14 Aug Module 1 – Case Case Assignment Select TWO products which you have recently boug
Module 1 –
Case
Case
Assignment
Select TWO products which you
have recently bought or rented, ONE a High Involvement purchase, and ONE a Low
Involvement purchase, in the following product categories:
HIGH
INVOLVEMENT(expensive
or otherwise important): Examples:
Automobile,
Home or apartment,
Jewelry
LOW
INVOLVEMENT(relatively
inexpensive or routine):
Candy bar
Fast food
Newspaper or magazine
Excluding the title page, any
appendices or references write a four page paper in which you do the following:
First
Page
Applying the teaching
materials, explain why the first product you chose was a High Involvement
purchase and why the second was a Low Involvement purchase. (10%)
Using the five stage model of
the Purchase Decision Process in the model of consumer buying behavior
described in Module 1, describe in detail the process you went through in
buying each product. Bear in mind that the purpose of the assignment is to
demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the teaching materials. (20%)
Second
Page
Identify and discuss the
differences between the way you went through the purchase decision processes
for the two products. (20%)
Third
and Fourth Pages
Assume now that you are a
marketer of both of the two products that you have discussed in the previous
pages. Applying only the teaching materials, (specifically the presentation
“Uses of a Model of Buying Behavior”), explain how you might use your
understanding of the Model of Consumer Buying Behavior for the two products.
(Note that the presentation “Uses of a Model of Consumer Buying
Behavior” is relevant to this part of the assignment). (50%)
List at the end all of the
references you have cited in the body of the paper.
Note that the weight that will
be assigned in grading to each of the sections of the assignment is indicated
as a percentage after each one.
Ensure that you include on the
title page:
the name of the university, (Trident University International).
the course number, (MKT301),
the term, (Winter 2012),
the Module number, (Module One),
the words inboldabove including both the two sets of
high and low involvement products and the section starting “First
Page” and ending “…of the assignment.”
the brand names of the two products you chose for each type of
involvement, e.g. “High Involvement: Samsonite luggage; Low Involvement:
Del Monte canned fruit
your name,
the name of the professor or instructor to whom the paper is
submitted, (your assigned Professor or Instructor) and
the date on which it was written.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU
INCLUDE ALL THE INFORMATION INDICATED ABOVE.
Assignment Expectations
The notes associated with the
question indicate that, as for other assignments in the course, you should
demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the taught materials in the
specific context of this assignment. The emphasis in my grading is primarily on
whether you show that you understand what is being taught. In that regard some
relevant concepts and frameworks to demonstrate your understanding of in this
assignment include:
The difference between goods and services.
What is meant by Involvement and why it might be high or low.
The stages of the Purchase Decision Process, (PDP) and
How a potential buyer might follow this process
How the differences between High and Low Involvement affect the
way someone might follow the PDP
How marketers might use their understanding of the model of
buying behavior including the PDP to:
o Segment
a market, including explaining what is meant by segmentation and why
segmentation can be useful in marketing.
o Influence
purchase probabilities as indicated in the relevant presentation.
Bear in mind that the main goal
of the assignment is for you to use it to demonstrate your learning and
understanding of the background materials. In order to do well in this
assignment you MUST apply and demonstrate your learning from the background
materials.
I know that there’s a lot in
Module 1 to cover, but this forms the grounding for the remaining modules, so
once you have conquered this, the rest will be a lot easier.
SLP 1
SLP
Assignments
Have you ever wondered what it
would be like to do something completely different? Well here is an opportunity
for you to combine your wondering with analysis and perhaps to put some flesh
on those dreams.
Your SLP assignment in MKT301
is to develop a marketing strategy for a service business which you will (hypothetically)
manage. That is to say, you are to assume that you will be free to start a
one-person business and are to examine yourself, develop a service business
concept (for profit or not – the choice is yours) which you will provide, and
develop a marketing strategy for it. You can assume that this will be a
one-person business consisting of you alone, or that you will employ others.
In doing this project your
fundamental goal is to demonstrate your understanding of and learning about
what is being taught in the course.
Over the session you will
conduct the necessary marketing analysis for your strategy and present this in
your SLP. In each module you will complete a section of the marketing strategy,
building on the sections previously completed in prior modules. What you are to
submit in each module is as follows:
MOD01:Title page, MOD01 section (see below), References &
Appendices.
MOD02:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 sections, References &
Appendices.
MOD03:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 + MOD03 sections, References
& Appendices.
MOD04:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 + MOD03 + MOD04 sections,
References & Appendices.
MOD05:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 + MOD03 + MOD04 + MOD05
sections, References & Appendices.
Thus in Module 01 the marketing
strategy paper submitted only consists of the sections indicated below. For
Module 02 the paper will consist of the sections you submitted for Module 01,
plus those required for Module 02. For Module 03 it will consists of the prior
sections for Modules 01 and 02 plus the new section for Module 03, and so on.
We expect your learning in this
course to be cumulative and that this will be reflected in the SLP. Thus what
you learn in later sections of the course will build on what has been learnt
earlier, and as you progress through the course you should consider revising
earlier sections of the SLP.
Note that graders are
instructed to grade your work when first submitted, AND TO REVISE THE FINAL
GRADE AWARDED IN THE LIGHT OF IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO THE ENTIRE SLP AS SUBMITTED
IN MODULE 5. THESE GRADES CAN ONLY BE INCREASED, NOT DECREASED.
Thus graders will assign SLP
grades for each module but when grading the complete SLP in MOD05, will also
review the preceding sections and may adjust upwards the Final Course grade to
take account of improvements in the sections for MOD01-04. Note that the final
section of the project allows for you to indicate how your learning from the
project has improved both through your own thinking and via the feedback
provided.
Thus it is to your benefit to
keep under review the earlier sections as your knowledge and understanding
improves and to ensure that at least the final document submitted in MOD05 has
been revised to fully reflect your learning. So that the grader can easily see
where you have revised earlier sections you must draw his or her attention to
these revisions e.g. by using the Track Changes feature of Word.
Excluding your title page and
the prior sections (which you are required to include) each of the parts of
your SLP is to be approximately three pages long. Thus the entire marketing
strategy when completed will be about fifteen pages long, excluding title page,
references and any appendices.
You should review the entire
SLP by previewing the requirements of Modules 01 through 05 inclusive when you
start the course. The entire SLP and a presentation providing detailed notes
regarding each section are provided for you in the Background Info section.
These required readings should be studied before starting the project
Provide the following
information:
1.NAME, LOCATION & NATURE.
Thenameof your prospective (hypothetical)
service business and
its probablelocation. Note that
youll be asked to examine location in more detail in MOD03.
A brief description of thenatureof the business, (body-guard
service, bar, child-care, etc.). You will expand on this in MOD02.
(Reminder: There are detailed
notes on how to approach each section of the SLP in the Background Information
page).
2.SELF-ANALYSIS.For this you should:
assess yourskills, abilities and competencies,
(strengths as well as weaknesses) and
compare these with thedemands of potential markets,
and
the offerings ofcompetitors.
Ensure that the self-analysis
is relevant to the proposed service and that you make the comparisons.
3. CUSTOMER ANALYSIS.
Identifypotential customersyou could serve.
Identify thebenefitsthey seek.
Describe and label yourmarketand anysegmentsthere are.
Estimate thesize
and value of thepotential market.
Estimate thesize
abnd value of the (to be)served market.
4.ANALYSIS
OF PRIMARY COMPETITORS:
In a table identify the main
competitors and provide a brief summary of how each competes. For example, does
the competitor use low-price, reliability, reputation, high quality or some
other basis for positioning itself in the market?
