Overview
This project, in which you develop a Marketing Plan, is an opportunity for you to take what you have learned this semester and apply your skills. You will be acting as a marketing firm and your client will be SMC or any organization of your choice. A major component of this assignment is that you are taking marketing terms and concepts learned in this class and applying them in your marketing plan. You also have the opportunity to interview a few people as primary research. This project is worth 125 points so don’t wait until the last minute.
Feel free to contact the SMC writing center in advance to assist you in developing this. They will not address content but can give you advice on the writing tone and style. They can be reached at
https://www.smc.edu/student-support/academic-support/tutoring-centers/writing-humanities.php
Potential Organizations
– SMC
– Small organizations you are a part of
– A business that you work for (as long as you get permission)
– A business that you are familiar with and can research/get information on
Formatting – Double-spaced, use 12-point Times New Roman font and have one inch margins.
– Use headings for all sections listed below in the marketing report structure.
– Include at least three properly formatted in-text citations and a properly formatted reference page with at least three sources. You are to follow APA guidelines.
You can use quotes in which case you much cite your sources. Your instructor will use Turnitin to check originality. If any section of the paper is plagiarized, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
Make sure you are paraphrasing properly by taking an idea and putting it in your own words concisely. Below are some resources about how to paraphrase:
Marketing Plan Report Structure
Do not write bullet points.
Title Page – Include Company name, logo, date, class name, student name, and instructor name
Planning Phase
Client Organization (at least 1/2-page)— Describe your client organization. Why did you select them? What it the mission and goals? How many customers do they serve?
Target Market (at least 1 page) – Describe the target market. What is the demographic makeup of the customers? What are their psychographic and lifestyle traits? Where do the students come from? What is the reputation/brand of the organization?
Competition (at least 1/2 page) – Think of 2-4 competitors for your organization. How is their brand and customer value proposition better or worse than your customer? How are their customers different? Discuss the market and segmentation in relation to competition.
SWOT Analysis (at least 1 page) – Develop a SWOT analysis that addresses the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your client organization. Here’s some instructions and an example http://www.mplans.com/articles/how-to-perform-a-swot-analysis/ (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external website.)
Primary Research (at 1/2 page) – This should be a summary of your findings by interviewing existing or potential customers. (At least 2). Think of this as a focus group. Ask questions about usage, how they access the product/service, and what they like and dislike about the product/service.
Marketing Strategy Phase The Marketing Strategy section should be based on the information you have gathered from the Planning Phase sections. Essentially you should look at the information gathers from the Planning Phases sections and from there develop marketing strategy that is informed/shaped by information gathered.
Objective (at least 1-2 sentences)- For this plan you should have at least one objective. The objectives should be specific and measurable (eg, increase sales by 4% over the next two years). Your performance will, in part, be measured by this objective. Make the objective realistic.
Strategy (at least 3-5 sentences) – Given the objective the marketing strategy is the overarching statement of how the objective will be achieved.
For example, sales might be increased by increasing the awareness (which was found in the situation analysis to be exceedingly low relative to competitors). Another strategy to increase sales might be targeting a new segment that has not yet been captured, or stealing a certain competitors share. The section outlines the rationale for selecting these strategies.
Marketing Tactics and Recommendations (at least 2 pages) – Describe at least 3 specific actions to take to achieve your marketing strategy. Think about the how these strategies incorporate the 4 Ps (marketing mix). Be specific. An example might be to launch an IMC or hire sales people to focus on a target market. We have studied many concepts from class so please review course content. These recommendations should be numbered and provide details and examples. This is the most important section as it tells the reader how you will achieve your marketing objective and strategy.
Control Phase
Evaluate Performance (at least 1/4 page)- How will you measure success? How and when can you quantify the results of your marketing plan. Think about multiple ways or metics to measure.
Final Thoughts
Reflections (at least 1/4 page) What did you learn from this project? What conclusions can you make?
Grading Criteria–
Analysis (up to 105 points)
- The discussion in each area was in-depth and viewed from all perspectives.
- The discussion shows the ability to link theories to practical
- The discussion indicates substance, logic and originality.
- Information is not limited or missing.
- The paper shows evidence of critical thinking.
- The paper includes relevant material related to material presented in the textbook and website.
- Extensive research from outside sources is evident through in text citations and an appropriate bibliography to support observations and convey more than a general message.
- A thorough understanding of the theoretical aspects is evident and the analysis is grounded within an academic perspective, going beyond just personal observations.
Creativity and originality (up to 15 points)
- The analysis presents new ideas or brings a fresh perspective to the material.
- The paper emphasizes central themes. Connections are made that indicate an understanding of key concepts through comparisons, contrasts, and original thought.
- The conclusions and recommendations are sound and supported by specific data/examples, information.
