Commerce WASSCE (PC), 2016

Question 7

 

  1. What is marketing segmentation?
  2. Explain six functions of marketing.

 

 

Observation

 

Most candidates did not attempt the question and those that did not performed well in the question.

The expected responses to the question include:

(a)        Market Segmentation: This is the process of dividing a company’s market
into identifiable groups in a way that specific products can be developed to satisfy each group.                                                                                                           

            (b)        Functions of Marketing

  1. Risk bearing    - it involves calculation of marketing risk and taking necessary insurance cover to reduce their impact on marketing of goods and services;

 

(ii)       Distribution     - marketing ensures that goods and services are moved from
points of production to points of consumption ;
(iii)       Exchange - marketing ensures that goods and services are sold and sales
targets are set and met to achieve company’s marketing objectives;

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  1. Warehousing - through warehousing goods can be produced ahead of

                        demand and then stored until they are needed;

(v)        Promotion/ Advertising - it creates adequate awareness of the company’s
products and services;

                        (vi)       Standardisation and grading - it establishes specified quality that products must
conform to and classify them into different sizes to suit each
market segment;

(vii)      Pricing - marketing determines the pricing structures, margin and discount policies and pricing strategies to be adopted by a company;

(viii)     Product development - marketing identifies the consumers’ needs and wants and
plans and designs effective products based on the identified needs and
wants;

(ix)       Marketing research - marketing provides information on marketing mix and
how they could be effective to the target market;

                        (x)        Financing - marketing provides income to the company through
sales of goods and services.