Marketing Analysis Research Report Overview

In this course, you will play the role of a new assistant marketing analyst for an advertising agency.

Your manager has just given you the first assignment in your new job, which is to develop a 1,500-2,000word research report of a product (a product can be a good or service) of your choice in accepted business style, including an executive summary. The assignment focus is to research the market for a product to determine whether it is a product your company would like to sell. The report will serve to brief your manager on critical marketing factors relating to the product. After conducting your research, you will make your professional recommendation,in both report and presentation format,as to whether the company sales team should sell this product or service.

You will work on components of this report throughout the course and submit them in the following order:

Outline

Please follow this outline as you write your research report:

1. Product

State your choice of product and provide a rationale (i.e., explain why you chose this product).Use at least three credible academic resources in researching your product. Wikipedia is not considered a credible academic resource for this assignment.

2. Marketing Mix (The Four Ps)

Outline the four Ps for your choice of product.

The Four Ps

• Product: a good, service, or idea to satisfy the consumer's need
• Price: what is exchanged for the product
• Promotion: a means of communication between the seller and buyer
• Place: a means of getting the product to the consumer

3. Environmental Scan

Conduct a scan of the environmental forces that affect your product.

Environmental Forces

• Social
• Economic
• Technological
• Competitive
• Regulatory

4. Market Segmentation

• Demographics and/or psychographics (choose one or both to describe).
• What are the demographics of the market segment(s) for your product?
• Describe consumers of your product using a psychographic profile.

5. Ethical Issue

Within your product choice, there are ethical issues. Present both the pros and cons of your choice of an ethical issue and your position on it as it applies to your product. For example, online retail products are impacted by privacy issues and the Internet.

6. Social Responsibility Issue

Within your product choice, there are issues of social responsibility. Present support or opposition foryour position on a social responsibility issue as it applies to your product. For example, should companies that sell certain products commit to cause-marketing, like Coca-Cola does when sponsoring local Boys and Girls Clubs?

7. Global Marketing and the Internet

Discuss how the Internet can be used globally by a company selling your product choice in order to identify new marketing opportunities. New marketing opportunities could include development of new products or the extension of existing products into the marketplace.

What are the benefits? What are the potential problems a company should consider, including cultural considerations?

8. Recommendation

Make your recommendation as to the best method for marketing the selected product or service.

9. Executive Summary 

An executive summary is a one-page report that provides the reader, usually an executive, with a condensed version of a lengthy report. After reading the executive summary, readers exercise theirjudgment in deciding whether or not to read the entire report. If the summary is comprehensive, the executive will save time by not having to read the entire report. Write your executive summary after you have completed the research report and present it at the beginning of the completed document.

Executive Summary Format (One Page)

• State the purpose of the report.
• In this report, your purpose is to make a professional recommendation,based on information gathered through your research, as to the best method for marketing your particular product.
• Highlight the key facts (gathered through research) that inform or influence your recommendation.
• Make the recommendation.

Presentation

Create an 8-10 slide PowerPoint (PPT) presentation designed to deliver the research findings and recommendations in your report to your manager. Your presentation should persuasively demonstrate your position on why the sales team should or should not sell the product. Include the notes you would utilize while delivering your presentation.

Possible Ethical Issues

Promotion of "Sin Products" (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, gambling)

Is it unethical to promote these products? Should there be limits or regulations on the promotion of these products?

Advertising as a Mirror of Society

Does advertising reflect a society's accepted standards or create new standards?

Government Regulation and a Free Market

Should there be regulations in such areas as advertising, product safety, and pricing, or should market forces "self-regulate" companies and industries?

Privacy Issues and the Internet

Should there be protection for the user in terms of privacy? Are "cookies" appropriate? Should "opt-in" or "opt-out" be required?

Privacy Issues and Marketing Research

What are the ethical and privacy issues in consumer research?

Consumer "Bill of Rights"

As a product of the early 1960s, is the Consumer Bill of Rights still necessary? Why or why not? If it is necessary, could it be expanded?

Advertising to Children

Should there be limits placed,or protections enforced, when it comes to advertising to children?

Advertising to "Vulnerable" Consumers

What constitutes a "vulnerable" consumer? Should firms be required to provide special considerations or accommodations for such consumers?

Subliminal Advertising

What is subliminal advertising? What are the ethical issues involved? Is it effective? Is it used? What are some examples?

Predatory Pricing

What is predatory pricing? What are some examples?What are the ethical and legal issues involved?

Possible Social Responsibility Issues

Corporate Social Responsibility

Should corporations be socially responsible, or should they concern themselves with profit only?

Using Societal Marketing to Promote a Positive Corporate Image

Is it appropriate for firms to burnish their image by supporting causes?

Green Marketing

What is "green marketing," and how can it benefit a company?