5. To complete sections 3 and 4
you should do someMARKET RESEARCH, i.e.
talk to people and gather some data to get some relevant information for your
business idea. Briefly explain what you did and indicate thesourcesyou have used.
6. Analyze theMARKETING
ENVIRONMENT. The Marketing Environment is covered in a
Powerpoint presentation provided for MOD01. Excluding any factors which are not
important or which are analyzed in other sections (e.g. competition), analyze
the other major Marketing Environment factors which need to be taken into
account in the development of your marketing strategy, e.g.:
Political factors
Economic factors
Social and cultural factors
Technological factors
Legal or Governmental factors
Non-marketing costs (supply purchases and manufacturing)
Note that though the sections
above are to be presented individually the analysis which underlies them is
inter-related and you will probably have to think about yourself, the possible
market, and potential and actual competitors at the same time, and to revise
your thinking about them as you progress. Thus for instance for MOD01 you
should expect to spend some time researching and thinking about your skills,
the market and the competition together, before you can come to a conclusion
about what service you will offer.
A set of notes giving guidance
on each section of the SLP, and a Word document listing all the sections of the
SLP for all modules are provided on the Background Info page. PLEASE READ BOTH
BEFORE STARTING YOUR PROJECT.
As far as style of writing is
concerned do not write an essay, you will waste a lot of space that way. Three
pages is not a lot so you’ll have to decide what you think is important to
include. Use the text inCAPSabove as section headings for each of
the topics indicated and elsewhere use words inboldas
sub-headings. What you write should be organized, succinct, and professional.
SLP Assignment Expectations
It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do.This is very important.
Explaining the reasons for the decisions you have made and the analysis
underlying them is a much more powerful way to demonstrate your learning than
simply stating what those decisions are.
It is also expected that you
will use information from the background readings as well as any good quality
sources you can find to deepen your understanding of the project and cite all
sources and provide a reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts used in the
project. Generally formal definitions are not required as understanding can
usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or interpret the concepts.
It is expected that you will select appropriate framework s for
analysis from the teaching materials and demonstrate your understanding of them
through your application of them to the project
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. Some sections above require simple description, (e.g. name and
location) while others require analysis (the rest). Graders will place more
weight on analysis than description.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selections and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
Module
2 – Case
Case
Assignment
This case involves thinking
about the meaning brands have for consumers, the roles brands play, and the
views customers have of brands developed through marketing and non-marketing
influences.
The background readings for the
module introduce you to ways of analyzing products and brands and the case
reading relates to a study of the relationship consumers have had with brands.
These are related to one another and you should apply the former in this case
assignment.
Write a paper of no more than
four pages in length (excluding title and reference pages and any appendices)
addressing the following question:
In her 1998 paper identified in
the background readings, Susan Fournier argues that customers have
relationships with brands.
1.
Explain what Fournier means by “having a relationship”
with a brand.
2.
Using two brands chosen from the categories below, explain
whether or not you believe that customers have relationships with those brands.
3.
Expand your thinking and explain whether, based on Fournier’s paper,
your own experience and your knowledge of other people, customers have
relationships with all brands.
Case Readings
Fournier S. (1998). Consumers
and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research.Journal
of Consumer Research. 24:4(March).
Available through Library
Portal/Proquest, March 7, 2013
Vargo, S.L., and R.F. Lusch
(2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing.Journal
of Marketing,68(January):1-17.
Available through Library Portal/Proquest, March 7, 2013
Ensure that on the title page
of your paper you both repeat the assignment in bold above in full and verbatim
and state the two product categories and brands you are examining.
There are three case readings,
Susan Fournier’s 1998 article in which, amongst other things, she argues that
consumers have relationships with brands and an article reporting the results
of a study by a market research firm saying that mostly they don’t. Other
marketing academics have also said that they don’t, (e.g. Vargo and Lusch, (2004),in aJournal of Marketingarticle state that
“inanimate items of exchange cannot have relationships”). Ah but is a
brand an “inanimate item of exchange”? Perhaps they do but only under
certain circumstances? That is for you to consider.
In order to answer this
question you are required to identify ONE brand from each of TWO of categories
shown below and explore Fournier’s idea that consumers have relationships with
them.
Sources of information for this
case may include:
Introspection, though you should not rely solely on anecdotal
evidence.
Questioning friends and colleagues – strongly recommended.
While you may be tempted to
simply rely on anecdotal personal information and write about your own
relationship (or non-relationship) with a chosen brand, you will learn a lot
more by broadening your horizons and thinking like a marketer, which means
going beyond your own perceptions and understanding the way other people
perceive products. When sourcing friends and colleagues make sure to reference
them as sources, (just as you should with personal sources used for your SLP),
e.g. “Smith, John, personal communication dated March 10th. 2011” if
you received an email or “Smith, Mary, interview held on March 10th.
2011” if you had a conversation with the person.
You should also bear in mind
that a fundamental goal, as with all the cases in MKT301, is to stimulate your
learning and your answers should therefore aim to demonstrate that learning. In
answering the question ensure that you demonstrate your understanding of
products and branding, and in particular the concept of “having a
relationship”, as well as your learning from the previous module.
The three categories are:
Brand of AUTOMOBILE.
Brand of FAST FOOD RESTAURANT.
Brand of CHOCOLATE CANDY BAR
Select ONE brand from TWO of
these product categories, (e.g. you might choose a brand of AUTOMOBILE and a
brand of fast food restaurant, and a brand of chewing gum and so on).
Apart from the information you
normally put on your title page (see Module 1 case guidance for a reminder),
alsolist there the two brands you have
examined. That is a requirement.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU
INCLUDE THE NORMAL INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR A TITLE PAGE (see guidance for
module 1) AS WELL AS THE TWO PRODUCT CATEGORIES AND BRAND NAMES ON THE TITLE
PAGE OF YOUR PAPER. IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION ON THE TITLE PAGE
YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO REVISE THE PAPER TO INCLUDE THEM AND DOING SO WILL THUS
DELAY THE GRADING OF YOUR WORK.
Assignment Expectations
It is not assumed that you will
agree with Dr. Fournier that people have relationships with brands, nor is it
assumed that you will necessarily disagree. Clearly marketing scholars disagree
about this so you can too! You might choose two brands, examine them, examine
what it means to “have a relationship with a brand” and conclude that
this idea does not hold water and has no benefits for marketers, in the process
explaining why Dr. Fournier is wrong in your opinion. On the other hand you
might conclude that her idea holds for one of the brands you have examined and
not for the other, or perhaps holds for some people and not for others.
Contrasting the two will be very important in that instance. Or you might
conclude that it holds for both.
In addition, you needn’t assume
that relationships are necessarily good ones.
If you wish to include support
or illustrative materials feel free to include these in an appendix of no more
than three pages, but ensure that you refer to this material in the body of the
paper.
Use information from the
background readings as well as the case paper. Please cite all sources and
provide a reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question.
Your ability to assess Fournier’s arguments regarding
relationships.
Your demonstrated understanding of branding and customer
relationships based on insights regarding both derived from the Fournier paper
and your own experience and research.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective communication skills.
The following is a suggestion
about how to lay out your paper.
Brief introduction: what problem your paper addresses, and you
might indicate the answer you have found.
Examination of central concepts: brand, positioning and
“relationship”.
Examination of Fournier’s argument as to “what is a
relationship?” *
Examination of whether people have relationships with your two
chosen brands.
Examination of whether people have relationships with all
brands. **
Conclusion: answer the question “Do consumers have
relationships with brands?”
* The case article is written
for a narrow academic audience well educated in the issues and the relevant
background literature, which I recognize you are not so I shall try to give you
some insight into her arguments here.
