Assessment 3: Individual assignment

Marketing strategy development

Weight: 30% of total marks

Due: 5pm, Friday Week 11

Length: 2500 words

This length limit includes any text, figures, tables, in-text references, and appendices. This limit does not include the cover page, table of contents, or list of references (at the end of assignment).

Requirement:

This assignment requires you to undertake the process of analysing one organisation and its operating environments from a marketing perspective. And then apply the learning from lecture 1-10 in the development of marketing strategy. You will provide an overview of this organisation, as well as detail the type of orientation towards marketing it takes. You are also required to examine and analyse the context and environments in which this organisation operates (its industry and the macro-environmental forces impacting on the industry).

Instructions

The report must address the following issues:

**Please note: It is recommended that you follow the outline presented below and answer each question as it is presented.

Issue 1 (10% of marks for the assignment)

Provide a brief description of this organisation and the industry to which it belongs. You may also want to include in this description any mission statements, value statements or ‘slogans’ that this organisation utilizes to communicate its purpose. In describing this organisation, please also identify its orientation towards marketing and provide relevant, detailed and factual supporting evidence to substantiate why you have identified this specific orientation. Finally, include a brief description of the product(s) this organisation offers the market. And comment on what role the brand has in this organisation’s marketing strategy.

Issue 2 (20% of marks for the assignment)

Analyse each of the 5Cs for this organisation:

a. Company – what are the strengths and key resources, what are some of the weaknesses? What are the opportunities and threats?

b. Customers – who is the company serving and what type of behaviour is ‘typical’ from them?

c. Collaborators – describe their suppliers, distributors or other partners that help the company to deliver their products to the market? If company doesn’t have any – explain why it is not necessary.

d. Competitors – who are the current main competitors, are there any potential new threats or new entrants to the marketplace?

e. Context – what other factors affect this organisation (e.g., legal, political, technological, etc.)?

Issue 3 (20% of marks for the assignment)

How does the firm go about collecting information (e.g., market research, market intelligence, etc.) about the 5Cs? For example, how does it learn about?

a. What customers want?

b. Which competitors pose a threat?

c. How the context of business is changing, if at all?

d. What role collaborators play in the process?

Issue 4: Developing marketing strategy (25% of assignment marks)

Based on the market analyses, outline potential market segments that are available to the chosen organisation. Recommend and justify:

- a choice of target market(/s)

- a value proposition for the target market(/s).

- a positioning statement for the target market(/s).

Issue 5: Developing marketing tactics (25% of assignment marks)

Recommend and justify a detailed marketing mix (4-7Ps) to support the marketing strategy described in Issue 4.

** In all cases, please remember to justify your argument(s) in this assignment by explaining and providing reasoned arguments for why you have formed your views. Please ensure that you support your arguments by explicitly applying and drawing insights and conclusions from relevant marketing models, concepts and theory covered in the course to date. Do not simply rely on offering personal conjecture or opinions.

Title of the Paper in Full Goes Here

Student Name Here

Walden University

Abstract

This is the abstract, which is typed in block format with no indentation. The abstract briefly summarizes your paper in 120 words or less. Through your abstract, your readers should be able to fully understand the content and the implications of the paper. Also, note that writing this section after the paper itself may be helpful. See section 2.04 APA for tips and more information on writing abstracts. This template was updated October 27, 2013.

Title of the Paper

Do not add any extra spaces between the heading and the text (you may want to check Spacing under Format, Paragraph in your word processor, and make sure that it is set to 0”). Instead, just double space as usual, indent a full ½ inch (preferably using the tab button), and start typing. The introduction should receive no specific heading because readers assume that the first section functions as your paper’s introduction.

This template’s margins, page numbers, and running head location are set for you, and you do not need to change them. You must replace the running head placeholder text with an abbreviation of your own title, but you do not need to adjust the location of the running head. Writers do not need to place the running head a specific distance from the top of the page, though you should follow any instructor preferences.

After considering these formatting issues, you will need to construct a thesis statement, which lets readers know how you synthesized the literature into a treatise that is capable of advancing a new point of view. This statement provides readers with a lens for understanding the forthcoming research presented in the body of your essay (after all, each piece of literature should support and apply to this thesis statement).

Once you have established your thesis, begin constructing the introduction. An easy template for writing an introduction follows:

1. Start with what has been said or done regarding the topic.

2. Explain the problem with what has been said or done.

3. Offer a solution in a concise thesis statement that can be supported by the literature.

4. Explain how the thesis brings about social change.

Level 1 Heading

This text will be the beginning of the body of the essay. Even though this section has a new heading, make sure to connect this section to the previous one so readers can follow along with the ideas and research presented. The first sentence in each paragraph should transition from the previous paragraph and summarize the main point in the paragraph. Make sure each paragraph contains only one topic, and when you see yourself drifting to another idea, make sure you break into a new paragraph. Also, avoid long paragraphs (more than three-fourths of a page) to help hold readers’ attention—many shorter paragraphs are better than a few long ones. In short, think: new idea, new paragraph.

