Unit Assignments
The Unit VIII PowerPoint Presentation will be group based, meaning you will collaborate with other students to complete the assignment. Please begin preparing for the assignment in Unit V. Preparing for the assignment will allow you to be efficient when completing the assignment with your classmates. Additional instructions can be found below.
Unit II Scholarly Activity
Throughout this course, you will compile a comprehensive marketing plan based on one of the product scenarios below (you will use the same scenario throughout the course). The company that you will choose to submit a marketing plan for is a fictional start-up company based upon the scenarios provided. Submissions will be completed during Units II and IV, which, together, will comprise a full marketing plan.
Scenarios to choose from can be found below (remember that you will select one, and use it for both the Unit II and Unit IV submissions):
1. Caninantics is a start-up company that has created a new dog food dispensing product that will open canned dog food, dump the food into the dog bowl, and dispose of the can. The company wants to start marketing this product and subsequently branch into other canine accessories by the end of this year.
2. Twilight, a start-up company, has contemplated an opportunity with the Baby Boomer generation entering the retirement stage of their lives. As this generation has paved the way for many new businesses over the years, Twilight believes there is yet another opportunity to serve this generation. The service would be a consulting service that would provide information for active seniors, 55 and above, on partial assistance and full care. This service would involve not only housing but also a host of information related to enjoying this period of their lives. Twilight would like to build a profitable business model that is able to serve these customers.
3. IT Today is a start-up company that is interested in providing technological assistance to the average consumer who is interested in all of the newest technological gadgets (smartphones, tablets, laptops, printers) but does not necessarily have the time or background to maintain their operation. IT Today would like to provide 24/7 technological assistance as well as assistance in networking. The company's goal is to construct a profitable business model.
4. Athletics Supreme is a company that has been in business for 10 years, and the company sells a variety of athletic equipment. They have observed the growing interest in sportswear and would like to expand their product offering to include a line of sportswear and possibly other related lines. Their goal is to provide their customers with "one-stop" shopping opportunities, maintain their brand identity, and still maintain a profit.
5. Arimount is a well-known beauty and grooming company that has been in the industry for 20 years. They would like to launch a new deodorant product. The company's development and research department has created a
new chemical that will allow deodorants to work for up to five days-even after showering. The company is interested in increasing their overall market share with the introduction of this innovative product.
6. Travel Today, a well-known travel agency that has been serving customers for 25 years, has experienced a slow- down in business over the last five years. They are of the belief that the Internet has enabled customers to plan and book their own vacations. Their business development department has begun researching possible alternatives for new product/service offerings in order to recapture some of their lost customers.
During this unit, you will compile the "Company Overview and Market Research" and the "Situation Analysis" portions of your marketing plan, which will be based on the company you selected above.
In the "Company Overview and Market Research" section of the marketing plan, you will introduce the fictional company you have selected/created, allowing the reader to understand the company, product/service, and any other pertinent details. In your overview, make sure to explain the marketing concept and holistic marketing concept and how one or both of these apply to your company. Marketing plans are compiled by companies that have incorporated a solid marketing research strategy in order to better understand the industry, competition, and customer. Explain the research strategies that will be used by your company.
In the "Situation Analysis" section of the marketing plan, you will begin by analyzing the macro environment by using a PEST analysis. This will lead to a better understanding of how changes in the political/legal, economic, socio-cultural, and technological environment will affect your company.
Then, you will complete an application of segmentation of the market for your fictional company. Think about behavioral, psychographic, demographic, and geographic criteria that might help you in segmenting the market. Once you have completed the segmentation, identify the target market that your company will focus on, including your rationale. It is important for the marketing manager to understand the competitive environment within the industry in which they operate. Compile a detailed, competitive analysis that can be used to examine the top three or four competitors and can differentiate each competitor from your company. Finally, assemble and thoroughly explain a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis with a minimum of three elements under each area.
The following subheadings can be used to organize the aforementioned sections:
• Company Overview and Market Research
o Overview of Company
o Market Research Strategies
• Situation Analysis
o Analyzing Macro-environment-PEST Analysis
o Segmentation & Target Market Analysis
o Competitive Analysis
o SWOT Analysis
Your APA formatted assignment should be a minimum of three pages in length (not including the title and reference pages). Be sure to use the subheadings as given above. Because this assignment is a comprehensive plan, additional research and support should be included. You are required to use a minimum of three academic sources that are no more than five years old. Any resources used should be cited in APA format.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit IV Case Study
You will analyze two companies through case studies in this unit. Read the McDonald's case study that begins on page 271 and the American Express case study that begins on page 296 of your textbook. Evaluate each of the cases, and answer the questions below:
McDonald's Case Study
1. What are McDonald's core brand values? Have these changed over the years?
2. McDonald's did very well during the recession in the late 2000s. With the economy turning around for the better, should McDonald's change its strategy? Why, or why not?
3. How does McDonald's demonstrate the use of market segmentation, market targeting, and brand equity?
4. Explain the consumer buying process, and apply these steps to the typical McDonald's customer.
American Express Case Study
1. Evaluate American Express in terms of its competitors. How well is it positioned? What positioning and differentiation strategies does it use? In what segments of its business does American Express face the most competition?
2. Evaluate American Express's integration of its various businesses. What recommendations would you make in order to maximize the contribution to equity of all its business units? At the same time, is the corporate brand sufficiently coherent?
3. Discuss the company's decision to grow beyond its core affluent consumer base. What did this do for the company and the brand?
