Overview
Assessment Brief
This assessment requires you to develop a Marketing strategy in the Digital age for a company of your choice, and critically appreciate their existing CSR and Ethical practices, identifying areas for further improvement and recommend an update to its CSR and ethical practices.
The assessment is to be written in a report format. You are required to select a Company for which you will create a marketing strategy in the digital age for the next upcoming 12 months. The choice of company must be clear within the Introduction part of the report. You cannot create/choose a fictitious company. Once this step has been completed, you are then required to complete the following parts:
The Report is divided into three parts:
The first part requires you to choose a company of your own choice and create an effective Marketing strategy in the digital age, for the next upcoming 12 months.
The second part requires you to deliver a 5-minute Marketing Pitch to offer an overview of your marketing plan. The Marketing Pitch will be delivered in class on week 9.
And the third part requires you to critically evaluate the existing CSR and ethical practices of your chosen organisation and identify areas which need further improvement. Make recommendations of how company can incorporate sustainability and ethical practices.
Scenario: You are a marketing manager, for the chosen company and are required to create a new marketing strategy for a new product in Digital age for the next upcoming 12 months. You are expected to offer an introduction of your chosen company. Identify the new product for which you will be creating the marketing strategy. The strategy must be in line with the company’s objectives and vision. Once you have done this, you are then expected to critically review the company’s existing CSR and Ethical practices and offer recommendations around areas where they can further improve.
Part 1: Create an effective Marketing Strategy in Digital Age
- Introduction (5%) (350 words)
- Segmentation and Targeting (10%) (500 words)
- Positioning and Branding (15%) (800 words)
- Communication Strategy (15%) (800 words)
- Which digital platform/platforms will be used?
- Is the digital platform used by the target market?
- Advantages/disadvantages of chosen medium
- How will the Key Message be successfully and effectively communicated?
- What is the purpose of the communication, (e.g cause-related, crisis management, brand awareness etc)?
- What type of appeal does the message have (functional, emotional moral)? What format will be used?
- What type of communication method is being recommended, e.g linear, interactive?
- Identify the online Value Proposition
- 5-minute Marketing pitch to offer an overview of your Marketing Plan (10%)
- Ethical Issues (30%) (1200 words)
- Overall Conclusion (5%) (350 words)
- Structure, Presentation, Referencing (10%)
- Logical structure
- Consistency with the prescribed presentation format
- Text size 12
- 1.5 line spacing
- Correct and adequate amount of in-text citations
- Harvard referencing
- Writing quality i.e. critical and formal writing
- Use of Headings and Sub-Headings
This part requires you to provide a brief background information of your chosen company. Relevant data and statistics can be provided in this section for the company. In this part you are required to create a proposed advertisement plan for a new fictious product. This has to be short and precise. Lastly, identify the medium on which the advertisement will be communicated.
You can use illustrations to show any possible advertisement. Only images, no videos.
You are expected to provide an in-depth explanation of the Segmentation and Targeting process in this section. Identify the main relevant segments and chosen target market for which the advertisement is created for. Identify the targeting strategy which will be used to reach out to your chosen target market/markets.
Identify the positioning and branding strategy taken on board. Discuss what kind of brand image is being created, how will the brand be positioned in the minds of the consumers. What basic/functional/utilitarian needs will be met? What is the differential position which will be adopted by the brand. Create a clear positioning statement. Make use of positioning map to identify your competitors and how they have positioned themselves in the minds of consumers. Choose your differential strategy. How will you create brand awareness online. What kind of brand personality would your brand reflect? Will the brand use any ambassadors/brand advocates to promote its product? Discussion must be backed up by justifications for chosen decisions.
Use this section to develop the chosen communication strategy. The evaluation can include the following points below:
This section should create a complete marketing plan for the digital age which incorporates all the key elements of designing an effective marketing strategy which is in line with the company’s objectives and would help achieve its vision.
Part 2: Marketing Pitch
You should deliver a 5-minute Marketing Pitch to offer an overview of your marketing plan.
Pitch must include:
- Brief introduction of the chosen company
- Details of the new product: Concise and compelling description of the product. Explain the key features, and the functional needs which the product meets. Unique selling point.
- Chosen target Market and targeting strategy: Identify the chosen target audience, consider developing a consumer profile. Identify the targeting strategy which will be taken onboard to reach out to chosen target audience.
- Competitor Analysis: comment on the current business environment and industry competition. Identify how your product differentiates from those offered by the competitors. Identify products key features, value and differential strategy that will help achieve competitive advantage.
- Marketing Strategy: Present your Marketing Strategy/plan, to reach out to your chosen target audience. Identify the digital channels and platforms you will use to reach to your target audience. Explain how you will create awareness, generate leads and convert them into customers.
