Marketing report

DATE DUE: February 11th – via e centennial assignment folder

OUT OF: 45 Points and worth 15% of Final Mark

GROUP PROJECT: 3 people max per paper: Also can be done with 2 students or individually

This is the first part of the portfolio project that you will complete over the course of the semester. By the time you have finished, you will have essentially written a Marketing Plan for a consumer product in Canada. You will need to choose a consumer product from the list at the bottom of the assignment. Only one team per brand.

(DUE: February 11th, Week 5 posted in assignment folder on e-centennial.

Specifically content:

To Get a Great Mark: Read the Instructions & Rubric Carefully!

1. Identify the trends and changes that are occurring in the external environment that impact your chosen product’s marketing plan.

a. Specifically, consider trends and changes in the areas of Technology, Regulatory, Economics, Environmental, Demographics, and Socio-Cultural happenings in this marketplace.

b. Research and analyze at least 3 factors. Explain for each of the factors you have selected the positive or negative implications (minimum of two for each) the external environmental factor could have on your chosen product’s marketing plan. Ensure that you explain why?

c. Provide recommendations (action plans) as to what you plan to do to alter your current marketing plan to address this implication, again based on the factors you selected. Ie How may these trends impact your Product, Price, Promotion or Place strategy…and Why? (10 marks)

Format Example

c) Actions Plans

· The chain needs to significantly ramp up its on-line capabilities in the following areas; Example

· Price: review to see if pricing are competitive enough

· Place; Need to get next day delivery established to home vs going to store

· Promotion: The chain needs to actively promote the on-line service to attract new customers and keep existing

· Product: review their product line-up to see what other products they can add for variety

2. Review the competitive environment for your chosen product.

a. Specifically, provide details on 3 direct competitors, focusing on comparing the 4 “P”s for your own product versus the competitor’s product.

b. Evaluate and specify your product’s ‘Unique Selling Difference’ or “Value” what makes it different and what value does it provide the consumer?

c. Provide rationale for your evaluation. (10 marks)

Format Example

a)

b) Unique Selling Difference

· Tell me what makes your brand unique. What is the one thing that differentiates this business/brand vs the competitors? Example: Canadian Tire is a Canadian neighbourhood store that offers everything you need for your household

c) Give me three points that rationalize your unique selling difference

3. Include a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis using a bullet point, table format.

a. This analysis should be from the perspective of your product

b. Finally, summarize your findings and indicate possible implications for the marketing of this product. (10 marks)

Format Example

a) Put in a Grid below

b) Implications

From your analysis above what are the three things that the company needs to do differently or focus on in their Business and Marketing Plan

4. From a Global Citizenship and Equity(GC&E) perspective:

a. Identify(in your own words) how your product’s firm has supported environmentalism/sustainability, and

b. Has supported social responsibility at the national or global level. Please provide supporting documentation (10 marks)

Format

a) Environmental/sustainability - write down (in own words) what the company is doing for this subject.

-give examples as support

b) Social Responsibility

- write down (in own words) what the company is doing for this subject.

-give examples as support

5. Overall professionalism and presentation of the assignment

a. including cover page, bibliography including citation (APA), spelling/grammar. (5 marks)

Submission:

· Format: a 3-4 page type written report of your assignment should be uploaded in e-centennial with a title page that includes the assignment title/brand, date, name of this class and section, the instructor’s name, and your names and student numbers. The title page and Bibliography is not part of the 4 pages

· Note you will be judged on original thinking and plagiarizing or selecting content that has already been detailed is not permitted. Note your assignment will go through Turn-it In which will assess the amount of plagiarizing. So beware that this can lead to a “0” grade

Due Date: February 11th, Week #5, Submitted to e-centennial dropbox Assignment folder.

**. Assignments will not be accepted after February 11th

· Brand/Products: Pick a Brand from the list below

· Enter your brand and your names of your team. Do not choose a product that a classmate has already selected.