Marketing Essays
Vaardigheden Marketing ’10 – ‘11
Jaar: ’10 – ‘11
Practica Marketing vaardigheden
Door: Kevin
,Inhoudsopgave
Onderdeel Pagina:
Inhoudsopgave………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1.
Vaardigheden opdracht 1…………………………………………………………………………………………… 2.
Essay opdracht 1………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5.
Bronnen essay 1.………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7.
Vaardigheden opdracht 2…………………………………………………………………………………………… 18.
Essay opdracht 2………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20.
Bronnen essay 2.………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22.
Vaardigheden opdracht 3…………………………………………………………………………………………… 26.
Essay opdracht 3………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28.
Bronnen essay 3.………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30.
1
, Marketing Skills Homework Assignment 1
General information
Assignment: Write an essay on the topic of ‘needs’ in marketing. You must present your view from a
specific role. Your role will be given by the teaching assistant.
Topic: Needs
Literature: Chapter 1 and p. 202-203 from Marketing Management (Kotler & Keller).
Deadline: Skills tutorial week 2.
Hand in (Twice): You have to upload your assignment in Sin-online before the start of the second
Skills tutorial.
Hand in a hardcopy (print out your assignment) to the tutor during the second Skills tutorial.
The topic: Needs
The assignment is to write a short essay about on the subject of ‘needs’ in relation to marketing from
a specific perspective. Needs is something that is hard to define and can take multiple
interpretations. What are the needs of consumers is a controversial topic. Different participant have
their own opinion. You will have to take on one of these roles and write your essay from that
perspective. Each role has a different view point and a different opinion on what are the needs of
consumers. You need to give a definition of needs. It needs to differ from the one given in the book.
Also you need to present the arguments that support your definition and explain them clearly.
Background information
There are different definitions on what are the ‘needs’ of people.
Microeconomics - From the course in microeconomics you have learned that normal people
(economic agents) make choices on what to buy to satisfy their preferences in the optimal manner
(Microeconomics and Behavior by Robert H. Frank). In order to do that agent need to be rational in
the economic sense of the word.
Marketing - Marketing is traditionally defined as satisfying the needs and wishes of consumers. There
are different opinions on how marketing should do that. The first is that marketing satisfies
consumers by giving them what they need. Another opinion is that marketing creates needs that
people did not initially have. Additionally, marketing can motivate people to spend more money on
goods and services that they do not really need. Some critics argue that marketing influences
people’s emotions and perceptions to force them to make irrational buying decisions.
Socio-psychological - One of the traditional ways to think about what the consumer needs is to use
the Maslow pyramid (Read p. 202-203 of Kotler & Keller). In short it states that people priorities
choices based on their psychological needs. They first need safety and security and once they satisfy
2
,those needs they want love and belonging and afterwards they need self actualization. This is one of
the main theories on peoples’ needs. There are other theories on this topic as well.
There is no right answer to what is the correct definition of ‘needs’. It depends strongly on what is
your role in the discussion. In your essay you will use only one definition. You have to focus on the
assignment from the perspective of the role you have been assigned.
Statement: Marketing creates whishes and needs for consumers which do not exist
You have to write the assignment depending on one of the roles explained below. The roles are
assigned by the skills tutor.
The different roles
Marketing manager: You disagree with the criticism in the discussion point. You are against
the proposition. Marketing does not cause consumers to spend more and more on goods and
services they do not need. In your eyes, consumers are rational and decide by themselves
what's good for them. You have to present the arguments behind this position.
Critic: Your opinion is that people spend more and more of their money on goods and
services which do not necessarily need. Therefore, you agree with the point of discussion.
You believe that consumers cannot control their own needs. That consumers needs are
heavily influenced by marketing and their social environment. This is a view is also expressed
by psychologists (Freudianism Theory, read p. 202 of Kotler & Keller). You have to present
the arguments behind this position.
Consumer: You disagree with the point of discussion. You believe that marketing does not
cause you to make irrational decisions. You believe that marketing gives a consumer many
possibilities. For example marketing informs you about new products and the quality of
different products and allows you to make the best choice. In your eyes, marketing is a
helpful way of getting information about products. You have to present the arguments for
this position.
Safe Advertising Commissioner: You are the government supervisor for advertisement in the
Netherlands. As a commissioner, you agree with the point of discussion. You have to provide
consumer protection and ensure that information is not misleading. For example the
commission forces companies to show health hazard warning labels on cigarette packages.
