MKT301A – Marketing Strategy

Word Count: Maximum 3500 (+/- 10%)

Assessment Brief: Context APM Bachelor of Business students will act as consultants working for a strategic marketing consulting firm which was recently contacted by an investment bank in Sydney. The client wishes to diversify by investing in a marketing project which is unrelated to the core business.

According to the client, it doesn’t matter if the investment is made in a brand of cookies or MP3 player, as long as the marketing plan is creative and demonstrates potential. The fact is that the client is so interested in investing in a compelling marketing plan that it has contacted a series of consulting firms in the market.

Your group is one of these consulting firms pitching for the job!!! Your role as a consultant is to pitch your marketing plan to a panel which will then assess the attractiveness and relevance of your plan (see marking criteria).

Assignment Structure I) Marketing Plan Report Students will prepare a full length marketing plan for a branded product/service of their choice. The brand has to be of an existing company and can be operating either on a local or global scale.

The plan will be divided into 4 phases:

Phase I: Brand Diagnosis

Phase II: Marketing Strategy

Phase III: Marketing Plan Phase

IV: Marketing Metrics  

a) Phase I: Brand Diagnosis

Students will conduct an in-depth analysis of the industry in which their brand competes by applying frameworks and other tools and concepts learned in the course. The objective of this process is to understand the current situation of the brand versus competitors and unveil opportunities. This phase may involve some field work such as visiting retail stores and conducting interviews with consumers

Potential questions you may want to ask during this phase are:

1. Who is the brand’s target consumer?

2. Is the brand growing or losing market share?

3. What is the competition doing?

4. Is the brand’s Marketing Mix (4 P’s/ 7P’s) consistent with the brand’s positioning?

5. What are some of the strengths & weaknesses (SWOT Analysis) of the brand?

6. What are some of the opportunities & threats (SWOT) for the brand?

b) Phase II: Marketing Strategy

Once students have concluded their diagnosis, they will use the results of their analysis to come up with a Marketing Strategy. This Strategy will be the blueprint for success. It will summarise what the students will want to achieve with their brand. A good idea is to read the section on “Three levels of Strategy: Similar Components but different issues” on page 8 of the prescribed text book “Marketing Strategy – A Decision-Focused Approach”. 

Potential questions you may want to ask during this phase are:

1. Does the brand need to be repositioned?

2. Does the brand need to seize a different target group?

3. What resources will the brand require to achieve objectives?

4. Where do you want the brand to be in the short/mid/long-term? 

c) Phase III: Marketing Plan

The Marketing Plan will demonstrate how students will achieve their Marketing Strategy. This is a very creative part of the project in which the group will have a chance to come full circle and create great solutions for their brands. Special focus will have to be paid to the Marketing Mix (4P’s / 7P’s) in this phase. 

Potential questions you may want to ask during this phase are:

1. What can be done in terms of promotion?

2. What can be done in terms of product/service features?

3. What can be done in terms of pricing?

4. What can be done in terms of distribution (place)?

5. What can be done in terms of physical evidence (services)?

6. What can be done in terms of people (services)?

7. What can be done in terms of processes (services)? 

d) Phase III: Marketing Metrics

Every marketing plan must have objectives that are quantifiable. Whether a plan is focused in increasing market share, brand awareness or sales, for example, it should contain a list of metrics to be implemented as soon as the plan is executed. Doing so, will help the organisation track and measure each aspect of brand performance vs. the competition and internal objectives. 

Examples of Marketing Metrics:

1. Market Share (%), 2. Sales Volume (units), 3. Brand Awareness (%), 4. Profitability ($), 5. Customer Satisfaction (%) etc… 

II) Report Structure

Students will hand in their Marketing Plan in a report format, with the following headings:

1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. Brand Diagnosis o The brand (Product/Service) o Industry Analysis (include any frameworks that you applied) eg: Porter’s 5 Forces, SWOT, BCG Matrix etc… o Competitor Assessment 4. Marketing Strategy o What you want to achieve with the brand 5. Marketing Plan o Brand initiatives 6. Marketing Metrics o Include list of metrics (justify reasons why) 7. Conclusion

III) Presentation

Marketing consultants/professionals must be prepared to present their ideas in a clear and professional manner. This item of the assessment will re-create a “boardroom” context in which group members will present themselves as marketing consultants. A panel of judges (board members) will be assessing each group and will ask questions at the end of each presentation, so be prepared. 

IV) Group Allocation & Team Charter: ? Students will be allocated into groups during the tutorial in week 1. ? In week 1, students will complete a Team Charter (see appendix). They will have to input the following pieces of information: o Team name o Team leader’s name o Participant’s names and defined roles within group (students have to fill-out a brief description of their role in the team). o Brand of Product/Service of the Marketing Plan o Students will sign the team charter and return it to the lecturer on week 2.

V) Consultation time: ? I will allocate the final 30 minutes of every tutorial for consultation with students. ? By week 4, students must present an outline of their Marketing Plan to the lecturer. So please take advantage of consultation times to clarify any doubts you may have.

VI) Academic resources: ? APM College has a series of supporting services. Be sure to attend the writing techniques workshop for report writing. For additional information, please refer to THINK CLASS.

VII) Additional Information: ? Please note that plagiarism will result in a zero mark being awarded for this project. ? Please ensure you follow the HARVARD REFERENCING GUIDELINES. ? Please adhere to the word limit.