Activity 1:Meeting with the supervisor:

The supervisor gave me full of support. I am very glad to submit this project to you. This project
contains the overall promotional activities of close-up toothpaste as a brand. My project is an eye
opener for me. I had little knowledge on this issue before writing this project. I wish my
supervisor should forgive me and give me the scope of developing knowledge on this topic.
The points are given below:
1. Make the project relevant.
2. Make the research accessible.
3. Reinforce the project continuously.
4. Make research project an ongoing program.
5. Reward on service behaviors.
6. Align hiring practices.
7. Timing and length of meetings.
8. Submission of work.
9. Review new project and distribution.
10. Brands are owned by customers, not engineers.
11. Find relevant emotional associations for the brand.
12. Timings for response to Email.
13. Choosing specific metrics.
14. Establishing a successful brand equity management system.
15. Expectations of the supervisor.
My first meeting with Dr. Md. Shariful Alam who is my supervisor for project, major in
marketing was very good. I should know about the rules and regulations to do a project.
1. Sales force evaluation and control.
2. Setting performance standards.
3. Frame value perceptions.
4. Achieving customer satisfaction to creating customer loyalty.
5. Growth of private labels.
Activity2:
1. Personal selling: one of the most effective ways of customer relationship. Such
selling works best when a good working relationship has been built up over a
period of time.
This can also be expensive and time consuming, but is best for high value or
premium products.

2. Sales promotions: this includes freebies, contests, discounts, free services,

passes, tickets and so on, as distinct from advertising, publicity and public
relations.

3. Public relations: PR is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish

and maintain mutual understanding between the company and the public.

Activity 3:

Definition: Quota sampling is a sampling methodology wherein data is collected

from a homogeneous group. It involves a two-step process where two variables can
be used to filter information from the population. It can easily be administered and
helps in quick comparison.

Description: Quota sampling is a simple yet effective way to do research in the

initial phases. From the population, the researcher could select two variables to
study about a particular group. He could use gender as well as income level or the
education level for the purpose of research. The researcher could also add other
sub-points to the data set according to the requirements of the research.
Activity 4:
In a quota sampling there is a non-random sample selection taken, but it is done
from one category which some researchers feel could be unreliable. The
researchers run the risk of bias. Interviewers might be tempted to interview those
individuals on the street who appear most helpful in filling the form or they could
sample individuals who could contradict them or others known to them just to meet
the target set of audience.

Quota sampling is used when the company is short of time or the budget of the
person who is researching on the topic is limited. Quota sampling can also be used
at times when detailed accuracy is not important. To create a quota sample,
knowledge about the population and the objective should be well understood so
that the researcher can choose the relevant stratification; next is to calculate quota
from each section of the population and at the end keep on adding samples until the
quota for each section is met.

Quota sampling has its own advantages. It is an easy process to carry out and
decipher information once the sampling is done. It also improves the representation
of any particular group within the population thereby ensuring that these groups
are not over-represented.

Activity 5:

Promotion is a type of communication between the buyer and the seller. The seller
tries to persuade the buyer to purchase their goods or services through promotions. It
helps in making the people aware of a product, service or a company. It also helps to
improve the public image of a company. This method of marketing may also create
interest in the minds of buyers and can also generate loyal customers.

It is one of the basic elements of the market mix, which includes the four
P’s: price, product, promotion, and place. It is also one of the elements in
the promotional mix or promotional mix or promotional plan. These
are personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing
publicity and may also include event marketing, exhibitions, a Types of
Promotion

Advertising

Advertising means to advertise a product, service or a company with the help of

television, radio or social media. It helps in spreading awareness about the company,
product or service. Advertising is communicated through various mass
media, including traditional media such as newspapers,
magazines, television, radio, outdoor advertising or direct mail; and new media such
as search results, blogs, social media, websites or text messages.

Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is a form of advertising where organizations communicate directly

to customers through a variety of media including cell phone text messaging, email,
websites, online adverts, database marketing, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional
letters and targeted television, newspaper and magazine advertisements as well as
outdoor advertising. Among practitioners, it is also known as a direct response.

Sales Promotion

Sales promotion uses both media and non-media marketing communications for a
pre-determined, limited time to increase consumer demand, stimulate market demand
or improve product availability.

