.

Write an analysis that compares the integrated marketing strategies of REI with those of a competitor company. There is no page limit for this assessment.

The focus of a marketing program is on summarizing the essence of the product or service through an integrated marketing effort. An integrated effort includes a thorough analysis of the company, the competition, and the customer requirements. The product line management uses design, product positioning, and other elements to present a unique set of values in the customer's mind, either carving out a niche or maintaining market share leadership over competitive products.

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

In the case of REI, consider which products are purchased from manufacturers and which carry the REI label and design.

· Which products are intended for general consumers?

· Which are intended for professional climbers and expeditions?

Case studies are a very effective way of applying business concepts to a real-world situation and that approach will be used for this activity. For this assessment, consider that you work as a marketing analyst for a consulting firm and that your manager asked you to develop a case study for the executive team of the organization in the case. That executive team will use your analysis and recommendations in their business planning.

For this assessment, return to the REI case study. Choose a product category offered by REI and research the REI product line for this product. Select an REI competitor and research its product line for the same category. Focus on how each company approaches its marketing matrix according to the 4 P's (product, price, place, and promotion).

Based on your research, write an analysis that addresses the following:

· Compares product strategies of different companies with the same product category and evaluates their relative effectiveness.

· Compares the integrated marketing strategies of REI with those of the competitor company for the product category you chose and evaluates their relative effectiveness. In your comparison, be sure to include:

. Product strategies (features and benefits).

. Place strategies (distribution of products and services).

. Pricing strategies.

. Promotion strategies.

· Assesses how each company's integrated marketing strategy might affect its economic success and identifies opportunities for improvements to the marketing programs that could improve each company’s economic success.

Based on your executive audience, your case study should be well organized and written in clear, succinct language. Follow APA rules for attributing sources that support your analysis and conclusions.

Academic Integrity and APA Formatting

As a reminder related to using APA rules to ensure academic honesty:

1. When using a direct quote (using exact or nearly exact wording), you must enclose the quoted wording in quotation marks, immediately followed by an in-text citation. The source must then be listed in your references page.

2. When paraphrasing (using your own words to describe a non-original idea), the paraphrased idea must be immediately followed by an in-text citation and the source must be listed in your references page.

Required Resources

The following resources are required to complete the assessment.

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Library Resources

· Ruskin-Brown, I. (2006).  Mastering marketing  (2nd ed.). London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing.

· McDonald, M., & Wilson, H. (2011).  Marketing plans: How to prepare them, how to use them  (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

· Kermally, S. (2004).  Gurus on marketing . London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing.

· Fickes, M. (2001).  REI explores new heights . Sporting Goods Business, 34(2), 62–63.

· Melkman, A. (2006).  Conducting the SWOT analysis . In Strategic customer planning (pp. 131–144). London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing.

· Jones, K. (2001, February).  Happy campers . Kiplinger's Personal Finance, 55(2), 130–134.

Internet Resources

Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

· KnowThis LLC. (2013).  KnowThis.com . Retrieved from http://www.knowthis.com/index.php

· KnowThis LLC. (2013). How to write a marketing plan. Retrieved from http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/how-to-write-a-marketing-plan

. For the focus of this assessment, you may want to examine the following sections of the  How to Write a Marketing Plan  tutorial from the site's Principles of Marketing Tutorials list. Part 3 (Marketing Strategy and Objectives), Part 4 (Tactical Marketing Programs), Part 5 (Budgeting, Performance, and Implementation), and Part 6 (Additional Considerations).

· Marketing Power, Inc. (2013).  American Marketing Association . Retrieved from http://www.marketingpower.com/Pages/default.aspx

· Hoover's, Inc. (2013).  Hoovers . Retrieved from http://www.hoovers.com

· The Ad Age Group. (2014).  AdvertisingAge . Retrieved from http://adage.com

· Direct Marketing Association. (2013).  DMA: Advancing and protecting responsible data-driven marketing . Retrieved from http://thedma.org

· Concept Marketing Group Inc. (2013).  Concept Marketing Group . Retrieved from http://www.marketingsource.com

Books

· Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2019). MKTG 12 (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

· Ries, A., & Trout, J. (1994). The 22 immutable laws of marketing. New York, NY: Harper Business. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.