Assignment: Product and Distribution (or Place)

There are 2 parts to this Assignment:

Part 1 concerns New Product Development at GaGa's:

New products have a purpose in the marketplace, which is to maintain growth and profitability and to replace outdated products in the marketplace.

In this Assignment, you will learn how Jim King and his wife decided to create the company GaGa's Inc. using the product Sherbetter, a frozen desert product line. GaGa's quickly expanded the product line from just Lemon to several other flavors as well as Sherbetter bars.

In the video on how GaGa's Inc. engaged in the new product development process, you will learn about the struggles of branding, line extensions, and other aspects of marketing a new product in the frozen dessert market (Lamb et al., 2014).

Part 2 concerns Distribution or Place at New Balance® Hubway:

New Balance® Hubway is a bike sharing system in the Boston area that uses automated stations to provide a bike service to people looking to go short distances.

In this clip, New Balance Hubway employees discuss how the retailing model works for Hubway, and how the difference between brick and mortar and e-business models allowed them to succeed in the Boston area.

Execute the Assignment to demonstrate your understanding of the distribution component of the marketing mix (Lamb et al., 2014).

For both parts you will:

1. Watch a video:

Part 1: ©GaGa's Inc.

Part 2: New Balance® Hubway

2. Using research from Chapter 11 (Part 1) and Chapters 13 and 14 (Part 2) in your textbook, answer the questions on GaGa's Inc. and Hubway in the 2 templates below:

Distribution Strategy

Short Essay: Write a minimum 200-250 word discussion responding to each of the essay questions using research from your textbook to help substantiate your understanding of distribution channels and retailing. Apply APA style referencing in your writing.

1. Visit thehubway.com and browse the site. How does New Balance® Hubway use the online environment to encourage participation? Would you try Hubway without visiting a Kiosk first? Explain.

2. How does New Balance Hubway strive to provide customer service?

Defend Your Answer Challenge:

Step 1: Highlight your multiple choice answer in yellow.

Step 2: Write a minimum 100 word discussion in defense of your answer to each of your multiple choice and true/false questions using research from your textbook to help substantiate your understanding of distribution channels and retailing. Apply APA style referencing in your writing.

1. Based on the number of bike stations, what level of distribution is Hubway aiming for?
a. Exclusive distribution
b. Selective distribution
c. Intensive distribution
d. Broker distribution

2. Which type of nonstore retailer is New Balance Hubway?
a. Automatic Vending
b. Direct retailing
c. Shop at home network
d. telemarketing

3. Which of the following is true about New Balance Hubway?
a. It has a high level of service with a narrow product line.
b. It has a low level of service with a wide product line.
c. It has a low level of service with a narrow product line.
d. It has a high level of service with a wide product line.

4. Which channel for consumer products does New Balance Hubway use?
a. Direct channel
b. Retailer Channel
c. Wholesaler Channel
d. Agent/Broker Channel

5. Which factors have the most influence on the method and level of distribution intensity New Balance Hubway uses to distribute its rental service?
a. Market factors
b. Product factors
c. Producer factors
d. Price factors

6. Which of the following is the best classification of New Balance Hubway's retail operation?
a. Department Store
b. Off-Price retailer
c. Convenience store
d. Specialty store

7. When New Balance Hubway discusses managing how many bikes are in various stations, it is focusing on which aspect of service distribution?
a. Minimizing wait times
b. Managing service capacity
c. Improving service delivery
d. Data mining the stations

8. Developing the app Spotcycle, which allows customers to see where the best station to drop off their bike is by rating how full, empty, or nearby stations are is one way that New Balance Hubway minimizes wait times.
a. True
b. False

9. New Balance Hubway is a major player in non-traditional service retailing, and demonstrating how new technology can offer new ways of providing great service.
a. True
b. False

New Product Development Process

Part 1:

Short Essay: Write a minimum 200 words in response to each of your 3 essay questions using research from your textbook to help substantiate your understanding of products and the new product development process. Apply APA style referencing in your writing.

1. With regard to consumer appeal, compare and contrast the GaGa's brand with the Sherbetter name of the product.

2. Why did Jim King and his wife choose the GaGa's brand over the use of Sherbetter as the brand of the product?

3. Type the following phrase into your website browser: "Gaga Gourmet Frozen Dessert and Ice Cream." On the results page, identify retailer websites and social media websites that feature the Gaga's brand and product offerings. Explore these resources and identify a single Gaga Gourmet product offering. Discuss the following topics related to your chosen Gaga Gourmet product offering:

• Product Features
• Product Benefits
• Product Packaging
• Product Labeling
• Trademark

Part 2: Defend Your Answer Challenge:

Step 1:Highlight your multiple choice answer in yellow.

Step 2: Write a 100 (or more) word discussion in defense of each of your answers to the multiple choice questions using research from your textbook to help substantiate your understanding of products and the new product development process. Apply APA style referencing in your writing.

1. What type of consumer product is the Sherbetter bar?
a. Shopping Product
b. Convenience Product
c. Specialty Product
d. Unsought Product

2. When GaGa's developed Sherbetter Bars, what type of new product was that?
a. Repositioned product
b. Improvement on an existing product
c. Addition to an existing product line
d. New product line

3. Performing which of the following steps in the new-product development process would have helped Jim King realize that the novelty bars and the pints of Sherbetter would not be shelved together?
a. Business Analysis
b. Development
c. Test Marketing
d. Commercialization

4. At which stage of the new product development process should GaGa's have conducted its extensive focus groups and any research it needed before putting GaGa's Sherbetter on the shelves?
a. Idea Generation
b. Development
c. Idea Screening
d. Business Analysis

5. In what stage of the new product development process should GaGa's have introduced Sherbetter and the companies marketing program into the market to gauge consumer reactions?
a. Test Marketing
b. Target Marketing
c. Business Analysis
d. Commercialization

6. In what stage of the product life cycle is Sherbetter?
a. Introduction
b. Growth
c. Maturity
d. Decline