Mini case study。请认真阅读以下小案例,并回答后面的问题
    Julie has been concerned about the profitability of the various items in her line of potato chips. According to her potato suppliers, the recent drought caused a 35 percent reduction in the potato crop compared to one year ago, resulting in a 25 percent hike in potato prices to large buyers like Julie's company. Potatoes accounted for almost all of the content of her chips (which also consisted of vegetable oil, one of three different flavoring spices, and salt), plus there were packaging costs. To hold the line on margins, which of late had been slim at only about 5 percent due to fierce competition from several other local and regional brands, Julie would need to raise potato chip prices about 15 percent. On her most popular 7.5 oz. size, which had a price spot of $1.59 on the package, this would require a price hike of $0.24, bringing the price up to $1.83.
    Julie wondered what would be the appropriate strategy to deal with this unfortunate circumstance. She was very reluctant to raise the price to maintain the margin. First, she feared incurring the bad will of her loyal customers; it would not be perceived as fair by them. Moreover, she was worried about competitive responses; her other latter competitors might be willing to incur a loss in the short-run to keep their customer bases and to attract price-hiking rivals customers. Julie couldn't afford such a strategy since she was evaluated solely on the basis of monthly net profits. Historical data in this industry revealed another possible competitive maneuver in the face of rising ingredient costs: hold the line on prices and package size while reducing the net weight of the package. Julie was concerned that this might be a deceptive practice. She recalled from a Consumer Behavior course she had taken in college a concept known as the "just noticeable difference." This said that relatively small changes in a stimulus (such as a price hike or content shrinkage) go unnoticed by consumers. Julie felt intuitively that the price increase necessary to maintain margins would be noticed, given the price sensitivity of buyers for snack foods. However, the past industry data suggested that perhaps buyers might not notice the package size reduction needed to sustain profits, which in this case would be 1.1 ounces.
    Julie asked her boss, Dave, the Marketing Director, about the advisability of reducing the net weight of the potato chips. Dave said that this was a practice known variously as "downsizing" and package shorting." It was a very common practice among packaged goods manufacturers. For instance, he said, candy bar manufacturers are subject to constantly fluctuating ingredient prices, and because there are expected ("fair" or "reference") prices for candy bars, package sizes are frequently adjusted without informing consumers. Jim said that was a nonissue since marketers have been above board in labeling products accurately as to weight, serving size, price, and quantity. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration had no laws against the practice. Dave recommended downsizing the potato chips, but he made it dear to Julie that the ultimate decision was up to her. Julie still had her doubts. After all, it would seem that consumers who are in the habit of buying a particular product size generally don't scrutinize the net weight label on subsequent purchases. If this were true, it seemed to Julie that downsizing would be a deceptive practice.
    Questions(可以用中文回答):
问答题   这个案例涉及了市场营销中的哪些问题或者营销策略?
 
【正确答案】
【答案解析】本题主要涉及营销组合的选取问题。在此案例中,上游原材料涨价、导致成本增加,企业在考虑如何调整价格,一般而言直接提价的话,将削弱产品的市场竞争力,伤害到忠实顾客对产品的良好印象。于是该企业向利用产品策略的调整来变相涨价,通过更好包装、减轻产品的分量的形式以维持原来的价格,减少消费者对其产品涨价的不良印象和敏感度,保持产品竞争力等。
问答题   Julie和Dave的决策正确吗?如果你是这个公司的决策者,你会怎么做呢?为什么?
 
【正确答案】
【答案解析】我认为她的方式不够正确。作为企业领导者,我会在运用产品策略的基础上同时应用其他营销组合策略。通过变化其他营销组合来改变价格策略,以便在涨价的同时尽量不动声色地不触动消费者的敏感神经与维持企业产品的良好形象、提升利润。具体的措施可以包括:通过推出新产品的产品策略,生产味道更好的新品,并利用新的包装等改变营销组合中的产品策略;通过提高销售门店形象等改变渠道策略;通过投放新的广告以及培训服务质量更高的员工等方式改变促销策略等。