BBB 4M – Unit 4 Lesson 4 Handouts
Assignment 1
Marketing Myopia

Answer the following questions in a word processor and submit your work to your teacher.

Complete questions in a word processor. Before you submit your file, ensure your name appears on the top of every page of your document.

Do you have marketing myopia? Name a product that you use now that you think could not ever be replaced by another product in the future. This isn’t about your favourite product. Consider any good or service that you currently use that you cannot imagine being substituted. Explain your answer.

Find an example of a product that was once popular that has declined in use not because it became redundant and was replaced by something technologically superior but it just went out of fashion. Offer an explanation as to why it failed.

Resources

There are many marketing information sites on the Internet. For obsolete, redundant, or otherwise forgotten products of the past you might consider visiting these websites:

  1. CBC Marketplace
  2. Failure Magazine
Assignment 2
Market Segmentation Slide Show

Complete the following assignment and submit your work to your teacher.

Design and create a ten slide presentation about a country of your choice. This presentation should include demographic, geographic, and psychographic profiles. In some cases, depending on the country you have chosen, it might be difficult to determine psychographics. Please refer to the accompanying rubric for direction about how your slide show will be assessed.

Resources

Demographic, geographic, and psychographic information about foreign nations can be found at many websites. Some good ones include:

  1. CIA Factbook (
  2. Nation Master (
  3. Country Reports (
  4. Altapedia (
  5. United States Department of State
  6. Lonely Planet (
  7. Library of Congress Global Gateway (

Rubric

Market Segmentation Slide Show Rubric
Category / Criteria / Level 1
(50 - 59%) / Level 2
(60 - 69%) / Level 3
(70 - 79%) / Level 4
(80 - 100%)
Knowledge/ Understanding
Research / - misinterpreted statements, graphics and questions and failed to identify relevant accomplishments. / - some relevant information was obtained from poor sources. Graphics are only adequate. Relevant material is missing. / - recorded relevant information from multiple sources of information, evaluated and synthesized relevant information. / - accurately researched varied information sources, recorded and interpreted statements, graphics and questions and evaluated alternative points of view.
Thinking
Content / - includes content that is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose.
- includes little information with few facts.
- some of the information may not seem to fit. / - includes content that attempts to follow a logical progression.
- information comes from poorer quality sources. / - includes content that is written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information.
- includes persuasive information from quality sources. / - includes content that is written clearly and concisely with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information.
- information is accurate and current.
Communication
Clarity / - overall readability is difficult with lengthy paragraphs, too many different fonts, dark or busy background, overuse of bold or lack of appropriate indentations of text. / - sometimes the fonts are readable but there are some distractions that interfere with the readability of the presentation. / - sometimes the fonts are easy-to-read, but in a few places the use of fonts, italics, bold, long paragraphs, color or busy background detracts and does not enhance readability. / - the fonts are easy-to-read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text.
Text is appropriate in length for the target audience and to the point. The background and colors enhance the readability of text
Communication
Layout / The layout shows some structure, but appears cluttered and busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or uses a distracting background. / Generally the layout is appropriate / The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space appropriately. / The layout is aesthetically pleasing and contributes to the overall message with appropriate use of headings and subheadings and white
Communication
Correctness / Spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors distract or impair readability / The text is adequately written but some editing is required / The text is clearly written with little or no editing required for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. / The text is written with no errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

IKEA – Profile of a company that has been successful with international marketing strategies

The IKEA concept is based on the market positioning statement. "We do our part" focuses on our commitment to product design, consumer value and clever solutions. By using inexpensive materials in a novel way and minimizing production, distribution and retail costs, our customers benefit from low prices.

The IKEA product range is developed to be extensive enough to have something that appeals to everyone and to cover all functions in the home. The products are modern not trendy so they are practical enough for everyday use.

IKEA is the home furnishing specialist. IKEA products are functional and appealing, and enable many people to improve their home life through practical solutions to everyday problems.

Low price is not appealing unless it represents good value for money. This is where IKEA is able to make a real difference. IKEA is committed to having a good relationship with our suppliers and so we are able to purchase good quality, economically produced designs that are bought in bulk to keep costs down. By making all our furniture flat packed we cut down on transportation and assembly costs.

Function

IKEA products are based on a functional approach to design. IKEA design means products that are attractive, practical and easy to use. They don't have unnecessary features; they give genuine solutions for specific home furnishing needs and are made of the most suitable materials for their purpose.

The Right Quality

The quality of a product must be appropriate for the intended use. For example there is no need for an expensive back panel on a bookcase if a less expensive alternative does a good a job as long as the bookshelf is used for the purpose it was intended for. IKEA products are subjected to

Convenient Shopping

The IKEA store offers "everything under one roof", most of it available for immediate take-away. IKEA offers service where you need it, but allows customers to make most of the decisions themselves. This means that we need to make it easy to choose the right products by displaying them correctly, describing them accurately and having a simple returns policy.

A Day Out For The Whole Family

IKEA aim to look after our customers by planning for their needs. Not only do we provide inspiration and ideas, but we also encourage people to touch, feel and use the products on display to see how they would fit into their own home. We have new products arriving all the time, seasonal themes, play areas for children, special events, and a great value family restaurant.

Swedish IKEA

The key IKEA messages all have their roots in the Swedish origin of IKEA. Swedish furniture is light and fresh yet unpretentious. The warm welcoming Swedish style has become a model of simplicity, practicality, and informality that is now world renown.

Assignment 3
IKEA

Answer the following questions in a word processor and submit your work to your teacher.

Complete questions in a word processor. Before you submit your file, ensure your name appears on the top of every page of your document.

  1. How can you explore the IKEA product range?
  2. What is IWAY?
  3. What does IKEA do if it finds one of its suppliers or their sub-contractors employing child labour?
  4. How many items are there in all of IKEA’s product lines?
  5. What is IKEA’s largest market?
  6. In April 2006, IKEA opened its second-largest store outside Sweden in Japan. The opening of the store marked the re-entry of IKEA into the Japanese market after an unsuccessful 12 years stint between 1974 and 1986. Although the company plans to adapt its offerings to Japanese preferences, it still expects to face several challenges from the Japanese customers who are known to be inconsistent and unpredictable, and have forced many a foreign retailer to exit from Japan. What kind of challenges could it face?
Resources

IKEA’s Corporate website

For information about IKEA’s attempt to penetrate the Japanese market in 2006, you could go to:

  1. Investors.com
  2. Beijing Times
  3. 3yen.com