Suggested answers for Sample Paper 2:
Practical Test
The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate bears no responsibility for the
example answers to questions taken from its past question papers which are contained in this
publication.
Printout of the second e-mail prepared and ready to send to autoresponder-
Page 2
Candidate x <today’s date>
Phoney Phones Marketing Strategy
The design department has been asked to plan an advertising campaign for Phoney Phones. This is a large retail
chain of (usually) small, high street shops selling mobile phones and their accessories. Many of their most
recently acquired shops are in prime business locations like the larger 'out of town' shopping malls. Their
core business is in the sale of mobile telephones but they are realising that the initial market has become
almost saturated and that new and innovative marketing strategies will be needed to even maintain current sales
volumes. There are a large number of competitors in every town and city who, with the rapidly growing market
did not present a problem. Now that this has changed, these competitors are now aggressively marketing and
this is having an impact upon sales.
The campaign focus must be to try and sell new mobile phones to existing mobile phone owners. The four primary
areas for our investigations will be using the following media:
• television
• radio
• billboards
• internet
Page 3
Candidate x <today’s date>
Each of these areas needs to be thoroughly investigated in terms of audience impact and cost effectiveness.
The target age groups for the campaign will also need to be considered. Will existing users wish to upgrade or
replace their phones? Are there any untapped market areas, for example those more senior citizens who have not
yet obtained a mobile phone? Please note your roles in this investigation and the mobile phone numbers of each
of the team members which are identified in the following table:
Apart from the advertising media and potential market areas, it will be worth having some in-house expertise in
the product ranges and the youth culture that surrounds the frequent users of mobile phones. This role will be
given to Alan who must investigate the following mobile phones in detail, as well as obtaining product
summaries on all other in-stock products from our client.
The three makes listed above are the product ranges that our clients would like to most heavily promote, as the
profit margins on these goods far those from other manufacturers. Even if these three manufacturers' product
ranges do not feature in special offers or special deals, Phoney Phones would still like pictures of some of
these products to appear in the advertising materials. Phoney Phones sales director has suggested that our
marketing to the business sector should include features of particular phones like the amount of talk time and
standby time on a single battery charge. This will need a study to identify brands that might entice the small
business user, or corporate customers to change to Phoney Phones.
Whilst the board realise that this is a new market area for Hothouse, and it will therefore require much more
background research into the market status and product ranges than many of our other clients, there is only a
small allowance of budgeted time above that normally assigned for these tasks. This means that the initial
meeting to discuss our findings will take place on Wednesday 25th at two o'clock in the boardroom.
Page 4
Candidate x <today’s date>
As we need additional resources to enable us to be prepared with such a short timeline, we have asked for an
additional person to assist us. For the next two weeks, Sally Bennett will be joining the team (on loan from
the finance department). I realise that some of you already know Sally, and I am sure that you will all make
her very welcome to the team. Sally (as from Monday morning when I will brief her) will be researching data on
phone accessories and trying to identify the potential for the development of our client's market share in this
area. Sally will also present her findings at the meeting on the 25th.
The time scale beyond our initial meeting will be to have several draft campaign ideas and costings for the
clients by the following Tuesday and a completed campaign within 6 weeks. I know that this will put added
pressure on those of you with other portfolios to work on, but this takes priority over all jobs with the
exception of Software Amerique. If the tight timeline present you with a desperate problem, please see Lynne
as soon as possible. However, the board does feel that it is possible to meet these deadlines, and they are
anxious to do so.
Page 5
Candidate x <today’s date>
Heading “Nokia phones in stock” at the top
Nokia phones in stock
Does not have to be in the header and any alignment is acceptable
Heading must be 100% correct (1 mark) 9.1.2
Ignore case for last three words
ID Make Model Weight Length Width Height Talk time Standby time Display
53 Nokia 6510 84 97 47 17 135 350 Mono
15 Nokia 6310 111 129 47 19 180 480 Mono
55 Nokia 5210 92 106 45 20 230 170 Mono
27 Nokia 6310i 111 129 47 21 240 408 Mono
5 Nokia 7650 154 114 56 26 240 150 Colour
18 Nokia 3410 114 115 49 23 250 260 Mono
23 Nokia 3310 133 113 48 22 260 270 Mono
54 Nokia 3510 105 118 42 18 270 312 Mono
12 Nokia 3330 133 113 48 22 270 260 Mono
37 Nokia 6250 174 142 58 27 350 330 Mono
<Candidate’s name>
Small colour phones
Make Model Weight Length
Samsung P400 105 91
Philips Fisio 820 85 98
Ericsson Z700 95 91
Average 95
<Candidate’s name>
Page 6 Page N
Candidate x <today’s date>
Phoney Phones Marketing Strategy
The design department has been
asked to plan an advertising
campaign for Phoney Phones.
