Discuss public policy issues, government regulations, and laws that affect new product development

What will be an ideal response?

Marketers should carefully consider public policy issues and regulations regarding acquiring or dropping products, patent protection, product quality and safety, and product warranties. Regarding new products, the government may prevent companies from adding products through acquisitions if the effect threatens to lessen competition. Companies dropping products must be aware that they have legal obligations, written or implied, to their suppliers, dealers, and customers who have a stake in the dropped product. Companies must also obey U.S. patent laws when developing new products. A company cannot make its product illegally similar to another company's established product.

Manufacturers must comply with specific laws regarding product quality and safety. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act protects consumers from unsafe and adulterated food, drugs, and cosmetics. Various acts provide for the inspection of sanitary conditions in the meat- and poultry-processing industries. Safety legislation has been passed to regulate fabrics, chemical substances, automobiles, toys, and drugs and poisons. The Consumer Product Safety Act of 1972 established the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which has the authority to ban or seize potentially harmful products and set severe penalties for violation of the law.

Business

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Which of the following is described by Kotler and Keller as a way that companies use their databases?

A) to identify prospects B) to deepen customer loyalty C) to avoid serious customer mistakes D) to decide which customers should receive a particular offer E) to decide which products to offer in a particular geographic area

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A seller can recover incidental charges incurred on the disposition of goods if a buyer breaches a sales or lease contract

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Business