Assessment overview
As marketing managers, you have been asked by your director to write a report on a product (a good NOT a
service) of your choice. Working in groups, your marketing brief is to evaluate the company’s marketing
strategy for the chosen product. Suggested content and requirement along with marking guide for the report
and presentation is detailed below.
Instructions
Congratulations! You’ve just been hired as a marketing analyst for a company and you are part of a group
that has been assigned a task to create a marketing plan to help increase revenue. As mentioned above, the
company you choose must be offering a good NOT a service. Your report will support your recommendation
on a product that you think could be added/launched or a plan for an existing product (brand) that may be
enhanced to increase revenues.
Remember that business executive people are busy. They like to read reports that are clearly and precisely
written. Be sure to include headings. Pictures, diagrams, charts, and graphs may also help. Your marketing
plan should be typed in a report format and edited for clarity as professionally as possible and should be
presented in the following format:
Title Page (with student names, course name, and name of the business and/or logo)
Table of Contents
An executive summary (maximum 300 words fits on 1 page)
Main Body Structure (should answer the following key questions)
1. Introduction
– What is the goal of this marketing plan? For Example: “This report is designed to
increase the …………and also to improve the ……of……. over the next 2 years.
– Describe the company; give a brief history and the company’s mission.
– Describe current products.
– Describe any 4 factors that influence the demand for their products.
2. PEST and SWOT Analysis
– Describe this business’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
– Conduct a PEST analysis
– Some of your recommendations will arise from the opportunities you identify
3. Consumer Analysis
– Who are they? Use geographic, demographic, psychographic variables to create your target market (s)
( minimum 6 variables included in the PRIMARY market)
– Which Maslow needs/wants are satisfied when they purchase the product? Why?
4. Competitive Analysis
– Who are DIRECT and INDIRECT competitors for this business? (minimum 3)
– In other words, who else in the Dubai market wants the customer’s money?
5. Product
– This is the product (good or service) that you are recommending (that may be pitched to the selected
company) … provide some details!
– Pictures, Videos etc. would be very helpful hereMARK101 Marketing Plan – Spring Semester, 2 017
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6. Pricing
– State and explain any TWO important factors that will influence your price.
– Research TWO other direct or indirect competitors and create a comparison table to show the price of
each competing brand.
– What price will you select? Explain your reasoning.
7. Place
– Where will this product be made available to your customers?
– What intermediaries would be needed?
– Explain your online strategy, how you will make it available for your target market.
8. Promotion
a) Create a promotional plan describing all the channels (ways/media) you wish to use to promote your
product.
b) Create only one of the following:
i. 30-second television advertisement: provide a video file or a storyboard that can be presented in
class
ii. 30-second radio advertisement: provide an audio file that can be played in class to an audience or
attach the script to the report
iii. Print or web advertisement: Prepare a magazine, newspaper or web page ad that has both text and
images that appeal to your primary target market.
c) Include a brief summary of the advantages of the media you are advertising in (why this medium and not
the other options from curriculum)
9. Timing and Budget section
a) Timing should include when the new or enhanced product is to be launched, as well as the timing of
your promotions.
b) Explain the reasoning for your recommended timing about timing.
c) Budget should include the money required to execute the promotional plan. Show your research. (Do
not worry about the cost of producing your product, only focus on the space or time your marketing
team will need to purchase to run the ads for a few weeks)
10. Conclusion
11. References
12. Appendix (optional): In the appendix you can provide any additional information, tables and/or figures that
you might have used to support your arguments but do not necessarily have to be in the report (this is not
included in the word count but should be around 1 – 2 pages in length).MARK101 Marketing Plan – Spring Semester, 2 017
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Submission Details:
The report, references and appendices to be assembled in one document and submitted as follows:
1. One hard copy is submitted in class to your respective Tutor in Week 11.
2. One electronic copy per group to be uploaded via Turnitin (in Moodle) by 5pm the day before your hard copy
submission.
Word limit: The word limit on this phase of the assignment is 4000 words (not including table of contents, appendix,
and references).
Value/Weighting: This phase of the assignment is worth 30% (that is, 20% written report and 10% presentation).
NOTES ON REPORT SUBMISSION
All submissions should be 1.5 spaced. Allow a minimum of 25mm (1”) on left, right, top and bottom margins.
All pages should be numbered.
Do not use first person, e.g., “I” and “we” and avoid colloquialisms and clichés in a business report.
All tables and figures need to be numbered and labelled and referred to as such in the text before they appear in
the report.
You should adopt the Harvard system of referencing, i.e., in text referencing (e.g., Smith and John, 2013). All
quotations and references should be properly sourced. Inadequate details of publications and other sources will
reduce the assessed grade. Please watch out for plagiarism – see the Subject Outline for more details or visit
http://www.library.uow.edu.au/resourcesbytopic/UOW026621.html for direction on writing style and how to
avoid plagiarism.
Rewrite your report until it is clear and interesting. The first draft never works. Proofread to eliminate obvious
errors. Even better, ask someone else to proofread. Correctness and accuracy in spelling, grammar and
punctuation are expected. Readers will think that small errors are due to a lack of care and generalise about
your analysis.
NOTE: Assignments or projects which are submitted after the due date and time will attract a penalty.
Group work guidelines
Please note a Peer Evaluation Report will be used to assess each group member’s contribution and where need be, this
report may be used to regulate the allocation of marks accordingly.
Notes:
a. After submission of this report, you will be required to complete a peer evaluation form.
b. If there is a consistent unequal contributor in your group, this will be your chance to submit your concerns in
writing.
c. Please note that if issues arise, it is your responsibility to raise the matter initially (and well before the end of
session) within your group, then with your Tutor and finally, with the Subject Coordinator if the matter cannot be
solved at the tutorial level.
d. If there is sufficient evidence of a lack of contribution/performance within the team, individual project marks may
be altered to reflect contributions more fairly.