Контрольная работа Вариант 5

Forces Affecting Modern Marketing.

1. An important influence in marketing theory is the continuous and rapid change in consumer interests and desires. Consumers today are more sophisticated than those of past generations. They attend school for much longer; they are exposed to newspapers, magazines, movies, radio, television, and travel; and they have much greater interaction with other people. Their demands are more exacting. "Positioning" the product that is, determining the exact segment of the population, and then developing a marketing campaign to enhance the product's image to fit that particular segment requires great care and planning.  

2. Competition also has sharply intensified, as the number of firms engaged in producing similar products has increased. Each firm tries to differentiate its products from those of its competitors. Profit margins, meaning the profit percentages made by a business per dollar of sales, are constantly being lessened. While costs continue to rise, competition tends to keep prices down. The result is a narrowing spread between costs and selling prices, and an increase in a business sales volume is necessary to maintain or increase profit. 

3. Ecological concerns have also affected product design and marketing, especially as the expense of product modification has increased the retail cost. Such forces, which have added to the friction between producer and consumer, must be understood by the marketer and integrated into a sound marketing program. 

4. Even the way a firm handles itself in public life, that is, how it reacts to social and political issues, has become significant. The public's dissatisfaction with the actions and attitudes of a firm has sometimes led to a reduction in sales; consumer enthusiasm, generated by a firm's intentional establishment of a good public image or public relations, has led to increased sales.