1
What is the Marketing Mix (4Ps)? How has it evolved to 7Ps?
Brand Strategy▼Traditional 4Ps (McCarthy, 1960):
- Product: What you sell — features, quality, design, branding, packaging, warranty
- Price: How much you charge — cost-based, competition-based, value-based pricing, discounts
- Place: Where you sell — distribution channels, retail, online, coverage, logistics
- Promotion: How you communicate — advertising, PR, sales promotion, personal selling, digital marketing
- People: Staff training, customer service quality, employee attitudes
- Process: Service delivery procedures, customer journey, efficiency, technology
- Physical Evidence: Tangible cues — store ambiance, website design, packaging, receipts, branding
💡 Viva Tip
Don't just list them — apply to a real brand. Some interviewers now ask about 4Cs (Customer value, Cost, Convenience, Communication) — the customer-centric version. Know both frameworks and when to use each.
2
What is STP — Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning?
Brand Strategy▼Segmentation — Dividing the market into distinct groups:
- Demographic: Age, gender, income, education (e.g., bKash targets unbanked population)
- Geographic: Urban vs rural, regions, city tiers
- Psychographic: Lifestyle, values, personality (e.g., premium vs value-conscious)
- Behavioral: Purchase frequency, brand loyalty, usage rate
- Undifferentiated: Same product for entire market (commodity goods)
- Differentiated: Different products for different segments (Toyota — Corolla, Camry, Land Cruiser)
- Concentrated/Niche: Focus on one segment (Rolex — luxury only)
- Micro-marketing: Individual customization (Nike By You)
- Position by benefit (Sensodyne = sensitivity protection)
- Position by price (Walton = affordable electronics)
- Position by use case (Red Bull = energy for extreme sports)
- Positioning Statement: "For [target], [brand] is the [category] that [key benefit] because [reason to believe]"
💡 Viva Tip
Be ready to create a positioning statement on the spot: "For urban millennials in Bangladesh, Pathao is the ride-sharing app that provides affordable, reliable transportation because of its wide driver network and competitive pricing."
3
What is SWOT analysis? Give an example for a Bangladesh company.
Brand Strategy▼SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning tool:
- Strengths: Internal advantages (resources, capabilities, market position)
- Weaknesses: Internal limitations (resource gaps, operational issues)
- Opportunities: External factors to leverage (market trends, technology, regulatory changes)
- Threats: External risks (competition, economic downturn, regulation)
- Strengths: Strong local manufacturing, competitive pricing, wide dealer network, government "Made in Bangladesh" support
- Weaknesses: Brand perception vs international brands, limited R&D capability, after-sales service inconsistency
- Opportunities: Growing middle class, digital Bangladesh initiative, export to neighboring markets, smartphone penetration
- Threats: Chinese brand competition (Xiaomi, Realme), raw material import dependency, currency fluctuation
💡 Viva Tip
Always link SWOT to actionable strategy — don't just list factors. Interviewers love when you analyze the company you're interviewing at. Research their SWOT before the viva and present it proactively.
4
What is Digital Marketing? Explain the key channels.
Digital Marketing▼Digital Marketing is promoting products/services through digital channels to reach consumers online.
Key Channels:
Key Channels:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Organic ranking on Google — on-page (content, meta tags), off-page (backlinks), technical (site speed, mobile-friendly)
- SEM / PPC (Pay-Per-Click): Google Ads, Bing Ads — pay for clicks on search results. Key metrics: CPC, CTR, Quality Score
- Social Media Marketing: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok — organic posts + paid ads. Facebook dominates in Bangladesh (~45M users)
- Content Marketing: Blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts — attract and engage audience with valuable content
- Email Marketing: Newsletters, drip campaigns, promotional emails. Tools: Mailchimp, SendGrid. Key metric: open rate, CTR
- Influencer Marketing: Partner with social media influencers for brand promotion. Growing rapidly in BD market
- Affiliate Marketing: Commission-based promotion by third parties
💡 Viva Tip
Know current trends: short-form video (Reels, TikTok), AI-powered ad targeting, conversational commerce (WhatsApp/Messenger marketing). Be ready to discuss a campaign you've run or analyzed with real metrics.
5
What is SEO? How do you improve a website's search ranking?
Digital Marketing▼SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving a website's visibility in organic search results.
