For the marketing plan exercise in Chapter 6, you considered the consumer decision-making process as it applies to your marketing plan; in Chapter 7, you analyzed your potential business markets. In Chapter 8, you identified your company's target market and its various segments. Now complete the following exercises to find out more about your competitors and customers through marketing research-a key to any strategic marketing plan. Once completed, you can use your answers to complete the Marketing Plan Worksheet for Part 2, which you can find on your companion Web site at www.cengage.com/marketing/lamb .

1. Are there any critical issues that must be explored with primary marketing research before you can implement your marketing plan for your chosen company? These might include items such as customer demand, purchase intentions, customer perceptions of product quality, price perceptions, and reaction to critical promotion. List some critical research questions and decide which form of research you would use.

2. Design a brief Internet customer satisfaction survey that you could place on your company Web site. Use the "Survey Wiz" to help you with your questionnaire at http://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/programs/surveyWiz.HTM.

3. What type of competitive intelligence will you need to gather in order to monitor your market space? How can analyzing the job offerings, mission or "about us" statement, products and services descriptions, or other general information on your competitors' Web sites help you figure our their strategic direction? What areas of a Web site could you scan to gather competitive information?