Skimming

Definition

Skimming is the act of quickly reading through a text to get a general overview of the main ideas and key points, without delving into the details. It is a strategic reading technique used to efficiently gather information and identify the most important content.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Skimming is a valuable technique for quickly understanding the main ideas and key points of a text, particularly when time is limited.
2. Skimming can be used to identify the overall structure, organization, and central themes of a text before engaging in more detailed reading.
3. Effective skimming involves focusing on headings, subheadings, topic sentences, and visual aids to quickly grasp the essential information.
4. Skimming can be particularly useful when researching or reviewing a large amount of content, such as during the product life cycle analysis or new product development process.
5. Skimming allows marketers to efficiently gather information about factors contributing to the success or failure of new products, which can inform pricing strategies and other marketing decisions.

Review Questions

• Explain how skimming can be used to understand the product life cycle.
  • Skimming can be a valuable technique for marketers when analyzing the product life cycle. By quickly reading through product information and reports, marketers can identify the current stage of the product life cycle (introduction, growth, maturity, or decline) and the key characteristics associated with each stage. This allows them to make informed decisions about appropriate pricing strategies, promotional tactics, and other marketing mix elements to support the product's success.
• Describe how skimming can help identify factors contributing to the success or failure of new products.
  • When evaluating the factors that contribute to the success or failure of new products, skimming can be an efficient way to quickly gather and synthesize relevant information. By skimming through market research, customer feedback, and industry reports, marketers can identify the most critical factors, such as product features, pricing, competition, and target market acceptance, that have influenced the performance of new product introductions. This knowledge can then inform the development and launch of future new products.
• Analyze how skimming can be used to inform pricing strategies for new products.
  • Skimming can be a valuable tool for marketers when determining appropriate pricing strategies for new products. By quickly reviewing industry benchmarks, competitor pricing, and customer perceptions of value, marketers can gain a high-level understanding of the pricing landscape and identify the most effective pricing approaches. This might include strategies like skimming pricing, where a company sets a high initial price to skim the most profitable customers, or penetration pricing, where a low price is used to quickly gain market share. Skimming allows marketers to efficiently gather the necessary information to make informed pricing decisions that align with the product life cycle and contribute to the overall success of new product introductions.

Related terms

Scanning: Scanning is a reading technique that involves quickly searching a text to locate specific information or answer a particular question, without reading the full text.

Intensive Reading: Intensive reading involves carefully and thoroughly reading a text to fully comprehend the details, nuances, and deeper meaning of the content.

Product Life Cycle: The product life cycle is the progression of a product through various stages, including introduction, growth, maturity, and decline, which can influence pricing and marketing strategies.