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Vending Pricing Strategies Explained

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
14 views4 pages

Vending Pricing Strategies Explained

Uploaded by

nurathirah1881
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Schindler, Pricing Strategies – Instructor Resources

Chapter 16: Answers to the End-of-Chapter Questions

Exercises

1. Consider the following product categories:


Supermarkets Smart phones
Automobiles Car insurance
Jeans Hotels
(a) For each category of product, give an example of a well-known brand that uses price as a
background variable and one that uses price as a lead variable.
(b) Choose one of these background-lead pairs. For each of the two companies in the pair,
describe the factors that were likely to have determined that company’s decision on the
strategic prominence of price.

2. For more than 95 years, Blaine Candies has operated a candy shop in a convenient downtown
location in a middle-sized Midwestern city, providing customers a well-regarded assortment
of handcrafted chocolates. Blaine sells standard chocolates, such as buttercreams, caramels,
peanut chews, and jellies as well as a variety of specialty pieces that are handcrafted, such as
almond butter crunch, almond balls, marshmallows, and cashew patties. Chocolates are
available in 1/2 lb., 1 lb., 2 lb., 3 lb., and 5 lb. boxes and are priced strictly by multiplying the
amount of chocolates being purchased by the price offered for a 1 lb. box.
The company has relied mostly on cost-based pricing, using a 50 percent markup for
chocolates produced at the store and selling purchased goods (e.g., gummy bears, Swedish
fish, lemon drops) and tins at a 100 percent markup. Among national companies competing
with Blaine Candies is Russell Stover (low-end) and Godiva (high-end). Blaine’s tends to set
prices to be similar to those of local competitors.
(a) Describe the strategic prominence of price at Blaine Candies. What are the factors that
appear to make this level of strategic prominence appropriate for this company?
(b) Use the material from this chapter to outline a plan that Blaine’s management can use to
make routine, frequently occurring pricing decisions.
(c) Give an example of a change in the company, the market, or the marketing environment
that might lead Blaine’s management to change the strategic prominence of price at the
company.

3. The owner of a company that sells job-management software to small construction and
contracting businesses is thinking about the long-term implications of a possible price
increase. The company sells its customers an annual software license, which includes
program installation, maintenance, and technical support.
(a) Describe some of the factors that would tend to make the repeat customers of this
company more profitable than newly acquired customers.
(b) The owner estimates that, at current price levels, the average remaining lifetime value of
the company’s 660 customers over the next five years equals $2880 (in present-period
dollars). The average contribution margin on the software license for current customers
is 30 percent. The owner is considering increasing his company’s average price for an
annual software license from $1200 to $1380. Calculate the breakeven sales level for
this prospective price increase both with and without including the CM adjustment for
customer lifetime value. Show your work.
(c) Describe the effect of considering customer lifetime value on the breakeven sales levels
that you calculated in Part (b). How is this effect likely to affect the decision that the
owner will make regarding the possibility of raising the software license’s price?

4. Here are some common consumer service products:


Personal financial advice Pest-control services
Home computer repair and software training Home carpentry services
Plumbing services Tree-care services
(a) Choose one of these products and describe how you might come up with a cost
innovation by “industrializing” the service. Your plan should involve simplifying it (and
perhaps focusing on only one specific part of the whole service), standardizing it, and
making maximal use of automation.

(b) Outline a plan for the business development of the cost innovation you describe in Part
(a). In your plan, specify the strategic prominence of price and describe some of the
implications of that role of price for the pricing activities involved in managing this
product.

Review and Discussion Questions

1. Describe the concept of the strategic prominence of a marketing mix variable. How does
using price as a lead variable differ from using price as a background variable?

2. Explain the concept of positioning. How is a company’s positioning likely to be related to


the strategic prominence of price in that company?

3. Give some of the items that would be on a checklist of routine pricing activities. Why are
checklists particularly important when price is used as a background variable?

4. Provide an example of a factor that would make a long-term price elasticity higher than a
short-term one. Then describe a factor that would make a long-term price elasticity lower
than a short-term one.
5. Describe the concept of customer lifetime value. Explain how consideration of this factor
could be included in the GBE formula.

6. Give an example of a change in the marketing environment that would have important
implications for managing a product’s pricing.

7. Describe what could be done to make it practical to “be your own pricing consultant” when
price is used as a background variable. Describe the benefits of not outsourcing pricing
decisions.

8. Explain why achieving low costs in production and operations is a key factor in the decision
to use price as a lead marketing mix variable.