This is a large retail chain of
(usually) small, high street
shops selling mobile phones and
their accessories. Many of
their most recently acquired
shops are in prime business
locations like the larger 'out
of town' shopping malls. Their
core business is in the sale of
mobile telephones but they are
realising that the initial
market has become almost
saturated and that new and
innovative marketing strategies
will be needed to even maintain
current sales volumes. There
are a large number of
competitors in every town and
city who, with the rapidly
growing market did not present a problem. Now that this has
changed, these competitors are now aggressively marketing and this
is having an impact upon sales.
The campaign focus must be to try and sell new mobile phones to
existing mobile phone owners. The four primary areas for our
investigations will be using the following media:
• television
• radio
• billboards
• internet
Each of these areas needs to be thoroughly investigated in terms
of audience impact and cost effectiveness. The target age groups
for the campaign will also need to be considered. Will existing
users wish to upgrade or replace their phones? Are there any
untapped market areas, for example those more senior citizens who
have not yet obtained a mobile phone? Please note your roles in
this investigation and the mobile phone numbers of each of the
team members which are identified in the following table:
Name Role Mobile
Jenny Television and radio 0979 797979
Juan Television and radio 0979 123456
Rochelle Billboards 0979 111122
Xavier Internet 0979 888888
Page 7 Page N
Candidate x <today’s date>
Apart from the advertising media and potential market areas, it
will be worth having some in-house expertise in the product ranges
and the youth culture that surrounds the frequent users of mobile
phones. This role will be given to Alan who must investigate the
following mobile phones in detail, as well as obtaining product
summaries on all other in-stock products from our client.
Make Model Talk time Standby time
NEC DB7000 180 165
Sagem myX-5 240 240
Sagem MC 939 WAP 180 150
Sagem MC 3000 105 140
Trium Cosmo 300 180
Trium 110 180 225
Trium Sirus 180 180
The three makes listed above are the product ranges that our
clients would like to most heavily promote, as the profit margins
to them, from these suppliers, far exceed those from other
manufacturers. Even if the products from these manufacturers do
not feature in special offers or special deals, then Phoney Phones
would like pictures of some of these products to appear in the
advertising materials. Phoney Phones sales director has suggested
that our marketing to the business sector should include features
of particular phones like the amount of talk time and standby time
on a single battery charge. This will need a study to identify
brands that might entice the small business user, or corporate
customers to change to Phoney Phones.
Whilst the board realise that this is a new market area for
Hothouse, and it will therefore require much more background
research into the market status and product ranges than many of
our other clients, there is only a small allowance of budgeted
time above that normally assigned for these tasks. This means
that the initial meeting to discuss our findings will take place
on Wednesday 25th at two o'clock in the boardroom.
As we need additional resources to enable us to be prepared with
such a short timeline, we have asked for an additional person to
assist us. For the next two weeks, Sally Bennett will be joining
the team (on loan from the finance department). I realise that
some of you already know Sally, and I am sure that you will all
make her very welcome to the team. Sally (as from Monday morning
when I will brief her) will be researching data on phone
accessories and trying to identify the potential for the
development of our client's market share in this area. Sally will
also present her findings at the meeting on the 25th.
The time scale beyond our initial meeting will be to have several
draft campaign ideas and costings for the clients by the following
Tuesday and a completed campaign within 6 weeks. I know that this
Page 8 Page N
Candidate x <today’s date>
will put added pressure on those of you with other portfolios to
work on, but this takes priority over all jobs with the exception
of Software Amerique. If the tight timeline present you with a
desperate problem, please see Lynne as soon as possible. However,
the board does feel that it is possible to meet these deadlines,
and they are anxious to do so.
Page 9 Page N