** The second and third
readongs readings might lead you to think that obviously they don’t as that’s
what their findings seem to show show for many brands, but do the people who
conducted either of those studies ever explain what they mean by “having a
relationship with a brand”, and if not, how do you know then that their
results show anything relevant? Think about it. It is important to be clear
what “having a relationship with a brand” means and Fournier tries to
do this.
Most papers published in
academic journals, such as Fournier’s are intended for an academic audience.
Generally the authors start by trying to answer two questions:
1.
Why is my paper important?
2.
How does it relate to what has been written about this subject
before?
As far as you are concerned
neither of those questions are really important to you as you’re not the
intended academic audience and so you can largely ignore the paragraphs which
deal with them.
However, there are then some
important sections.
Prof. Fournier goes on to try
to answer the question “How can a person have “a relationship”
with an inanimate object (or a brand)?” by referring to past academic
writing about brands and relationships. She tries to answer this by explaining
what she means by “a relationship”, and argues that in some ways
branding and the management of brands makes inanimate objects animate.
So pay attention to:
P344: “For a relationship
to truly exist, interdependence between partners must be evident: that is, the
partners must collectively affect, define and redefine the relationship”.
If you accept that, does it hold true for you with the two bands you have
chosen?
P344: “One way to
legitimize the brand-as-partner is to highlight ways in which brands are
animated, humanized or somehow personalized.” Do the marketers of your
chosen brands do this somehow, and if so how?
P345: “theories of
animism… the brand is somehow possessed by the spirit of a past or present
other… Spokespersons… the brand becomes the spokesperson… Brand person
associations… air freshener that grandmother kept in her bathroom, a floor
cleaner that an ex-husband always used… gifts… infused with the spirit of
the giver. Complete anthropomorphization of the brand… Charlie Tuna and the
Pillsbury dough boy. … people assign selective human properties to a range of
consumer goods.” Is this true for your chosen brands?
P345: The paragraph beginning
“For the brand to serve as legitimate relationship partner…” is
important as this argues that the qualities she has discussed above are not
sufficient for a brand to be regarded as a potential relationship partner.Study
that and the following paragraph (to “…into the brand domain as
well.”) as it makes an important argument about why brands can be so
regarded, and you may well not agree with it.
There are then some discussions
about the meanings people derive from brands. Think about whether even if a
brand has a meaning for a consumer, that is enough for it and the consumer to
be regarded as having “a relationship”.
There are two further sections
(Multiplex phenomena and Dynamic Perspective) before the next section on
“Methodology” and you might find these difficult to understand. If so
don’t worry, as if you can digest and think about the ideas I have indicated
above you’ll have enough for you to think about the case question.
Then focus on the much easier
to read and understand transcripts of the three women who Prof. Fournier
studies, and use these to get a sense of what it is she was looking for, or
what it is she discovered when she interviewed them, and use those insights to
help inform your own consideration of the two brands you have selected.
In the notes above I have tried
to highlight what you should focus on when reading the early pages of the paper
as there is some difficult to read material in those first few pages. The pages
reporting the results of the interviews should be a lot easier (and more
enjoyable) to read.
Finally, note thatI
do not expect you to spend a lot of time undertaking additional research for
this case. Use the background teaching materials and the
Fournier paper and THINK. This case study is intended to get you to think more
deeply about products, brands, what it is that marketers do, how consumers view
and “relate to” brands, (if they do), and to deepen your understanding
of all that by relating it to your own experience and that of people you know.
Module
2 – SLP
Introduction
SLP02 requires you to consider
the service you have chosen to market and hopefully, are using to gain a
“competitive advantage”. Here regard a competitive advantage as
something you do better than your competitors in serving your target markets.
Note that excluding your title
page, the SLP02 section of the marketing strategy should be approximately three
pages long.
The New Section of the Strategy for SLP 2 for Grading
Make sure you use the following
section headings (indicated in bold) for each of the Questions/Issues:
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE ANALYSIS:How
well does the proposed service meet the demands of the market compared with the
competition? To help do this analysis:
Create aProduct/Market Matrix.This is a table listing the various
segments you identified in the Customer Analysis section for MOD01 and the
products which those segments buy. (This is NOT to be confused with a table of
a similar name developed by Igor Ansoff.)
To analyze the competitive situation show the competitors
providing those products for each segment in each cell as appropriate. *
Don’t just present the matrix; explain what it shows.
Which areMY
TARGET SEGMENTSyour
business will focus on and why? Using the information from section 3, present a
table that lists the primarypotentialtarget
marketswith
information for each drawn from all prior sections to explain your decision as
to which you will focus on.
DescribeTHE
SERVICEthat you
will provide using your analysis of yourself, the market and the competition to
explain how you reached this conclusion.Describe
thePeoplewho will deliver the service, thePhysical
Environment(if
any) in which the service will be provided and theProcessthrough
which the service will be provided.
Statement of your business’sMISSION(what business are you in or what are
you supposed to do).
TheGENERAL
OBJECTIVES or GOALSof
your business (for example, achieving sales of X% by date A).
* The MOD01 Background lectureSegmentationhas a simple example of a
Product-Market Matrix – Slide 9, dealing with the toothpaste market. There is a
further example in the presentation about the SLP “Notes for the SLP”
accessible on the MOD01 Background Info page.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Inclusion
of Prior Sections
Each time you submit a new
section of the Marketing Strategy, include the prior sections, revised in the
light of feedback and any further research you have conducted, as necessary.
Make those revisions in color.
Though these prior sections are
not graded again, (they already have been graded when first submitted),
including them helps the grader understand your analysis, and enables you to
tell a coherent story.
For example in SLP01 you
described the market and market segments for your firm’s products. Later you’ll
provide an analysis of the marketing mix elements, (Product, Price, Promotion
and Place), but your analysis of each of these only makes sense in reference to
the segments described in the earlier section. If you don’t include SLP01, then
the grader won’t know what segments there are, and so won’t be able to make as
much sense of your analysis as if you included it. Similarly the various
elements of the mix are related to one another and for this reason all prior
sections should be included with each new section submitted for grading.
Thus,
it is a REQUIREMENT that the prior sections, revised to reflect prior feedback,
are included with each new SLP section.
Thus your paper for SLP02
should consist of the following:
Title page (see MOD01 instructions for details)
The SLP01 section of the strategy – revised as necessary. Three
pages approximately. (No need to include the SLP01 title page)
The SLP02 section of the strategy – as indicated below. Three
pages approximately.
References, Bibliography, Appendices etc.
It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks
used to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.
Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT – you don’t have the space in
three pages.
The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.
Module
3 – Case
Write a four page paper (excluding title page, references and
any appendices) in which you respond to the following question:
SelectTWOproducts from the list of product
categories below and using the teaching materials and any additional research
explain what you think would be an appropriate distribution strategy for them.
In doing so compare and contrast the two distribution strategies explaining why
they would be similar or different.
AUTOMOBILES.
JEWELRY.
CANNED SOUPS.
Illustrate your answer by
referring to specific brands within each of the two product categories you have
chosen.
Ensure that you repeat the case
question shown in bold above in full and verbatim on the title page of your
submission along with the other infomration described in module 1.
Excluding your title and
reference pages, your paper should be no more than four pages long.
Assignment Expectations
Although this case question
relates to channels of distribution you are expected to use both your knowledge
acquired from MOD03 as well as your acquired knowledge from prior MKT301
modules.
Use information from the
background readings and any good quality sources you can find. Please cite all
sources and provide a reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question including what is a distribution strategy.
Your demonstrated understanding of factors related to the
development of a distribution strategy through the analysis you conduct and
their use in the context of the case.