9. What is the difference between an economy of scale and an economy of experience?

10. How does a cost innovation differ from the type of innovation that makes a product better?
Explain why carefully considering customer needs is of key importance in developing cost
innovations.

11. Describe the concept of the product life cycle. Give an example of a current product that
illustrates each of its four stages.

12. In which of the product-life-cycle stages is the use of price as a lead variable likely to be
most appropriate. Explain your reasoning.

13. Describe how a pricing plan to serve the “good-buy” market segment might differ from one
to serve the “low-price” segment.

14. What are some of the means by which frequent price communication could increase
customer price sensitivity? Is higher customer price sensitivity desirable or undesirable?

15. What is the wheel of retailing? What are two approaches that a retailer could take to avoid
being trapped by it?

16. Describe an example of an interactive pricing activity that would be appropriate when price
is used as a background variable. Then describe an example of an interactive pricing activity
that would be appropriate when price is used as a lead variable.

17. What is price consternation? Describe an example of an industry, besides the recorded-
music industry, that is currently facing price consternation.
18. Describe how nonprofit organizations where basic pricing principles apply differ from those
nonprofit organizations where basic pricing principles may not so well apply.

19. Give two examples of pricing “frustration signs,” and describe how managerial attention to
customer needs might point to a solution.

Common questions

Powered by AI

Customer lifetime value is crucial in strategic pricing as it highlights the long-term revenue potential of retaining a customer, influencing decisions on both pricing and marketing investment. For a software firm, understanding customer lifetime value allows for setting optimal pricing that maximizes this value without alienating customers with excessive price increases. It also informs customer acquisition strategies by balancing initial investment with anticipated long-term returns .

Using price as a lead variable suggests it is the primary focus of a company's marketing strategy, often positioning the brand as a low-cost leader. This approach typically relies on achieving efficiencies such as economies of scale to sustain competitiveness. Conversely, using price as a background variable means that other elements of the marketing mix, such as quality, service, or brand image, are emphasized over price, which might be set to match competitors or de-emphasized in marketing efforts .

Industrializing home computer repair could involve standardizing service packages, using remote diagnostics, and automating appointment scheduling. These efficiencies reduce labor costs and improve scale, allowing lower pricing or higher margins. This implies a pricing strategy that can offer competitive or value-based pricing to different market segments, creating differentiation through efficiency and speed, rather than solely on price reductions .

Frequent price communication can increase customer price sensitivity by consistently highlighting price changes and making consumers more aware of fluctuations. This can lead consumers to perceive the product as a commodity, emphasizing cost over other product attributes, and forcing companies to compete primarily on price. This strategy can diminish brand loyalty and reduce the perceived value, which may increase pressure on margins and require businesses to focus on cost-cutting to maintain profitability .

Long-term price elasticity tends to be higher when consumers have more time to find alternatives, substitute products become available, or when they adjust their expectations and budgets to accommodate a higher price over time. Conversely, short-term price elasticity might be higher when consumers are more reactively responsive to immediate price changes, perhaps due to an abrupt necessity to purchase or limited short-term alternatives .

Economy of scale refers to cost advantages gained by increasing production volume, reducing the cost per unit due to fixed cost distribution. An economy of experience, however, derives from the efficiency improvements and cost reductions achieved through accumulated knowledge and expertise over time. Both influence strategic pricing as they determine cost structures, allowing firms to offer lower prices or invest in value additions without sacrificing margins .

The introduction stage of the product life cycle is typically where using price as a lead variable is most appropriate. During this phase, the goal is often to quickly build market share by attracting price-sensitive consumers or to create a price penetration strategy to enter the market efficiently before competitors can react or establish strong brand loyalty .

To avoid the traps of the wheel of retailing, retailers can focus on maintaining a strong brand identity that does not solely rely on low prices, thereby justifying premium pricing through a focus on value, convenience, or superior customer service. Alternatively, retailers can innovate with exclusive offerings or experiential shopping environments that distinguish their offerings from basic competitors, making price a less critical factor in consumer decision-making .

Price consternation occurs when an industry faces destabilizing price pressures due to technological shifts, digital competition, or changing consumer expectations, leading to pricing uncertainty and margin pressures. The publishing industry, particularly newspapers and magazines transitioning to digital, faces price consternation due to competition from free online content, forcing significant reassessment of pricing strategies .

Using a checklist for routine pricing activities when price is a background variable ensures consistency in pricing decisions and aligns them with strategic objectives. Checklists help in methodically evaluating market conditions, competitive pricing, and cost structures. They prevent oversight and ensure decisions are data-driven rather than reactive, maintaining coherence with the overall marketing strategy that prioritizes aspects other than price .

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