Three Pillars:
Three Pillars:
- On-Page SEO:
- Keyword research (Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush)
- Title tags, meta descriptions, header tags (H1-H6)
- URL structure (clean, keyword-rich)
- Content quality — comprehensive, original, valuable
- Internal linking structure
- Image optimization (alt tags, compression)
- Off-Page SEO:
- Backlink building — guest posts, directory listings, PR
- Domain authority and page authority
- Social signals — shares, mentions
- Brand mentions and citations
- Technical SEO:
- Site speed (Core Web Vitals — LCP, FID, CLS)
- Mobile-friendliness (responsive design)
- SSL certificate (HTTPS)
- XML sitemap and robots.txt
- Structured data (Schema.org markup)
- Crawlability and indexing
💡 Viva Tip
Show practical knowledge: "I improved a site's organic traffic by 40% by fixing Core Web Vitals, adding schema markup, and creating pillar content with cluster pages." Know Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
6
How do you run a Facebook Ad campaign? Walk me through the process.
Digital Marketing▼Facebook Ads Campaign Structure:
- Campaign Level: Set objective — Awareness (brand), Consideration (traffic, engagement, leads), Conversion (sales, app installs)
- Ad Set Level: Define audience, placement, budget, schedule
- Audience: Demographics, interests, behaviors, custom audiences (website visitors, email lists), lookalike audiences
- Placement: Facebook Feed, Stories, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network
- Budget: Daily or lifetime. Start small, scale winners
- Ad Level: Creative — image/video, headline, body text, CTA button, URL
- 1. A/B Testing: Test different creatives, audiences, and placements
- 2. Monitor Metrics: CTR (>1% good), CPC, CPM, ROAS, frequency (<3 ideal)
- 3. Kill underperformers: Pause ads with high CPC or low engagement after 3-5 days
- 4. Scale winners: Increase budget by 20-30% every 2-3 days
- 5. Retargeting: Show ads to people who visited your site but didn't convert
💡 Viva Tip
In Bangladesh, Facebook is THE platform — show expertise. Know benchmark metrics: average CTR 0.9-1.5%, CPM BDT 100-300. Mention iOS 14 privacy changes affecting tracking and the shift to Conversions API.
7
What is the sales funnel? Explain each stage.
Sales Techniques▼Sales Funnel (AIDA Model):
- Awareness (Top of Funnel): Prospect becomes aware of your product/brand. Channels: ads, content marketing, social media, PR. Metric: impressions, reach
- Interest: Prospect shows interest by engaging. Actions: visiting website, reading blog, following social media. Metric: website visits, time on page
- Desire (Middle of Funnel): Prospect considers purchasing. Actions: comparing options, reading reviews, requesting demo. Metric: email signups, demo requests
- Action (Bottom of Funnel): Prospect makes purchase decision. Actions: adding to cart, contacting sales, placing order. Metric: conversion rate, sales
- Retention: Keep customer — follow-up, support, loyalty programs
- Advocacy: Turn customers into brand ambassadors — referrals, reviews, testimonials
- Conversion Rate at each stage
- Drop-off rate (where do prospects leave?)
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
- CLV:CAC ratio (should be >3:1)
💡 Viva Tip
Modern marketers talk about "flywheel" not funnel — attract, engage, delight in a continuous loop. Show you understand that acquiring a new customer costs 5-7x more than retaining an existing one.
8
How do you handle sales objections? Give examples.
Sales Techniques▼Objection Handling Framework — LAER:
- L — Listen: Let the customer express their concern fully. Don't interrupt
- A — Acknowledge: Show empathy. "I understand your concern about the price"
- E — Explore: Ask questions to understand the root cause. "Is it the total cost or the payment terms?"
- R — Respond: Address the specific concern with evidence
- "It's too expensive" → Focus on value, not price. "This solution will save you BDT X per month, so it pays for itself in 3 months. Let me show you the ROI calculation"
- "I need to think about it" → Create urgency + offer clarity. "Absolutely, what specific aspects would you like to consider? Perhaps I can provide more information to help your decision"
- "We're happy with our current vendor" → Differentiate. "I appreciate that. Many of our current clients felt the same way. Here's what made them switch — [specific benefit]"
- "I don't have budget right now" → Explore timing. "When does your next budget cycle begin? We offer flexible payment options"
💡 Viva Tip
Never argue with the customer. The best salespeople treat objections as buying signals — the customer is interested enough to engage. Practice role-playing objection scenarios before the interview.
9
What is the difference between B2B and B2C marketing?
