age segment

Accepted Answer

According to the given information, in 2005, people over the age of 60 outnumbered those under five years of age. Therefore, option B is the correct answer. The other options are not supported by the given fact.

Question 5

________ have been described as "large social,economic,political and technological changes [that] are slow to form,and once in place,they influence us for some time-between seven and ten years,or longer.
A) Fads
B) Fashions
C) Trends
D) Megatrends
E) Styles

Accepted Answer

The description given matches with the definition of Megatrends. Megatrends are long-term, pervasive changes that have the potential to affect a whole society or industry and last for a significant period, usually between seven to ten years or even longer. Fads and fashions are short-term and do not have a significant impact on society, whereas trends and styles may last for a few years but are not as significant as Megatrends.

Question 6

The company's marketing information system should be a cross between what managers think they need,what managers really need,and ________.
A) what the marketing research department is able to do
B) what consumers are willing to share
C) what the competition is doing
D) what is acceptable industry practice
E) what is economically feasible

Accepted Answer

The marketing information system should balance managers' needs with what is economically feasible to ensure that the system is practical and sustainable.

Question 7

One of the difficulties of using chat rooms and blogs to collect competitive intelligence is that ________.
A) their unstructured nature makes it difficult for marketers to find relevant messages
B) people are generally unwilling to share their perspective on products and services without being paid for them
C) they constitute a very expensive form of market research
D) it is difficult to access chat rooms and blogs because of privacy issues
E) All of the above are difficulties experienced when using chat rooms and blogs to collect competitive intelligence.

Accepted Answer

Chat rooms and blogs are often unstructured and contain large amounts of irrelevant information, making it difficult for marketers to find relevant messages. While privacy issues and people's reluctance to share their perspectives without compensation can also be challenges, these are not universal difficulties inherent in using these tools for competitive intelligence collection. Additionally, while chat rooms and blogs may not be free, they are not necessarily an expensive form of market research compared to other methods.

Question 8

With the rapidly changing global picture,the firm must monitor six major forces.All of the following would be among those forces EXCEPT ________.
A) demographic
B) economic
C) social-cultural
D) natural
E) promotional

Accepted Answer

The six major forces that a firm must monitor are demographic, economic, social-cultural, technological, natural, and political-legal. "Promotional" is not a major force that a firm needs to monitor.

Question 9

All of the following would be considered to be steps to improve the quality of marketing intelligence in a company EXCEPT ________.
A) training and motivating the sales force to spot and report new developments
B) using guerrilla tactics such as going through a competitor's trash
C) motivating intermediaries to pass along important information
D) networking externally
E) purchasing information from outside suppliers

Accepted Answer

Going through a competitor's trash is illegal and unethical and should not be used as a step to improve the quality of marketing intelligence in a company.

Question 10

There are several ways marketers can find relevant online information on competitors' products and weaknesses,summary comments,and overall performance rating of a product,service,or supplier.________ is(are)a type of site that is concentrated in financial services and high-tech products that require professional knowledge.
A) Independent customer goods and service reviews
B) Distributor or sales agent feedback sites
C) Combo sites offering customer reviews and expert opinions
D) Customer complaint sites
E) Shopping bot service sites

Accepted Answer

Combo sites offering customer reviews and expert opinions are the best choice for finding relevant online information on competitors' products and weaknesses, summary comments, and overall performance rating of a product, service, or supplier. These sites combine both customer reviews and expert opinions, providing a more comprehensive and balanced view of the product or service in question. While independent customer goods and service reviews and customer complaint sites can also be useful, they may not provide the level of expertise or professional knowledge required for financial services and high-tech products. Distributor or sales agent feedback sites may also be biased and may not provide an objective view of the product or service. Shopping bot service sites are focused on price comparison rather than providing detailed information on product performance and weaknesses.

Question 11

A ________ is a direction or sequence of events that has some momentum and durability; the shape of the future is revealed and many opportunities are provided.
A) fad
B) fashion
C) trend
D) megatrend
E) style

Accepted Answer

A trend is a general direction in which something is developing or changing, and it often has momentum and durability, revealing the shape of the future and providing opportunities.

Question 12

A company can take several steps to improve the quality of its marketing intelligence.If the company purchases competitive products for study,attends open houses and trade shows,and reads competitors' published reports and stockholder information,the company is using ________ to improve the quality of its marketing intelligence.
A) sales-force surrogates
B) intermediaries
C) external networks
D) advisory panels
E) customer feedback systems

Accepted Answer

External networks refer to external sources of information such as attending trade shows or reading published reports, which can provide a company with valuable marketing intelligence on competitors. Sales-force surrogates and advisory panels are internal sources of information, while intermediaries are third-party agents that facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers. Customer feedback systems are specific tools for gathering information from customers. Therefore, C is the best choice for this question.