Another Level 1 Heading

Here is another Level 1 heading. Again, the topic sentence of this section should explain how this paragraph is related or a result of what you discussed in the previous section. Consider using transitions between sentences to help readers see the connections between ideas. Below are a few examples of how to transition from one statement to another (or in some cases, one piece of literature to another):

1. Many music teachers at Olson Junior High are concerned about losing their jobs (J. Thompson, personal communication, July 3, 2004), largely due to the state’s recent financial cutbacks of fine arts programs (Pennsylvania Educational System, 2004).

2. Obesity affects as much as 17% of the total population of children, an increase which may lead to other chronic health problems (Johnson & Hammer, 2003; Christianson, 2004).

For more examples, see some of the transitions handouts on the Writing Center’s website.

Level 2 Heading

The Level 2 heading designates a subsection of the previous section. Using headings is a great way to organize a paper and increase its readability, so be sure to review heading rules on APA 3.02 and 3.03 in order to format them correctly. For shorter papers, using one or two levels is all that is needed. You would use Level 1 (centered, bold font with both uppercase and lowercase) and Level 2 (left aligned, bold, both uppercase and lowercase). This template provides examples of APA’s four heading levels, but remember that at least two headings on the same level are needed before the next heading level. For example, a paper must have at least two level 3 headings before a level 4 heading.

Level 3 heading. Note that you should write Level 3 and 4 headings in sentence case, meaning that only the first word and any proper nouns are capitalized. The number of headings needed in a particular paper is not set, but longer papers may benefit from another heading level, such as this Level 3 heading (which is an indented, bold, lowercase paragraph heading).

Level 4 heading. One crucial area in APA is learning how to cite in academic work. Make sure to cite source information throughout your paper to avoid plagiarism. This practice is critical: you need to give credit to your sources and avoid copying others’ work at all costs. Look at APA starting at 6.01 for guidelines on citing source information in your text.

Level 4 heading. You will want to include at least two of each kind of heading in your paper, hence this additional paragraph modeling effective heading usage. See below for further tips on using headings effectively.

Level 3 heading. Again, if you choose to use Level 3 or 4 headings, at least two of each heading level should appear in the paper. Otherwise, if only one heading appears, your readers may question the need for a heading at all. If you find yourself questioning whether or how to use headings, consider consulting your instructor or committee chair for his or her input.

Level 1 Heading

APA can seem difficult to master, but following the general rules becomes easier with use. The Writing Center also offers numerous resources on its website and by email to help.

And so forth until the conclusion…..

Level 1 Heading

The conclusion section should recap the major points of your paper. However, perhaps more importantly, the conclusion should also interpret what you have written and what it means in the bigger picture. To help write your concluding remarks, consider asking yourself these questions: What do you want to happen with the information you have provided? What do you want to change? What is your ultimate goal in using this information? What would it mean if the suggestions in your paper were taken and used?

References

(Please note that the following references are intended as examples only.)

Alexander, G., & Bonaparte, N. (2008). My way or the highway that I built. Ancient Dictators, 25(7), 14-31. doi:10.8220/CTCE.52.1.23-91

Babar, E. (2007). The art of being a French elephant. Adventurous Cartoon Animals, 19, 4319-4392. Retrieved from http://www.elephants104.ace.org

Bumstead, D. (2009). The essentials: Sandwiches and sleep. Journals of Famous Loafers, 5, 565-582. doi:12.2847/CEDG.39.2.51-71

Hansel, G., & Gretel, D. (1973). Candied houses and unfriendly occupants. Thousand Oaks, CA: Fairy Tale Publishing.

Hera, J. (2008). Why Paris was wrong. Journal of Greek Goddess Sore Spots, 20(4), 19-21. doi: 15.555/GGE.64.1.76-82

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2007). How to cite a video: The city is always Baltimore [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Name of program [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com

Sinatra, F. (2008). Zing! Went the strings of my heart. Making Good Songs Great, 18(3), 31-22. Retrieved from http://articlesextollingrecordingsofyore.192/fs.com

Smasfaldi, H., Wareumph, I., Aeoli, Q., Rickies, F., Furoush, P., Aaegrade, V., … Fiiel, B. (2005). The art of correcting surname mispronunciation. New York, NY: Supportive Publisher Press. Retrieved from http://www.onewaytociteelectronicbooksperAPA7.02.com

White, S., & Red, R. (2001). Stop and smell the what now? Floral arranging for beginners (Research Report No. 40-921). Retrieved from University of Wooded Glen, Center for Aesthetic Improvements in Fairy Tales website: http://www.uwg.caift/~40_921.pdf

MSN Evaluation Criteria for Applications and Formal Papers