Question: Analyze Allstate’s Mayhem ads based on

> Regents Corporation is a recently acquired U.S. manufacturing subsidiary located on the outskirts of London. Its products are marketed principally in the United Kingdom with sales invoiced in pounds and prices determined by local competitive conditions.

> Exhibit 5-9 ranks 34 countries on earnings opacity. Which five countries have the most surprising placement? Why do you say so? EXHIBIT 5-9 Earnings Opacity Ranking of Countries from Least to Most 25. South Africa 26. Malaysia 27. Italy 28. Pakista

> The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published its revised Principles of Corporate Governance in 2004. Required: Obtain the document from the OECD Web site (www.oecd.org). a. Outline the six sections of the OECD’s corporate

> Explain how international accounting differs from purely domestic accounting.

> Exhibit 5-8 is the corporate governance disclosure of the Volvo Group. Some of the disclosures relate to independence requirements for the board of directors and audit committee. Required: a. What is the independence requirement for the board of direct

> The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has developed a set of guidelines for social responsibility reporting. Required: Go to the GRI Web site (www.globalreporting. org) and find its guidelines. The disclosure guidelines are categorized as indicators of

> Corporate social responsibility (CSR), as practiced by business, means many different things. Consider the following: “At one end of the broad span of CSR lie corporate policies that any wellrun company ought to have in place anyway, policies that are ca

> Exhibit 5-4 presents the independent assurance report on Roche’s sustainability reporting. The auditor’s engagement was carried out “in accordance with International Standards on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000.” Required: a. Go to the World Wide Web

> Exhibit 5-3 presents the safety and environmental disclosure of Roche. Required: Comparing the three years: (1) Which measures show an improved record of safety and environmental protection? (2) Which measures show a worse record of safety and envir

> Exhibit 5-2 presents the employment disclosure of Roche. Required: a. How do the employment levels compare between the periods presented? Where are Roche’s employees located? b. Which regions of the world have the highest turnover ra

> Exhibit 5-1 presents the business-segment and geographic-segment information of Lafarge, a French company that uses International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in it consolidated financial statements. /// Required: Go to the Web site of the In

> The Outlook section in Daimler’s 2008 annual report may be found at http://ar2008.daimler. com/daimler/annual/2008/gb/English/pdf/ 04_DAI_AR2008_Management-Report.pdf (pp. 82–87). Required: Provide (1) a list of items forecasted (e.g., sales, profits,

> Why are multinational corporations increasingly being held accountable to constituencies other than traditional investor groups?

> The chapter discusses the objectives of investororiented markets: investor protection and market quality. Transparent financial reporting is important for achieving these objectives. What is transparent financial reporting? Explain how transparent financ

> Outsourcing, especially from vendors located abroad, has become a politically sensitive issue, especially in the United States. Do you think this argument has merit? What are the consequences of this debate for international accounting?

> On October 3, 2000, E-centives, incorporated in the United States, made an initial public offering on the Swiss Stock Exchange’s New Market. The company raised approximately US$40 million. E-centive’s offering circular

> Analyze Alibaba’s business model relative to all the different forms of digital and online marketing covered in this chapter.

> Given that Alibaba does not own or distribute any of the merchandise exchanged on its sites, describe what factors had to develop for the company to succeed.

> As a digital retailer, how does Alibaba provide value to Chinese consumers? What sets of values are unique to the Chinese market?

> Should all companies consider reducing their sales forces in favor of telemarketing? Discuss the pros and cons of this action.

> Refer to Appendix 2, Marketing by the Numbers, to determine the marketing return on sales (marketing ROS) and return on marketing investment (marketing ROI) for Company A and Company B in the chart below. Which company is performing better? Explain.

> Many marketers are still learning how to use social media platforms effectively to engage customers in meaningful relationships. Locate three social media platforms used by the Kenneth Cole brand to engage customers. Is the brand’s marketing message cons

> Kenneth Cole believes that his controversial tweets improve business and provoke conversation and awareness. Is this an effective use of social media to engage customers with the brand? Why or why not?

> Discuss advantages and disadvantages of “Buy” buttons for social media sites like Pinterest and search engines like Google. What are the advantages and disadvantages for marketers making their goods available through “Buy” buttons on these sites?

> What competitive advantage does Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) have over other social media that might make its “Buy” button more successful?

