Strategic Planning & Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real MAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Strategic Planning & Analysis flashcards as text
A company's customer acquisition cost (CAC) has risen 40% over two years while LTV remained flat. The most strategic response is to:
Answer: Invest in retention and upsell programs to grow LTV
When CAC rises but LTV is stagnant, the most effective strategic lever is improving retention and upsell to increase LTV rather than spending more to acquire customers.
In marketing strategy, 'category entry points (CEPs)' refer to:
Answer: The mental cues and contexts that trigger buyers to think of a category
Category entry points (CEPs), from Byron Sharp's research, are the specific mental and situational triggers that prompt consumers to think about and buy from a category.
A strategic marketing plan distinguishes between 'effectiveness' and 'efficiency.' In this context, effectiveness refers to:
Answer: Doing the right things to achieve desired outcomes
Effectiveness is about doing the right things — pursuing the correct goals and strategies — while efficiency is about doing things at minimal cost.
Which of the following BEST defines 'competitive advantage' in a marketing analytics context?
Answer: A durable capability or asset that enables superior value creation vs. competitors
Competitive advantage is a sustainable differentiator — such as proprietary data, brand equity, or unique capabilities — that allows a company to create more value than rivals.
An analyst is asked to assess 'market attractiveness' for a new product launch. Which framework provides the most comprehensive evaluation?
Answer: GE-McKinsey Nine-Box Matrix
The GE-McKinsey Nine-Box Matrix evaluates markets on two dimensions — industry attractiveness and competitive strength — providing a structured framework for investment decisions.
A strategic plan targets a 'blue ocean' market. This means the company intends to:
Answer: Create uncontested market space by making competition irrelevant
Blue Ocean Strategy, from Kim & Mauborgne, involves creating new market space where competition is irrelevant rather than fighting over existing demand.
When setting OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) for a marketing analytics function, 'key results' should be:
Answer: Specific, measurable outcomes that indicate objective achievement
Key Results must be quantifiable and outcome-focused — they measure whether the objective was actually achieved, not activities completed.