online college marketing course, 3 assignments

Module 4: IMC and Brand Messages

Your progress 

· Introduction

Assignment 4 builds on your research, analysis, and decisions made for Assignments 1, 2 and 3. Use the information in your first three assignments to establish a creative brand strategy and statement, a positioning strategy and statement, and a message strategy; and to develop your “Big Idea.”

In this assignment, demonstrate how the creative brief provided the direction for the development of the creative and message strategies for your product and its brand, and for the creation and execution of the Big Idea. Show how all the components of the IMC plan prepared to date work together to accomplish the IMC objectives.

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· Instructions

Important: In answering the following assignment parts, it is critical to justify your answers. Grading is weighted heavily in favour of answers that refer back to or reference course materials including concepts, terms, relevant information, and other outside sources. It is important to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the course materials in your reasoning about and application of them.

Part 1: Creative Strategy Brief (25 marks)

Suggested time: 2 to 2.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in essay and point form and limit your response to 2-2.5 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

1. Develop a creative message strategy brief for your product and its brand, which includes the following:

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2. Consumer Response Path (5 points)

2. Customer Insights (5 points)

2. Message Objective (5 points)

2. Selling Strategy (5 points)

2. Creative Message Strategy Statement (5 points)

Explain why you decided on each of these elements and how they will contribute to the development of a creative message strategy.

Part 2: Positioning Strategy (20 marks)

Suggested time: 2 to 2.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in essay and point form and limit your response to 2-2.5 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

1. Describe the brand positioning strategy that you will develop to achieve your objectives:

3. Describe two of your product’s brand features, attributes, or benefits you will use in the IMC Plan? (5 points)

3. Discuss why this positioning strategy is appropriate in terms of the product’s brand target audience and the product’s brand direct competitors. (5 points)

3. Illustrate your positioning for your product’s brand in the marketplace on a positioning map. (5 points)

3. Create your positioning statement. (5 points)

Part 3: Message Strategy (25 marks)

Suggested time: 3 to 3.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in essay and point form and limit your response to 2-3 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

1. Expand on your product’s brand message objective to be communicated to the target audience? (5 points)

1. Describe the creative concept and theme around which your IMC campaign will be built. Discuss how “links back to” and “fits” with your previous decisions. (5 points)

1. Identify the message appeal most appropriate to support your message objective and provide justification for it. (5 points)

1. Explain why this product’s brand message strategy is suitable for your target audience. (5 points)

1. Clarify why your product’s brand message strategy is appropriate for competing with your direct product’s brand competitors (5 points)

Part 4: Creative “Big Idea” (25 marks)

Suggested time: 3 to 3.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in essay and point form and limit your response to 2-3 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

1. Explain the creative “Big Idea” that you will employ to execute your brand message strategy and why you selected it. (10 points)

1. Describe the storytelling format you decided to use to execute your creative direction through the “Big Idea.” (5 points)

1. Describe how the “Big Idea” will work in the different media to be used in the IMC Campaign. (5 points)

1. Identify the message visuals and the message copy in the “Big Idea.” (5 points)

Part 5: Report Structure and Presentation (5 marks)

Ensure you structure and present your assignment in formal manner suitable for business.

Assignment Assessment

This assignment is worth 15% of your final course grade and is marked out of 100 as follows:

Assignment Parts	Weight
Part 1: Creative Message Strategy Brief	25%
Part 2: Brand Positioning Strategy	20%
Part 3: Brand Message Objective and Strategy	25%
Part 4: Brand Creative “Big Idea”	25%
Part 5: Report Structure and Presentation	5%
Total	100%

Assignment Content Criteria

Assignments will be evaluated against the following performance measures:

Content —Address all points of information as outlined in the criteria and course content for the assignment.

Knowledge —Demonstrate your understanding, skills, and perspectives regarding the module concepts, terms and information and provide a coherent summary of your learning through the assignment.

Theory and Practice —Exhibit the connections between the course materials, readings, activities, discussions and integrated marketing communication principles, practices, and processes through your work.

Critical Thinking —Use logical thinking to gather, integrate, and analyze the information in your assignment. Display your ability to draw the best possible conclusions from your findings and analysis, and to apply these in the development of your IMC Plan.