> Although mobile advertising makes up a small percentage of online advertising, it is one of the fastest-growing advertising channels. But one obstacle is measuring return on investment in mobile. How are marketers measuring the return on investment in mo

> Visit www.krazycouponlady.com and browse a deal you would consider purchasing. After identifying the deal, conduct an online price comparison at various retailers to determine the range of prices you would typically pay for the product. Present your conc

> In a small group, search the internet to locate a controversial or failed social media campaign. Present an analysis of the failed campaign. Make a recommendation on how to address the controversy.

> What is phishing, and how does it affect internet marketing?

> Discuss the benefits of direct and digital marketing to buyers and sellers.

> Can Alibaba succeed in countries outside of China? Why or why not?

> Identify specific ways SunGard’s transformational plan addresses the different steps of managing the sales force.

> How would the challenges faced by SunGard have impacted sales productivity had the company not initiated its transformational plan?

> What are the positive and negative aspects of SunGard’s new sales force structure?

> At what level of sales would it be more cost efficient for Wheels to use sales agents compared to its own sales force? To determine this, consider the fixed and variable costs for each alternative. What are the pros and cons of using a company’s own sale

> Refer to Appendix 2 to answer this question. Determine the number of salespeople Wheels needs if it has 1,000 bicycle shop accounts that need to be called on four times per year. Each sales call lasts approximately 2.5 hours, and each sales rep has appro

> Read Staples’s code of ethics at www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/staples_soul/documents/staples- code-of-ethics_english.pdf. Is the situation outlined above consistent with Staples’s ethics policies? Is “walking the customer” a violation of the ethics

> Identify three online price-comparison shopping sites or apps and shop for a product you are interested in purchasing. Compare the price ranges given at the three sites. Based on your search, determine a “fair” price for the product.

> A company’s sales force creates and communicates customer value by personally engaging customers and building customer relationships. With its Market Basket approach, was Staples focusing on building customer value and relationships? Explain.

> The profitable growth potential for SnipSnap is in the enterprise market where it provides mobile promotion services to retailers. SnipSnap is working with retailers to create and manage geo-conquesting campaigns. Research what this is and create a prese

> Research other types of apps that rely on smartphone cameras to redeem a sales promotion offer. Explain how they work and how they are similar to and different from SnipSnap.

> In a small group, design a sales promotion campaign using online, social media, and mobile marketing for a small business or organization in your community. Develop a presentation to pitch your campaign to the business or organization and incorporate wha

> What is sales promotion? Discuss its growth as a short-term consumer promotion tool.

> What is social selling, and how is it affecting the sales function in organizations?

> Name and describe the four sales compensation elements. What are the various compensation combinations, and how can they be used to achieve the company’s marketing objectives?

> Will “Selling the SunGard Way” really work? Why or why not?

> Based on the information in this case, how might Allstate measure the effectiveness of the Mayhem campaign?

> Discuss issues of selecting advertising media for the Mayhem campaign. How might this process differ from that of campaigns for other companies?

> Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber producer, recently agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing along with 25 other automotive suppliers. What is price-fixing? Discuss other recent examples of price fixing.

> Why has Allstate’s “good hands” slogan withstood the test of time to become advertising’s longest-running slogan?

> Calculate the cost per thousand (CPM) and cost per point (CPP) for each program. How should advertisers use these measures when planning a television media buy?

> How many households are expected to watch each program? C3 Rating 7.9 Program Sunday Night Football The Big Bang Theory The Voice Cost per 30 second spot $594,000 $317,000 $264,575 5.1 3.9 $168,435 $169,730 How I Met Your Mother 3.2 Agents of S.H.I.

> Are the FTC’s current regulations and guidelines regarding online advertising adequate for regulating native advertising and sponsored content? Is it likely that the FTC will issue new guidelines or regulations? Explain.

> Are companies responsible for ensuring consumers understand and can distinguish between sponsored content and other content? Explain.

> Mobile advertising is one of the fastest growing sectors of digital advertising, but how is mobile advertising effectiveness measured?

> Compare and contrast Facebook’s, Google’s, and Twitter’s ad networks. Which is most effective for advertisers?

> In early 2016, the Wounded Warrior Project suffered a major blow to its fundraising when reports surfaced suggesting that the nonprofit organization spent too much of its money on travel, conferences, and high-end events rather than direct assistance to

> Search YouTube for three of your favorite television commercials, each using a different execution style. For each ad, identify the execution style used and the audience targeted. Is it a good ad? Be prepared to present the commercials and support your c

> What channel design decisions do manufacturers face for maximum effectiveness?