Sales Techniques▼B2C (Business-to-Consumer):
- Selling to individual consumers
- Decision: emotional, impulsive, shorter sales cycle
- Large audience, lower transaction value
- Channels: social media ads, TV, e-commerce, retail
- Message: benefit-driven, lifestyle-oriented
- Examples: Daraz, Grameenphone, Pran-RFL consumer products
- Selling to organizations/companies
- Decision: rational, committee-based, longer sales cycle (weeks to months)
- Smaller audience, higher transaction value
- Channels: LinkedIn, email, trade shows, direct sales, account-based marketing
- Message: ROI-driven, problem-solving, case studies
- Examples: SAP, Salesforce, industrial equipment suppliers
- Content: B2C = entertaining, visual | B2B = educational, data-driven
- Pricing: B2C = fixed | B2B = negotiated, custom quotes
- Relationship: B2C = transactional | B2B = long-term partnership
- KPIs: B2C = conversion rate, ROAS | B2B = lead quality, pipeline value, deal size
💡 Viva Tip
Know which category the company you're interviewing at operates in. If B2B, mention account-based marketing (ABM), lead scoring, and CRM tools. If B2C, discuss customer personas, brand awareness, and social proof.
10
What are the most important marketing KPIs you track?
Analytics & KPI▼Key Marketing KPIs by Category:
Acquisition KPIs:
Acquisition KPIs:
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): Total marketing spend ÷ new customers acquired
- CPL (Cost Per Lead): Ad spend ÷ leads generated
- Traffic Sources: Organic, paid, social, referral, direct — understand channel mix
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): Clicks ÷ impressions. Good benchmark: 1-3% for display, 3-5% for search
- Bounce Rate: % of single-page visits. Below 40% is excellent
- Social Engagement Rate: (Likes + comments + shares) ÷ reach × 100
- Conversion Rate: Conversions ÷ visitors. E-commerce benchmark: 1-3%
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Revenue from ads ÷ ad spend. Target: 4:1 or higher
- CLV (Customer Lifetime Value): Average order value × purchase frequency × customer lifespan
- Churn Rate: % of customers lost in a period
- NPS (Net Promoter Score): Customer loyalty indicator (-100 to +100)
- Repeat Purchase Rate: % of customers who buy again
💡 Viva Tip
Don't just list metrics — explain which ones YOU prioritize and why. "For our D2C brand, I focused on CLV:CAC ratio because it tells us if our growth is sustainable. We maintained a 4:1 ratio." Show data-driven thinking.
11
What is Google Analytics? What insights can you extract from it?
Analytics & KPI▼Google Analytics (GA4) is a free web analytics tool that tracks website traffic and user behavior.
Key Reports & Insights:
Key Reports & Insights:
- Real-time: Current active users, pages being viewed, events happening now
- Acquisition: Where users come from — organic search, paid ads, social, referral, direct. Shows which channels drive the most value
- Engagement: Pages per session, session duration, bounce rate, most viewed pages, user flow through the site
- Monetization: E-commerce revenue, purchase funnel, top products, transaction data
- Retention: New vs returning users, cohort analysis, user lifetime
- Demographics: Age, gender, location, device, browser — understand your audience
- Events: Everything is an event — page_view, click, scroll, purchase, form_submit
- Conversions: Mark important events as conversions (sign-up, purchase)
- UTM Parameters: Track campaign performance — source, medium, campaign, content, term
- Segments: Compare user groups — mobile vs desktop, organic vs paid
💡 Viva Tip
GA4 is significantly different from Universal Analytics — make sure you know GA4 specifically. Be familiar with setting up events, creating custom reports, and connecting with Google Ads for full-funnel tracking.
12
What is a brand? How do you build brand equity?
Brand Strategy▼Brand is more than a logo — it's the total perception customers have about a product, service, or company.
Brand Equity (Keller's Model — CBBE):
Brand Equity (Keller's Model — CBBE):
- 1. Brand Identity (Who are you?): Name, logo, color, tagline — recognition and awareness
- 2. Brand Meaning (What are you?): Performance (quality, reliability) + Imagery (user profile, personality)
- 3. Brand Response (What about you?): Judgments (credibility, superiority) + Feelings (warmth, excitement)
- 4. Brand Resonance (Connection): Loyalty, community, engagement, attachment — the ultimate goal
- Consistency: Same brand voice, visual identity, and values across all touchpoints
- Quality: Deliver on your brand promise every time
- Storytelling: Create emotional connections — purpose-driven marketing
- Customer Experience: Every interaction builds or erodes brand equity
- Community: Build a loyal customer community (Apple, Harley-Davidson)
💡 Viva Tip
Know Aaker's Brand Equity Model too (awareness, associations, perceived quality, loyalty, proprietary assets). Be ready to discuss how to measure brand equity — surveys, social listening, brand tracking studies, NPS.
