1 MKT00720 – Marketing Session 2, 2017 Assignment 1: Case Study Analysis Core Information: Due: Due by 11.00 AEST, Monday 7th August 2017 Weighting: 30% Individual/Group: Individual Assignment Word limit: No more than 1500 words (plus or minus 10%). Assignments that exceed 2000 words will be referred back to the author for revision and penalties for late submission will be applied until the assignment has been resubmitted within the specified word limit. Aim: The primary aim of this assignment is to explore your capacity to analyse the marketing strategies and marketing processes of real organisations and determine their effectiveness. It also aims to determine your ability to analyse such practical matters using early concepts (such as marketing intelligence, market segmentation and target marketing to name a few examples) covered in the formative weeks of the unit. Core Task: Basing your arguments on the academic literature that you have studied in the first four topics of this unit, write a report on the ways two different organisations have been able to compete in their markets. Your report should discuss the following points about each of the two organisations: 1. Evidence that the organisation has a gain a competitive advantage from their marketing processes. 2. Theoretical analysis of the reasons for the achievement of this advantage. Your discussion is to be based on two suitable published case studies. This means case studies published in the academic literature – for example, the series of case studies in a textbook, or published in journals etc. Case studies and short articles in newspapers, magazines, website opinion pages and the like are definitely not acceptable, although such materials may be used to supplement the published case study and your analysis. All sources must be properly referenced. If in any doubt about the suitability of a case study, seek an early ruling from your local lecturer/tutor.2 This is a substantial piece of scholarly work and will require extensive engagement with both unit theory and at least two detailed case studies. Process: 1. Choose your two cases. They all need to be published cases in academic sources (e.g. textbooks, journal articles). It is obviously important that each case represents an instance of a company achieving a clear success in terms of their marketing function. 2. Analyse and locate evidence. Begin to analyse each case in terms of the two questions – particularly question one listed previous. It is vital that you respond to both questions, but the evidence successful marketing practice is more likely to be in the case material itself. It is in this part of the process that you might bring in supplemental material from company documents/websites, media analysis and so on. Be sure to reference all sources properly. You need to try and show clear and where possible objective evidence of sustained competitive advantage. 3. Analyse and explain. You need to move from the presentation of evidence to explaining how the company/organisation was able to achieve its success through its strategies. This part of the assignment requires you to consider any aspect of the marketing strategy process and/or any aspect of the organisations’ marketing-based strategising that you think has enabled them to sustain their competitive advantage. You will need to show that you understand relevant theories and concepts from the course and that you can apply them to an analysis and assessment of different companies’ marketing actions and performance. Consider using relevant models and theoretical perspectives to make your analysis. For example, you might find that one successful organisation has executed its marketing strategy by applying Ansoff’s Matrix in a disciplined manner, whereas another successful organisation has executed a successful marketing strategy by consistently exploiting some interesting form of customer segmentation. You may find an opportunity to critique various concepts and theoretical positions through seeing how they apply or don’t apply to your case organisations. Evidence that you understand and can use tools discussed in the early topics of the unit will add value. 4. Write up. On completing your analysis, you obviously need to write it up. You should respond to this task in report format, with headings and subheadings used to help readers understand the structure of your paper. A possible structure might be: a. An introduction which both sets up the task and the rest of the paper, and introduces the core concepts that the task is designed to deal with. You might also take this chance to scope the work – for example the time frame that will be used to assess the marketing success for the case organisations. b. Description of the two cases. Describe each case, each organisation and the sources of your information.3 c. Evidence of Marketing-related success (leading through to a competitive advantage for the firm). Marshal all the evidence that you can that you think reveals that each organisation has well and truly found success in the marketing realm. d. Analysis and Explanation. Provide a detailed analysis of how each organisation achieved its success in marketing terms. e. Conclusion. Summarise the key points and what can be learnt from the overall analysis. 5. Submission. Once you have completed the report and are satisfied that you have done your best, submit it via Turnitin on Blackboard. Submission needs to be made before 11.00pm on Monday 7th August 2017. Please be reminded of the plagiarism rules which apply. The marking criteria for the assignment are on the next page. They are published to give you detailed guidelines about the way in which your mark will be calculated. Please read them carefully. Note that they are a guide, not a definitive formula for allocating marks. No set of criteria can accurately describe every possible assignment and so your final mark will reflect the application of academic judgement by your marker to your whole assignment.4 MKT00720 – Marketing (Session 2, 2017) Assignment 1: Case Study Analysis Marking Criteria Ratings and Comments According to Criteria Mark Introduction Properly describes the task and sets up the report content that follows: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor NA Introduces the core concepts Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Outlines the parameters and scope that will be used in the assignment Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary /10 Case Selection and Description Selection of two appropriate cases from appropriate sources Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Each case is properly described to enable the reader to understand them and their context: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor /15 Evidence of Sustained Competitive Advantage Is able to show clear evidence of marketing success/excellence for each case Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor The evidence is sufficiently detailed and objective Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary /20 Analysis and Explanation Provides a plausible explanation for the sustained marketing success of each case organisation: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Makes appropriate use of theories, models and concepts from the course to explain competitive success: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Shows a good understanding of theory and concepts and an ability to apply them to real case situations Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Shows capacity to make use of analytical tools to aid assessment of marketing-related strategy Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary /35 Conclusions: Draws sensible conclusions based on the analysis and discussion: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Conclusions reveal key learning to be taken from the analysis Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /105 Technical and Professionalism Aspects of the Report In-text citations and proper referencing (note: an absence of in-text citations and referencing may lead to penalties beyond the marks allocated for this criteria point): Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Appropriate sources used and referenced: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Presented in well-thought out, consistent, readable form/appropriate length: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Style, spelling, grammar and syntax Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary /10 Total: The paper is marked out of and then adjusted to conform to the 30% loading for the course Summary Comments as Necessary: School extension policy Students wanting an extension must make a request at least 24 hours before the assessment item is due and the request must be received in writing by the unit assessor or designated academic. Extensions within 24 hours of submission or following the submission deadline will not be granted (unless supported by a doctor’s certificate or where there are exceptional circumstances – this will be at unit assessor’s discretion and will be considered on a case by case basis). Extensions will be for a maximum of 48 hours (longer extensions supported by a doctor’s certificate or exceptional circumstances to be considered on a case by case basis). A penalty of 5% of the total available grade will accrue for each 24-hour period that an assessment item is submitted late. Please note: work commitments are rarely a sufficient reason to approve special consideration and being away on holidays is never a reason. There is no penalty for submitting an assignment BEFORE the due date, so if you are going away just manage your time to get assessment tasks finished before you go. You’ll enjoy your holiday more. Extensions will NOT be approved because of problems with personal computers or storage devices. Back up your work every day to a secure location.