De Anza College Marketing Concept Usage Answer Questions Read the following mini case and answer the following questions in an essay format. Please post yo

De Anza College Marketing Concept Usage Answer Questions Read the following mini case and answer the following questions in an essay format. Please post your own essay in this forum and provide feedbacks to TWO of your classmates’ postings. This essay is due by 11:59pm Sunday!

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Todd Whitman was a full-time student at a community college in the St. Louis area. In addition to going to school, Todd also worked for a company out of Idaho (Todd’s home state) that made ice cream. As Todd tells it: “Alan Reed owns a potato farm in Idaho. He was looking for another market for his potatoes when he realized that the chemical make up of the potato was such that it could be used in making a tasty ice cream without using any sugar – i.e. a sugar free ice cream. He figured there had to be a market for that kind of product, one made without any artificial products to sweeten, so he made a few batches and tried it on his friends, without telling them it was made from potatoes.” He called the ice cream Al and Reed’s. This is where Todd came in. While in St. Louis, Todd’s job was to attempt to get the product sold to St. Louisans. His employer shipped him a few gallons (as much as he could hold in his home freezer). Todd started trying to sell Al and Reed’s to local grocery store chains, and ultimately got one of them to carry the ice cream in a couple of stores on a trial basis. He also brought some samples in to his Introduction to Business class, after persuading his teacher to allow a taste test. The product went over well, until the students found out it was made from potatoes!

Todd continued his promotional efforts with grocery stores, calling on them whenever he could. He left promotional pamphlets that explained the concept and production of ice cream made from potatoes, and offered the stores discounts for buying in volume.

1. Did Todd and Alan Reed use the marketing concept? Did Alan learn about customer needs? Which of the eras described in the evolution of marketing do you think Todd and Alan exemplify?

2. What steps in the marketing process did Todd and Alan Reed take?

3. What potential problem might they encounter with this product? How could Todd and Alan use the last step of the marketing process to overcome the problem?

4. Identify the product, promotion and place variables in this situation. What price do you think they should charge? Why?

Here is an example of how to answer the questions!! Example 1:
1. Did Todd and Alan Reed use the marketing concept? Did Alan learn about
customer needs? Which of the eras described in the evolution of marketing do
you think Todd and Alan exemplify?
Yes, Todd and Alan Reed used the marketing concept, which has three parts:
customer orientation, service orientation, and profit orientation. Alan created the
product, applying customer orientation by creating something that the customer
desired and is suited for what they want. They then applied service orientation by
making sure everyone in the business was dedicated to customer orientation by
providing pamphlets about the product and informing their customers about what
they are eating. They also offered discounts to please customers and raise profits,
applying the profit orientation. Alan learned about customer needs because the
product went over well, until customers found out the ingredients and that the ice
cream was made of potatoes. Customers wanted a sugar-free ice cream, but made
from typical and knowledgeable ice cream ingredients. I think they exemplified the
selling era because they did everything in their power to make the potato ice cream
appealable by offering discounts and information to make the product sell faster.
2. What steps in the marketing process did Todd and Alan Reed take?
Todd and Alan Reed first developed a product, which was the sugarless ice cream
made from potatoes. They then took the step of test marketing where Alan Reed
gave a few of his friends who would be potential customers, samples of the new ice
cream without telling them it was made from potatoes. Then then took the step of the
brand name by talking about how the ice cream was not regular, but in fact made
from potatoes, making it a healthier option. They also offered discounts, which
helped with promotion and gave out flyers regarding the potato ice cream and how it
was made.
3. What potential problem might they encounter with this product? How could
Todd and Alan use the last step of the marketing process to overcome the
problem?
One potential problem that they might encounter is people would be wary of eating
an ice cream that came from potatoes since it is unusual. Customers may be unsure
of the health implications of eating this type of ice cream and whether it is a healthy
alternative. They could also be hesitating to eat the ice cream based solely on the
fact that it comes from potatoes. Todd and Alan could use the last step in the
process, the brand name by showing how this unusual food is better for health and
tastes better. They could use the brand name of potato ice cream to differentiate
themselves and attract customers by advertising the benefits and tastes of the new
ice cream.
4. Identify the product, promotion and place variables in this situation. What
price do you think they should charge? Why?
The product is the newly created potato ice cream. The promotion is the
informational pamphlets that Todd left at grocery stores and the discounts he offered
at the stores for buying the ice cream in bulk. The promotion was also allowing
members of his business class to sample the ice cream, so they could spread the
word. The place was the grocery stores that Todd was distributing the ice cream at.
The price they should charge for a pint of ice cream should be $3.00 because it is a
new type of ice cream and people will be unwilling to purchase it if it is too
expensive. On the other hand, if the product is too cheap then it may give off the
impression that it is made from cheap ingredients in not the best quality, so the price
should be in the middle of average pint size ice creams to attract customers.
Example: 2
1. Did Todd and Alan Reed use the marketing concept? Did Alan learn about
customer needs? Which of the eras described in the evolution of marketing do
you think Todd and Alan exemplify?
I think Todd and Alan Reed used the marketing concept but did not execute it well.
From the customer orientation, Alan did not learn about customer needs as much.
He simply just created the ice cream and had his friends to test taste. He should had
research whether using potatoes would be appealing to consumers. From the
service orientation, there is not follow up on grocery stores that purchased the ice
creams from Alan and Todd. They would not know whether the customers are happy
with the ice cream or not. Lastly, Alan and Todd limits their source of revenues in
the profit orientation aspect. They only have one product that is only sold in grocery
stores. However, Alan and Todd offers discounted rates for bulk purchases which
can help increasing profits and sales.
I think Todd and Alan exemplify the customer relationship era. According to the
textbook, a highlight of the customer relationship era is learning as much as possible
about the consumers and trying to satisfy them. Todd and Alan offered discounts
and informational pamphlets to the supermarkets.
2. What steps in the marketing process did Todd and Alan Reed take?
I think the steps in the marketing process Todd and Alan took are creating the brand,
Al & Reed’s, did a little bit of product testing by giving free samples out to friends and
classmates, and selecting a distribution system which is selling the ice cream
through grocery stores.
3. What potential problem might they encounter with this product? How could
Todd and Alan use the last step of the marketing process to overcome the
problem?
A potential problem Alan and Todd might encounter is not introducing the ice cream
to the consumers. Grocery stores may be a stepping a stone to expose the product
to consumers. However, consumers tend to purchase brands they are most familiar
with. The lack of promotion to the consumers will hurt the sales. To overcome the
problem, they are start extensively promote the product. They can set up free
sample stands inside the supermarkets or participate in popular events where they
can offer samples and sell their products.
4. Identify the product, promotion and place variables in this situation. What
price do you think they should charge? Why?
Product: Sugar free ice cream made out of potatoes
Promotion: Friends and classmates taste testing
Place: Selling the ice cream in supermarkets
I think they should charge a little less than what their competitors are charging. First,
the ice cream is a relatively new brand and has a one of a kind ingredient (potato)
that is not often seen in ice cream. Second, consumers might want to try the ice
cream if is cheaper than what they usually buy. If the targeted market has a high
population of consumers who prefer sugar free ice cream, the cheaper price tag can
be a incentive for the consumers to buy.

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