13
Tell me about a marketing campaign you planned and executed.
Behavioral▼Use the STAR Method with Marketing Metrics:
Situation: "Our e-commerce platform was launching a new product category (electronics) and needed to generate awareness and first purchases within 30 days."
Task: "I was responsible for planning and executing the digital launch campaign with a budget of BDT 500,000."
Action:
Situation: "Our e-commerce platform was launching a new product category (electronics) and needed to generate awareness and first purchases within 30 days."
Task: "I was responsible for planning and executing the digital launch campaign with a budget of BDT 500,000."
Action:
- Research: Analyzed competitor campaigns, identified target audience (25-35 urban males, tech enthusiasts)
- Strategy: Three-phase approach — Teaser (week 1), Launch (week 2), Sustain (weeks 3-4)
- Channels: Facebook/Instagram Ads (60% budget), Google Search Ads (25%), Influencer partnerships (15%)
- Creatives: Video unboxing with local influencers, product comparison carousels, customer testimonial ads
- Landing Page: Dedicated page with special launch offers and countdown timer
- Retargeting: Set up Meta Pixel for cart abandoners with 10% discount nudge
💡 Viva Tip
Always include specific numbers — budget, reach, conversions, ROI. If you don't have campaign experience, analyze a public campaign (Coca-Cola, bKash, Daraz 11.11) and present it as a case study showing your analytical ability.
14
How do you stay updated with marketing trends?
Behavioral▼Sources for Staying Current:
- Industry Blogs: HubSpot Blog, Neil Patel, Moz, Search Engine Journal, Marketing Week
- Newsletters: Morning Brew, The Hustle, Marketing Brew — daily industry updates
- Podcasts: Marketing Over Coffee, The GaryVee Audio Experience, Everyone Hates Marketers
- Courses: Google Digital Garage (free), HubSpot Academy, Meta Blueprint, Coursera/Udemy
- Communities: LinkedIn marketing groups, Reddit r/marketing, local marketing meetups, BSHRM events
- Certifications: Google Ads Certification, Google Analytics, HubSpot Inbound Marketing, Meta Certified Marketing Professional
- Competitor Watching: Follow competitors' social media, use Facebook Ad Library, SimilarWeb for traffic analysis
- Mention a recent trend: "I've been following the rise of AI in marketing — ChatGPT for content ideation, AI-generated ad creatives, predictive analytics"
- Share what you've applied: "I recently completed Google Analytics 4 certification and used it to restructure our tracking"
💡 Viva Tip
This question tests your passion for the field. Don't just list resources — share a specific recent insight: "I read that short-form video now has 2.5x higher engagement than static images on Facebook — so we shifted 40% of our creative budget to Reels."
15
Why should we hire you for this marketing/sales role?
Behavioral▼Framework — Match Your Value to Their Needs:
1. Understand What They Want: Research the job description, company challenges, and industry position before the interview.
2. Present Your Unique Value (3-Point Answer):
What NOT to Say:
1. Understand What They Want: Research the job description, company challenges, and industry position before the interview.
2. Present Your Unique Value (3-Point Answer):
- Skill Match: "My experience in [specific skill — digital advertising, brand management, channel sales] directly aligns with your requirement for [specific need from JD]"
- Proven Results: "In my previous role, I [specific achievement with numbers — increased sales by 30%, reduced CAC by 25%, launched X campaigns with Y ROAS]"
- Cultural Fit + Growth: "I'm excited about [company's mission/product/growth stage] because [genuine reason]. I bring both strategic thinking and hands-on execution ability"
What NOT to Say:
- "I'm a hard worker" (vague)
- "I need the money" (irrelevant)
- "I'm the best" (arrogant without evidence)
💡 Viva Tip
Tailor this for every interview. Research the company's recent campaigns, products, or news. Mention something specific: "I noticed your recent Eid campaign on Facebook had great engagement — I'd love to bring my data analytics skills to optimize such campaigns further."