In particular you should
demonstrate your knowledge from the course by defining or explaining the
relevant concepts used which could include:
alternative forms of channels integration (ranging from outright
ownership of distribution through franchising to use of other firms channels),
channel intensity (intensive, selective or exclusive), and
the various factors (Market, Producer, Product, Competitive)
managers would consider,
along with an evaluation of the pros and cons of the various
alternatives.
Note that you should not only
state how you believe the two products should be distributed. As you are asked
to “compare and contrast” the distribution strategies for them you
should also explain in what ways the distribution of each might be similar or
different andwhythey might be similar or different. In
doing so remeber that your primary goal is to demonstrate your understanding of
the teaching materials and learning from the course.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
Readings
The Background Info page
provides further information useful in writing your paper.
Please submit your case for
grading by the end of this module.
Rev. March 7, 2013
Module
3 – SLP
The questions for the module 03 part of your SLP direct you to
consider “place” or distribution of the good and/or service your
organization markets and, hopefully, is using to gain a competitive advantage.
Excluding your title page, and
prior sections of the SLP, your SLP03 section of the marketing strategy should
be approximately three pages long.
SLP03 should begin with the
sections you prepared for SLP01 and SLP02 (i.e. sections 1-11, revised as
necessary) with those pages placed before you analyze the following sections:
SLP for MOD03
How will your service be
distributed (DISTRIBUTION,
LOCATION & TIMING)? Some relevant issues to consider relate
to bothwhereandwhenyour service will be available to
customers. Where will it be located and why? During what hours will customers
be able to buy from you? Will an agent be used? How will customers be able to
order your service? Are there tangible elements associated with your service?
If so how will they be distributed?
What are theVARIATIONS(in distribution)BY TARGET MARKET, if any? Use the
customer segmentation analysis developed for MOD01 as a basis for a table to
describe any variations in distribution.
Make sure you use section
headings for each of the Questions/Issues. At a minimum, use theCAPITALIZED BOLDwords as main headings andnon-capitalized
boldwords
subheadings.
Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT.
Reminder
The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.
SLP Assignment Expecations
It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks
used to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selection and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
Module 4
Case
Assignment
Write a 4 page paper in which
you respond to the following case question:
SelectTWOproducts from the list of product
categories below and using the teaching materials and any additional research
explain what you think would be an approrpiate promotions strategy for both
them. In doing so compare and contrast the two promotions strategies explaining
why you think they would be similar or different.
SelectTWOproducts from the following product
categories:
AIRLINE FLIGHTS
CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS
BREAKFAST CEREALS
EXERCISE EQUIPMENT
Illustrate your answer by
refering to specific brands within each of the two product categories you have
chosen.
Assignment Expectations
Ensure that you repeat the case
question in full and verbatim on the title page of your submission.
Excluding your title and
reference pages, your paper should be no more than four pages long. Please
submit your case for grading by the end of this module.
In answering this case question
aim to demonstrate your learning not only of the materials from MOD04, but also
those from MOD01-03. Use information from the background readings and any good
quality sources you can find. Cite all sources and provide a reference list at
the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question.
Your demonstrated understanding of factors related to the
development of an effective promotions strategy through the analysis you
conduct in the context of the case.
In particular one of your
required readings on developing a promotional strategy at the marketing-made-simple.com
website indicates that the following four factors are fundamental to the
development of a promotions strategy:
1.
Segmentation dividing the marketing into distinct groups
2.
Targeting deciding which of these groups to communicate with,
and how to talk to them
3.
Positioning determining how you would like the product or
brand to be perceived by the target groups
4.
Messaging – delivering a specific message in order to influence
the target groups
and thus it is expected that
you will demonstrate your understanding of these concepts and their
relationship to the development of a promotions strategy in the context of your
assignment.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
SLP 4
Introduction
The questions for the module 04
part of your SLP direct you to consider marketing communication and promotional
activities. This is quite an extensive section of the marketing strategy.
Excluding your title page, and
any prior sections, revised as necessary, the new section of the marketing
strategy for SLP04 should be approximately three pages long.
SLP04 should begin with a
revision of what you prepared for SLP01, SLP02, and SLP03 with those revised
pages (sections 1 – 13) placed before you answer the following sections:
Marketing Strategy Sections for SLP0 4
Assess theINFORMATION
NEEDSof
target market(s). What infomation will your potential customers need, (e.g.
address of premises)?
indicate whether anyPERSONAL
SELLINGwill be
involved and if so what forms this will take. If not explain why not. If so:
Whattrainingshould be received?
Whatincentiveswill the sales force earn?
How will youevaluate selling performance?
SetCOMMUNICATION
OBJECTIVESfor
your service. What do you want to achieve in what time frame in terms of your
communicating to your potential customers?
Develop an effectiveCOMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY.
What advertisingmediaare to be used?
Develop an effectivepublic relations programfor your business.
Decide whatsales promotionsyou are going to use.
Describe how you will measureADVERTISING
AND PROMOTIONS EFFECTIVENESS.
Make sure you use section
headings for each of the sections. Use theCAPITALIZED BOLDwords as main headings and thenon-capitalized
boldwords as
subheadings.
Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT.
Please submit SLP04 by the end
of this module.
Reminder
The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.
SLP Assignment Expectations
It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks used
to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selection and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
Module
5 – Case
Case
Assignment
Write a paper of no more than
four pages in which you complete the following assignment:
Using the teaching materials
and any additional research explain what you think would be the most
appropriate pricing method and why forTWObranded products selected from the
following list. In doing so compare and contrast the two pricing methods
explaining why you think they would be similar or different.:
MEDIA DISTRIBUTOR, (e.g. Netflix)
CANNED VEGETABLES
ASPIRIN
Assignment Expectations
In answering this case
question, aim to demonstrate your learning not only of the materials from
MOD05, but also those from MOD01-04.
Ensure that you repeat the case
question in full and verbatim on the title page of your submission. Excluding
your title and reference pages, your paper should be no more than four pages
long.
You may well wish to illustrate
your arguments using estimates of costs and other figures for the products you
have chosen. In that case it is quite accetable to invent some reasonable
numbers rather than takime to research them. Place any detailed calculations in
an appendix, (not counted in the page limit), after the references. Please
submit your case for grading by the end of this module.
It is expected that you will
use information from the background readings as well as the case articles and
any good quality sources you can find. Please cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question.
Your demonstrated understanding of factors related to the
development of an effective pricing method through the analysis you conduct in
the context of the case.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
Module
5 – SLP
The questions for the SLP05 part of your marketing strategy
direct you to consider pricing activities.
Excluding your title page, and
your revised SLP01, SLP02, SLP03 and SLP04 sections, your analysis of the new
sections of the marketing strategy for Module05 paper should be not more than
three pages long.
In other words, SLP05 should
begin with a revision of what you prepared for SLP01, SLP02, SLP03, and SLP04
(sections 1-24) with thoserevisedpages placed before you answer the
following sections.
The New Section of the marketing strategy for SLP05
For your service, taking
account of the marketing activities previously described and allowing for your
time to provide the service and any ancillary costs, assess theOVERALL COSTSof your business which you would take into
account in setting prices.
PRICE
SETTING:How
will you set your price(s)?
Will you useTEMPORARY PRICE PROMOTIONS?
PRICE
DISCRIMINATION: Will you vary your prices by segment? If so for whom and what
will they be?
What will your expectedPROFITSbe? Show calculations for your expected
profits over a reasonable time period. Refer to previous sections where you
have stated performance goals.
Make sure you use section
headings for each of the sections. In addressing the sections theCAPITALIZEDBOLDwords in the sections as headings and thenon-capitalized boldwords as sub-headings.
Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT.
Please complete the sections
above, and any modification to prior sections (ensuring that the grader can
easily recognize any changes) and submit the completed strategy for your
business by the end of this module.
Reminder
The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.
SLP Assignment Expectations
It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.
