Marketing objectives for a sporting goods store should lead to which outcome?

• A. Decrease in taxes
• B. Increase in prices
• C. Decrease in revenue
• D. Increase in sales

Answer: (D)

Marketing objectives aim to grow the business by increasing sales. For a sporting goods store, that means guiding actions—such as promotions, product selection, pricing decisions, store layout, customer service, and channel choices—that attract more customers and encourage more purchases. When these efforts succeed, sales (and the related revenue) rise, which is the primary measure marketing plans seek to influence. The other options don’t fit because taxes are external and not driven by marketing, raising prices is a tactic that may or may not lead to higher sales and can reduce demand if handled poorly, and decreasing revenue runs counter to any marketing goal. So increasing sales is the outcome these objectives are designed to produce.