BUSINESS (NO PLAGARISM A+ WORK, ON TIME)

Week 1 Assignment -Research Proposal

Instructions

For your Marketing Plan assignment due in Week 7, you will submit a two-page proposal outlining the topic you selected. This proposal will be the foundation for your comprehensive 10 page marketing plan, focusing on a brand of choice. The proposal will help you clarify and refine your approach before you begin the final paper.

Your proposal should include the following three sections, each with a bold heading:

1. Topic:

· Identify the  brand or company you have selected for your marketing plan.

· Provide a brief  background on the brand or company, including relevant details such as its industry, size, market position, and any pertinent history.

2.  Rationale:

· Explain  why this company requires a new marketing plan. Consider whether the company is expanding into a new market, launching a new product or service, or revising its existing marketing strategy.

· Include a clear  justification for why a new marketing plan is necessary. For example, discuss the company's current challenges or opportunities, such as declining sales, increased competition, or shifting consumer preferences.

3. Strategy:

· Define the  target market for your marketing plan. Specifically, describe the demographic (e.g., age, gender, income level, education, occupation) and psychographic (e.g., lifestyle, values, interests, purchasing behavior) characteristics of the audience you aim to reach. Consider factors such as geographic location (urban vs. rural, specific regions or countries) and any specific cultural or behavioral trends that may influence the market.

· Indicate where you will source the  information needed for your final paper. List at least four specific references that will provide the research and data necessary for developing your marketing plan. Include the specific reference not just the name. 

· Reminder: The four references you list here are intended to guide the development of your final paper and are not part of the reference page for this assignment. The reference page for this proposal should include all the sources used in writing the proposal itself. Be sure to format all references according to the required citation style.

Formatting and Submission:

· Ensure your proposal is formatted in  APA style, with appropriate citations and references to scholarly sources.

· Write in Essay format not as an outline or bullets

· Submit as a Word document

Course Objectives:

· Develop a comprehensive marketing plan for a brand.

· Define the process for successfully introducing a new product or service to market.

This proposal is crucial to laying the groundwork for your detailed marketing plan, so carefully consider your choices and approach as you prepare it.

Additional Information: Advice on Choosing a Brand

When selecting a brand for your marketing plan, it's important to choose one that would benefit from a fresh or revised marketing strategy. Below are some factors to consider to ensure your selected brand is a good fit for this assignment:

1. Brand in Need of a Marketing Overhaul

Look for brands that are facing challenges such as:

· Declining Sales or Market Share: A brand that has experienced stagnation or decreased consumer demand over time could benefit from a revitalized marketing approach.

· Brand Image Issues: Brands damaged by negative publicity, poor customer perceptions, or outdated branding may need a strategic refresh.

· Competitive Pressure: A brand in a highly competitive market or an industry experiencing new entrants or disruptive technologies may require a new strategy to maintain or grow market share.

· Changing Consumer Preferences: Brands that haven't adapted to shifting consumer expectations, technological advances, or new social trends might benefit from a targeted rebranding or marketing strategy.

2. Opportunities for Market Expansion or Innovation

Consider brands that are:

· Entering a New Market: A company expanding into a new geographic region, demographic segment, or industry may need a comprehensive marketing plan to penetrate this new market effectively.

· Launching a New Product or Service: If a company introduces a new product or service that hasn't yet been marketed or is poorly received, this could be an excellent opportunity to develop a fresh plan targeting the right audience.

· Diversifying its Offerings: A brand diversifying its product line or broadening its target demographic can benefit from a well-thought-out marketing strategy to ensure the new offering resonates with the target audience.

4. Data Availability and Research Feasibility

Finally, ensure that sufficient data and research are available for your chosen brand. This could be through:

· Publicly available reports, such as annual reports or industry analyses.

· Access to reputable sources of consumer behavior data, trends, and competitive analysis.

· Case studies or examples from similar brands or companies that have faced comparable challenges.

Choosing a brand that clearly needs a new or revised marketing strategy will allow you to develop a relevant and actionable plan. Ensure the brand has a clearly defined issue, opportunity, or objective that can be addressed through a comprehensive marketing approach.