Personal Selling

The sale of a product depends on the selling of a product. Personal Selling is a

method where companies send their agents to the consumer to sell the products
personally. Here, the feedback is immediate and they also build a trust with the
customer which is very important.

Public Relation

Public relation or PR is the practice of managing the spread of information between

an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a
nonprofit organization) and the public. A successful PR campaign can be really
beneficial to the brand of the organization.

Activity 6:

Solved Examples For You

Q1. Airtight containers and packets used for chips, biscuits, and jams etc., are the
example of

a. Product identification
b. Product promotion
c. Differentiation of a product
d. Product Protection
And trade shows.
Activity 7:

Functions of Marketing

Marketing is the process that comprises of all the activities involved from the concept
of the product all the way till it reaches the final consumer. So there are a lot of
activities in this process, which we call the functions of marketing. Let us take a look.

Activity 8:

1] Identify Consumer Needs

One of the first steps the company needs to take is to identify the needs and wants of
the consumers in the market. To do so they must gather information and analyse this
information. Once you understand your customer thoroughly you can base your
product design on this information.

Browse more Topics under Marketing

 Market & Marketing

 Role of Marketing and Marketing Mix
 Marketing Management Philosophies
 Product
 Labelling
 Packaging
 Pricing
 Distribution
 Personal Selling
 Promotion
 Branding
 Sales Promotion and Publicity
 ] Planning
 The next logical step would be to make a marketing plan. Firstly you must be
very clear about the objectives of the company and what it wishes to achieve.
Then you figure out a timeline to achieve these objectives. And finally, you
plan the marketing strategy of your company accordingly.

 3] Product Development
 As per your consumer research, we then develop the product that suits the
needs of the consumer. The design of the product is also an important factor in
many products. Like for example when buying a car, the design will play a
huge factor. There are other factors to be considered like cost, durability etc

 4] Standardisation and Grading

 Standardisation means ensuring uniformity in the product. All customers must
get the same product of the same design and quality. And these standards need
to be maintained throughout.

 Grading is the process of classification of products according to similar

characteristics and/or quality. If the product does not have any predetermined
quality or other specifications like say agricultural products. Grading will
ensure the consumer knows your goods are of the highest quality.

 5] Packing and Labeling

 The package and the label are the first impressions your product makes on the
consumer so they are of essential importance. They are not only to protect and
identify the goods but are great marketing tools. There is proof that an
attractive package and label can go a long way in making a product a success.

 6] Branding
 One important decision the company has to make is whether they want the
product to have an individual identity in the market or they want it to be
recognized by the brand name.
 Certain brands enjoy incredible goodwill in the market and it can benefit the
product. But you may also want the product to have a separate identity so it
can flourish on its own attributes.

 7] Setting up Customer Support Services

 Depending on your product there may be a variety of customer services that
the company has to set up. Pre-sales service, consumer helpline, maintenance
services, technical support are just some of the services that your product may
require. These are important functions of marketing.

 8] Pricing
 This may be one of the most important functions of marketing. The price of a
product will largely determine its success or failure. Factors like demand,
market conditions, competition prices etc will be considered to come up with
the correct pricing strategy.

 One other thing the company must remember that prices of the products
should not be changed too frequently. This leads to confusion in the market.

 9] Promotion
 This is where you inform the customers of your product and persuade them to
buy it. There are four major promotion methods – advertising, personal selling,
sales promotion and publicity. The company must decide on its best promotion
mix, a combination involving all or some of these four methods.

 10] Distribution
 Here the company must ensure the correct distribution channel for its product.
It will depend on a variety of factors such as the concentration of the market,
shelf life of the product, company’s capital requirements etc. Inventory
management is another important factor the company must look into.
  11] Transportation
 The physical movement of the goods from its place of production to its place
of consumption is transportation. It is a very important function of marketing.
Activity 9: The company must analyze the geographical boundaries of its
market. This will help them choose the correct modes of transportation.

 And in the global economy where we live in, there are almost

no barriers to international trade. So if a company wishes to go global
transportation will be a key factor in their marketing mix.

 12] Warehousing
 As we have seen there is always a lag time between the production and the
consumption of most goods. Sometimes the products are seasonal or the
supply is irregular or there are production difficulties. But companies like to
maintain a smooth flow of goods. So storage and warehousing of goods are
necessary.