You have to present the arguments behind this position.
3
,The assignment
Your assignment has to meet the following criteria:
A minimum of 500 and maximum 700 words.
Your assignment needs a clear structure. It needs to have an introduction, main part (body),
which presents your theoretical and empirical arguments and a clear conclusion.
Make sure your grammar is correct and the layout is clear and functional.
You must use the role you have been assigned.
Give your own definition of 'Marketing', derived of the term 'Marketing' in Kotler & Keller
and you have to specify it to your own role.
Indicate what 'needs', 'wants' and 'demands' are.
Explain how your definition of 'needs' is different from the one in the book.
Give (specified to your role) at least one theoretical argument (including source) and at least
one empirical argument (including source) on the point of discussion.
You have to use the assignment form below when submitting the assignment (you can
expand the box if needed).
You must upload the assignment in Sin-online before the start of the skills tutorial. Also print out
two copies of your assignment and bring them to the skills tutorial.
Good luck!
4
, De consument mag geen speelbal van de
marketing worden!
Het actualiteitenprogramma EenVandaag had onlangs een item over loterijen die burgers
overspoelden met misleidende reclame1. In deze reportage kwam naar voren dat loterijorganisaties
zoals de Nationale Postcode Loterij de burgers via de post overspoelen met brieven inclusief
pinpassen die alleen nog maar geactiveerd hoeven te worden om vervolgens een prijs te kunnen
incasseren. Echter, wat de Nationale Postcode Loterij zou beloven, gebeurt niet. Het lijkt erop dat
dergelijke acties slechts worden opgezet om nieuwe leden te werven.
Uit vorenstaande blijkt dat mensen zich gemakkelijk laten verleiden tot bepaald gedrag om hun
behoeften te bevredigen. Zo speelt de Nationale Postcode Loterij in op de behoefte van mensen om
veel geld te hebben. Dit past ook in de definitie van behoeften van de mens: alles wat iemand nodig
heeft om op een fijne manier het leven te leven. Men zal proberen om met de middelen die men
heeft de behoeften zo goed mogelijk te bevredigen en altijd rationeel zijn. De wil is de manier
waarop deze behoeften worden ingevuld. Bij dorst willen wij vloeistof. De vraag is dus de manier
waarop we onze behoeften willen gaan invullen. Om het voorbeeld compleet te maken, als wij dorst
hebben willen wij vloeistof en daarom hebben wij behoefte aan bijvoorbeeld water.
Marketing speelt in op de manier waarop de consument in zijn behoefte wilt voorzien. De marketing
probeert de behoeften, wil en vraag zodanig te beïnvloeden dat de consument voor een bepaald
product zal kiezen. Het gaat daarbij niet alleen om planning en uitvoering van conceptie, prijsstelling,
promotie en distributie van ideeën, goederen en diensten, maar ook om gebruik van emoties en
percepties van de consument, om de consument zo te beïnvloeden dat irrationele beslissingen
worden genomen. Door een persoonlijke brief met daarin opgenomen dat men uitverkorene is om
op een zeer eenvoudige manier (namelijk door het activeren van een bepaalde code) een prijs te
winnen zorgt de Nationele Postcode Loterij ervoor dat mensen gaan handelen. Daarbij stelt die
persoon zich vaak niet de vraag of het allemaal wel klopt. Men laat zich slechts leiden door de in het
vooruitzicht gestelde geldprijs2.
Mensen moeten daarom tegen hun irrationele beslissingen in bescherming worden genomen.
Vandaar dat er een reclamecommissie is ingesteld om consumenten te beschermen tegen door de
marketing gecreëerde illusies. Marketing creëert namelijk wensen en behoeften voor consumenten,
die de consument voorheen nog niet had.
Het eerste argument3 daarvoor is dat de consument in tal van theorieën weliswaar als rationeel
wordt verondersteld, maar dat hij soms bepaalde informatie krijgt toegespeeld waardoor hij niet in
staat is om rationele beslissingen te nemen. De marketing kan wensen en behoeften creëren en de
consument dit doen laten ervaren als een gemis, terwijl dat in werkelijkheid helemaal niet zo is. Denk
bijvoorbeeld maar aan de actie van de Nationale Postcode Loterij. Activeer je de aangeboden code
niet, dan wordt verondersteld dat je daarmee een aanzienlijk geldbedrag misloopt. In werkelijkheid is
dat natuurlijk niet het geval, maar de illusie wordt wel gecreëerd.