W2: Discussion (No more than 250 words)

Contains unread posts

There are many types of research methods depending on your industry, position, and research goals. One area of focus is loyalty and collecting research to understand loyalty best and increase it. 

 

In a competitive industry, it is essential to understand who you are marketing to, and then you can best create a loyalty program that speaks to this market. 

 

Research

 

Research loyalty as it applies to your final paper topic in this course. Brainstorm how you will create loyalty for this new offering.

 

 

Discuss

· Who is in the target market for your final marketing plan? Make sure to provide the rationale. 

· What type of research methods will help you to understand this market best?

· How will you obtain loyalty from this market?

· Briefly describe the competition in this industry and any loyalty efforts that the major competitors are using. 

 

In your peer responses, address whether you agree or disagree with their target market focus.

 

DB(Respond to peer no more than 150 words)

Hello Class!

For my proposal I chose Peloton and when it comes to Peloton, loyalty isn’t just about repeat purchases, it’s about building a lifestyle people genuinely want to be part of. For my final marketing plan, I’m zeroing in on health-conscious professionals between 25 and 45 who live busy lives but still prioritize fitness. These folks are tech-savvy, love convenience, and crave community. They’re not just buying a bike or treadmill, they’re buying into a brand that motivates them, connects them, and fits into their daily routine.

To really understand this market, I’d use a mix of research methods. Surveys and app analytics can show us what workouts people love, how often they ride, and what keeps them coming back. But numbers only tell part of the story. Focus groups and social media listening can help us tap into the emotional side; why people feel connected to certain instructors, what motivates them to show up, and how Peloton fits into their identity.

So how do we build loyalty? First, we lean into personalization. If someone loves strength training and EDM playlists, let’s make sure their app experience reflects that. Second, we double down on community. Leaderboards, shout-outs, and challenges make people feel seen and part of something bigger. And third, we reward engagement. Milestone badges, exclusive merch drops, and early access to new classes can go a long way.

Peloton’s biggest competitors, like NordicTrack, Mirror, and Apple Fitness+, are catching on. Apple’s fitness rings and Mirror’s celeb trainers are solid plays, but Peloton still leads with its unique blend of hardware, content, and community. That’s the magic we need to protect and grow.

Tk(Respond to peer no more than 150 words)

My marketing plan is designed to address the significant loss in market share, brand appeal, and stock price experienced by Tesla Motors in the wake of the often-considered controversial public statements and behaviors associated with its highly visible and public CEO. “This marketing plan will attempt to primarily engage younger, first-time car owners, who may not have nearly so solidified an impression of the company’s brand thus far and who are more likely to be brand loyal in the future as a result. It will target males predominantly, because males possess a stronger political alignment with the major party now closely associated with the brand. Because of the price points, they will have to be upper income earners but with lower levels of accredited education, and whose occupations tend to be more blue color than white, because, again, the CEO’s personal decisions and public statements have previously alienated the more white-collar, well-educated, demographic, previously associated with the company. Psychographic considerations suggest that this plan aggressively target politically conservative customers in more rural and semi-urban geographic locations” (Kazmarek, 2025).

This is from my week one assignment; essentially, I think the marketing plan should basically move from targeting white-collared men and women who tend to be suburban geographically and politically progressive, and shift to a more rural and politically conservative demographic. However, because of the price points associated with these products, the targeted customers will still have to exist above a certain annual salary bracket. This is problematic because the average white-collar customer who can afford the product also tends to skew more politically progressive and culturally liberal. To find the right target and split the middle, will mean focusing on individuals who are experienced professionals in the trades. These individuals tend to be predominantly male, politically conservative, and still possess the income level required to qualify for purchase or financing. This will be shift in advertising that is cultural (a more conservative population), geographical (a more rural population), degree-oriented (a less academically accredited population), and gender-based (a significantly greater proportionality of men than women). All of these are departures from the previously established marketing strategies of the company, however, given the extreme nature of Tesla’s situation and the even sometimes violent reaction of their previous customer base to their brand, the only option, which could also be a tremendous opportunity, is to shift towards an entirely new customer base to sustain and then rebound failing sales across the globe.