Activity 10:

Advantages of Personal Selling

 It is two-way communication. So the selling agent can get instant feedback

from the prospective buyer. If it is not according to plan he can even adjust his
approach or sales presentation accordingly.
 Since it is an interactive form of selling, it helps build trust with the
customer. When you are selling high-value products like cars, it is important
that the customer trusts not only the product but the seller also. This is possible
in personal selling.
 It also is a more persuasive form of marketing. Since the customer is face to
face with the salesperson it is not easy to dismiss them. The customer at least
makes an effort to listen.
 Finally, direct selling helps reach the audience that we cannot reach in any
other form. There are sometimes customers that cannot be reached by any other
method.
 Activity 11:

Disadvantages of Personal Selling

 It is a relatively expensive method of selling. There is a requirement of high

capital costs.
 Also, it is an extremely labor intensive method because a large sales force is
required to carry out personal selling successfully.
 The training of the salesperson is also a very time consuming and costly
process.
 And the method can only reach a limited number of people. Unlike TV or
Radio ads it does not cover a huge demographic.

Activity 12:

The word publicity is derived from the French word ”publicité”. It is the movement
of information to the general public from the media. The subjects of publicity include
people (for example, politicians and performing artists), goods and services,
organizations, and works of art or entertainment.

Publicity is gaining public visibility or awareness for a product, service or your

company via the media. It is the publicist that carries out publicity, while PR is
the strategic management function that helps an organization communicate,
establishing and maintaining communication with the public. This can be done
internally, without the use of media.

Some examples of  promotional tactics are Announce an appointment, Arrange a

speech or talk, Arrange for a testimonial, Art people, Conduct a poll or survey, Event
sponsorship, Invent then present an award, Issue a commendation, Issue a report,
Make an analysis or prediction, Organize a tour of your business or projects, Stage a
debate and Take a stand on a controversial subject.

Activity 13:
Importance of Labelling:

Labeling is an important part of the marketing of a product. Labeling is essential as

it helps to grab the attention of a customer It can be combined with packaging and
can be used by marketers to encourage potential buyers to purchase the
product. Packaging is also used for convenience and information transmission.
Packages and labels communicate how to use, transport, recycle or dispose of the
package or product.

Labeling is also used to exaggerate the product. Also, it is used for

identification. This kind of labeling helps a viewer to differentiate the product from
the rest in the shelves of the market.  A person can find out about the ingredients of a
product. This helps to spread awareness among the customers about the item they are
consuming and labeling also helps to mention ingredients.

Labeling is another very important factor in a product. It should show the correct
information about the product. This is all the more important in products such as
pharmaceuticals. Labeling should also contain information relating to whether the
product has harmful chemicals, especially if it is a product that is meant for children.

Activity 14:

Marketing and Marketing Mix

Marketing can simply be described as a sum total of all process and activities
involved in the efforts to create and sell goods and services to the customers. Every
activity from designing the product, pricing, packaging, selling, promotion etc are an
element of marketing.

In every market, while launching a product there are both controllable and
uncontrollable factors. The uncontrollable factors, over which the company has
absolutely no say, are the government policies, money in the market, economic
conditions etc. But then there are controllable factors like the design of the product,
its price point etc. These controllable factors are what we call marketing tools.

And marketing mix is a unique set of these marketing tools the company must shape
to be ideal for the market conditions. The four main elements of the marketing mix
are Place, Product, Price, and Promotion.
In the Firm/Company

Activity 15: Marketing is actually the key to achieving the main objective of the
firm. This can be to earn profits or to achieve some other aim. Even non-profitable
organizations (like say for example Red Cross) require the modern tools and
ideologies of marketing to achieve their goals. Marketing will not only help them
spread awareness but can also significantly help with raising funds and
securing donations.

In a firm marketing helps them realize consumer needs. Market research will allow
the firm to recognize the needs of the consumers to be met, and even help design the
perfect goods/services to meet this needs. Right from the design process, to the
distribution channel, promotions etc up to the after-sales service are a part of
marketing.

If the marketing philosophy is executed perfectly, the firm will meet all the needs of
a potential consumer. And a happy customer is a return customer. Marketing is the
key to the success, growth and long-term future of any firm.