The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks
used to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually b e demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.
The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selection and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
Module 1 –
CaseSelect TWO products which you
have recently bought or rented, ONE a High Involvement purchase, and ONE a Low
Involvement purchase, in the following product categories:HIGH
INVOLVEMENT(expensive
or otherwise important): Examples:
Automobile,
Home or apartment,
JewelryLOW
INVOLVEMENT(relatively
inexpensive or routine):
Candy bar
Fast food
Newspaper or magazineExcluding the title page, any
appendices or references write a four page paper in which you do the following:First
PageApplying the teaching
materials, explain why the first product you chose was a High Involvement
purchase and why the second was a Low Involvement purchase. (10%)Using the five stage model of
the Purchase Decision Process in the model of consumer buying behavior
described in Module 1, describe in detail the process you went through in
buying each product. Bear in mind that the purpose of the assignment is to
demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the teaching materials. (20%)Second
PageIdentify and discuss the
differences between the way you went through the purchase decision processes
for the two products. (20%)Third
and Fourth PagesAssume now that you are a
marketer of both of the two products that you have discussed in the previous
pages. Applying only the teaching materials, (specifically the presentation
“Uses of a Model of Buying Behavior”), explain how you might use your
understanding of the Model of Consumer Buying Behavior for the two products.
(Note that the presentation “Uses of a Model of Consumer Buying
Behavior” is relevant to this part of the assignment). (50%)List at the end all of the
references you have cited in the body of the paper.Note that the weight that will
be assigned in grading to each of the sections of the assignment is indicated
as a percentage after each one.Ensure that you include on the
title page:
the name of the university, (Trident University International).
the course number, (MKT301),
the term, (Winter 2012),
the Module number, (Module One),
the words inboldabove including both the two sets of
high and low involvement products and the section starting “First
Page” and ending “…of the assignment.”
the brand names of the two products you chose for each type of
involvement, e.g. “High Involvement: Samsonite luggage; Low Involvement:
Del Monte canned fruit
your name,
the name of the professor or instructor to whom the paper is
submitted, (your assigned Professor or Instructor) and
the date on which it was written.IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU
INCLUDE ALL THE INFORMATION INDICATED ABOVE.The notes associated with the
question indicate that, as for other assignments in the course, you should
demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the taught materials in the
specific context of this assignment. The emphasis in my grading is primarily on
whether you show that you understand what is being taught. In that regard some
relevant concepts and frameworks to demonstrate your understanding of in this
assignment include:
The difference between goods and services.
What is meant by Involvement and why it might be high or low.
The stages of the Purchase Decision Process, (PDP) and
How a potential buyer might follow this process
How the differences between High and Low Involvement affect the
way someone might follow the PDP
How marketers might use their understanding of the model of
buying behavior including the PDP to:o Segment
a market, including explaining what is meant by segmentation and why
segmentation can be useful in marketing.o Influence
purchase probabilities as indicated in the relevant presentation.Bear in mind that the main goal
of the assignment is for you to use it to demonstrate your learning and
understanding of the background materials. In order to do well in this
assignment you MUST apply and demonstrate your learning from the background
materials.I know that there’s a lot in
Module 1 to cover, but this forms the grounding for the remaining modules, so
once you have conquered this, the rest will be a lot easier.SLP 1Have you ever wondered what it
would be like to do something completely different? Well here is an opportunity
for you to combine your wondering with analysis and perhaps to put some flesh
on those dreams.Your SLP assignment in MKT301
is to develop a marketing strategy for a service business which you will (hypothetically)
manage. That is to say, you are to assume that you will be free to start a
one-person business and are to examine yourself, develop a service business
concept (for profit or not – the choice is yours) which you will provide, and
develop a marketing strategy for it. You can assume that this will be a
one-person business consisting of you alone, or that you will employ others.In doing this project your
fundamental goal is to demonstrate your understanding of and learning about
what is being taught in the course.Over the session you will
conduct the necessary marketing analysis for your strategy and present this in
your SLP. In each module you will complete a section of the marketing strategy,
building on the sections previously completed in prior modules. What you are to
submit in each module is as follows:
MOD01:Title page, MOD01 section (see below), References &
Appendices.
MOD02:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 sections, References &
Appendices.
MOD03:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 + MOD03 sections, References
& Appendices.
MOD04:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 + MOD03 + MOD04 sections,
References & Appendices.
MOD05:Title page, MOD01 + MOD02 + MOD03 + MOD04 + MOD05
sections, References & Appendices.Thus in Module 01 the marketing
strategy paper submitted only consists of the sections indicated below. For
Module 02 the paper will consist of the sections you submitted for Module 01,
plus those required for Module 02. For Module 03 it will consists of the prior
sections for Modules 01 and 02 plus the new section for Module 03, and so on.We expect your learning in this
course to be cumulative and that this will be reflected in the SLP. Thus what
you learn in later sections of the course will build on what has been learnt
earlier, and as you progress through the course you should consider revising
earlier sections of the SLP.Note that graders are
instructed to grade your work when first submitted, AND TO REVISE THE FINAL
GRADE AWARDED IN THE LIGHT OF IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO THE ENTIRE SLP AS SUBMITTED
IN MODULE 5. THESE GRADES CAN ONLY BE INCREASED, NOT DECREASED.Thus graders will assign SLP
grades for each module but when grading the complete SLP in MOD05, will also
review the preceding sections and may adjust upwards the Final Course grade to
take account of improvements in the sections for MOD01-04. Note that the final
section of the project allows for you to indicate how your learning from the
project has improved both through your own thinking and via the feedback
provided.Thus it is to your benefit to
keep under review the earlier sections as your knowledge and understanding
improves and to ensure that at least the final document submitted in MOD05 has
been revised to fully reflect your learning. So that the grader can easily see
where you have revised earlier sections you must draw his or her attention to
these revisions e.g. by using the Track Changes feature of Word.Excluding your title page and
the prior sections (which you are required to include) each of the parts of
your SLP is to be approximately three pages long. Thus the entire marketing
strategy when completed will be about fifteen pages long, excluding title page,
references and any appendices.You should review the entire
SLP by previewing the requirements of Modules 01 through 05 inclusive when you
start the course. The entire SLP and a presentation providing detailed notes
regarding each section are provided for you in the Background Info section.
These required readings should be studied before starting the projectProvide the following
information:1.NAME, LOCATION & NATURE.
Thenameof your prospective (hypothetical)
service business and
its probablelocation. Note that
youll be asked to examine location in more detail in MOD03.
A brief description of thenatureof the business, (body-guard
service, bar, child-care, etc.). You will expand on this in MOD02.(Reminder: There are detailed
notes on how to approach each section of the SLP in the Background Information
page).2.SELF-ANALYSIS.For this you should:
assess yourskills, abilities and competencies,
(strengths as well as weaknesses) and
compare these with thedemands of potential markets,
and
the offerings ofcompetitors.Ensure that the self-analysis
is relevant to the proposed service and that you make the comparisons.3. CUSTOMER ANALYSIS.
Identifypotential customersyou could serve.
Identify thebenefitsthey seek.
Describe and label yourmarketand anysegmentsthere are.
Estimate thesize
and value of thepotential market.
