The sales and Marketing domain is a sought-after interest of people with a commerce/ management degree in undergraduate. Many people also make it a part of their Why MBA answer. In this article, we have explained a few basic but important marketing questions and answers for MBA interview, along with key concepts from the marketing domain that can be asked during your MBA interviews. We have previously made a similar article on Economics which you can check out here. The questions mentioned at the end are summarized from the interview transcripts.
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Top 25 Marketing Questions and Answers for MBA Aspirants 2025
What is Marketing?
Marketing is a business term defined in a dozen different ways. Essentially, it is the process through which the products and services move from concept to the consumer. Thus, it includes the identification of demand, price determination, distribution channel selection, and the development and implementation of a promotional strategy.
Marketing is the management process, which is responsible for creating, communicating, and delivering the customers’ needs profitably. It includes everything from development to the delivery of the product and continues even after that.
Key marketing strategies:
- Marketing Strategy and Management
- Market Research & Consumer Insights
- Product Development & Management
- Data Analytics
- Advertising and Sales Promotion
- Brand Management
- Digital Marketing
What are the 4Ps of Marketing?
The 4Ps of Marketing or the Product Mix are important elements in determining a product’s offering to the customer.
- Product: A product can either be tangible, something that has independent physical existence, or intangible like a service. Launching the right kind of product with the appropriate number of variants is the key.
- Price: The price of a product determines the offering, which the customers are willing to give to buy that product. The price can neither be too low that the seller incurs losses nor be too high that the consumers cannot afford the product.
- Place: The market where the product is sold is known as the place. The markets should be convenient for consumers to access. The distribution network for a product determines its availability in shops/outlets.
- Promotion: The method of communication by which the marketer provides information about the product is known as promotion. It includes advertisements, personal selling, word-of-mouth publicity, etc.
In the 7 P’s of marketing, People, Process, and Physical evidence are added.
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What is a Brand?
A brand is a product, service, or concept that can be distinguished from others so that it can be communicated and marketed easily.
Why is Branding Required?
A brand is at the core of Marketing – it creates demand or generates a pull. Branding is a signal of quality, which can help you either sell a product at a premium or induce loyalty to it.
It is a mark of assurance and as consumers, we want to derisk everything that we are doing.
Positioning: How Brands Occupy Space in Consumer Minds
It is the space that the brand occupies in a consumer’s mind by identifying a singularity. Singularity and association are important because they provide clarity and ownership.
To break it down further, consider:
Colgate is positioned as a ‘protective’
Patanjali is positioned as ‘organic’
Also Read:
- How to Prepare for WAT 2024 in MBA Interviews: Tips to Create Compelling Essays
- How to Crack MBA Group Discussion Round 2025: Tips, Strategies, and Current Topics
Target Market
An ideal consumer group is a specific segment of the market that businesses target when selling their products or services. These groups can be defined by various factors such as income level, gender, demographics, lifestyle choices, geography, and more. By understanding these characteristics, marketers can develop tailored communication strategies that effectively reach and engage their desired audience.
What is the difference between Marketing and Selling?
Marketing is the process of meeting the needs of the customer. It includes product planning, pricing, promotion, and distribution.
Whereas, selling is the action that converts the products or services into cash. Sales are a result of Marketing. Sales have a short-term perspective whereas, marketing continues even after sales in the form of after-sales service, etc.
Difference between Marketing and Advertising:
Marketing refers to the process of preparation of your product for the marketplace. It involves understanding the target group and their needs and wants for the product. It is marketing that helps define the brand and attract the market share you want.
Advertising, on the other hand, is the process of making your product or service known to the marketplace by spreading the word about what the company has to offer. Marketing is the way you convince your buyers whereas advertising refers to how you communicate to them.
Difference between Selling and Advertising:
Selling is a direct contact activity with the consumer to entice him about the product or service, whereas, advertising is an indirect contact activity aimed at creating awareness about the product or service which can result in increased sales. Both these functions work under the umbrella of the Marketing department.
Theoretical Questions that can be asked in Marketing:
- Difference between Digital Marketing and Marketing in a digital space
- Tell us about the Product Life Cycle and name a few products on which it is not applicable
- 4Ps vs 7 Ps in marketing
- B2B, Vs B2C, Vs D2C
- Different Types/Forms of Marketing
- Segmentation Targeting and Positioning
- CTR, CRM, Conversion Rate, SEO
- Famous Brands
- Inbound and Outbound Marketing
- Green Advertising
- 5 Marketing Concepts
Practical questions that can be asked in Marketing:
- Your favorite marketing campaign/ ad and the reasons you like it.
- Tell us your least favorite ad and if you were to change it, how will you? What according to you is a brand? What is your favorite brand and why?
- Market the city from where you completed your graduation and come up with its tagline
- Do celebrities hamper the prospect of a brand?
- Do you think Marketing is ethical?
- Why do people dislike sales but like marketing?
Few Resources to Read:
- Madovermarketing_mom (IG)
- Neil Patel News Letter
- Marketoonist
- Hubspot Blog
Chat
Comments
Tanisha sinha
Great questions covers every topic
28 Jan 2025, 02.45 PM
Ankit Yadav
Informative
28 Jan 2025, 03.12 PM
Nikhil Yadav
Insightful
28 Jan 2025, 11.41 PM