Activity 16:

The economic development of a country is very closely related to marketing, so it

can be said marketing plays an invaluable role in the economy. It mainly motivates
firms and other producers to manufacture goods according to the need of
the consumer, and this sets off a chain of events.

Marketing will also help overcome the obstacles to entering a new market. It keeps
the demand and supply of goods in check by ensuring smooth production and
distribution of goods. So the production and consumption balance out and the price
remains stable in the long run.

At the end of the day, marketing is basically a non-replaceable element of the

economy. It connects the production centres with the consumption centres. These
economic activities (occurring due to marketing) keep the economy running and even
boost the GDP of the country. It leads to higher per capita income, more savings and
hence more investments (cyclic flow of money).

Consumer Products
Products are broadly classified into two categories – consumer products and
industrial products. Consumer products are products that the ultimate consumer
purchases himself for direct use. The consumer purchases these consumer products to
satisfy his personal needs and desires. Some examples of consumer products are
toothpaste, eatables, textiles, computers etc and various such products.

Now there are many types of consumer products as well. Let us take at the
classification of consumer goods based on the shopping effort involved:

 Convenience Products: These are consumer goods that are very convenient
to purchase. They are bought frequently and with very little effort. Examples
include medicines, toiletries, newspapers etc. Such convenience products have
ongoing and continuous demand. Such goods are also bought in small
quantities and are also generally lowly priced.
 Shopping Products: To shop for these consumer products, consumers
devote considerable time and effort. They compare prices and features and a lot
of thought is involved before making the decision to buy. Some such examples
are electronics, furniture, jewelry etc. These products generally fall in the
higher price range. Such products are pre-planned purchases.
 Specialty Products: For specialty products, consumers make special efforts
to buy them. They are not your regular run of the mill consumer products. The
buyer is willing to go through a lot of effort to purchase such products. Take for
example any artwork, paintings, sculptures etc. The demand for such specialty
products is usually pretty limited and the prices are high.

Industrial Products

These are products which are used as input for manufacturing other products. Unlike
consumer goods, these are not for direct consumption. These are meant for business
and non-personal use. Some examples of industrial products are raw materials,
machines, tools etc.

Here the demand for industrial products is limited. Since they are not consumer
goods the demand for them is not vast. The three broad categories of
Industrial goods are as follows
 Machine and Machine Parts: These goods are used entirely in the
manufacturing process. These include raw materials like cotton, lumber,
petroleum etc. They also include manufactured products like glass, rubber etc.
 Capital items: These are goods/products used to manufacture finished
goods. They include installations (lifts, mainframe computers etc) and
equipment (hand tools, personal computers etc)
 Business Services and Supplies: These are industrial goods and services
that facilitate the manufacturing process. They include services such as
painters, technicians, maintenance, and repairs. And products such as
lubricants, stationary etc.

1] Introduction

As the name suggests this is the stage of introduction of the product to the market. At
this stage, the demand for the product is only a proved demand and not effective
demand. This stage is categorized by the following features

 The product’s sale is at its lowest and is increasing but very slowly
 During the introduction, the promotion expense is very high. Extensive
promotions have to be undertaken to create awareness and demand for the
product.
 The products are put in limited outlets. The distribution is also kept limited to
a few channels. The point is to try out the product before
expanding distribution.

2] Growth Stage

This is the second stage of the product lifecycle. Now the sales begin to take off and
the product becomes well known. Some other characteristics are

 The promotion expenses still remain high. Now the focus will be

on brand recognition and brand image. This helps the product maintain and
extend its selective demand.
 With a rise in sales, the profits also rise sharply
 This is the stage where new competitors may enter the market with better
research and better products. To keep up with their products, the company may
make improvement and modifications to their products

3] Maturity Stage

 This is the stage where the market saturates and sales growth of the firm slow
down and finally stabilizes at a stage.
 Competition in the market will intensify in this stage. All competitors will
want to maintain a production level to enjoy economies of scale
 This stage may also see a price war in order to keep their market share.
Reducing prices may affect the profit margin of the company.

4] Decline Stage

This the terminal stage of the products, they are no longer relevant in the market. So
the end of this stage is the eventual demise of the product in the market.