Estimate thesize
abnd value of the (to be)served market.4.ANALYSIS
OF PRIMARY COMPETITORS:In a table identify the main
competitors and provide a brief summary of how each competes. For example, does
the competitor use low-price, reliability, reputation, high quality or some
other basis for positioning itself in the market?5. To complete sections 3 and 4
you should do someMARKET RESEARCH, i.e.
talk to people and gather some data to get some relevant information for your
business idea. Briefly explain what you did and indicate thesourcesyou have used.6. Analyze theMARKETING
ENVIRONMENT. The Marketing Environment is covered in a
Powerpoint presentation provided for MOD01. Excluding any factors which are not
important or which are analyzed in other sections (e.g. competition), analyze
the other major Marketing Environment factors which need to be taken into
account in the development of your marketing strategy, e.g.:
Political factors
Economic factors
Social and cultural factors
Technological factors
Legal or Governmental factors
Non-marketing costs (supply purchases and manufacturing)Note that though the sections
above are to be presented individually the analysis which underlies them is
inter-related and you will probably have to think about yourself, the possible
market, and potential and actual competitors at the same time, and to revise
your thinking about them as you progress. Thus for instance for MOD01 you
should expect to spend some time researching and thinking about your skills,
the market and the competition together, before you can come to a conclusion
about what service you will offer.A set of notes giving guidance
on each section of the SLP, and a Word document listing all the sections of the
SLP for all modules are provided on the Background Info page. PLEASE READ BOTH
BEFORE STARTING YOUR PROJECT.As far as style of writing is
concerned do not write an essay, you will waste a lot of space that way. Three
pages is not a lot so you’ll have to decide what you think is important to
include. Use the text inCAPSabove as section headings for each of
the topics indicated and elsewhere use words inboldas
sub-headings. What you write should be organized, succinct, and professional.It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do.This is very important.
Explaining the reasons for the decisions you have made and the analysis
underlying them is a much more powerful way to demonstrate your learning than
simply stating what those decisions are.It is also expected that you
will use information from the background readings as well as any good quality
sources you can find to deepen your understanding of the project and cite all
sources and provide a reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts used in the
project. Generally formal definitions are not required as understanding can
usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or interpret the concepts.
It is expected that you will select appropriate framework s for
analysis from the teaching materials and demonstrate your understanding of them
through your application of them to the project
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. Some sections above require simple description, (e.g. name and
location) while others require analysis (the rest). Graders will place more
weight on analysis than description.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selections and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.This case involves thinking
about the meaning brands have for consumers, the roles brands play, and the
views customers have of brands developed through marketing and non-marketing
influences.The background readings for the
module introduce you to ways of analyzing products and brands and the case
reading relates to a study of the relationship consumers have had with brands.
These are related to one another and you should apply the former in this case
assignment.Write a paper of no more than
four pages in length (excluding title and reference pages and any appendices)
addressing the following question:In her 1998 paper identified in
the background readings, Susan Fournier argues that customers have
relationships with brands.1.
Explain what Fournier means by “having a relationship”
with a brand.2.
Using two brands chosen from the categories below, explain
whether or not you believe that customers have relationships with those brands.3.
Expand your thinking and explain whether, based on Fournier’s paper,
your own experience and your knowledge of other people, customers have
relationships with all brands.Fournier S. (1998). Consumers
and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research.Journal
of Consumer Research. 24:4(March).Available through Library
Portal/Proquest, March 7, 2013Vargo, S.L., and R.F. Lusch
(2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing.Journal
of Marketing,68(January):1-17.
Available through Library Portal/Proquest, March 7, 2013Ensure that on the title page
of your paper you both repeat the assignment in bold above in full and verbatim
and state the two product categories and brands you are examining.There are three case readings,
Susan Fournier’s 1998 article in which, amongst other things, she argues that
consumers have relationships with brands and an article reporting the results
of a study by a market research firm saying that mostly they don’t. Other
marketing academics have also said that they don’t, (e.g. Vargo and Lusch, (2004),in aJournal of Marketingarticle state that
“inanimate items of exchange cannot have relationships”). Ah but is a
brand an “inanimate item of exchange”? Perhaps they do but only under
certain circumstances? That is for you to consider.In order to answer this
question you are required to identify ONE brand from each of TWO of categories
shown below and explore Fournier’s idea that consumers have relationships with
them.Sources of information for this
case may include:
Introspection, though you should not rely solely on anecdotal
evidence.
Questioning friends and colleagues – strongly recommended.While you may be tempted to
simply rely on anecdotal personal information and write about your own
relationship (or non-relationship) with a chosen brand, you will learn a lot
more by broadening your horizons and thinking like a marketer, which means
going beyond your own perceptions and understanding the way other people
perceive products. When sourcing friends and colleagues make sure to reference
them as sources, (just as you should with personal sources used for your SLP),
e.g. “Smith, John, personal communication dated March 10th. 2011” if
you received an email or “Smith, Mary, interview held on March 10th.
2011” if you had a conversation with the person.You should also bear in mind
that a fundamental goal, as with all the cases in MKT301, is to stimulate your
learning and your answers should therefore aim to demonstrate that learning. In
answering the question ensure that you demonstrate your understanding of
products and branding, and in particular the concept of “having a
relationship”, as well as your learning from the previous module.The three categories are:
Brand of AUTOMOBILE.
Brand of FAST FOOD RESTAURANT.
Brand of CHOCOLATE CANDY BARSelect ONE brand from TWO of
these product categories, (e.g. you might choose a brand of AUTOMOBILE and a
brand of fast food restaurant, and a brand of chewing gum and so on).Apart from the information you
normally put on your title page (see Module 1 case guidance for a reminder),
alsolist there the two brands you have
examined. That is a requirement.IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU
INCLUDE THE NORMAL INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR A TITLE PAGE (see guidance for
module 1) AS WELL AS THE TWO PRODUCT CATEGORIES AND BRAND NAMES ON THE TITLE
PAGE OF YOUR PAPER. IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION ON THE TITLE PAGE
YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO REVISE THE PAPER TO INCLUDE THEM AND DOING SO WILL THUS
DELAY THE GRADING OF YOUR WORK.It is not assumed that you will
agree with Dr. Fournier that people have relationships with brands, nor is it
assumed that you will necessarily disagree. Clearly marketing scholars disagree
about this so you can too! You might choose two brands, examine them, examine
what it means to “have a relationship with a brand” and conclude that
this idea does not hold water and has no benefits for marketers, in the process
explaining why Dr. Fournier is wrong in your opinion. On the other hand you
might conclude that her idea holds for one of the brands you have examined and
not for the other, or perhaps holds for some people and not for others.
Contrasting the two will be very important in that instance. Or you might
conclude that it holds for both.In addition, you needn’t assume
that relationships are necessarily good ones.If you wish to include support
or illustrative materials feel free to include these in an appendix of no more
than three pages, but ensure that you refer to this material in the body of the
paper.Use information from the
background readings as well as the case paper. Please cite all sources and
provide a reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question.
Your ability to assess Fournier’s arguments regarding
relationships.
Your demonstrated understanding of branding and customer
relationships based on insights regarding both derived from the Fournier paper
and your own experience and research.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective communication skills.The following is a suggestion
about how to lay out your paper.
Brief introduction: what problem your paper addresses, and you
might indicate the answer you have found.
Examination of central concepts: brand, positioning and
“relationship”.
Examination of Fournier’s argument as to “what is a
relationship?” *
Examination of whether people have relationships with your two
chosen brands.
Examination of whether people have relationships with all
brands. **
Conclusion: answer the question “Do consumers have
relationships with brands?”* The case article is written
for a narrow academic audience well educated in the issues and the relevant
background literature, which I recognize you are not so I shall try to give you
some insight into her arguments here.** The second and third
readongs readings might lead you to think that obviously they don’t as that’s
what their findings seem to show show for many brands, but do the people who
conducted either of those studies ever explain what they mean by “having a
relationship with a brand”, and if not, how do you know then that their
results show anything relevant? Think about it. It is important to be clear
what “having a relationship with a brand” means and Fournier tries to
do this.Most papers published in
academic journals, such as Fournier’s are intended for an academic audience.