5
Vaardigheden Marketing ’10 – ‘11
Jaar: ’10 – ‘11
Practica Marketing vaardigheden
Door: Kevin
,Inhoudsopgave
Onderdeel Pagina:
Inhoudsopgave………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1.
Vaardigheden opdracht 1…………………………………………………………………………………………… 2.
Essay opdracht 1………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5.
Bronnen essay 1.………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7.
Vaardigheden opdracht 2…………………………………………………………………………………………… 18.
Essay opdracht 2………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20.
Bronnen essay 2.………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22.
Vaardigheden opdracht 3…………………………………………………………………………………………… 26.
Essay opdracht 3………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28.
Bronnen essay 3.………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30.
1
, Marketing Skills Homework Assignment 1
General information
Assignment: Write an essay on the topic of ‘needs’ in marketing. You must present your view from a
specific role. Your role will be given by the teaching assistant.
Topic: Needs
Literature: Chapter 1 and p. 202-203 from Marketing Management (Kotler & Keller).
Deadline: Skills tutorial week 2.
Hand in (Twice): You have to upload your assignment in Sin-online before the start of the second
Skills tutorial.
Hand in a hardcopy (print out your assignment) to the tutor during the second Skills tutorial.
The topic: Needs
The assignment is to write a short essay about on the subject of ‘needs’ in relation to marketing from
a specific perspective. Needs is something that is hard to define and can take multiple
interpretations. What are the needs of consumers is a controversial topic. Different participant have
their own opinion. You will have to take on one of these roles and write your essay from that
perspective. Each role has a different view point and a different opinion on what are the needs of
consumers. You need to give a definition of needs. It needs to differ from the one given in the book.
Also you need to present the arguments that support your definition and explain them clearly.
Background information
There are different definitions on what are the ‘needs’ of people.
Microeconomics - From the course in microeconomics you have learned that normal people
(economic agents) make choices on what to buy to satisfy their preferences in the optimal manner
(Microeconomics and Behavior by Robert H. Frank). In order to do that agent need to be rational in
the economic sense of the word.
Marketing - Marketing is traditionally defined as satisfying the needs and wishes of consumers. There
are different opinions on how marketing should do that. The first is that marketing satisfies
consumers by giving them what they need. Another opinion is that marketing creates needs that
people did not initially have. Additionally, marketing can motivate people to spend more money on
goods and services that they do not really need. Some critics argue that marketing influences
people’s emotions and perceptions to force them to make irrational buying decisions.
Socio-psychological - One of the traditional ways to think about what the consumer needs is to use
the Maslow pyramid (Read p. 202-203 of Kotler & Keller). In short it states that people priorities
choices based on their psychological needs. They first need safety and security and once they satisfy
2
,those needs they want love and belonging and afterwards they need self actualization. This is one of
the main theories on peoples’ needs. There are other theories on this topic as well.
There is no right answer to what is the correct definition of ‘needs’. It depends strongly on what is
your role in the discussion. In your essay you will use only one definition. You have to focus on the
assignment from the perspective of the role you have been assigned.
Statement: Marketing creates whishes and needs for consumers which do not exist
You have to write the assignment depending on one of the roles explained below. The roles are
assigned by the skills tutor.
The different roles
Marketing manager: You disagree with the criticism in the discussion point. You are against
the proposition. Marketing does not cause consumers to spend more and more on goods and
services they do not need. In your eyes, consumers are rational and decide by themselves
what's good for them. You have to present the arguments behind this position.
Critic: Your opinion is that people spend more and more of their money on goods and
services which do not necessarily need. Therefore, you agree with the point of discussion.
You believe that consumers cannot control their own needs. That consumers needs are
heavily influenced by marketing and their social environment. This is a view is also expressed
by psychologists (Freudianism Theory, read p. 202 of Kotler & Keller). You have to present
the arguments behind this position.
Consumer: You disagree with the point of discussion. You believe that marketing does not
cause you to make irrational decisions. You believe that marketing gives a consumer many
possibilities. For example marketing informs you about new products and the quality of
different products and allows you to make the best choice. In your eyes, marketing is a
helpful way of getting information about products. You have to present the arguments for
this position.
Safe Advertising Commissioner: You are the government supervisor for advertisement in the
Netherlands. As a commissioner, you agree with the point of discussion. You have to provide
consumer protection and ensure that information is not misleading. For example the
commission forces companies to show health hazard warning labels on cigarette packages.
