ASSIGNMENT BRIEFING
There are two tasks for the assessment in this module: a group presentation and an individual essay. Both are linked to the same product area.
Task 1: Group Work: Formal Presentation
1. Assume that you are the manager of the new product development department of one of the food production companies in Oman. You are assigned to launch a new product that will be distributed in all regions of the Sultanate.
More specifically, your presentation covers the following:
- Conduct an analysis using secondary sources of information on the geo-demographic data (age, income, gender, location) of your target consumers.
- Conduct primary consumer research into the market, focusing on consumers' attitudes and behaviour as well as their needs, wants and preferences.
- Using the appropriate consumer research method, determine the consumers' perceptions (price, quality, value, risk).
- Present your findings by means of a formal presentation to the "management team" (tutors and other students).
- Make sure that you acknowledge your sources (references) for any facts and figures that you used.
- The group presentation will not take more than 20 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questioning by the management team. Each student must present at least one slide.
- Number of slides: 12-15 slides (excluding references).
TASK 2: Individual Assignment
Word Limit: 1000 words
Background: Previous marketing studies revealed that of all the factors that shape consumer buying behaviour, cultural factors have the broadest and deepest influence. Marketers then should first look into how the people's culture and subculture and its accompanying values, beliefs and customs affect their buying behaviour. For if a firm does not understand the culture of the population it is targeting, the chance of selling its product will be small. Culture and subculture, therefore, must be fully understood before the behaviour of individuals within the cultural context can be appreciated. In view of this, you are required to do the following:
1. Critically discuss the cultural factors that influence consumers in the buying behaviour and decisions.
2. Using the product that you investigated in the group assessment (task 1), choose and analyse two cultural factors that influence the buying behaviour and the buying decisions of consumers to purchase the products that you have presented.
- This assignment must be your own work, not a group answer.
- You may draw upon the comments and analysis provided in the group presentation to underpin some aspects of your answer. However, please note that you must supplement this material (and lecture material) with your own independent research and readings around the subject.
- Your analysis will be presented in the form of a fully referenced academic essay, using Harvard referencing.
- You will need a minimum of 7 references, and each one should be from a different source/author. Your source information could include a mixture of books, academic journals, databases, market reports and other credible academic sources. Quality newspapers may also be used, but please note that an essay comprising mainly of newspaper sources (i.e. popular journalism) will not be acceptable as an academic essay in the context of this assignment.