Dr. Krish Krishnan
MKTG 321
21/7/2019
Discussion Questions: A-1 Case Honda ASIMO
CS 1-1 What are the most likely consumer market segments for robots? Which
consumer characteristics would be important to determine these market segments?
What types of roles do you envision robots playing for these consumers?
There are multiple consumer market segments for robots. In the hospitality industry,
for example, robots can be used in low-priced hotels to replace human labor which makes
operating costs minimal. In the medical industry robots could also be used for specialized
surgeries as well as drug manufacturing. However, the most likely and foreseeable extensive
deployment of robots is the household market segment. As people become more engaged in
their jobs and careers, a work-life balance becomes more difficult. Accordingly, robots will
come in handy to undertake more mundane tasks at home – e.g. ordering groceries, driving
kids to school, cooking, etc. (www.prnewswire.com). As they become more human-like,
robots will also play more personal roles like companionship, playing with kids, and
entertaining guests.
CS 1-2 Reflect on the value of FRT as a marketing tool. Give one example that
illustrates how this technology can be most effectively used by marketers.
A key factor in the successful marketing is understanding where to put what resources
and at what time. This means that when a marketer wants to sell trendy clothes, it is more
effective to target consumers who wear such clothes. As such, FRT will come in handy for
marketers in a number of ways. The most important of these is that marketers will not only be
able to narrow down a segment of their target market but will also be able to use FRT to
further personalize offers and products for specific customers. Although this is not yet
extensively used, “as consumers become convinced of the value of real-time personalized
offers made possible only by having their unique facial features recognized” (p.32), FRT will
be adopted by marketers across the board. Additionally, because “FRT can do more than read
your face and estimate general physical characteristics” (32), marketers can use their
emotional analysis tools to better understand their consumers’ behavior, identify patterns and
trends, and model their marketing approaches according to changes in consumer behavior.
For example, if outlet X uses FRT to read the emotions of customers, it can change the
MKTG 321
21/7/2019
Discussion Questions: A-1 Case Honda ASIMO
CS 1-1 What are the most likely consumer market segments for robots? Which
consumer characteristics would be important to determine these market segments?
What types of roles do you envision robots playing for these consumers?
There are multiple consumer market segments for robots. In the hospitality industry,
for example, robots can be used in low-priced hotels to replace human labor which makes
operating costs minimal. In the medical industry robots could also be used for specialized
surgeries as well as drug manufacturing. However, the most likely and foreseeable extensive
deployment of robots is the household market segment. As people become more engaged in
their jobs and careers, a work-life balance becomes more difficult. Accordingly, robots will
come in handy to undertake more mundane tasks at home – e.g. ordering groceries, driving
kids to school, cooking, etc. (www.prnewswire.com). As they become more human-like,
robots will also play more personal roles like companionship, playing with kids, and
entertaining guests.
CS 1-2 Reflect on the value of FRT as a marketing tool. Give one example that
illustrates how this technology can be most effectively used by marketers.
A key factor in the successful marketing is understanding where to put what resources
and at what time. This means that when a marketer wants to sell trendy clothes, it is more
effective to target consumers who wear such clothes. As such, FRT will come in handy for
marketers in a number of ways. The most important of these is that marketers will not only be
able to narrow down a segment of their target market but will also be able to use FRT to
further personalize offers and products for specific customers. Although this is not yet
extensively used, “as consumers become convinced of the value of real-time personalized
offers made possible only by having their unique facial features recognized” (p.32), FRT will
be adopted by marketers across the board. Additionally, because “FRT can do more than read
your face and estimate general physical characteristics” (32), marketers can use their
emotional analysis tools to better understand their consumers’ behavior, identify patterns and
trends, and model their marketing approaches according to changes in consumer behavior.
For example, if outlet X uses FRT to read the emotions of customers, it can change the
