Major Report Aims many businesses require their management team to prepare a professional report on a current marketing issue facing their company. Task Description Prepare and write a professional report on a marketing issue facing a real company in the last 12 months. The issue you choose should be related to the principles and topics covered in the course and explore the differences and similarities between real world practice and theory. Give recommendations on what the company could have done differently according to the knowledge you have acquired. A suggested approach for researching the information your group will need is to: • Identify a company whose name begins with the letter between A-L (not Apple or Coles) that has been involved in a marketing activity, e.g. the launch of a new product, advertising, other communications such as sponsorship announcements or press releases, strategic changes, distribution and marketing channels, response to competitor activities, etc. However, you may use any company from A-Z if: - you work for this company, or, - it is owned by a family member or a friend • Look through your textbook to make sure this marketing activity has been discussed. • Check that there is enough public information available about the issue and what the company has done in response. Local businesses may be easier to find information about. • Look at the company's web pages, annual reports, articles in the press, etc. and find an issue that must have occurred in the last 12 months to help you decide. However, please do not make personal contact with the company unless you work there or it is owned by a family member or friend. Example of issue and international company Intel is getting ready to launch its new Sky Lake. You can read the press releases about the development of Sky Lake and the marketing strategy on the Intel website. You could relate this to the parts of Chapter 12 where marketing strategy is discussed, or to Chapter 9, where pricing is discussed. Example of issue and local company A new store is opening in Adelaide. There have been several articles and media releases about it in the newspaper and online. Your group decide to make a site visit. You could relate this event to segmentation (geographical location or type of person the merchandise is aimed at) or the way news about the new store was communicated to the public. Resources This is a guide to report structure for this assignment. *Introduction (150-200 words) • Give a general description of the company • Outline the specific issue or marketing activity to be examined but avoid going into any details. Include the time when it began *Body (300-350 words) • Give a detailed description of the issue or marketing activity • Summarise the part of the textbook (use page numbers) and lecture that are exemplified by this issue or marketing activity Note: There may be several parts of the textbook and lecture that are relevant, but choose the ONE that is the most relevant and discuss this in detail. *Comparison and Recommendations (700-800 words) • Compare what the company is doing with what the textbook and lecture consider to be effective • Make recommendations about what the company could have done differently and what the outcome of these differences might have been • Use these questions to guide you: - What are the key differences? - Why are there these differences? Why the text is different? - What was the company trying to achieve? Why? - How effective were the company's actions? - Would following the theories outlined in the textbook and lecture have changed the outcome? *Conclusion (150-200 words) • Summarise the overall analysis A series of guides to academic writing can be found under "Assignments" at https://lo.unisa.edu.au/course/view.php?id=4074 You could find that a company has introduced a new product line or range to combat a competitor and link this to the micro environment; OR perhaps you find that a company has undertaken marketing research and has changed or introduced new products or services as a result. Another type of topic could look at a company doing something in relation to retailing which may link to empirical laws of shopping. Another idea could be a negative issue the company has faced and the role of stakeholders OR perhaps the week 8 ethic topic. The company may do something or a change as a result of the MACRO environment OR it may relate to segmentation and targeting. Avoid using Wikipedia or sources which may lack credibility such as unknown blogs. You must outline some relevant theory and show how and why it may be similar or different. You must justify claims on the company and issue with cited facts. A report will have headings, in text references, a reference list. You start with a title page with the report name, your name and ID. The next pages are the report. You can choose relevant headings ...it is up to you. So you may have a "Company Overview' then perhaps "Marketing Issue of ..." ... then perhaps "Theory Concepts". This is just giving your ideas. You don't have to write 'body' as per the course outline as this is giving you an idea of content rather than headings. You will have a conclusion which summarises the overall analysis. You then have the Reference List on a separate page. Marketing Principles: Trading and Exchange Text book ‘Sharp, B 2013, Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice, 1st Edition, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.’ These chapters were discus at class and issue of the company should relate to this matters. 1. LECTURE TOPIC: INTRODUCTION AND BUYER BEHAVIOUR (CHAPTERS 1 AND 2) 2. LECTURE TOPIC: THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENT (CHAPTER 5) 3. LECTURE TOPIC: CUSTOMER SEGMENTATION AND TARGETING (CHAPTER 6) 4. LECTURE TOPIC: MARKET RESEARCH (CHAPTER 4) 5. LECTURE TOPIC: PRODUCT: GOODS AND SERVICES (CHAPTER 7) 6. LECTURE TOPIC: PRICING AND DISCOUNTING (CHAPTER 9) 7. LECTURE TOPIC: RETAILING AND SHOPPING (CHAPTER 8) 8. LECTURE TOPICS: GLOBAL MARKETING AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS (CHAPTERS 13 AND 14) 9. LECTURE TOPIC: ADVERTISING AND MEDIA (CHAPTERS 10 AND 11)