Better Than <i>Cosmo</i> Sorry. We can't tell you how good a lover you are. But our quiz <i>can</i> tell you how to sell with the best.

How advanced is your marketing knowledge? You may think you knowit all-but you won't know for sure until you take thequiz in this column. In order to challenge you on the latestmarketing information, we've broken it down into six vitalareas, from how to reach working women to PR strategy and trademagazine ads. So break out a writing implement, and circle oneletter for each answer. When you've completed the quiz, checkout our answers. Then go put that information to work in your ownbusiness.

1. Teens represent a $150 billion market, yet motivatingthem to spend their money can be tricky. After product quality,which marketing factor do teens say has the most powerful influenceon their purchasing decisions?
A. Price
B. Advertising
C. Whether a company donates to a cause
D. Celebrity endorsements

2. Contest promotions with large grand prizes are usedexclusively by major corporations with deep pockets to support bigpayouts.
A. True
B. False

3. Broadcast faxing is a high-impact, low-cost directmarketing tactic that can replace direct mail to coldprospects.
A. True
B. False

4. Nine out of 10 women are the primary shoppers fortheir households, and 75 percent of all women between the ages of25 and 54 work full time or part time. What's the bestbroadcast advertising vehicle for reaching them?
A. Radio
B. Television

5. What percentage of buyers and specifiers (the peoplewho are responsible for recommending products their companiesshould purchase) look for Web site addresses in trade magazine adswhen they're trying to find additional information about theproducts?
A. Less than 10 percent
B. 25 percent
C. 50 percent
D. Nearly 90 percent

6. Which of the following factors is the principaladvantage of conducting market research online?
A. Lower cost
B. Speed
C. Surveys hard-to-reach respondents
D. All of the above

Answers

Give yourself 20 points for each correct answer:

1. C. Eighty-five percent of teens would switch toretailers associated with a good cause, according to the 2000"Cone/Roper Cause-Related Teen Survey." After the qualityof the product, teens consider whether a company makes a donationto a cause (71 percent) and whether the company supports the cause(68 percent) to be the second and third most important factors whendeciding what to buy. Teens indicate they're most concernedabout violence in school, drug and alcohol abuse and crime. Make asmart PR move by affiliating with related causes.

2. B. Entrepreneurs are increasingly sponsoring majorpromotions by using prize payout insurance. Companies such asSCA PromotionsInc., in partnership with commercial reinsurers such as Lloydsof London, offer guaranteed payment of prizes for on-air radiopromotions, retail and sports contests, and Internet promotions.For pennies on the dollar, the provider assumes all the financialrisks, helping a modest promotional budget support a large grandprize.

3. B. Although broadcast faxing is high-impact andlow-cost, it is best used to maintain ongoing relationships withexisting prospects or customers. Unlike direct mail, unsolicitedfaxes fall afoul of the FCC's Telephone Consumer ProtectionAct. Permission to send unsolicited faxes is presumed to exist onlyif you have an established business relationship with the companiesyou're faxing to.

4. A. Working women are approximately half as likely asthe average adult to be TV watchers, according to MediaMarkResearch Inc., and 16 percent more likely than the average adult tobe radio listeners. So radio is the best broadcast tool forreaching working women between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.,which covers an important purchasing time-the evening commutehome.

5. D. A whopping 87 percent of buyers and specifierssearch for URLs in trade advertisements, according to research byMartin Akel & Associates in conjunction with Cahners. If you wantto help buyers get the information they need quickly and easily,include your URL in all your trade ads.

6. D. Considering the refusal rate of people asked toparticipate in phone or direct surveys has reached 60 percent,online surveys make a good alternative. Entrepreneurs can find avariety of vendors on the Internet that provide inexpensive,do-it-yourself research tools and databases for B2B and consumermarketers. One such site is InsightExpress.

How Did You Do?

If you scored 100 to 120, consider yourself a marketing genius.If you fall between 60 and 80, you should increase your efforts tobring your marketing knowledge up to speed. And if you scored 40 orless, don't worry-just remember this quiz is simply anindication that it's time for you to get motivated and brush upon your skills.