All 16 questions from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Marketing 2025 Theory paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
Advertisement
1(a) Mr John, the purchasing officer of Ajax Ltd, bought an industrial printer for his company's use and packs of noodles for his daughter's birthday party. 1(a) Identify the two types of products bought by Mr John.
Model answer
Noodles are consumer goods. The printing machine is an industrial good.
1(b) State four differences between the two types of products bought by Mr John.
Model answer
1. Noodles are produced for final consumption while the printer is used for producing other goods. 2. Noodles are consumable goods while printers are durable goods. 3. Demand for noodles is higher than that of printers. 4. A specialist is needed to purchase a printer, while no specialist is needed to purchase noodles. 5. Demand is inelastic for the printer while demand is elastic for noodles. 6. Buying the printer involved careful selection of a supplier, while the noodles brand was chosen based on label information. 7. The amount spent per unit on noodles is small, while that spent on the printer is large.
1(c) Explain the five stages in the decision making process that Mr John would have followed in the purchase of the noodles.
Model answer
1. Need/problem recognition: Mr John's daughter's birthday party created the need to buy noodles. 2. Information search: He searched for information on the different noodle brands available, through friends, family, acquaintances and companies' marketing efforts. 3. Evaluation of alternatives: He compared the available brands based on quality, quantity and favour. 4. Purchase decision: This is the stage at which he paid for the brand of noodles selected. 5. Post-purchase behaviour: He used the noodles for the party and is either satisfied or dissatisfied with the quality and flavour, which will determine whether he repeats the purchase.
2(a) What is sales promotion?
Model answer
Sales promotion is the short-term incentive directed at a company's target market to stimulate sales. (Or: it is a type of promotion that uses promo-tools targeted at marketing intermediaries and consumers to boost a company's sales within a short period.)
2(b) Explain the following forms of sales promotion: (i) coupon (ii) sample (iii) premium (iv) contest
Model answer
Coupon: a certificate inserted into a product which a customer can present at a store to receive a gift or price reduction on a specified product during a repeat purchase. Sample: a product offered to consumers for free, allowing them to try it and building credibility when it is introduced to the market. Premium: a sales promotion tool in which another product is attached to a product's package free or at low cost, to make the packaged product more attractive. Contest: a competition among customers to complete a task set by the company in order to win a specific prize.
2(c) State five advantages of magazine as an advertising medium.
Model answer
1. It has a longer lifespan, as it can be kept for a long time. 2. It is attractive because it is available in colour. 3. It has repeated readership. 4. It allows audience selection (targeting). 5. It enjoys a high level of credibility. 6. It enhances the image of the advertiser. 7. It displays the actual colour of the product being advertised.
3(a) Premium Ltd is a manufacturer of confectioneries that sells its products to distributors nationwide. 3(a) State five functions the distributors would perform for the company.
Model answer
1. Help finance production of the goods by paying in advance (prepayment). 2. Provide information about the product to the company. 3. Assist the company in promoting the confectionery products. 4. Help improve the brand image of the company. 5. Help sell the company's products. 6. Use their delivery vans to convey the product to retailers. 7. Buy the company's product in large quantity and store it in their warehouses.
3(b) State five factors the company would consider in choosing a mode of transporting its products to distributors.
Model answer
1. The nature of the product. 2. The availability of the mode of transportation. 3. The flexibility of the mode of transportation. 4. The cost of the mode of transportation. 5. The safety of the mode of transportation. 6. The reliability of the mode of transportation. 7. The speed of the mode/time-sensitivity of the goods.
4(a) What is market union?
Model answer
A market union is the coming together of sellers of the same product line in a local market to protect their common interests.
4(b) State four roles performed by market unions to their members.
Model answer
1. They provide financial support to members. 2. They ensure adequate supply of goods to members, selling to those short of goods at a reasonable discount. 3. They control and regulate entry into the business. 4. They control the price of goods dealt in at the local market. 5. They provide security for members' stalls and stores in the local market. 6. They settle disputes among members.
4(c) State five advantages of packaging to a product.
Model answer
1. It protects the product from damage. 2. It protects the product from spoilage/depreciation due to weather conditions. 3. It provides information on product usage. 4. It promotes the product through the advertisement on the label. 5. It makes shelf display possible and easy at the point of sale. 6. It provides identification and attracts consumers because of its appearance. 7. It gives the product a unique image and adds value to it.
5(a) What is e-marketing?
Model answer
E-marketing is the process of promoting, receiving orders for, selling and making payments for a product on the internet. (Or: it refers to the use of digital technologies to promote and sell products.)
5(b) State four benefits of e-marketing.
Model answer
1. It provides 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service to customers. 2. It can update customer databases and registers. 3. It provides customers with the information they need about a company. 4. The cost of selling and advertising on the internet is low. 5. It enables customers to have direct access to companies' websites. 6. It provides feedback from customers to companies.
5(c) State five reasons a company would want to engage in international marketing.
Model answer
1. To extend the product life-cycle. 2. To enjoy comparative advantage accruable to the company. 3. To provide a greater variety of products and services. 4. To escape intense competition in the local market. 5. To take advantage of favourable foreign exchange rates. 6. To earn foreign currency. 7. To tap into foreign market technologies.
6(a) Explain the following marketing terms: (i) supply (ii) wants
Model answer
Supply: the quantity of goods a producer is willing and able to offer for sale at a given period of time. Wants: the desires of consumers for goods and services that satisfy an additional (non-basic/luxury) need.
6(b) Wax Ltd operates on marketing and product concepts while Manti Ltd operates on production and selling concepts. State two features each of the concepts used by the two companies.
Model answer
Marketing concept (Wax Ltd): (i) conducting surveys, focus groups and interviews to identify customer needs; (ii) treating customers as kings, with a customer care department established to attend to their requests. Product concept (Wax Ltd): (i) the product undergoes continuous research to improve its quality; (ii) a quality control department ensures product performance and effectiveness. Production concept (Manti Ltd): (i) advertising low prices as the key selling point; (ii) standardising the product and streamlining manufacturing to increase output and reduce cost per unit. Selling concept (Manti Ltd): (i) running frequent, sometimes pushy, sales campaigns to break down customer resistance to buying; (ii) using a persuasive salesforce and limited-time deals, with less concern for long-term customer satisfaction.
Advertisement
…and/or go further with premium services and No Ads.