4. Explain how the organizational buying process utilized by American Express (business-to-business) differs from the typical consumer buying process (business-to-consumer).
Submit the answers to both case studies in a single document. Your paper should be a minimum two pages total for both case studies (not including the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of two academic sources (in total for both case studies) that are no more than five years old (one of which may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations, and your paper should be formatted in APA style.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit VI Scholarly Activity
This assignment requires that you continue compiling your marketing plan by using the same company and product/service that you used in the first half of your plan, which was completed in Unit II. You will put together a marketing strategy, including the four elements of the marketing mix (product, place, price, and promotion), and you will also complete the "Marketing Metrics" section.
The "Marketing Strategy" section of the marketing plan will assess the marketing strategies or the controllables to include the entire marketing mix (4 Ps). Think about the most effective strategies to use with an eye on the target market. Include your rationale and research to support your position. Additionally, you will include a discussion of whether the fictional company has a competitive advantage (or if it is better than its competitors) with respect to each area. Note: You will discuss competitive advantage four times, and you should be discussing each area separately.
Product Strategies
Explain the product characteristics including the product and/or service qualities, warranties, service contracts, packaging, and branding opportunities. Include your rationale. As companies look to increase brand loyalty, customer value and customer satisfaction are important factors. Describe how your company accomplishes this through the development of customer relationships, value, and satisfaction, as well as customer-relationship-management (CRM) programs. Be specific. Discuss whether the company has a competitive advantage with respect to the product.
Place Strategies
Explain the entire channel of distribution from the manufacturer to the consumer. Include distributors, wholesalers, and retailers that would be used in the distribution of the product/service within your company. Think about how the channel aligns with the overall logistics and the location of the wholesale or retail physical facility. Include your rationale. Discuss whether the company has a competitive advantage with respect to place.
Pricing Strategies
Explain the pricing strategies and tactics to be used by your company. Research the various combinations of strategies that could be used by the company at different times. Include your rationale. Discuss whether the company has a competitive advantage with respect to pricing.
Promotional Strategies
Explain the promotional mix to be used, thinking about personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, Internet marketing, and publicity. Think about promotional mediums as well. Include your rationale. Discuss whether the company has a competitive advantage with respect to promotion.
In the "Marketing Metrics" section of the marketing plan, you will review the concept of marketing metrics with the application of five metrics to the company marketing plan. Using the Marketing Metrics chart, Table 22.9 located on page 642 of the textbook, select one metric in each of the five marketing metric categories (five total). For each metric identified, provide a description of the metric, a demonstration of how it will be calculated, and finally, an explanation of
how it will be used in your company. Include specific, measurable goals within your metric. Include research beyond the textbook to fulfill these requirements.
The following subheadings can be used to organize the aforementioned sections:
• Marketing Strategy
o Product Strategies
o Place Strategies
o Pricing Strategies
o Promotional Strategies
• Marketing Metrics
o Marketing Metrics Overview
o Application to Fictional Company
Your APA formatted assignment should be a minimum of three pages in length (not including the title and reference pages). Be sure to use the subheadings as given above. Because this assignment is a comprehensive plan, additional research and support should be included. You are required to use a minimum of three academic sources that are no more than five years old. Any resources used should be cited in APA format.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit VIII Assignment
For the Unit VIII Assignment you will be placed in groups of four (4) and will apply the skills needed to effectively work in groups or teams. You will each be assigned a specific role:
• Coordinator: Provide leadership and direction for the group and oversee the completion of the presentation. Ensure each team member stays on task and the assignment is completed on time.
• Data Collector: Compile the information needed to prepare the presentation.
• Drafter: Prepare the presentation using the compiled information.
• Reviewer: Review the presentation, and provide feedback and edits to the presentation.
Along with your individual group role, each member is expected to:
• Support the work of the group.
• Contribute ideas about the content.
• Listen and respect the opinion of others.
• Present the presentation to the class with their group.
All members of the group will receive the same grade. Naming your group is not a graded item, but you can do so to individualize your group.
In this assignment, you will analyze two companies through case studies in this unit. Read the Coca-Cola case study that begins on page 531 and the Unilever (Axe and Dove) case study that begins on page 564 of your textbook. Evaluate each of the cases, and answer the questions below:
Coca-Cola Case Study
1. What does Coca-Cola stand for? Is it the same for everyone? Explain.
2. Coca-Cola has successfully marketed to billions of people around the world. How does it use advertising, sales promotions, events, and public relations to market to people?
3. Can Pepsi or any other company ever surpass Coca-Cola? Why, or why not? What are Coca-Cola's greatest risks?
4. Explain the new product development process, applying this to how Coca-Cola introduces new products/flavors.
Unilever Case Study
1. What makes personal marketing work? Why are Dove and Axe so successful at it?
2. Can personal marketing go too far in a company? Why, or why not?
3. Is there a conflict of interest in the way Unilever markets to women and young men? Is it undoing all of the good that might be done in the "Campaign for Real Beauty" by representing women as sex symbols in Axe ads?
4. Describe how marketers use direct marketing and personal selling within their personal efforts. How might Unilever increase their overall marketing effectiveness by utilizing direct marketing and personal selling? Be specific.
Create a (approximately 10- to 15-slide) PowerPoint presentation, with speaker notes, that provides a thorough analysis of both companies.
You are required to use a minimum of two academic sources (in total for both case studies) that are no more than five years old (one of which may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.