Most people laughed when Imaon explained his product idea: a solar-powered vacuum cleaner called NaamiBot. But the concept was practical and the technology used in the vacuum cleaner was the same as that used in many electronic toys. After setfing up a demonstration booth in a mall in Bangsar, Imaan felt more assured than ever that his idea would be a hit. Consumers seemed receptive and offered helpful pieces of advice, such as how much they would pay for the vacuum, what colours they would prefer, and why they would buy the vacuum. the NaamiBot vacuum was shaped like a small saucer, with a filter bag on top and sensory nodes along the edges. After being charged in the sunlight, the vacuum could run for seven hours, covering a floor area of 600 square feet. As the apparatus lightly bumped into table legs, chairs, and so on, the sensory nodes allowed the vacuum to move around the objects in various directions. This is the same type of technology used in the manufacture of children's race cars and walking dolls. Imaan knew that the solar-powered vacuum would be especially helpful to both elderly consumers, who may have a more difficutt time with vacuuming, and on-the-go consumers who lead busy lives. The price would be above average but would likely be reduced after imaan recouped some of his costs. After a 500-unit production run and a substantial financial investment, Imaan set up a multiple-city test market, in the Atria Shopping Cenfre and in an appliance store in Petaling Jaya and several other retall stores in Kuala Lumpur. "It's such a novel idea." Imaan added. "People will notice it, even if they don't buy it right away." Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers' needs and wants. Critics, however, maintain that marketing goes beyond that and creates needs and wants that did not exist before. They feel marketers encourage consumers to spend more money than they should on goods and services they do not realy need. Take a position: Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants Marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of consumers. Discuss your position with reference to NaamiB ot vacuum cleaner. a) According to Rogers (1995) there are certain perceived characteristics of innovations that help explain the rate at which innovations are adopted. Discuss any TWO (2) of these characteristics that can influence the consumer adoption of NaamiBot. b) Imaan needs to consider many factors when developing an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) programme for NaamiBot, including the buyer-readiness state of his target audience. Write short notes on the SIX (6) stages of buyer-readiness with reference to NaamiBot. Discuss the major steps in designing a customer-driven differentiation strategy for NaamiBot, namely, market segmentation, targeting and positioning. Moreover, highlight the point-of-difference and point-of-parity of NaamiBot with reference to competing brands