P. 395

1. What features should a retailer promote in its ads for national branded products? Are these the same features that should be promoted by the retailer for its private-label products? • What do you think is the most important short-term objective for a retailer: increase patronage from existing customers or attracting new customers? Explain the reasoning behind your answer. • Some retailers decline a vendor’s offer of cooperative advertising; is this smart? After all, aren’t they passing up “free” money?

2. What features should a retailer promote in its ads for national branded products? Are these the same features that should be promoted by the retailer for its private-label products? • P. 395 • Retailers should promote that the product is available, that it has a good price, or that the store has good services. The manufacturer promotes why people should buy the product, the retailer needs to promote reasons to buy the product at their store. • In the case of a private label product, the focus should be different. Often a price difference exists. Sometimes the product is better than the national. In all cases, communications should focus on why the product should be purchased from the retailer – and the benefits of a private label should be emphasized as well.

3. What do you think is the most important short-term objective for a retailer: increase patronage from existing customers or attracting new customers? Explain the reasoning behind your answer. • P. 397 • What are you doing for each? (simple, but don’t make me assume you know) • Then, after you tell me what the focus of each is, why is one more important? • Could it depend? And what would it depend on?

4. Some retailers decline a vendor’s offer of cooperative advertising; is this smart? After all, aren’t they passing up “free” money? • Begins p. 404 • If they’re asking you to do something you don’t believe will benefit you – might pass on it. • What are reasons to take? What are reasons not to take it?