MKTG500 Case Analysis Home Assignment

Case Analysis Home Assignment

Exam #1: Case Question

You are the Vice-President of Marketing at Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI). Read the case on page 167 as a starting point. Then, drawing upon your learnings about marketing strategy and marketing research methods discussed in your text, lectures, and following the format in the Coop case study, please design and describe a marketing research project that you would recommend to management that would help solve a business and marketing problem that you identify at VPI.

Instructions

Please answer the case question in a comprehensive way at the graduate level using applied examples to illustrate your key points. A typical paper is 5 pages, but no more than 10 pages. Include charts, graphs, tables and a bibliography (not counted in page length).

Outline of Paper

An outline of the paper is provided below. You may use text, lectures, the Coop case study and any independent research on VPI (i.e. Google search, library resources, etc.). Remember of use appropriate citations and add a bibliography to your paper.

1. Company background, environmental analysis and SWOT (table and analysis).

2. Business problem (symptom): Identify and discuss.

3. Marketing hypotheses (causes): Focus on one or two strategy issues (marketing mix), implementation and/or post purchase issues as discussed and presented in the Coop case study. Discuss why you believe these are important marketing issues that need study and research. Refer to the Coop case study for ways to discuss these issues.

4. Marketing Research Recommendations: Offer your recommendations for testing your market hypothesis. Utilize text and lecture materials to describe and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your study design and selected methods. Build a case as to why you believe this is the best method for test your hypotheses. See the managers recommendations in the Coop case study as examples.

Submission Instructions:

By the due date please upload an electronic copy to the Dropbox, AND on the day of the exam please bring in a hard copy for submission.

Grading Rubric:

Please review this grading rubric and your answers. Seek to meet these objectives your exam papers.

100-90: Substantive above average description and analysis of all issues posed in the question with full integration and reference to case material, text, lecture and online (secondary research, etc.) where appropriate to support descriptions and analysis, including applied examples. Above or consistent with high level graduate level work product.

80-90: Average description of most issues related to the question. Partial critical analysis of issues by including some reference and integration of learned marketing concepts and some effort at placing answer in context to what is being learned using text, lecture and online materials. Average or close to graduate level work product.

79 or below: Incomplete or wrong answer to question. Incomplete or missing description of the some of the specific issues posed by question (i.e. incomplete background, incomplete discussion of research plan, etc.). Lacks substantive and thoughtful analysis and integration of key marketing issues posted by the question and lacks reference to case materials, text, lecture or online research.