A: MARKETING STRATEGY CASE CRITIQUE & ANALYSIS-

• You are required to conduct an analysis ofany company covered in during the semester to demonstrate your understanding of the marketing process and the relevant concepts & frameworks.

• (Apple, Sony, Target, Dove, Google)

• SELECT COMPANY AND PRODUCT/SERVICE, e.g. COMPANY= APPLE; PRODUCT=mobile phone (iPhone), OR e.g. COMPANY=PANDORA; PRODUCT/SERVICE=online music service, etc.

• You may use material in the cases presented, and any other updated relevant info to complete this case critique & analysis.

• Please apply concepts and analytical tools, from the text, lectures and class discussions to demonstrate your understanding of the material.

• You can also cut and paste relevant conceptual frameworks from lecture ppt., and provide links to news items or research supporting your answer.

• Could be PowerPoint or word document or combination.

• You may organize or format your answer in any way, but you must address all the issues/questions below.

1) INTRODUCTION: --Give a brief COMPANY DESCRIPTION & BACKGROUND.

2) What are the company's product/service offerings?

3) Your choice of product or product line?

4) What are the customers' needs & wants in (3)?

5) Who are the target customers? Describe the target market (s)// segments?

6) Is there a good fit between target market and company offerings?

7) What are the actual product(s)/service&the "actual product"/service attributes?What are the unique characteristics of a service such as an "online music service" compared to a product such as a "mobile phone"?

8) What are the characteristics of the "augmented product"

9) What is the customer benefit or value created?

10) What is the stage of the product life cycle (PLC)? What are the characteristics of this stage?

11) What are the competing products? Who are the competitors?

12) Give a summary SWOT analysis.

13) Comment the components of marketing mix (4Ps) and how they are used to compete and differentiate relative to competitors?

14) What is the perceived positioning strategy of the company? Does the brand and marketing mix/strategy fit with its positioning?

15) In your opinion, how successful is it in (a) creating customervalue/benefit (b) communicating its value to customers (c) building customers relationships & its brand/brand equity and finally (d) capturing customer value & equity? Bottom-line... how successful is it inits marketingstrategy overall?

B: MICRO & MACROENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS- Use Company in PART A or any company of your choice.

1) List the 6 macroeconomic factors. Give examples of 2 macroeconomic factors, which have, or will have an impact on the company's strategy?

2) List the 6 microeconomic factors. Give examples of 2 microeconomic factors, which have, or will have an impact on the company's strategy?

C: CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISION PROCESS

1) OUTLINE THE GENERAL PROCESS (STEPS) FOR THE CONSUMER DECISION PROCESS.

2) Give an example of a purchase decision you have made or are currently considering.

3) Give a brief background on product/service.

4) What is your need/want/ demand? Also apply to Maslow's model to identify type of need.

5) Describe your purchase decision process toexplain and illustrate the steps in (1).

6) When are you less likely to use this process for a decision? Give an example and explain.

D: MAIN FACTOR/CHARACTERISTICS WHICH IMPACT CONSUMER BUYER BEHAVIOR MODEL

1) OUTLINE THE FRAMEWORK, WHICH SHOWS THE MAIN CATEGORIES/FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE CONSUMER BUYER BEHAVIOR.

2) What characteristics of this model had an influence on your purchase decision in C?

3) What characteristics may influence your choice of online music service?

E: SHORT ANSWERS & DEFINITION/EXAMPLES: (You may expand cells to fit answer. You may cite examples in previous answers or cases).

TERM/CONCEPT

1) Marketing concept and Marketing process
2) Consumer-generated marketing
3) Customer lifetime value and customer equity.
4) Market penetration
5) Market development
6) Differentiated marketing
7) Concentrated marketing
8) Positioning
9) Differentiation
10) Product life cycle
11) Big data, analytics & data mining
12) Complex buying behavior
13) Variety seeking buying behavior
14) Habitual buying behavior
15) Geographic segmentation
16) Demographic segmentation
17) Psychographic segmentation
18) Benefit segmentation
19) Inter-market segmentation
20) Value Proposition