TEXT BOOK: Schneider, GP 2015, Electronic commerce, 11th edition

MODULE 8 CHAPTER 4

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Briefly define the term marketing mix and distinguish it from the term marketing strategy.

2. Many organizations find it difficult to incorporate a customer-based marketing strategy into their Web site designs. Explain why this is a challenge and outline things an organization can do to overcome these difficulties.

3. Explain how the level of complexity of a product can affect a company's choice of communication modes it might use to disseminate information about that product.

CASE STUDY C1 CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

1. Oxfam used its existing opt-in e-mail list only for this campaign; it did not purchase (or borrow from other charitable organizations) any additional e-mail addresses. Evaluate this decision and explain the advantages and disadvantages of acquiring other e-mail addresses for a campaign of this nature.

2. For this campaign, Oxfam chose to use e-mails that contained HTML, audio, and video elements rather than using plain-text e-mails. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using formats other than plain-text in this type of e-mail campaign. Be sure to identify any specific trade-offs that Oxfam faced in deciding not to use plain-text e-mail.

3. Oxfam used HTML in the first e-mail, video in the second, and audio in the third. A manager at Oxfam might be tempted to conclude that the sequence of formats used in the e-mail messages was related to the increase in donations over the six weeks of the campaign. Present at least two reasons why this would be an incorrect conclusion.

4. If Oxfam were to undertake a similar emergency fund-raising effort today, it might use social media. Describe how Oxfam could use Facebook, Google+, and Twitter in combination with its existing online resources to enhance or replace the e-mail campaign described in the case.