Question 13

The internal records system supplies results data,but the marketing intelligence system supplies ________ data.
A) concurrent
B) secondary
C) research
D) happenings
E) premium

Accepted Answer

The marketing intelligence system supplies "happenings" data, which refers to real-time or current events and trends that can affect marketing strategies.

Question 14

A ________ is a set of procedures and sources managers use to obtain everyday information about developments in the marketing environment.
A) marketing research system
B) marketing information system
C) product management system
D) marketing intelligence system
E) vertical system

Accepted Answer

A marketing intelligence system is designed to gather and analyze everyday information about developments in the marketing environment, helping managers make informed decisions.

Question 15

The beginning of the new century brought a series of new challenges.All of the following would be considered to be among those challenges EXCEPT ________.
A) a deterioration of innovative ideas
B) the steep decline of the stock market
C) increasing unemployment
D) corporate scandals
E) the rise of terrorism

Accepted Answer

The other choices are all challenges that arose in the beginning of the new century, but a deterioration of innovative ideas is not typically considered a major challenge at that time.

Question 16

When a marketer "mines" his or her company's database,fresh insights can be gained into neglected customer segments,________,and other useful information.
A) recent customer trends
B) long-term competitive trends
C) possible new inventions
D) possible new technologies
E) new primary data possibilities

Accepted Answer

Mining the company's database can provide information about recent customer trends, allowing marketers to better serve and target these customers. Neglected customer segments can also be identified through this process, allowing for new opportunities and strategies to be developed. However, the other options – long-term competitive trends, possible new inventions, possible new technologies, and new primary data possibilities – may require different research methods or sources of information.

Question 17

The main demographic force that marketers monitor is ________.
A) suppliers
B) competitors
C) communication (such as advertising)
D) government reports dealing with birth rates
E) population

Accepted Answer

The main demographic force that marketers monitor is the population, which includes factors such as age, gender, income, education, and location. By understanding demographic trends, marketers can tailor their products and marketing strategies to better reach and appeal to specific target audiences. Government reports dealing with birth rates can also provide valuable information about population trends. However, suppliers, competitors, and communication are not considered demographic forces.

Question 18

The 2000 U.S.census provides an in-depth look at the population swings,demographic groups,regional migrations,and changing family structure of 281+ million people.Which of the following steps to improve the quality of a company marketing intelligence system would be most closely associated with this illustration
A) A company can purchase information from outside suppliers.
B) A company can take advantage of government data sources.
C) A company can use online customer feedback systems to collect data.
D) A company can network externally.
E) A company can use its sales force to collect and report data.

Accepted Answer

The example given in the question specifically mentions the U.S. census, which is a government data source. Therefore, taking advantage of government data sources would be the most closely associated step to improve the quality of the marketing intelligence system.

Question 19

The heart of the internal records system is the ________.
A) database
B) asset acquisition process
C) order-to-payment cycle
D) service consideration
E) information liquidity ratio

Accepted Answer

The order-to-payment cycle is a critical component of the internal records system as it tracks the entire process from order placement to payment, ensuring efficient management of transactions and customer interactions.

Question 20

A ________ is "unpredictable,short-lived,and without social,economic,and political significance."
A) fad
B) fashion
C) trend
D) megatrend
E) style

Accepted Answer

Fads are short-lived and unpredictable. They do not have any significant impact on the social, economic, or political spheres. Fashion, trends, megatrends, and styles are more long-lasting and can have a significant impact on society.

Quiz 3: Gathering Information and Scanning the Environment

________ consists of people,equipment,and procedures to gather,sort,analyze,evaluate,and distribute needed,timely,and accurate information to marketing decision makers.

The major responsibility for identifying significant marketplace changes falls to the ________.

All of the following questions EXCEPT one would be considered to be forms of information needs probes.Which one

A significant fact about population growth and population shifts is that in 2005,________.

________ have been described as "large social,economic,political and technological changes [that] are slow to form,and once in place,they influence us for some time-between seven and ten years,or longer.

The company's marketing information system should be a cross between what managers think they need,what managers really need,and ________.

One of the difficulties of using chat rooms and blogs to collect competitive intelligence is that ________.

With the rapidly changing global picture,the firm must monitor six major forces.All of the following would be among those forces EXCEPT ________.

All of the following would be considered to be steps to improve the quality of marketing intelligence in a company EXCEPT ________.

A ________ is a direction or sequence of events that has some momentum and durability; the shape of the future is revealed and many opportunities are provided.

The internal records system supplies results data,but the marketing intelligence system supplies ________ data.

A ________ is a set of procedures and sources managers use to obtain everyday information about developments in the marketing environment.

The beginning of the new century brought a series of new challenges.All of the following would be considered to be among those challenges EXCEPT ________.

When a marketer "mines" his or her company's database,fresh insights can be gained into neglected customer segments,________,and other useful information.

The main demographic force that marketers monitor is ________.

The heart of the internal records system is the ________.

A ________ is "unpredictable,short-lived,and without social,economic,and political significance."