8 Pages

Term Project Instructions

MK343 Term Project

Analyzing a Company's IMC (IBP) Campaign

The learning objectives of this assignment: identify and apply the concepts noted below (items 1-5) to an actual brand; locate and gather information covering these concepts; demonstration of the use of an IMC campaign by a brand; an evaluation of their media strategy; an evaluation of their use of creativity and an effective sales message strategy; and produce a professional report on the selected brand's IMC campaign.  Relates to Student Learning Outcome A and Course Objective 2.  Also relates to Student Learning Outcome B and Course Objective 3.  The course syllabus provides details on these important objectives/outcomes.

For this project you are to use the product category of a "laundry detergent".  You must select a brand of laundry detergent which is produced by a company which uses mass media and other forms of marketing communication to develop brand identity and connections with the brand.  Review as many forms of the brand's marketing communication as you can locate in order to properly analyze their IMC Campaign and Strategies. You are expected to link concepts presented in your textbook and in the units for discussion on the website with your report.  You are to discuss and provide evidence (exhibits) of the following topics.  Please note that you should organize your paper according to these topics, using appropriate subheadings to match the following topics.  Also make sure you are as thorough as you can be for each topic.  Relate the appropriate textbook materials and course website materials to the appropriate topic as you present in your report.

1)      Provide a brief situation analysis (the context in which the company and its choices of the various elements of the promotional mix operate).  Make use of the information you find after researching this industry using the reference provided below under the topic "Reference Idea." Locate other resources which can help you understand the situation (economic, social, political, technical, competitive).

2)      Analyze their campaign from an integrated marketing communications perspective giving attention to the way various IMC (IBP) tools are used.  Provide exhibits and descriptions of at least 3 ads covering a variety of media as evidence that consistent messaging exists across a variety of media. Make sure you discuss campaign elements:  visual consistency, verbal consistency and attitude consistency in detail with examples portrayed in the exhibits you have provided.  See the relevant chapter unit for more information on this topic.  Here is a PowerPoint Presentation on the topic of campaign elements:  Campaign Elements PowerPoint .

3)      Discuss the brand's value propositions (functional benefits and emotional benefits) and their creative brief (message strategy), providing details for each element in the creative brief. (Note:  you will most likely not find where the company has identified their "creative brief" but you should have reviewed enough information to present your findings covering the topics in a typical "creative brief.")  See the relevant chapters and unit notes for this section.

4)      Discuss their media strategy and execution of their IMC program across a variety of IMC categories. In what ways do you believe the choices of media relate to effective execution of the message strategy?  (Do some research on their media selection.)

5)      Do you believe the campaign has an appropriate balance between creativity and delivering an effective sales message for the brand?  Explain your reasoning.    

Format:  Report format with exhibits to demonstrate evidence as noted in the instructions.  Use subheadings which cover the topics above.

The due date:   Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, 11:55 p.m.

The format:  Word document, 8-10 pages, double spaced,12 point type, 1 inch margins

Maximum Upload size:  5 MB

Referencing is required.  You may use either MLA or APA referencing formats.

Points possible:  150

Criteria for grading include the following areas:

· Depth of discussion for each of the assigned topics (items 1-5)

· Documentation and evidence provided

· Quality of application of the assigned concepts to the campaign selected (application includes applying concepts from the textbook to your examples, using appropriate terminology)

· Professionalism of the report

· Quality of writing (organization, spelling, grammar, references cited)

Holistic Grading Scale will be used as noted below:

95-100%	Excellent	Shows exceptional insight and depth as well as meets standards for superior rating.
88-94%	Superior	Above average in meeting criteria specified.
80-87%	Proficient	Average in meeting criteria specified.
70-79%	Marginal Proficiency	Somewhat below average in proficiency of meeting criteria specified.
60-69%	Limited Proficiency	Addresses some of the topics but not all and inadequate in several criteria categories.
Below 60%	Non Proficient	Lacks depth, evidence, professionalism and quality across a number of criteria categories.

Reference Idea:

The College of Business has paid for an excellent resource of industry data called IBIS World and it is available to students as a link on Kent Library's website through the following: http://library.semo.edu/find/db_az.asp#ibisworld

If you go there and then click on the "IBIS World" words and then in the search field type in words in words related to the topic of this term project (the category of this industry), then you'll get to some info and then you can go much, much deeper.

The Library also has access to Moody's, and Dun and Bradstreets for more industry data. 

Reference librarians are extremely useful in sharing information and helping students with searches.  You should also notice on the Library's A to Z page the variety of databases we have available for research.

Location of submitting the Assignment is forthcoming.....provided closer to the due date.