Marketing:
• • Apparel and Footwear
• • Autos and Auto Parts
• • Computers: Software
B. General Guidelines
• Foods and Nonalcoholic Beverages • Healthcare: Pharmaceuticals
• Movies and Home Entertainment
A. Background
You have been hired as an entry-level marketing consultant by a consulting firm to prepare a marketing report. The report is to comprise two parts: an industry analysis and a company analysis. You are to research one of these industry sectors:
1. Select one of these listed industries and read S&P's report on it. YOU MAY NOT DO A PAPER ON ANY OTHER INDUSTRY.
2. GO TO HOFSTRA'S ONLINE LIBRARY, CHOOSE "RESEARCH DATABASES," CLICK "ACCOUNTING/ BUSINESS,
AND SCROLL DOWN TO "STANDARD & POOR'S NETADVANTAGE." AT THIS SITE, CLICK ON "INDUSTRIES" FROM THE TOOLBAR AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN AND SELECT ONE OF THE ASSIGNED INDUSTRIES. AT THE INDUSTRY PAGE, CLICK "PDF" FROM THE TOOLBAR. DOWNLOAD THE MOST RECENT REPORT ON THAT INDUSTRY.
3.Whileresearchingtheindustry,selectamajorcompanyinthatindustrytoanalyze.Researchthatcompany.
4.Applyasmanycourseconceptsaspossibleindoingthepaper.Lookatthe"Tips"fileatBlackboard.
C. Content Guidelines
Your paper MUST include these sections - IN THE ORDER NOTED BELOW:
1. A brief introduction describing your topic and what will be covered in the paper.
2. A discussion and analysis of these points for the industry:
1. MY analysis of the scope and segments of the industry
2. MY analysis of the 2014performance of the industry
3. MY SWOT analysis of the industry as of 2015
4. Examples of the target markets served and the marketing mix strategies (all four elements) being used by the
industry
5. MY short-run and long-run forecast regarding the future of the industry and why
6. MY marketing recommendations as to what should be done for the industry to succeed in the future
3. Adiscussionandanalysisofthesepointsforamajorcompanyintheindustry:
1. MY analysis of the company's line of business and 2014 sales and profit performance
2. Specific examples of the target market(s) served and the marketing mix strategy (all four elements) being used by
the company
3. MY analysis of the differential advantages/strengths and the weaknesses of the firm
4. MY analysis of the international performance of the firm
5. MY short-run and long-run forecast regarding the future of the firm and why
6. MY marketing recommendations as to what should be done for the firm to succeed in the future
4. A brief conclusion.
D. Stylistic Guidelines
1. The typed paper is to be 12-15 double-spaced pages (excluding the table of contents and bibliography). The introduction of the
paper is to be numbered as page 1.
2. Use 1" margins and 11 or 12 point type. Do not have partial pages; let each section follow one another.
3. Write clearly: Include ALL the subheads as noted under C above. For C2 and C3, use subheads for every point.
4. References must be provided, emphasizing 2014 and 2015. ALL facts must be referenced IN THE PAPER, not just in the
bibliography. YOU MUST CITE AT LEAST 5 SOURCES BESIDES STANDARD & POOR'S REPORT AND COMPANY-PUBLISHED MATERIALS. Include the business press (such as Businessweek, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, etc.] NOTE: The correct style for your references is contained at the course Blackboard Site under "Term Paper Research Hints."
5. The final paper must have a title page, a table of contents (showing the page numbers of all sections), section headings, and a bibliography and be typewritten.