Reference no: EM133668406

COMPANY TO USE - Smart Communication In

A) Articulation of Case summary
Make sure you cover the answers to the following key questions in this section:

1. What is the brand/business?

2. What is their marketing (product) offering?

3. Who is the customer (target market must be defined)?

4. What are customers' wants?

5. How is the competition in the category?

6. What is the problem(s) at hand?

B) Analysis
In this section, you are required to explain, discuss, and critically analyse how the business's practices align or contradict with relevant international marketing concepts and/or theories.

In other words, you will be explaining:

· The business's practices described in the case.

· How and why the business problem(s) has occurred.

· How and why these business practices (1) are consistent or contradict with the relevant international marketing concepts and/or theories, and (2) have led to the positive (successful) and negative (unsuccessful) results described in the case.

Please refer to the following example that will give you a brief idea of what you are asked to write, please also note that you are required to provide a more in-depth analysis of the business problems and practices etc.

Company A has experienced decreased sales with its brick-and-mortar stores in Japan. On the one hand, its competitors are increasingly gaining sales and market share as they are expanding their e-shops on a global scale. On the other hand, customers' buying behaviours have been changing for the past few years, they are less keen to shop in physical stores and are demanding more efficient and personalized online purchase and international delivery service. Relevant marketing concepts here could be international diffusion of innovation and cultural and behavioural changes. A careful and thorough analysis of international customers' adoption of technologies and buying behaviour is crucial in designing more effective and efficient marketing mix and strategies.

Note: Marketing concepts/theories refer to ANY marketing concept including those we have learned in lecture/seminar. For example, segmentation approaches are referring to a marketing theory/concept. Please also note that ‘theory' refers to ‘a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something'. So, ‘segmentation' is counted as a theory although it does not have ‘theory' in its name.

C) Strategic international marketing recommendations/solutions
In this section, you are required to offer strategic recommendations or solutions regarding the alignment or misalignment between specific business practices and relevant international marketing concepts and/or theories discussed in the previous section.

· These strategic recommendations or solutions must be specific, meaningful, and practical.

· You are expected to explain how firms can implement these recommendations or solutions in real life and justify them using relevant international marketing theories/concepts. For example, if the firm has been successful in the past, how can your recommendations help the firm in growing in the future; or if the firm has been unsuccessful in the past, how can your solutions rectify the business problems.

· There is no maximum required number of recommendations/solutions, however, there is a minimum requirement for each awardable grade (please refer to the marking rubric for this assessment on iLearn)

D) Communication skills
· Use minimum 12-point font, 1.5 line-spaced, 2.54cm margin.

· Three main headings must be used (summary, analysis, recommendations/solutions).

· Appropriate sub-headings can be used.

· Numbering of pages is essential.

· You MUST include a cover page that contain your full name, student ID, day and time of your workshop, title of the assessment, total word count.

· Table of content is NOT compulsory.

· The word limit for this assessment is 1500 words (+/-10%), not including cover page, table of content, and reference list.

· Tables, diagrams, and appendices are all included in the 1500 (+/-10%) word-count.

· There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for every 100-extra-word-count.

· Please name your file with your student ID and full name (e.g., 1234567_Pardis Mohajerani)

E) Research skills
· Failure to document fully and in the acceptable format all sources of existing information may render students open to the claim of plagiarism.

· You are highly encouraged to read and conduct your research broadly and not to rely heavily and solely on your prescribed and recommended textbook.

· All references must be properly cited, both in-text and in the reference list. APA or Harvard styles are allowed.

· A minimum of 7 references (e.g., scholarly peer-reviewed journal papers, industry sources, textbook, etc) must be included in this submission. Otherwise, marks will be deducted. There is no "ceiling" regarding the number of references (only the "floor") but go for quality /credible references. Please see the marking rubric.