You have to present the arguments behind this position.
3
,The assignment
Your assignment has to meet the following criteria:
A minimum of 500 and maximum 700 words.
Your assignment needs a clear structure. It needs to have an introduction, main part (body),
which presents your theoretical and empirical arguments and a clear conclusion.
Make sure your grammar is correct and the layout is clear and functional.
You must use the role you have been assigned.
Give your own definition of 'Marketing', derived of the term 'Marketing' in Kotler & Keller
and you have to specify it to your own role.
Indicate what 'needs', 'wants' and 'demands' are.
Explain how your definition of 'needs' is different from the one in the book.
Give (specified to your role) at least one theoretical argument (including source) and at least
one empirical argument (including source) on the point of discussion.
You have to use the assignment form below when submitting the assignment (you can
expand the box if needed).
You must upload the assignment in Sin-online before the start of the skills tutorial. Also print out
two copies of your assignment and bring them to the skills tutorial.
Good luck!
4
, De consument mag geen speelbal van de
marketing worden!
Het actualiteitenprogramma EenVandaag had onlangs een item over loterijen die burgers
overspoelden met misleidende reclame1. In deze reportage kwam naar voren dat loterijorganisaties
zoals de Nationale Postcode Loterij de burgers via de post overspoelen met brieven inclusief
pinpassen die alleen nog maar geactiveerd hoeven te worden om vervolgens een prijs te kunnen
incasseren. Echter, wat de Nationale Postcode Loterij zou beloven, gebeurt niet. Het lijkt erop dat
dergelijke acties slechts worden opgezet om nieuwe leden te werven.
Uit vorenstaande blijkt dat mensen zich gemakkelijk laten verleiden tot bepaald gedrag om hun
behoeften te bevredigen. Zo speelt de Nationale Postcode Loterij in op de behoefte van mensen om
veel geld te hebben. Dit past ook in de definitie van behoeften van de mens: alles wat iemand nodig
heeft om op een fijne manier het leven te leven. Men zal proberen om met de middelen die men
heeft de behoeften zo goed mogelijk te bevredigen en altijd rationeel zijn. De wil is de manier
waarop deze behoeften worden ingevuld. Bij dorst willen wij vloeistof. De vraag is dus de manier
waarop we onze behoeften willen gaan invullen. Om het voorbeeld compleet te maken, als wij dorst
hebben willen wij vloeistof en daarom hebben wij behoefte aan bijvoorbeeld water.
Marketing speelt in op de manier waarop de consument in zijn behoefte wilt voorzien. De marketing
probeert de behoeften, wil en vraag zodanig te beïnvloeden dat de consument voor een bepaald
product zal kiezen. Het gaat daarbij niet alleen om planning en uitvoering van conceptie, prijsstelling,
promotie en distributie van ideeën, goederen en diensten, maar ook om gebruik van emoties en
percepties van de consument, om de consument zo te beïnvloeden dat irrationele beslissingen
worden genomen. Door een persoonlijke brief met daarin opgenomen dat men uitverkorene is om
op een zeer eenvoudige manier (namelijk door het activeren van een bepaalde code) een prijs te
winnen zorgt de Nationele Postcode Loterij ervoor dat mensen gaan handelen. Daarbij stelt die
persoon zich vaak niet de vraag of het allemaal wel klopt. Men laat zich slechts leiden door de in het
vooruitzicht gestelde geldprijs2.
Mensen moeten daarom tegen hun irrationele beslissingen in bescherming worden genomen.
Vandaar dat er een reclamecommissie is ingesteld om consumenten te beschermen tegen door de
marketing gecreëerde illusies. Marketing creëert namelijk wensen en behoeften voor consumenten,
die de consument voorheen nog niet had.
Het eerste argument3 daarvoor is dat de consument in tal van theorieën weliswaar als rationeel
wordt verondersteld, maar dat hij soms bepaalde informatie krijgt toegespeeld waardoor hij niet in
staat is om rationele beslissingen te nemen. De marketing kan wensen en behoeften creëren en de
consument dit doen laten ervaren als een gemis, terwijl dat in werkelijkheid helemaal niet zo is. Denk
bijvoorbeeld maar aan de actie van de Nationale Postcode Loterij. Activeer je de aangeboden code
niet, dan wordt verondersteld dat je daarmee een aanzienlijk geldbedrag misloopt. In werkelijkheid is
dat natuurlijk niet het geval, maar de illusie wordt wel gecreëerd.
5