Activity 17:

Promotional Objectives are goals of marketing communications such as

advertising. Market promotion is an integral part of marketing strategy. It is a
powerful weapon used excessively by today’s’ marketers to achieve marketing
goals in a competitive environment. Market promotion is essentially a way to
communicate with the target market. Since the modern market is characterized by
over-informed consumers, over-flooded products, cut-throat competition, and rapid
changes, the market promotion has a crucial role to play.

Main objectives of market promotion can be described with reference to below

stated points:

1. To Stimulate Demand

It is the primary objective of market promotion. Through the use of appropriate

means of market promotion, such as advertising, sales promotion, personal selling,
and so forth, the company can stimulate demand for the product. Market promotion
efforts convert potential buyers into actual buyers. Company, by highlighting
product benefits, tries to match the product with needs, wants, and expectations of
buyers. As per need, various means of market promotion are used to establish the
information link with the target customers.

2. To Inform Consumers

Promotion is aimed at informing consumers about features, qualities, performance,

price, and availability of firm’s products. Market promotion is also a valuable
means to inform consumers the changes made in the existing products and
introduction of new products. In the same way, market promotion, by various tools
of market communication, is used for communicating the special offers, price
concession, utility of products, and incentives offered by the company.

3. To Persuade Consumers

Market promotion is an effective way to persuade consumers the superiority of

product over competitors. A firm can communicate competitive advantages the
product offers to distinguish it from competitors’ products. Obviously, market
promotion can assist the firm to convince buyers that the firm’s product is the best
solution to their unmet needs and wants. Advertising is one of the most effective
tools to distinguish the product from competitors’ products.

4. To Promote a New Product

In a large and decentralized market, market promotion is an inevitable medium to

promote a new product. By suitable promotional strategies, a company can
successfully introduce a new product in the market as against existing products.
Company can inform about availability, distinct features, and price of newly
launched product. In every stage of consumer adoption of a new product, market
promotion has critical role to play.

5. To Face Competition

Market promotion enables the firm to face competition effectively. In today’s

market situation, it is difficult to stand without the suitable promotional efforts. In
short, it can be said that marketer can fight with competitors effectively, can
prevent their entry, or can throw the competitor away from the market by
formulating and implementing effective market promotion strategies.

6. To Create or Improve Image

Advertising, personal selling, and publicity and public relations – all promotional
tools – are capable to create or improve image and reputation of the firm. Many
companies have become popular in the market due to effective market promotion.
Company can reach the customers at every corner of the world through market
promotion.

Brand image is purely an outcome of promotional efforts. For example, Hindustan

Unilever, Colgate Palmolive, Sony, Philips, Hero Honda, Ambuja Cement, and
many national and multinational companies have made their permanent place in
the market due to successfully launching of market promotion programmes.

Thus, market promotion can help company realize various objectives. Company
can increase sales, improve its image, and maintain close and live contact with the
market by suitable promotional efforts. A company’s survival, growth, and
development are based on how effectively it communicates with the market.

Activity 18:

Types of Promotion Objectives

The possible objectives for marketing promotions may include the following:

(i) Build Awareness

New products and new organizations are often unknown to a market, which means
initial promotional efforts must focus on establishing an identity. In this situation,
the marketer must focus promotion to: 1) ensure the message reaches customers,
and 2) tell the market who they are and what they have to offer.

(ii) Create Interest

Moving a customer from awareness of a product to making a purchase can present

a significant challenge. As we saw with our discussions of buying decisions made
by consumers and businesses, customers must first recognize they have a need
before they actively start to consider a purchase. The focus on creating messages
that convince customers that a need exists has been the hallmark of marketing for a
long time with promotional appeals targeted at basic human characteristics such as
emotions, fears, sex, and humor.

(iii) Provide Information

Some promotion is designed to assist customers in the search stage of the
purchasing process. In some cases, such as when a product is so novel it creates a
new category of product and has few competitors, the information is simply
intended to explain what the product is and may not mention any competitors. In
other situations, where the product competes in an existing market, informational
promotion may be used to help with a product positioning strategy. As we discuss
in the Targeting Markets Tutorial, marketers may use promotional means,
including direct comparisons with competitor’s products, in an effort to get
customers to mentally distinguish the marketer’s product from those of
competitors.