Structure and Presentation —Present all parts of the assignment with good structure, clarity, and presentation. Ensure your assignment is professionally formatted; that spelling, grammar, and punctuation are accurate; and that footnotes and acknowledgments (bibliography or reference list) are correctly used.

Assignment Structure and Presentation Criteria

Be sure to save your assignment as one Word document and name it: MKTG4481_Lastname_Assign1_CourseCompletionDate.

Submit your assignment to your Open Learning Faculty Member for marking by using the Assignment submission tool in the Assignments area of your course.

Reminders before submitting the assignment:

1. Put your name, student number and your course completion date on the cover page of the document.

1. Submit all parts of the assignment in one Word document to your Open Learning Faculty Member.

1. Organize your assignment with clear headings and sub-headings (questions and questions within the questions) based on the assignment questions.

1. Stay within the required length for each assignment. Communications should be clear, concise and to the point.

1. Use 1.5-line spacing in all parts of your assignment to improve readability for your Open Learning Faculty Member.

1. Use a 12-point font size in the assignment.

1. Include numbers on all the pages in the assignment.

1. Use a spell checker to eliminate spelling errors in the assignment.

1. Use grammar checking to avoid grammatical errors such as run-on sentences.

1. Cite references, using correct referencing format in the assignment.

1. Restating of course material should not be included in the assignment, nor is it considered part of analysis. Anyone reading your assignment will be familiar with the course materials therefore you need only to discuss those facts relevant to your analysis and recommendations.

1. Proofread your work on the screen while you write it and then print a hard copy and proofread it again. Fix the errors before submitting the assignment to your Open Learning Faculty Member.

Remember, being clear and concise is important to good communication.

IMPORTANT:

In answering the questions in the assignment, it is critical to emphasize the justification for each action recommended. The assignment should take into account all of the information covered in the course learning materials for this module.

Grading is weighted in favour of answers that demonstrate reasoning and application behind the answers as well as references to course notes, readings, and any outside sources.

Reference all quotations appropriately using APA style (author, date, title, publisher and page number) and when needed provide website URLs and/or references. Visit the  Library Research 101—Doing Research at a Distance: Citation & Writing Help  page for further information about how to cite resources.

Assignment 5: IMC and Regulations and Issues (5%)

Your progress 

· Introduction

In this last assignment you will discuss what measurements to take and execute before, during, and after an IMC campaign.

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· Instructions

Important: In answering the following assignment parts, it is critical to justify your answers. Grading is weighted heavily in favour of answers that refer back to or reference course materials including concepts, terms, relevant information, and other outside sources. It is important to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the course materials in your reasoning about and application of them.

Part 1: Measures of Effectiveness (10 marks)

Suggested time: 1 to 1.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in point form and limit your response to .5 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

1. What three types of objectives will you measure to determine whether or not your IMC plan will accomplish these objectives? (3 points)

2. Describe what each type of objective will measure in your IMC Plan. (7 points)

Part 2: Types of Measurements (30 marks)

Suggested time: 2 to 2.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in point form or in a table and limit your response to 3 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

3. For each of the three types of objectives, discuss the measures of effectiveness and the techniques you will use to determine whether the IMC plan achieved these objectives, and why you selected each of them. (15 points)

4. Explain why you selected the measures of effectiveness and techniques for each type of the three objectives. (15 points)

Part 3: Pre-test and Post-test Measurements (35 marks)

Suggested time: 2 to 2.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in point form or in a table and limit your response to 2 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

5. Which measurements will you use at the pre-test and at the post-test phase for each of the three types of objectives? (20 points)

6. Which measurements at the pre-test and at the post-test phase will you employ lab and field methodologies? Explain why you will employ lab and field methodologies. (15 points)

Part 4: Evaluate IMC Process (20 marks)

Suggested time: 1 to 1.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in point form or in a table and limit your response to 1–1.5 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

7. What are the three different measurements you will use to evaluate the overall IMC process? (5 points)

8. Explain how you will utilize each of these three different measurements to evaluate the overall IMC process for your product and its brand. (15 points)

Part 5: Report Structure and Presentation (5 marks)

Ensure you structure and present your assignment in formal manner suitable for business.