Generally the authors start by trying to answer two questions:1.
Why is my paper important?2.
How does it relate to what has been written about this subject
before?As far as you are concerned
neither of those questions are really important to you as you’re not the
intended academic audience and so you can largely ignore the paragraphs which
deal with them.However, there are then some
important sections.Prof. Fournier goes on to try
to answer the question “How can a person have “a relationship”
with an inanimate object (or a brand)?” by referring to past academic
writing about brands and relationships. She tries to answer this by explaining
what she means by “a relationship”, and argues that in some ways
branding and the management of brands makes inanimate objects animate.So pay attention to:P344: “For a relationship
to truly exist, interdependence between partners must be evident: that is, the
partners must collectively affect, define and redefine the relationship”.
If you accept that, does it hold true for you with the two bands you have
chosen?P344: “One way to
legitimize the brand-as-partner is to highlight ways in which brands are
animated, humanized or somehow personalized.” Do the marketers of your
chosen brands do this somehow, and if so how?P345: “theories of
animism… the brand is somehow possessed by the spirit of a past or present
other… Spokespersons… the brand becomes the spokesperson… Brand person
associations… air freshener that grandmother kept in her bathroom, a floor
cleaner that an ex-husband always used… gifts… infused with the spirit of
the giver. Complete anthropomorphization of the brand… Charlie Tuna and the
Pillsbury dough boy. … people assign selective human properties to a range of
consumer goods.” Is this true for your chosen brands?P345: The paragraph beginning
“For the brand to serve as legitimate relationship partner…” is
important as this argues that the qualities she has discussed above are not
sufficient for a brand to be regarded as a potential relationship partner.Study
that and the following paragraph (to “…into the brand domain as
well.”) as it makes an important argument about why brands can be so
regarded, and you may well not agree with it.There are then some discussions
about the meanings people derive from brands. Think about whether even if a
brand has a meaning for a consumer, that is enough for it and the consumer to
be regarded as having “a relationship”.There are two further sections
(Multiplex phenomena and Dynamic Perspective) before the next section on
“Methodology” and you might find these difficult to understand. If so
don’t worry, as if you can digest and think about the ideas I have indicated
above you’ll have enough for you to think about the case question.Then focus on the much easier
to read and understand transcripts of the three women who Prof. Fournier
studies, and use these to get a sense of what it is she was looking for, or
what it is she discovered when she interviewed them, and use those insights to
help inform your own consideration of the two brands you have selected.In the notes above I have tried
to highlight what you should focus on when reading the early pages of the paper
as there is some difficult to read material in those first few pages. The pages
reporting the results of the interviews should be a lot easier (and more
enjoyable) to read.Finally, note thatI
do not expect you to spend a lot of time undertaking additional research for
this case. Use the background teaching materials and the
Fournier paper and THINK. This case study is intended to get you to think more
deeply about products, brands, what it is that marketers do, how consumers view
and “relate to” brands, (if they do), and to deepen your understanding
of all that by relating it to your own experience and that of people you know.SLP02 requires you to consider
the service you have chosen to market and hopefully, are using to gain a
“competitive advantage”. Here regard a competitive advantage as
something you do better than your competitors in serving your target markets.Note that excluding your title
page, the SLP02 section of the marketing strategy should be approximately three
pages long.Make sure you use the following
section headings (indicated in bold) for each of the Questions/Issues:COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE ANALYSIS:How
well does the proposed service meet the demands of the market compared with the
competition? To help do this analysis:
Create aProduct/Market Matrix.This is a table listing the various
segments you identified in the Customer Analysis section for MOD01 and the
products which those segments buy. (This is NOT to be confused with a table of
a similar name developed by Igor Ansoff.)
To analyze the competitive situation show the competitors
providing those products for each segment in each cell as appropriate. *
Don’t just present the matrix; explain what it shows.Which areMY
TARGET SEGMENTSyour
business will focus on and why? Using the information from section 3, present a
table that lists the primarypotentialtarget
marketswith
information for each drawn from all prior sections to explain your decision as
to which you will focus on.DescribeTHE
SERVICEthat you
will provide using your analysis of yourself, the market and the competition to
explain how you reached this conclusion.Describe
thePeoplewho will deliver the service, thePhysical
Environment(if
any) in which the service will be provided and theProcessthrough
which the service will be provided.Statement of your business’sMISSION(what business are you in or what are
you supposed to do).TheGENERAL
OBJECTIVES or GOALSof
your business (for example, achieving sales of X% by date A).* The MOD01 Background lectureSegmentationhas a simple example of a
Product-Market Matrix – Slide 9, dealing with the toothpaste market. There is a
further example in the presentation about the SLP “Notes for the SLP”
accessible on the MOD01 Background Info page.Inclusion
of Prior SectionsEach time you submit a new
section of the Marketing Strategy, include the prior sections, revised in the
light of feedback and any further research you have conducted, as necessary.
Make those revisions in color.Though these prior sections are
not graded again, (they already have been graded when first submitted),
including them helps the grader understand your analysis, and enables you to
tell a coherent story.For example in SLP01 you
described the market and market segments for your firm’s products. Later you’ll
provide an analysis of the marketing mix elements, (Product, Price, Promotion
and Place), but your analysis of each of these only makes sense in reference to
the segments described in the earlier section. If you don’t include SLP01, then
the grader won’t know what segments there are, and so won’t be able to make as
much sense of your analysis as if you included it. Similarly the various
elements of the mix are related to one another and for this reason all prior
sections should be included with each new section submitted for grading.Thus,
it is a REQUIREMENT that the prior sections, revised to reflect prior feedback,
are included with each new SLP section.Thus your paper for SLP02
should consist of the following:
Title page (see MOD01 instructions for details)
The SLP01 section of the strategy – revised as necessary. Three
pages approximately. (No need to include the SLP01 title page)
The SLP02 section of the strategy – as indicated below. Three
pages approximately.
References, Bibliography, Appendices etc.It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks
used to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT – you don’t have the space in
three pages.The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.Write a four page paper (excluding title page, references and
any appendices) in which you respond to the following question:SelectTWOproducts from the list of product
categories below and using the teaching materials and any additional research
explain what you think would be an appropriate distribution strategy for them.
In doing so compare and contrast the two distribution strategies explaining why
they would be similar or different.
AUTOMOBILES.
JEWELRY.
CANNED SOUPS.Illustrate your answer by
referring to specific brands within each of the two product categories you have
chosen.Ensure that you repeat the case
question shown in bold above in full and verbatim on the title page of your
submission along with the other infomration described in module 1.Excluding your title and
reference pages, your paper should be no more than four pages long.Although this case question
relates to channels of distribution you are expected to use both your knowledge
acquired from MOD03 as well as your acquired knowledge from prior MKT301
modules.Use information from the
background readings and any good quality sources you can find. Please cite all
sources and provide a reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question including what is a distribution strategy.
Your demonstrated understanding of factors related to the
development of a distribution strategy through the analysis you conduct and
their use in the context of the case.In particular you should
demonstrate your knowledge from the course by defining or explaining the
relevant concepts used which could include:
alternative forms of channels integration (ranging from outright
ownership of distribution through franchising to use of other firms channels),
channel intensity (intensive, selective or exclusive), and
the various factors (Market, Producer, Product, Competitive)
managers would consider,
along with an evaluation of the pros and cons of the various
alternatives.Note that you should not only
state how you believe the two products should be distributed. As you are asked
to “compare and contrast” the distribution strategies for them you
should also explain in what ways the distribution of each might be similar or
different andwhythey might be similar or different. In
doing so remeber that your primary goal is to demonstrate your understanding of
the teaching materials and learning from the course.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.The Background Info page
provides further information useful in writing your paper.Please submit your case for
grading by the end of this module.Rev. March 7, 2013The questions for the module 03 part of your SLP direct you to
consider “place” or distribution of the good and/or service your
organization markets and, hopefully, is using to gain a competitive advantage.Excluding your title page, and
prior sections of the SLP, your SLP03 section of the marketing strategy should
be approximately three pages long.SLP03 should begin with the
sections you prepared for SLP01 and SLP02 (i.e. sections 1-11, revised as
necessary) with those pages placed before you analyze the following sections:How will your service be
distributed (DISTRIBUTION,
LOCATION & TIMING)? Some relevant issues to consider relate
to bothwhereandwhenyour service will be available to
customers. Where will it be located and why? During what hours will customers
be able to buy from you? Will an agent be used? How will customers be able to
order your service? Are there tangible elements associated with your service?
