Reference no: EM132770776

Coursework Title: Marketing Plan (and Supporting Activities) to Gain and Sustain Competitive Advantage for an International company

Coursework Aim: The objective of this assignment is to allow students to demonstrate understanding of the main concepts related to marketing theory and models, specifically inviting them to undertake marketing analysis and preparation of a marketing plan in a practical context.

Coursework Objectives

1. Explain the theoretical concepts related to market analysis, and planning.

2. Identify and evaluate (through research and market place understanding) the influence of internal and external forces on how to sustain competitive advantage.

3. Identify and evaluate elements of a marketing plan that align with the organisation's principal business objectives.

4. Draw upon academic theory, and integrate this theory within the practical context.

TASK: You are required to write a marketing plan for an existing international company of your choice for the launch of a new product or service in the UK (this can be based on your interests/related to your degree programme). You will be responsible for developing the idea for this new product, on which this marketing plan will be based. It is VITAL that all recommendations in the marketing plan are related back (with the use of supporting RGU Harvard referencing) to the relevant underpinning theories addressed in lectures to show your understanding of the concepts being addressed.

The quality / viability of the new product itself is not the focus of this work it is HOW the marketing of it should be conducted. 

Section One: The Company and Situational Analysis (30%)

• A brief outline of the company and a brief overview of the new product/service being proposed;

• Detailed analysis of the market which the product/service will be launched into; size, trends, PEST(LE) and SWOT analyses, buyer behaviour and competitor analysis

Section Two: New Product/Service Objectives and STP (20%)

• For the new product/service propose SMART marketing objectives for the first year;

• Identify the target audience, specifying the segmentation variables used;

• Propose a targeting strategy

• Justify the positioning of the new product/service (USP)

Section 3: New Product/Service Marketing Mix: (30%)

• Provide recommendations on the product, price, place, promotion elements of the marketing mix for the new product/service for the launch and any other of the service (extended marketing mix) related to your venture.

Section 4: Evaluation, Implementation & Control

Plan (10%)

• Propose an evaluation, implementation & control plan

Section 5: Professionalism and Presentation (10%)

• Ensure cohesion of the document overall (thus demonstrating clear group working skills

• ALL sections must be underpinned by relevant academic theories/discussion

• Ensure a detailed and informative executive summary is provided

Answers that are entirely theoretical or purely anecdotal will inevitably be restricted in terms of the marks they will achieve. The key is to undertake appropriate research with the aim of delivering a well-written, well presented and well edited summary of the organisational practice in relation to relevant theory. It should be noted that a formal marketing plan may not be accessible, so reasonable assumptions can be made e.g. you may not be able to access financial information for budgeting but can make reasonable assumptions as to the costs involved in your proposed approach.

It is important that the plan be based on secondary research and supported with a wide range of credible references from industry/academic texts and journals (textbooks alone are not enough), both within the body of the text and with a supporting reference list - if in doubt ask your tutors.