Marketing Proposal - 20 pages

Resources for Marketing Plan Assignment

This document contains resources suggested by faculty in the Marketing Program as a starting point for your research.  For research help you also may ask a librarian.  UMUC librarians are available by chat, email and phone.  See details at http://umuc.edu/library/.  For questions about the assignment, consult your professor.  

1. Sample Marketing Plans

a. Sample Marketing Plan for Mobile News Games, LLC

b. Sample Marketing Plan for Pasta Restaurant

2. Primary Research

a. Conduct your own potential consumer surveys, focus groups or other original market research.

b. Interview marketers and other managers and executives at your own company. Hint: cite facts used from personal exchanges in APA Format as “Personal Communications” using rule 6.20 of the APA 6th ed.

3. Secondary Research

a. Recommended databases for marketing, Retrieved from http://libguides.umuc.edu/c.php?g=318048&p=2124051

b. Business research:  Conducting market research (n.d.) Retrieved from http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/businessresearch-marketresearch.cfm

c. Business research:  Finding demographic or psychographic information (n.d.) Retrieved from http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/businessresearch-demographics.cfm

d. Business research:  Finding industry overviews (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/businessresearch-industryoverviews.cfm

e. Business research:  Finding industry trends and projections (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/businessresearch-industrytrends.cfm

f. Business research:  Finding market share information (n.d.) Retrieved from http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/businessresearch-marketshare.cfm

g. Business research:  Finding market size information (n.d.) Retrieved from http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/businessresearch-marketsize.cfm

h. Business research:  SWOT analysis  research (n.d.).  Retrieved from http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/businessresearch-swot.cfm

i. Company/Industry Research Reports

i. Hoover’s UMUC’s subscription will allow you to create highly relevant reports. For example, you can obtain a full list of competitors for a company here. From there click “compare competitors” and look at the competitive landscape screen. If you are asked for a Hoover’s ID, see instructions here.

ii. Mergent Online is similar to Hoover’s and can be an especially good source for information about non-public companies.

iii. Business Insights Essentials features comparison charts for companies or industries. Hint: go to “comparison charts,” choose company or industry, start with one company or industry, and one available metric then add more. This database contains expert-prepared SWOT analyses of hundreds of companies. Look here to understand SWOT.

iv. ABI Inform Hint: go to the “Browse” tab to find the options.

j. Company News/Publications

i. Factiva by Dow Jones offers industry and company news stories. Hint: log in through UMUC Library (look in databases by title)

ii. Nexis Uni (formerly Lexis/Nexis Academic) offers unique information under “Get Company Info.” Hint: log in through UMUC Library (look in databases by title)

iii. Company publications such as annual reports, press releases and white papers may contain good data. Look for these on company websites. Find the annual reports of competitors.

k. Government sources

i. The U.S. Census

ii. American Fact Finder from the Census

iii. Census Business Builder

iv. Census Infographics

v. Industry Statistics from the Census

vi. Bureau of Labor Statistics

vii. BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey

l. Industry sources

i. Industry groups and trade associations

ii. Industry publications and websites

1. Advertising Age magazine, Retrieved from http://adage.com/; Click the ‘spyglass icon’ on the right side of the horizontal menu at the top of the home page.

2. The American Marketing Association, Retrieved from http://www.ama.org

3. Brand Channel, Retrieved from  https://www.brandchannel.com/; Click the word “search” in the horizontal menu at the top of the home page.

4. Chief Marketer, Retrieved from http://www.chiefmarketer.com/; The search tool is in the top left corner of the home page.

5. The Economist magazine, Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/; Click the word ‘Search’ at the top right corner of the home page. Articles offer a global perspective.

6. McKinsey consulting, Retrieved from http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/; Click the ‘spyglass icon’ on the right top corner of the home page. Emphasis on trends and competitive industries.

7. strategy+business by Price Waterhouse Cooper consulting, Retrieved from https://www.strategy-business.com/; Click the ‘spyglass icon’ on the top right corner of the home page. Information about competitive industries and general marketing trends.

m. Consumer segmentation tools & research

i. Neilsen MyBest Segments

ii. Esri Zip Code Look-up

iii. Gallup Research on Customer Engagement

n. Scholarly Articles

i. Google Academic Search. https://scholar.google.com/ This gives emphasis to scholarly publications. Narrow your search to exact terms because general searches will produce massive results.

o. Ask a librarian! Did you know that UMUC librarians are available by chat, email and phone?! See details at http://umuc.edu/library/.

END

Revised 9.5.18

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