- Conclusion: Summarize main points of the pitch, stressing on the key features of the product, emphasizing on the value and benefits of the product to the chosen audience. Reiterate the needs it would meet and gap it would fill in the market.
The Pitch should be presented on one A4 size page, aided with poster presentation. This will be presented in-class on week 9. Also it must be attached at the end of the report.
Part 3: CSR and Ethical Issues
This relates to how ethical the company is. For this section of the assessment, you will have to critically assess the company’s overall efforts in sustainability and ethical practises at present. Identify issues with existing practices, if any. Recommend how these CSR practices can be improved.
As a part of the assessment, you can also cover whether the products manufactured are ethically manufactured. If the products are recyclable at end of life and similar issues.
Conclusion
Clear and concise conclusion summarising the key points of the report without adding any new points.
Your answers should be supported by evidence from the data you collect through your research. Your answers should also show how you analysed the data you collected using the marketing theories and concepts, and corporate social responsibility concepts you are learning in this module.
Word Count – 4000 Words, 10% ±
Please Note – above word counts are for guidance only and are approximates
Your word count does not include table of contents, reference list or appendices. You should provide your word count at the front cover you create for your report.
Exceeding the word count may result in a penalty of 5% of your mark. If your work is significantly shorter, then you probably did not provide the level of detail required.
Section | Mark/Weightage |
Introduction | 5% |
Segmentation and Targeting | 10% |
Positioning and Branding | 15% |
Communication Strategies | 15% |
Ethical Issues | 30% |
Conclusion | 5% |
Pitch | 10% - 5 minute in-class week 9. One A4 Page Poster |
Structure, Presentation, Referencing | 10% |
Marking Criteria
Assessment Criteria / Weightage | Outstanding 100% | Excellent 85% | Very Good 75% | Good 65% | Satisfactory 55% | Adequate 45% | Marginal Fail 35% | Fail 25% | Missing / Unanswered 0% |
Introduction 5% | No areas for improvement | Excellent introduction provided with the relevant details with little room for improvement | Very good introduction provided with the relevant details | Good introduction provided with the relevant details but room for improvements | Satisfactory introduction provided with the relevant details however this could have been better | Adequate introduction which lacks in various aspects | Marginal Fail introduction which lacks essential elements and should have been written in a better manner | Introduction provided is below the pass standard | Missing or wrong |
Segmentation and Targeting 10% | No areas for improvement | Excellent segmentation and targeting with very little room for improvement | Very good segmentation and targeting provided with the relevant details | Good segmentation and targeting with the relevant details but room for improvements | Satisfactory segmentation and targeting provided with the relevant details however this could have been better | Adequate segmentation and targeting which lacks in various aspects | Segmentation and targeting lacks essential elements and should have been written in a better manner | Segmentation and Targeting provided is below the pass standard | Missing or wrong |
Positioning and Branding 20% | No areas for improvement | Excellent positioning and branding with very little room for improvement | Very good positioning and branding provided with the relevant details | Good positioning and branding with the relevant details but room for improvements | Satisfactory positioning and branding provided with the relevant details however this could have been better | Adequate branding and positioning which lacks in various aspects | Positioning and branding lack essential elements and should have been written in a better manner | Positioning and Branding provided is below the pass standard | Missing or wrong |
Communication Strategies 20% | No areas for improvement | Excellent communication strategies with very little room for improvement | Very good communication strategies provided with the relevant details | Good communication strategies with the relevant details but room for improvements | Satisfactory communication strategies provided with the relevant details however this could have been better | Adequate communication strategies which lack in various aspects | Communication strategies lacks essential elements and should have been written in a better manner | Communication strategies provided is below the pass standard | Missing or wrong |
Ethical Issues 30% | No areas for improvement | Excellent ethical issues coverage with very little room for improvement | Very good Ethical issues provided with the relevant details | Good ethical issues with the relevant details but room for improvements | Satisfactory ethical issues provided with the relevant details however this could have been better | Adequate ethical issues covered which lack in various aspects | Ethical issues lack essential elements and should have been written in a better manner | Ethical issues provided is below the pass standard | Missing or wrong |
Conclusion 5% | No areas for improvement | Excellent conclusion which has little room for improvement | Very good conclusion provided with the relevant details | Good conclusion but room for improvements | Satisfactory conclusion with the relevant details however this could have been better | Adequate conclusion which lack in summarising | Conclusion is not detailed enough and should have been written in a better manner | Conclusion provided is below the pass standard | Missing or wrong |
Structure, Presentation, Referencing 10% | No areas for improvement | Excellent structure, presentation, referencing | Very good structure, presentation and referencing with minor errors | Good structure, presentation and referencing with some errors | Satisfactory structure, presentation and referencing with multiple errors | Adequate structure, presentation and referencing with excessive errors | Below the standard | Substantially below the standards | Missing or wrong |