5B Form and function

Question 1

Define maintenance

Answer 1

The upkeep of products, to keep them in a condition comparable to how they were bought for as long as possible (via care labels)

Question 2

What does the cost of a product relate to?

Answer 2

Relates to:
- quality
- brand name
- materials/components
- manufacturing processes

Question 3

What are marketing constraints?

Answer 3

Refers to the factors that hinder an organisations’s ability to achieve its marketing goals - these can affect any element of the marketing mix

Question 4

Price constraints

Answer 4

Aspects keeping you from having flexibility in pricing decisions.

E.g. ceiling prices, break-even points - set by customers/min. amount of profit

Question 5

Place constraints

Answer 5

The inability to get the product into the hands of the target consumer - could have a negative impact on sales.

Marketing strategies must be carefully implemented to ensure enough product is readily available - working closely with distribution channels

Question 6

Promotional constraints

Answer 6

The promotion must clearly reflect the attributes of the products sold, in terms of content and design.

E.g. the product not being targeted to the appropriate audience/overpromising - can lead to customer dissatisfaction

Question 7

What is disassembly and why is it done?

Answer 7

Taking existing products apart to:
- see how they are made: can copy manufacturing techniques
- see how not to make something: make improvements
- see how to replicate certain aspects
- see how certain aspects can be altered to fit the function/aesthetic of the new design

Question 8

What is “above the line”?

Answer 8

Relates to the external features of a product
- what it looks like
- how it functions externally

Question 9

What is “below the line”?

Answer 9

Relates to the internal features of a product
- structure
- construction
- seams

Question 10

Why is market research performed?

Answer 10

Collecting data:
To determine whether there is a need for a particular product and to find out about the target market, competitors and market trends - whether to continue developing an idea/design before money is spent of development and manufacturing

Question 11

Quantitative data

Answer 11

• factual information
• often in numerical form
• usually closed questions: choice of answer/yes or no
• data is sorted into: rank order/categories and is usually analysed

Question 12

Qualitative data

Answer 12

• the opinions of people/their behaviour
• often about human behaviour
• gathered from open questions: encourages descriptive answers and different perspectives/points of view