Marketing at Gerlach Publish for Textbooks

As Marketing Manager at Gerlach Publishing, which exclusively publishes textbooks for Colorado public schools, you are responsible for researching and monitoring the company's macroenvironment and proposing necessary changes in marketing strategy. Key decisions you must make include: which changes in the macroenvironment are important to Gerlach's marketing efforts, what are the likely effects of those changes, and how Gerlach should respond to these changes.

Background

Gerlach produces science, social studies, math, and language arts textbooks for first through twelfth grade. In the past, the macroenvironment for your company has been fairly stable. However, information you've received from your research team shows that this is starting to change. The first three reports deal with long-term changes in the macroenvironment. Review the reports before you decide which next steps to recommend to your supervisor, the Vice President of Marketing.

Background

Historically, the number of school-age children in Colorado has increased at a gradual rate each year. However, recent trends indicate that the population as a whole is aging, and the number of school-aged children has begun to decline. Trends suggest that it will continue to decline over the next decade. Additionally, the number of non-English-speaking students is expected to triple in the same time period, to around 13% of the total student population.

Demographic Report

Gerlach currently buys paper from a local supplier to print its textbooks. Deforestation has now resulted in a shortage of trees available for logging. Also, the remaining forests are coming under increasing protective legislation, which means even fewer trees can be logged. Additional legislation has recently be...

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...achers' groups to create a lobbying campaign warning against the too-soon adoption of any new educational theory. The slogan: "Remember new math.” Hands-on science does not add up," the campaign is successful. The public turns against the idea of "hands-on" science and the school board implements it only as a pilot project in a few schools. Gerlach makes a profit, and you are promoted.

Additional Short-Term Changes

You made an astute decision when you decided that political changes would have the strongest effect on Gerlach's business. But the economic and technological environments will have effects as well. From the choices above, choose the best responses to these changes.

Feedback

You earned 95 percent.

If you would like to improve your skills while improving your score, read your textbook and review your course materials before attempting this simulation again.