Marketing: Consumer Behaviour Assignment

BCIT MKTG 3325 Online

Style and Mechanics for Assignments and Projects

Weekly Reflections All weekly reflections must be word-processed and uploaded to our D2L site. You do not need a separate cover sheet for your weekly reflections. Your name and other identifying information such as the reflection number and title, date, and page numbers should appear in the top header of your reflection. Reflections that do not follow these instructions will automatically lose 10% of the possible grade. The page should be formatted as illustrated below: Assignments and Projects All assignments must be word-processed. Assignments and Projects must include a separate cover sheet. Your name and other identifying information should appear on the title page. Assignments that do not follow these instructions will automatically lose 10% of the possible grade. The cover page should be formatted as per the APA format found on the BCIT Library website at: https://www.bcit.ca/files/library/pdf/bcit-apastyle.pdf

Reflection 1 Date Name Page #

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Designing and Writing Marketing Assignments and Projects The assignment must be well-organized, succinct, and complete. The format for the body of the report is as follows:

 Typewritten  Double spaced  Standard business font such as Times Roman, Arial, etc.  12 point  1 inch margins

Remember to use a variety of methods to convey the information in your written report. Graphs, charts, and illustrations interspersed with written text make the report more effective and interesting to read.

Overall Presentation of Report  professional appearance  consistent format throughout (font, paragraphing, headings, etc.)  headings as indicated  ideas in logical sequence  paragraphs and sentences in logical order and progression  spelling and grammar checked for errors  references correctly cited in text  attention to neatness

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING WRITTEN MARKETING REPORTS

1. Do not use the words “I”, “my”, “me” or any other words that refer to the writer.

You are writing about a company not your personal views or interests. 2. Edit your paper carefully. Most students miss spelling mistakes and grammatical

errors. You are writing in the English language and your writing skills reflect on you. If you do not have above average English skills, you will not be able to handle anything other than a job that pays a minimal salary or wage. BCIT offers several English courses to help students improve their English skills. Unless you have above average English skills, you should take one of these courses.

3. Read the instructions for the assignment. If you cannot follow instructions, then

you are not of much use to an employer or to your own business. Individuals who cannot comply with what is required will not be competitive in the marketplace.

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4. Headings are important in a report. They assist the reader to quickly grasp the content and read or reread those sections that are important. Use headings to focus the reader and make your report more readable.

5. Each new idea means a new paragraph. Business reports differ from academic

papers in that business people have limited time and must be able to read information quickly. A report that is written as one paragraph is poor English structure and of limited use to a business person.

6. When you are using points in the body of the report, the structure must match. If

the points are in sentence structure, then all points must be a sentence. For example: Create excellent customer service.

Providing quality products The structure of the above points does not match. The example below is correct: Create excellent customer service. Provide quality products. 7. Understand when a contraction is to be used. It’s means it is. Don’t means do not.

The apostrophe means there is a letter or letters missing.

Most words use the apostrophe to denote possession. For example, Mary’s ball. However, certain pronouns do not follow this rule. Its is the possessive of it, ours is the possessive of our, etc.

Students often make a mistake when discussing information related to a group of years. For example, This model of car was popular during the 1950s. There is no apostrophe before the “s” in 1950s because the idea refers to a number of years during that period of time. Similarly, if you use ‘80s, this means during this time period. The apostrophe is used because the 19 is missing.

8. Either indent or leave spaces between paragraphs. These techniques make the

report easier to read. 9. Watch the use of pronouns. When “it” is used, the pronoun refers to the noun

directly before. For example, The ball is on the floor. It is blue. The word “it” refers to the fact that the floor is blue, not the ball. Many students use the word “it” without deciding what the reference noun is. This practice makes the document very difficult to read and understand.

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10. The pronouns “your” and “you” are not used in a marketing report because the document is meant for a banker or investor, not the general public. A marketing report is not an advertisement, rather it contains information about the company.

11. Use marketing terminology and use these terms correctly when you write a

marketing report. Using terminology will impress the reader that you have a marketing background and have the knowledge required to write the report.

12. Be specific about the information you include. Some reports ramble, include a lot

of information, but say nothing. Business people have little time and will not sift through information that is poorly presented.

13. You require writing skills in order to succeed. Often students will rationalize that

they do not require these skills because they will hire someone to write business documents. There is problem with this thought reasoning. You will not be able to determine whether you have hired a writer who can accomplish what you require if you do not have the knowledge yourself to evaluate writing skills.

14. It is extremely important that the information you use in a report is your own or

that you acknowledge information gathered from another source. Plagiarism is a serious offense and opens you to litigation. As well, your reputation in business is demeaned by using the work of others without acknowledgement.