Assignment Market Research 2000 words

Assessment1: Information Sheet

Unit Co-ordinator:Gabriella Kereszturi

Unit Name:Marketing and the Digital Future

Unit Code: MAR039-6

Title of Coursework: Individual Marketing Plan Report

% weighting of final unit grade: 40%

Assessment Brief

Submission instructions

Assignment should be handed in by 10am of the submission date.

Pages should be numbered. Headings and sub-headings must be provided.

All areas of the plan must be considered.

The unit title and code number must be clearly marked on the assignment top sheet.

Coursework must be submitted into turnitinonthe Friday of week 3, by 10am. Late work is not accepted, and will be deemed a fail and graded G(0) (no work submitted).

Learning Outcomes

Core learning outcomes
	On completion of this unit you should be able to:	Assessment number
1	Demonstrate a critical understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of marketing and its environment, and the strategies and tactics by which these can be channelled towards marketing effectiveness in a marketing audit/plan	1,2
2	Demonstrate a critical awareness of a range of ethical and cultural constraints on professional practitioners need to be cognisant of when communicating in the 21st century	1,2

In addition, the completion of this assessment requires you to demonstrate the ability to:

· Identify and critically evaluate environmental factors that can affect organisational success.

Categorise and analyse the environmental factors at play and consider their impact on the

Organisation under consideration.

· Undertake a marketing audit of an organisation. Identify and critically assess in a comprehensive fashion the current strengths and weaknesses of the organisation relative to its external environment.

· Apply consistently in-depth knowledge and reference relevant marketing management theories/concepts. Generate a variety of ways of tackling a selected problem and identify options that have a chance of success in the organisation under consideration.

· Identify quantitative and qualitative “information gaps”, and the relevant sources needed to fill such lacunae. Prepare and use IT to aid efficient searching, evaluation and selection of information, exploring alternative lines of enquiry where appropriate. Present information effectively, including evidence to support your conclusions.

· Identify and critically assess in a comprehensive fashion the current marketing strategies and digital tools employed by the organisation in its market. Evaluate and synthesise information from different sources, theories and principles, and communicate relevant information effectively, and with accuracy. Put forward relevant and robust strategic recommendations for the organisation.

· Critically analyse the effectiveness of your strategy, including factors that had an impact on the outcomes, and identify ways to take the firm/organisation forward.

Format for submission

There is a limit of 2000words, excluding cover page, references in the bibliography and the appendices. Your cover page must have your full name and ID number.

All work should be word processed using either Times New Roman or Ariel font, with line spacing of 1½ and justified.

References must include academic sources.

No more than 50% of references may be from the internet.

Assessment Detail

Assessment 1: Individual Marketing Plan Report

Marks & Spencer (M&S), UK

The Marketing Plan Task

Three articles have been presented to you, all highlighting the ‘ailing clothing business’ of M&S as the main cause of the recent drop in profits. In terms of M & S’s strategy, Steve Rowe, the Chief Executive said last year that " we outlined a comprehensive plan to build strong foundations for the future. We said we would recover and grow clothing and home, continue with our plans for food growth, remove costs and simplify the business”. Accordingly, Jill McDonald has been hired to turnaround the groups’s ailing clothing business, starting from September, 2017.

As a Marketing Consultant, you have been approached by Jill McDonald to put together a Marketing Plan to ‘recover and grow’ the clothing business of M&S.

Marketing Plan (Key areas to cover)

· Executive Summary

· Introduction & Objectives

· Market Situational Analysis, especially the competition& consumer behaviour

· Target Market/Segmentation

· Marketing Mix Strategy

· Implementation & Control

· Budget/Sales Projections

In terms of the content of the Marketing Plan Report, you will be marked on the degree to which you:

· Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the purpose of the exercise.

· Display knowledge of the planning tools and theories involved and an ability to apply them effectively.

· Demonstrate the ability to select critical points, evaluate them and communicate the conclusions effectively.

In terms of overall presentation, you will be marked on the following:-

· Language (Appropriate Language, Grammar, spelling etc.)

· Presentation (Layout, Style, Quality etc.)

Further Guidance on the Marketing Plan Report

1. Objectives – objectives need to be SMART but it is unnecessary to explain in detail how smart they are.

1. The balance between market analysis and the actual planning/actions– ensure that your submissions are balanced with regards to analysis and planning. For example, do not use a lot of space summarising the analysis, at the expense of setting objectives and planning objective-specific marketing strategies and tactics.

1. Vagueness – planning needs to be very specific; stating that you will use ‘social media’ for promotion because it is the ‘most efficient tool’ is not enough. You need to explain the social media tool (s) – what they are, why you are using them and how you would use them.

1. Academic content – you are expected to apply models, and not just describe or define them. For example, your SWOT or PEST analyses should not read like textbooks in which you explain what SWOT or PEST are – this is essentially incorrect. You needed to apply them and not describe them.

1. Executive summary – an executive summary should be written in a way that allows the executive who reads it to know what the problem is and how it is to be solved. Essentially, it is a summary of your problem statement, objectives and how to achieve them (i.e. how to solve the problem). The key findings and recommendations should also be presented in this section.

1. Secondary data use – Analysis should be supported with secondary data (from the literature). You should demonstrate wider reading and acknowledge the sources of your information, both in the main body and in your bibliography. Avoid making very bold but not substantiated statements, such as ‘the best clothing business in the UK’ or ‘massive campaign’ or ‘massive customer segment’. Give numbers if you think the segment is large and compare it to other segments to give an idea of the size of it.

1. Presentation and structure – to achieve an excellent grade, your presentation needs to be immaculate – this includes numbering tables, referencing correctly etc. Do not present a lot of data and information in tables as appendices. Data or statistics that refer directly to your discussion in the main body, should be presented in the main body. Tables and figures – tables and figures need to be numbered and each should have a title that is self-explanatory. Your analytical content must be high, demonstrating critical thinking and the ability to apply relevant marketing concepts.

1. Word limit – 2000 words, excluding your references in the bibliography, the appendices and the cover page. Please, note that your cover page must have your Full Name and ID Number.

Marking Criteria for the Marketing Plan Report

To obtain an A grade you must:

· Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the task for the Marketing Plan

· Display knowledge of the concepts/theories involved and an ability to apply them effectively.

· Provide evidence of further reading, including academic journals.

· Demonstrate the ability to select critical aspects of the plan, evaluate them and communicate the conclusions and strategic recommendations effectively

To obtain a B grade:

· Show a clear understanding of the tasks for the Marketing Plan

· Display knowledge of most of the concepts/ theories involved and an ability to apply them effectively.

· Provide evidence of wider reading.

· Demonstrate the ability to select critical aspects of the plan, evaluate them and draw sound conclusions and strategic recommendations.

To obtain a C grade:

· Show an adequate understanding of the tasks for the Marketing Plan

· Display knowledge of some of the concepts/ theories involved and an ability to apply them.

· Provide evidence of some wider reading.

· Demonstrate the ability to select key aspects of the plan and provide analysis of these.

To obtain a D grade:

· Show some understanding of the tasks for the Marketing Plan

· Display knowledge of some of the concepts/ theories involved and an ability to apply them.

· Provide evidence of some wider reading.

· Demonstrate the ability to select key aspects of the plan and provide analysis of these.

To obtain an E grade:

· Made an attempt to complete the tasks of the Marketing plan

· Display little knowledge of the concepts/ theories involved.

· No evidence of academic reading.

· An inability to recognise the key aspects of the plan.

To obtain an F1/F2 grade:

· Work of little academic merit.

To obtain a G grade:

· Work of no academic merit.

· No attempt.

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