Purpose of Assignment

Each student should pick a company and product or service for this marketing plan.To develop effective relationship marketing, a company must first understand its targeted consumers' buying influences and behaviors. This week's assignment is the first part of the development of a marketing plan. It provides the foundation of the marketing plan and introduces the student to a variety of diagrammatic tools for understanding a business.

Assignment Steps 

Select a global or multi-regional (does business in more than one country) company and one of its products or services that will serve as the basis for your marketing plan. You should obtain two years of annual reports as well as two years of 10K reports (provides a comprehensive overview of the company's business and financial condition and includes audited financial statements) for your data source. Once you have selected your product or service, you must define the size and type of your selected company that provides the product or service (available from annual reports). This need not be elaborate but must include total number of employees, production volume, distribution methods, and so forth. Record this information in a summary document as outlined below. 

Company and product selection is a critical part of this project. You must ensure your proposed company can implement the marketing methods discussed in Marketing Management. 

Part 1:

Prepare a minimum 175-word summary document and send it to your instructor as a record of your selection. The summary document should include the following:

• Name of Company
• Location of Company Headquarters
• Name of Product or Service selected
• General description of company (number of employees, revenue, type of ownership, web page, etc.)
• General description of product or service

Part 2:

Include at least 3 elements of the Research List of Topics (see list below):

• Research List of Topics:
  • Primary Research
  • Secondary Research
  • Consumer Analysis
  • Customer Profile
  • Continuous Consumer Monitoring & Research
  • Environmental Scanning
  • Identify Market, Economic, Technological, Regulatory, Legal, Social, and Ecological Forces
  • Current Opportunities
  • Potential Future Opportunities
  • Current Threats
  • Potential Future Threat
• Diagrams are not required but can be used to provide clarity and conciseness. Diagrams (and subsequent discussion) can include SWOT (emphasizes internal market--Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) TOWS (emphasizes the external market--Threats, Opportunities, Weakness, Strength), PEST (Political, Economical, Social, Technological), SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results), and/or STEEP (Social, Technological, Environmental, Economical, Political). All diagram(s) should be in APA format and must include a subsequent discussion of the diagram(s) providing insight and clarity.

Develop the first two parts of the Target Market section, which includes an overview of the demographics (age, income, family members, and birthdays) and psychographics (activities, interests, and opinions) analysis. This is not a detailed analysis but an overview (basic trends and insights from the data that is presented in annual reports and other SEC type filings).

Explain the insights you have gained from your inspection and analysis of the demographic and psychographic information you have found. 

This assignment will be incorporated into your overall marketing plan for Week 6.

Cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed references.

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines. 

Guidelines: 

Marketing Plan Topic and Understanding Target Markets

• Choose a company and a specific product or service this week. You may select an existing type of product or service or a new product or service but it must be global or multi-regional. Once your team has selected your product or service, you must define the size and type of company that provides the product or service (available from annual reports). This need not be elaborate but must include total number of employees, production volume, distribution methods, and so forth. Company and product or service selection is a critical part of this project. You must ensure your proposed company can implement the marketing methods discussed in the text.

Key to creating an effective marketing plan is the ability to analyze the environment in which the product or service will be offered. In addition, a company must thoroughly understand its targeted consumers' buying influences and behaviors. In Week 2, create the Research section of your plan. In addition, create the first two parts of the Target Market section, which includes performing the demographics and psychographics analysis