Assignment Assessment

This assignment is worth 5% of your final course grade and is marked out of 100 as follows:

Assignment Parts	Weight
Part 1: Measures of Effectiveness	10%
Part 2: Types of Measurements	30%
Part 3: Pre-test and Post-test Measurements	35%
Part 4: Evaluate IMC Process	20%
Part 5: Report Structure and Presentation	5%
Total	100%

Assignment Content Criteria

Assignments will be evaluated using the following performance criteria:

Content —Address all points of information as outlined in the criteria and course content for the assignment.

Knowledge —Demonstrate your understanding, skills, and perspectives regarding the module terms and concepts and provide a coherent summary of your learning from the assignment.

Theory and Practice —Exhibit the connections that exist between the work of others (course materials, readings, activities, and discussions) and marketing principles, practices, and processes.

Critical Thinking —Use logical thinking to gather, integrate, and analyze the information in your report. Display your ability to draw the best possible conclusions from your findings and analysis, and to apply these to the development of your IMC plan.

Structure and Presentation —Present all parts of the assignment with good structure, clarity, and presentation. Ensure that your report is professionally formatted; that spelling, grammar, and punctuation are accurate; and that footnotes and acknowledgments (bibliography or reference list) are correctly used.

Assignment Structure and Presentation Criteria

Be sure to save your assignment as one Word document and name it: MKTG4481_Lastname_Assign1_CourseCompletionDate.

Submit your assignment to your Open Learning Faculty Member for marking by using the Assignment submission tool in the Assignments area of your course.

Reminders before submitting the assignment:

. Put your name, student number and your course completion date on the cover page of the document.

. Submit all parts of the assignment in one Word document to your Open Learning Faculty Member.

. Organize your assignment with clear headings and sub-headings (questions and questions within the questions) based on the assignment questions.

. Stay within the required length for each assignment. Communications should be clear, concise and to the point.

. Use 1.5-line spacing in all parts of your assignment to improve readability for your Open Learning Faculty Member.

. Use a 12-point font size in the assignment.

. Include numbers on all the pages in the assignment.

. Use a spell checker to eliminate spelling errors in the assignment.

. Use grammar checking to avoid grammatical errors such as run-on sentences.

. Cite references, using correct referencing format in the assignment.

. Restating of course material should not be included in the assignment, nor is it considered part of analysis. Anyone reading your assignment will be familiar with the course materials therefore you need only to discuss those facts relevant to your analysis and recommendations.

. Proofread your work on the screen while you write it and then print a hard copy and proofread it again. Fix the errors before submitting the assignment to your Open Learning Faculty Member.

Remember, being clear and concise is important to good communication.

IMPORTANT:

In answering the questions in the assignment, it is critical to emphasize the justification for each action recommended. The assignment should take into account all of the information covered in the course learning materials for this module.

Grading is weighted in favour of answers that demonstrate reasoning and application behind the answers as well as references to course notes, readings, and any outside sources.

Reference all quotations appropriately using APA style (author, date, title, publisher and page number) and when needed provide website URLs and/or references. Visit the  Library Research 101—Doing Research at a Distance: Citation & Writing Help  for further information about how to cite resources.

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Final Project: IMC Plan and Web Discussion Report (35%)

Your progress 

· Introduction

Congratulations! At this point, you have completed the five assignments required for MKTG 4481 Integrated Marketing Communications. The Final Project brings together most of the material you have prepared for the assignments and the information you have gathered in your research, activities, and discussions. The assignments for each module led you through the development of all the components of an IMC Plan. In the Final Project, you will compile and finalize your IMC Plan and evaluate your chosen product and its brand (including objectives, strategies, and tactics). You will also reflect on your learning through your participation in discussions.

The two parts of the Final Project are:

· Your IMC Plan (worth 25% of your final mark)

· Your Web Discussion Report (worth 10% of your final mark)

In the IMC Plan, you will incorporate your Open Learning Faculty Member’s feedback, comments, and recommendations that she/he provided for Assignments 1–5 and resubmit the key components in a report format.

In the Web Discussion Report, you will provide a summary of your learning and growth from working through the modules and your discussion activities.

