Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
Introduction to Business 2e

Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills

Introduction to Business 2ePreparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills

Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills

  1. Team Activity Divide the class into two groups with one taking the “pro” position and the other the “con” position on the following issue: “The only thing marketing intermediaries really do is increase prices for consumers. It is always best to buy direct from the producer.” (Interpersonal)
  2. Trace the distribution channel for some familiar product. Write a summary that explains why the channel has evolved as it has and how it is likely to change in the future. (Systems)
  3. You work for a small chain of department stores (six stores total) located within a single state. Summarize your findings to the leadership of the company explaining how e-retailing may affect the chain’s business. (Technology)
  4. How does supply-chain management increase customer value? (Systems)
  5. Think of a product that you use regularly. Find several examples of how the manufacturer markets this product, such as ads in different media, sales promotions, and publicity. Assess each example for effectiveness in meeting one or more of the six promotional goals described in the chapter. Then analyze them for effectiveness in reaching you as a target consumer. Consider such factors as the media used, the style of the ad, and ad content. Present your findings to the class. (Information)
  6. Go to the blogging search sites listed in the text and find personal blogs, both positive and negative, for a brand. Also report on a consumer good manufacturer’s blogging site. Was it appealing? Why or why not? (Technology)
  7. The internet and technology has changed the world of promotion forever. Explain the meaning of this sentence. (Technology)
  8. What advantages does personal selling offer over types of promotion? (Information)
  9. Choose a current advertising campaign for a beverage product. Describe how the campaign uses different media to promote the product. Which media is used the most, and why? What other promotional strategies does the company use for the product? Evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign. Present your results to the class. (Information)
  10. The Promotional Products Association International is a trade association of the promotional-products industry that provides an introduction to promotional products and how they are used in marketing. Read about its Golden Pyramid competition at https://www.ppai.org/media/awards/pyramid-awards/ and recent winners at https://www.ppai.org/media-hub/53-industry-companies-win-2025-ppai-pyramid-awards/. Choose three to four winners from different categories. Now prepare a short report on the role of promotional products in the promotional mix. Include the examples you selected, and explain how the products helped the company reach its objective. (Technology)
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business-2e/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business-2e/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.