The type of research that I would apply to help me understand this market best would be, without question, a mixed methodological approach: the application of a combination of both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and techniques. Having conducted and published research previously, I do believe that when feasible (allowable resources and funds), having both always provides the most robust final evaluation of the topic, with only a few exceptions. Qualitative data methods would include focus groups and customer interviews conducted in a semi-structured format utilizing a strict script which also allows for prompts and follow up question to be asked, which are then coded for categories and themes. In addition, one could utilize a myriad of online forums and social media platforms for analysis: blogs and social media platforms may help to identify emerging themes, customer pain points, and perceptions of both Tesla and its competitors. The wealth of user-generated content offers authentic, unsolicited, and, most importantly, essentially free customer feedback with complete accessibility.

Quantitative methods would include surveys targeting both existing and potentially new customers to capture market data at scale, and large market analytics to leverage advanced data from sales, website traffic, and vehicle usage, to provide real-time insights into consumer behavior.

The type of research that will help me understand this market best between the two is, I believe, the qualitative data collection tools. It will be, I believe, more robust in providing a picture of customer beliefs, trends, and attitudes towards the company currently and how to leverage the opportunities the previous shift in its customer base might still provide.

I hope to obtain loyalty from the market by elevating the ownership experience, enhance services and technical support of the product, expand the loyalty program and tailor it more towards the new target demographic, and built a new sense of community amongst the new target group. I would also like to leverage the current political climate to my advantage by associating the product with famous figures in government who are associated with the CEO’s popularity, to varying degrees, to create a sense of cultural and community alignment with the current culture which seems to approve of the CEOs behavior rather than those who are experiencing a sudden and abrupt distain for the brand. I do not personally align with these elements, but, if I were going to put together a strategy for a company currently experiencing a significant shift in its sense of culture and brand base, I believe this would be the most effective way to curb the financial losses recently experienced globally.

The competition in this industry, which is an oligopoly market structure, comes almost exclusively from the other major ‘legacy automakers’ such as GM, Toyota, and Chevrolets. In addition, competition comes from newer Chinese auto manufacturers, as they have placed a significant investment in the further development of EVs specifically, the corner of the market Tesla is most specifically associated with, and new market entries like Rivian and Lucid, also EV manufacturers. Loyalty efforts that the major competitors are using currently include their traditional programs, like points and tiered rewards, dealership-based rewards, which can be established through service visits, and specialized benefits, which reward consumers with escalating discounts for being long-term owners.

Whatever Tesla does, it has to be done as fast and as extreme as the challenges they have suddenly found themselves facing. It is rare that a brand, once possessing a customer base so very, very loyal, has, within such a short period of time, so viscerally excommunicated themselves with a product, to the point of even violence in some extreme circumstances. Tesla has the opportunity to take advantage of the growing culture rift within our country and avail itself of our extreme partisanship to maximize profit. I am also currently in BUSN623 Ethics; I will process the adverse considerations of employing such a strategy there...

References

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2014).  Marketing management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New

Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall

Dan-Cristian Dabija, Chebeň, J., & Lančarič, D. (2017). Cross-Cultural Investigation of Consumers’ Generations Attitudes Towards Purchase of Environmentally Friendly Products in Apparel Retail.  Studies in Business and Economics, 12(3), 27-42. https://doi.org/10.1515/sbe-2017-0034

Craig, L. K., & Gray, P. B. (2020). Women's use of intimate apparel as subtle sexual signals in committed, heterosexual relationships.  PLoS One, 15(3) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230112

Firoz, N. M., & Ammaturo, C. R. (2002). Sweatshop labour practices: The bottom line to bring change to the new millennium case of the apparel industry.  Humanomics, 18(1), 29-45. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb018870

Nyamwala, E. O. (2017).  Brand Loyalty and Celebrity Endorsements in the Sports Apparel Industry Among American and Kenyan Youth: A Qualitative Comparative Case Study (Order No. 10258892). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1882289333). http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fbrand-loyalty-celebrity-endorsements-sports%2Fdocview%2F1882289333%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8289

Narang, R. (2011). Examining the role of various psychographic characteristics in apparel store selection: a study on Indian youth.  Young Consumers, 12(2), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1108/17473611111141597