If so how will they be distributed?What are theVARIATIONS(in distribution)BY TARGET MARKET, if any? Use the
customer segmentation analysis developed for MOD01 as a basis for a table to
describe any variations in distribution.Make sure you use section
headings for each of the Questions/Issues. At a minimum, use theCAPITALIZED BOLDwords as main headings andnon-capitalized
boldwords
subheadings.Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT.The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks
used to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selection and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.Module 4Write a 4 page paper in which
you respond to the following case question:SelectTWOproducts from the list of product
categories below and using the teaching materials and any additional research
explain what you think would be an approrpiate promotions strategy for both
them. In doing so compare and contrast the two promotions strategies explaining
why you think they would be similar or different.SelectTWOproducts from the following product
categories:
AIRLINE FLIGHTS
CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS
BREAKFAST CEREALS
EXERCISE EQUIPMENTIllustrate your answer by
refering to specific brands within each of the two product categories you have
chosen.Ensure that you repeat the case
question in full and verbatim on the title page of your submission.Excluding your title and
reference pages, your paper should be no more than four pages long. Please
submit your case for grading by the end of this module.In answering this case question
aim to demonstrate your learning not only of the materials from MOD04, but also
those from MOD01-03. Use information from the background readings and any good
quality sources you can find. Cite all sources and provide a reference list at
the end of the paper.The following will be assessed:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question.
Your demonstrated understanding of factors related to the
development of an effective promotions strategy through the analysis you
conduct in the context of the case.In particular one of your
required readings on developing a promotional strategy at the marketing-made-simple.com
website indicates that the following four factors are fundamental to the
development of a promotions strategy:1.
Segmentation dividing the marketing into distinct groups2.
Targeting deciding which of these groups to communicate with,
and how to talk to them3.
Positioning determining how you would like the product or
brand to be perceived by the target groups4.
Messaging – delivering a specific message in order to influence
the target groupsand thus it is expected that
you will demonstrate your understanding of these concepts and their
relationship to the development of a promotions strategy in the context of your
assignment.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.SLP 4The questions for the module 04
part of your SLP direct you to consider marketing communication and promotional
activities. This is quite an extensive section of the marketing strategy.Excluding your title page, and
any prior sections, revised as necessary, the new section of the marketing
strategy for SLP04 should be approximately three pages long.SLP04 should begin with a
revision of what you prepared for SLP01, SLP02, and SLP03 with those revised
pages (sections 1 – 13) placed before you answer the following sections:Assess theINFORMATION
NEEDSof
target market(s). What infomation will your potential customers need, (e.g.
address of premises)?indicate whether anyPERSONAL
SELLINGwill be
involved and if so what forms this will take. If not explain why not. If so:
Whattrainingshould be received?
Whatincentiveswill the sales force earn?
How will youevaluate selling performance?SetCOMMUNICATION
OBJECTIVESfor
your service. What do you want to achieve in what time frame in terms of your
communicating to your potential customers?Develop an effectiveCOMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY.
What advertisingmediaare to be used?
Develop an effectivepublic relations programfor your business.
Decide whatsales promotionsyou are going to use.Describe how you will measureADVERTISING
AND PROMOTIONS EFFECTIVENESS.Make sure you use section
headings for each of the sections. Use theCAPITALIZED BOLDwords as main headings and thenon-capitalized
boldwords as
subheadings.Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT.Please submit SLP04 by the end
of this module.The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks used
to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually be demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selection and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.Write a paper of no more than
four pages in which you complete the following assignment:Using the teaching materials
and any additional research explain what you think would be the most
appropriate pricing method and why forTWObranded products selected from the
following list. In doing so compare and contrast the two pricing methods
explaining why you think they would be similar or different.:
MEDIA DISTRIBUTOR, (e.g. Netflix)
CANNED VEGETABLES
ASPIRINIn answering this case
question, aim to demonstrate your learning not only of the materials from
MOD05, but also those from MOD01-04.Ensure that you repeat the case
question in full and verbatim on the title page of your submission. Excluding
your title and reference pages, your paper should be no more than four pages
long.You may well wish to illustrate
your arguments using estimates of costs and other figures for the products you
have chosen. In that case it is quite accetable to invent some reasonable
numbers rather than takime to research them. Place any detailed calculations in
an appendix, (not counted in the page limit), after the references. Please
submit your case for grading by the end of this module.It is expected that you will
use information from the background readings as well as the case articles and
any good quality sources you can find. Please cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the marketing concepts
central to the case question.
Your demonstrated understanding of factors related to the
development of an effective pricing method through the analysis you conduct in
the context of the case.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.The questions for the SLP05 part of your marketing strategy
direct you to consider pricing activities.Excluding your title page, and
your revised SLP01, SLP02, SLP03 and SLP04 sections, your analysis of the new
sections of the marketing strategy for Module05 paper should be not more than
three pages long.In other words, SLP05 should
begin with a revision of what you prepared for SLP01, SLP02, SLP03, and SLP04
(sections 1-24) with thoserevisedpages placed before you answer the
following sections.For your service, taking
account of the marketing activities previously described and allowing for your
time to provide the service and any ancillary costs, assess theOVERALL COSTSof your business which you would take into
account in setting prices.PRICE
SETTING:How
will you set your price(s)?Will you useTEMPORARY PRICE PROMOTIONS?PRICE
DISCRIMINATION: Will you vary your prices by segment? If so for whom and what
will they be?What will your expectedPROFITSbe? Show calculations for your expected
profits over a reasonable time period. Refer to previous sections where you
have stated performance goals.Make sure you use section
headings for each of the sections. In addressing the sections theCAPITALIZEDBOLDwords in the sections as headings and thenon-capitalized boldwords as sub-headings.Write in a succinct, organized,
and professional way. DO NOT USE ESSAY FORMAT.Please complete the sections
above, and any modification to prior sections (ensuring that the grader can
easily recognize any changes) and submit the completed strategy for your
business by the end of this module.The MOD01 Background Info
section contains “Notes for the SLP” which gives guidance for ALL the
sections of the entire SLP.It is expected that you will
explain the alternatives you considered and why you decided to make the
recommendations you do. Also that you will use information from the background
readings as well as any good quality sources you can find to deepen your
understanding of the project and that you will cite all sources and provide a
reference list at the end of the paper.The following will be assessed
in particular:
Your demonstrated understanding of the concepts and frameworks
used to conduct analysis for the project. Generally formal definitions are not
required as understanding can usually b e demonstrated by the way you apply or
interpret the concepts.
Your ability to conduct marketing analysis appropriate to the
project. The sections above require a combination of description, (e.g. what
will be done) and analysis (explaining why it should be done that way). Graders
will place more weight on analysis than description alone.The criteria used for
assessment will be those explained on the MOD01 Home page, namely:
Focus.
Breadth.
Depth.
Critical thinking, including selection and application of
relevant frameworks.
Effective and appropriate communication skills.
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