(iv) Stimulate Demand

The right promotion can drive customers to make a purchase. In the case of
products that a customer has not previously purchased or has not purchased in a
long time, the promotional efforts may be directed at getting the customer to try the
product. This is often seen with mobile apps, where software companies offer free
limited versions of their products. For products with an established customer-base,
promotion can encourage customers to increase their purchasing by providing a
reason to purchase products sooner or purchase in greater quantities than they
normally do. For example, a pre-holiday newspaper advertisement may remind
customers to stock up for the holiday by purchasing more than they typically
purchase during non-holiday periods.

(v) Reinforce the Brand

Once a purchase is made, a marketer can use promotion to help build a strong
relationship that can lead to the purchaser becoming a loyal customer. For instance,
many retail stores now ask for a customer’s email address so that follow-up emails
containing additional product information or even an incentive to purchase other
products from the retailer can be sent in order to strengthen the customer-marketer
relationship.

Activity 19:

Content marketing was all the rage last year and will continue to be for the
foreseeable future. Adoption rates have skyrocketed among brands around the
world. Every minute of every day, 100,000 tweets are shared, 571 new websites
are created and over 347 blog posts get published.

What marketers are starting to figure out is that creating and publishing content
alone usually isn’t enough to cut through the noise. Without an existing and
established audience, published content in many industries will fall on deaf ears no
matter its quality or quantity. The audiences are out there, but they’re reading other
websites.

To give branded content the visibility it deserves and to expedite audience growth,
marketers should focus much more attention on the two types of content
distribution and promotion: earned and paid media. Below are 13 of the most
commonly used distribution and promotion channels online and what value they
potentially can bring to the table.

Activity 20:

Earned Promotion Channels

1. News Coverage — Getting a brand talked about in the news is one of the main
tasks of the public relations industry. However, in this context there’s a twist. It’s
not just about pitching the media and getting coverage for a brand; it’s about
getting real news coverage for a brand’s content — highly valuable and tough to
do.

Perceived Value Score = 19 of 24

2. Editorial Coverage — Similar to news coverage, editorial coverage is typically

less objective. It’s still very valuable and just as difficult to pitch.

Perceived Value Score = 18 of 24

3. Guest Posting — This type of promotion is quite common and comes in many
forms. It can be as simple as reaching out to a social contact who has a simple blog
and offering up an article to actively pursuing and being offered a column on a
highly traveled industry site. The key here is to prudently link
to appropriate landing pages.

Perceived Value Score = 17 of 24

4. Content Syndication — Many websites across a multitude of industries publish

original, curated and syndicated content. Many of them have long-term, well-
established audiences. Getting editors at these websites to syndicate directly from a
current owned blog feed can help marketers substantially increase their content’s
reach without having to write original content all the time.

Perceived Value Score = 17 of 24

5. Influencer Outreach — Some influential folks can do as little as tweet a

comment with a link in it and drive thousands of clickthroughs because they have
an established audience. Knowing who these people are in an industry is just the
first step. Establishing real relationships that lead to content sharing, citations and
reciprocation is the goal.

Perceived Value Score = 13 of 24

6. Content Curation — In this context, curation doesn’t refer to organizing and

republishing other people’s content, but rather ensuring a brand’s content is
organized and republished by another website. This is different from straight
syndication because curation tends to be one and done. An ecosystem of
community-driven content curation sites, such as inbound.org and sharebloc.com,
are beginning to crop up.
Perceived Value Score = 12 of 24

7. Comment Citation — This has long been synonymous with blog and forum
commenting spam and was an early SEO link-building tactic. Today, this is a
dangerous SEO tactic. However, people do leave legitimate citations in online
comments, and they can influence people to click. Some agencies and applications
still provide this as a service, and there’s no shortage of buyers. For this reason, it’s
on the list.

Perceived Value Score = 4 of 24

I = Influence, V = Visibility, Ct = Click-through Rate, Si = Search Influence,

Sh = Shareability, C = Control

Paid Promotion Channels

8. Advertorial — This type of content promotion is being hotly debated by

publishers, brands and government officials. So far the jury is still out,
and publishers like Forbes are moving full steam ahead. In the meantime, brands
now have access to very large and hungry audiences.

Perceived Value Score = 14 of 24

9. Native Facebook Feed — Just last year, Facebook rolled out the mobile version
of its sponsored stories and figured out what PR pros have known for years: