About Marketing in A Level Business
Marketing is one of the 6 main topics in our A Level Business (Cambridge (CAIE) 9609) question bank, and about 15% of its real questions come from it. Tayyari Karo has 26 real questions on this topic from 2021 to 2026, from Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, Paper 4. By difficulty: 16 hard, 7 easy, 3 medium.
Work through the questions below, then open the explanation for each one. Redo the ones you missed a few days later.
Try 8 real questions
These are real past-paper questions. Think of your answer first, then open the explanation.
May/June 2026 · Paper 1 · Marketing
Or Question 6.
(a) Analyse two advantages to a business of niche marketing. [8]
(b) 'Having a unique selling point (USP) is the most important part of the marketing mix for the success of a mobile phone manufacturer.' Evaluate this view. [12]
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(a) 8 marks: Knowledge (max 2), Application (max 2), Analysis (max 4). Advantages: less competition (small firms find a segment larger firms miss, leading to growth in sales); sell at high prices (high profit margins); exclusivity/brand image (customer loyalty); cheaper advertising (reduced marketing costs raise profit); more efficient marketing; business becomes expert (excellent service, strong relationships, attracts customers); clear focus (no waste on wrong markets); can extend range into other niches.
(b) 12 marks: AO1 2, AO2 2, AO3 2, AO4 6 (levelled). …
The full model answer is in the app.
May/June 2025 · Paper 1 · Marketing
Define the term price discrimination.
Explain one disadvantage to a business of using competitive pricing.
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The policy of selling the same product at different prices to different buyers. Selling a product at different prices. Setting different prices for different people. Clear understanding (2 marks). Partial understanding (1 mark).
Knowledge: Competitive pricing may mean a business makes a loss; may force prices down in the long term; could lead to business failure; could lead to a price war; could deflect a business from other objectives; may mean too much concern for competitor actions; may lead to lower sales. …
The full model answer is in the app.
May/June 2024 · Paper 1 · Marketing
Define the term industrial marketing.
Explain one implication to a business of market growth.
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Promoting, selling or marketing goods and services to other businesses rather than to individual customers (B2B). Marketing to other industries. Clear understanding (2 marks). Partial understanding (1 mark).
Knowledge: More potential customers; more potential sales; more competitors in the market; production process may need to change; may need to take on more employees; may need to invest more in machines; may need to change suppliers; may experience economies or diseconomies of scale. Application: More demand from new customers to the market. A business can gain more sales revenue without its market share changing. May attract other competitors which see the same opportunity. …
The full model answer is in the app.
October/November 2024 · Paper 1 · Marketing
Define the term 'sampling'.
Explain one method of interpreting quantitative market research data.
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Selecting a group of people/customers to represent the population/customer base/target market as a whole. Choosing a group of people. Form of market research. Clear understanding (2 marks). Partial understanding (1 mark). Note: do not accept test marketing.
Methods include: tables; charts — bar, pie; graphs — line; trend analysis/moving averages; arithmetic mean, mode and median; index numbers. …
The full model answer is in the app.
October/November 2023 · Paper 1 · Marketing
Analyse two advantages to a business of mass marketing.
Evaluate whether primary sector businesses should use product differentiation to increase sales.
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Advantages include: reduces risk; large customer base; little price discrimination; no need for product differentiation; little market research; no targeted advertising; brand easily recognised; can use flow production methods; economies of scale. Application: one product or a limited range is supplied to the whole market; little or no differentiation; example — Coca-Cola with large customer base. …
The full model answer is in the app.
May/June 2022 · Paper 1 · Marketing
Explain how price elasticity of demand influences the pricing decisions of a business.
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Price elasticity of demand measures the response of demand to any change in the price of a product. Behaviour will depend on whether the PED of products is elastic or inelastic. Price elastic: a business wishing to increase market share can reduce price knowing that demand will increase by a greater percentage than the percentage decrease in price, achieving an increase in total revenue. Price inelastic: if an increase in profit is a business aim, a business might decide to increase the price knowing that the percentage fall in demand will be lower than the percentage increase in price, increasing total revenue. …
The full model answer is in the app.
October/November 2022 · Paper 1 · Marketing
Analyse how marketing can add value to a product.
Discuss the view that the marketing objectives of a hotel will only be achieved with a close working relationship between the marketing, finance and human resource departments of the business.
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Marketing adds value by establishing a difference between the selling price of a product and the costs of making it. Marketing defines the distinctiveness of a product — develops a brand with important messages and imagery — develops trust and loyalty. Promotes the benefits of a product and assists the understanding of the product offer. Effective marketing gives a market position — a position that other products do not have — competitive edge — creates a USP. May produce effective alliances with other products. So effective marketing creates value for customers leading to repeat customers, brand loyalty and competitive advantage. Features that increase the value of the product e.g. …
The full model answer is in the app.
May/June 2021 · Paper 3 · Marketing
Recommend a coordinated marketing mix for the new barista courses.
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Knowledge (2 marks): The place of the marketing mix in a marketing plan. Marketing objectives, marketing budget and marketing strategy. Elements of marketing mix: Price, Place, Promotion, Product. The 4 C's of marketing — Consumer wants and needs, Cost, Convenience, and Communication. Understanding of different techniques within the marketing mix. Concept of a coordinated marketing mix. Application (2 marks): Marketing will be business to business (B2B). Target market is cafés and restaurants — qualifications for business delegates. May also appeal to individuals seeking qualification as a barista. One day training courses. Industry recognised formal qualifications. …
The full model answer is in the app.