Please Note: Your IMC Plan will not be marked until you complete all your assignments, and your Open Learning Faculty Member has marked and returned them to you. Since you already have compiled much of the information you require for your IMC Plan by doing the module assignments, and you have received an assignment mark for that process, this is NOT an invitation to copy and paste an exact duplicate of this information into your IMC Plan.

To be marked on your IMC Plan, you must incorporate the suggestions your Open Learning Faculty Member made on your previous assignments. You must reflect, add to, change, rewrite, and demonstrate you have integrated these suggested into your IMC Plan.

Your Open Learning Faculty Member may post additional guidelines in the course discussion area and/or through Course Messages, and as always, you should consult him/her if you require clarification concerning the requirements of the IMC Plan or Web Discussion Report.

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· Part A: IMC Plan (100 marks)

You developed your IMC Plan by completing your assignments (Assignments 1–5). Now, it is time to put together your IMC Plan by completing the following seven steps and drawing conclusions from your research and analysis for your IMC Plan. Include a cover page, table of contents, your name, date, course completion date, and an appendix and reference list (as required).

Final Grade: Part A of the assignment is worth 25% of your final mark. Together with Part B, the Final Project is worth 35% of your final mark.

Assessment: Your submission will be assessed on the following criteria:

2. Participation in the 10 discussions in the course.

2. Comprehensiveness of your summary of the major aspects of the discussions.

2. Depth and breadth of analysis and insight in your answers.

Suggested time: 3 to 3.5 hours

Length: Please write your response in essay and point form and limit your response to 15 to 18 pages using 1.5 line-spacing.

Questions: Answer the following questions.

Part 1: Introduction and Summary of Brand Audit (5 marks)

2. Briefly describe your product’s organization.

2. Concisely summarize the six items in your product’s brand audit.

Part 2: Identify Primary Target Audience (5 marks)

2. Describe your primary target audience using five consumer characteristics.

Part 3: Assessment of IMC Situation (20 marks)

2. Concisely describe the internal analysis for your product’s brand.

2. Briefly describe external analysis for your product’s brand.

2. Provide your product’s brand prioritized SWOT analysis.

2. Provide your two direct product’s brand competitors’ prioritized SWOT analysis.

Part 4: Media Schedule and Budget (10 marks)

2. Concisely describe your media objectives.

2. Provide a blocking chart or Gantt Chart of your media schedule (tactics).

2. Provide your detailed media budget.

Part 5: Marketing Communication Objectives and Positioning (5 marks)

2. Describe your marketing communication objectives.

2. Provide your positioning strategy and positioning statement.

Part 6: Message Objectives and Strategies (10 marks)

2. Provide your creative message strategy statement.

2. Describe your message objectives to be communicated to the target audience.

2. Describe your message strategies and discuss how they compete with your direct product’s brand competitors.

Part 7: IMC Measurement and Evaluation (5 marks)

2. Provide the three different measurements to evaluate the overall IMC process?

2. Explain how each of these measurements will be used to evaluate the overall IMC process for your product and its brand.

Part 8: Conclusion (40 marks)

In addition to providing the information described in these seven steps, also provide a 4 to 5 page conclusion. In your conclusion, comment on the following:

2. Compare your brand equity and marketing communication mix recommendations from Assignment 1 with your final brand equity and marketing communication mix recommendations in your IMC Plan. Describe the comparison by either in point form or in a table.

2. Describe how the following elements of your IMC Plan were clear, persuasive, consistent, and “fit” together to form an integrated marketing communications plan:

. Primary target audience profile

. Prioritized SWOT analysis

. Communication objectives

. Media objectives, strategies, and tactics

. Message objectives, strategies, and tactics

. Creative concept and theme

Assessment Criteria

This assignment is worth 25% of your final course grade and is marked out of 100 as follows:

Assignment Parts	Weight
Part 1: Introduction and Summary of Brand Audit	5 marks
Part 2: Identify Primary Target Audience	5 marks
Part 3: Assessment of IMC Situation	20 marks
Part 4: Media Schedule and Budget	10 marks
Part 5: Marketing Communication Objectives and Positioning	5 marks
Part 6: Message Objectives and Strategies	10 marks
Part 7: IMC Measurement and Evaluation	5 marks
Part 8: Conclusions	40 marks
Total	100 marks

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