> What is an advertising agency? Discuss the changes in advertising agencies today compared with how they operated in the past?

> Discuss how marketers can break through the cluttered advertising environment.

> By what primary purposes are advertising objectives classified? Explain.

> Has the Mayhem campaign been effective? Support your answer.

> Is the consumer marketing approach taken by “Live Tests” appropriate for all B-to-B marketers? Explain?

> How does the “Live Tests” campaign demonstrate the characteristic of integrated marketing communication? What grade would you give “Live Tests” on integration effectiveness?

> Which promotional mix elements does Volvo Trucks use?

> Determine the advertising-to-sales ratios for two competing companies and compare them to the industry advertising-to-sales ratio found above. Why do you think there is a difference between competitors and the industry average?

> Find industry advertising-to-sales ratio data. Why do some industries have higher advertising-to-sales ratios than others?

> Find other examples of marketers creating controversy by promoting culture-based products that could be viewed as inappropriate by others outside of that culture.

> Discuss the major public policy issues in pricing practices within a given channel level and across channel levels.

> Since lighter skin and skin whitening are popular in Thailand, is it wrong for marketers to offer and promote products that encourage this belief and behavior? Explain why or why not.

> Research the internet for more information on how TOMS engages consumers using promotion tools. Choose two specific campaigns and evaluate TOMS’s promotion strategies for both.

> Explain how TOMS used public relations for the #withoutshoes campaign as part of the company’s promotion mix. It what ways did this tool helped promote TOMS?

> According to a Nielsen Global Survey, consumers are more likely to support companies that they perceive as socially responsible. Find three examples of advertisements that incorporate socially responsible marketing messages. Do these advertisements incre

> In a small group, select an advertisement that appropriately addresses each aspect of the communication process shown in Figure 14.2. Illustrate how each element is represented in the company’s advertisement. Discuss how the advertisement, by itself, doe

> How does a company determine its promotional budget?

> What is integrated marketing communications (IMC), and how does a company go about implementing it?

> Name and describe the five major promotion tools used in a company’s marketing communications mix.

> What challenges does Volvo Trucks face in maintaining the success it has achieved with this campaign?

> Why is Bass Pro Shops succeeding while Cabela’s is floundering?

> Compare and contrast upstream and downstream partners in a company’s supply chain. Explain why value delivery network might be a better term to use than supply chain.

> Describe how Bass Pro Shops became the nation’s leading outdoor retailer based on the retail marketing mix.

> Define Bass Pro Shops’ targeting strategy. Does the chain provide a truly differentiated experience?

> If this company’s stockturn rate was 3.5 last year, is the stockturn rate calculated above better or worse? Explain.

> Is it smart for Target to create such shopping frenzies even though some customers are dissatisfied? Explain why or why not.

> Is it ethical for retailers to create a promotion but not have sufficient merchandise for all shoppers who want to buy the items?

> If Selfycart or a similar mobile checkout app was available at your grocery store, would you use it? What benefits would you gain by using this new technology? Discuss the challenges you would face.

> Investigate the Selfycart app. What benefits and challenges will stores face in introducing Selfycart or any other mobile checkout app.

> Identify a retailer that is currently struggling. Discuss why it is having difficulties and suggest ways to turn things around.

> In a small group, present a plan for a new retail store. Who is the target market? Describe the merchandise, atmospherics, price points, services provided, location, and how you would promote your retail store. Describe how you will differentiate your st

> Name and describe the three major groups of wholesalers.

> What is psychological pricing and how is it used by sellers? Give an example.

> Define omni-channel retailing and explain its connection to shopper marketing.

> Is it a good idea for Bass Pro Shops to acquire Cabela’s? Explain.

> As completely as possible, sketch the value delivery network for Apple Pay.

> How many new retail accounts must the company acquire to break even on this tactic? What average number of accounts must each new rep acquire?

> Is it ethical that the trucking industry wants the hours-of-service rules repealed? Why or why not.

> Research the DOT’s trucker hours-of-service rules and write a brief report outlining the rules. What is the current status of the 2013 rules?

> Conduct your own research to learn more about Fabletics. Discuss how Fabletics is meeting customer needs through its value delivery network. What controversy surrounds the company?

> With respect to marketing channels, what are some threats to Apple Pay’s future?