Assignment number and title
1
Assessment type
Marketing Plan
Weighting of assessment
40%
Size or length of assessment
1,400 words
Unit learning outcomes
On completion of this unit you should be able to: Assessment number
1 Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding
• Demonstrate from relevant research literature, a sound understanding of contemporary perspectives of the strategic role of marketing.
1
2 • Demonstrate the following skills and abilities
• Carry out a marketing audit of the case study Mindful Tourism and develop a strategic marketing plan.
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What am I required to do in this assignment?
Assessment 1: Initial work on individual Marketing Plan Report (40%) – 1,400 words
For this assignment you need to focus on all relevant parts of the Marketing Plan Template provided.
The Task:
For the case study Mindful Tourism (fictional company)
• you need to research, as carefully as possible, the situation/business environment that the organisation is operating in
• In addition to studying the information given in the case study, you must use at least two academic journal articles to support your discussion. Academic articles do not have to focus specifically on that type of organization/industry: you could, for example, look at the travel industry in general and refer to articles which might be talking about trends in ‘mindful tourism’. Changes in travel/ tourism packages available could also be useful. Some research into specific travel companies who provide such packages might well be relevant, what segments in travel they target, how they position their travel packages, consumer behavior, and especially online developments, digital marketing strategies. You need to read around the topic and identify two (minimum) articles that help build your marketing plan that will increase membership in the UK and internationally.
• Your arguments must be balanced and supported by marketing literature – marketing management, marketing planning, marketing audits, consumer behaviour trends, segmentation-targeting-positioning, and services marketing mix.
• You must demonstrate and – specifically – apply your marketing knowledge to your marketing plan
• Your references must reflect a balance between academic and internet sources. You will, of course, use web sites which relate to your chosen areas of study but be careful that you do not just accept, without question, anything, and everything that you read online! The fact that it is online does not mean that it is true…..and if an organisation is talking about itself in their own website, they are going to tell you only what is positive. A company website may not tell lies, but they may not tell the whole truth and their version of events will certainly be biased! Remember to view critically everything you read and do not just accept what you read without questioning it.
Structure for your first Assignment
While marking your assignment we will be looking for evidence demonstrating how well you have addressed the marketing plan. The following part explains the structure and key points you should consider in preparing your assignment.
1. Introduction: A short introduction outlining what you intend to do in your report. A brief overview of the case study and industry trends could be included here, with references, but it should be short and to the point, not extensive or overly descriptive. Section 1 of the Template can be considered here.
• Main body of your work where key issues are addressed. Refer to the Marketing Plan Template. You need to carry out some secondary research on your area of study to understand the company and the environment within which it is operating and having carried out this work you should then be able to produce your:
1/ PESTLE (think about UK and international aspects)
2/ SWOT analysis – and remember that you should complete the PESTLE first, as consideration of this will help you to identify your SWOT. Competitor analysis could be considered if appropriate, but the focus should be on the external environment, PESTLE and the internal SWOT.
3/ Consider enhancing the points above with more marketing audits frameworks
4/ Discuss market segmentation, what segments to targeting and why, and how to position the offering (STP)
5/ Detail some aspects of Consumer Behaviour relating to ‘mindful tourism’
6/ Apply (!) the Marketing Mix (4Ps model or enhance to 7Ps if appropriate), with a particular focus on Promotion/ marketing communication
This part of your discussion may have a number of sub sections. The key criteria here include:
a. Research – evidence of systematic research approach, depth of research undertaken; application of conceptual (theoretical/empirical) framework(s).
b. Analysis – well focused, depth and clarity of argument, organising and summarising key and relevant issues stemming from your research, identifying at least two other journal articles, and integrating the discussion. Your understanding will be demonstrated by your ability to provide relevant examples based on the Omani situation.
c. Scholarly practice – appropriate referencing within the report (citations), employing appropriate International Business vocabulary and the quality of the Reference section. (Harvard style of referencing).
d. It is essential with the PESTLE and SWOT that you do not present points without evidence or referencing to support them. Points made without some form of justification are meaningless – they may well be true: that is not the point! The point is that every point of your discussion should have some form of evidence to support what you are presenting
e. The SWOT should link clearly to the PESTLE. It should be apparent to the reader how your SWOT points have been derived via the work you have done on the PESTLE.
• Conclusion: A clear, concise, and relevant conclusion to the marketing plan. Your conclusion should contain a summary of the key points that have emerged from the discussion and consideration of the implications. (Remember: conclusions look back and summarise what you have found out. Recommendations, which are suggestions for future activity, are NOT to be identified or discussed until Assignment 2
• Presentation: Neat layout, and headings/sub-headings where appropriate. Clarity of expression (appropriate language, grammar, spelling, etc.). Length of the discussion should be 1,400 words excluding the cover page and reference/bibliography section. Word-count to be provided at the end of the submission.
Your PESTLE and SWOT matrix should be covered in this assignment as well as the S-T-P and the marketing mix
This assignment has been chosen as a precursor to assignment 2 in which you will complete consultancy report, building on Assignment 1.
The assignment should be submitted on the designated date and time – this to be advised at the beginning of the unit. Late work is not accepted and will be deemed a fail and graded G (0) (no work submitted).
Pages should be numbered. Sections/subsections should have headings and numbers
Your full name, ID, unit title and code number must be clearly marked on the assignment top sheet.
Assignment should be submitted on the designated date by 10 am UK time.
Pages should be numbered. Headings and sub-headings must be provided.
Your full name, ID, the unit title and code number must be clearly marked on the assignment top sheet.
Coursework must be submitted on BREO by the date and time specified. Late work is not accepted, and will be deemed a fail and graded G (0) (no work submitted).
Format for submission
The word limit is 1,400 words excluding cover page, references in the bibliography and the appendices. Your cover page must have your full name and ID number.
All work should be word processed using either Times New Roman or Ariel font, with line spacing of 1½ and justified.
References must include academic sources.
No more than 40% of references may be from the internet.
Extent of collaboration allowed
You not permitted to collaborate whatsoever, it is an individual assignment, and you are solely responsible for producing an original piece of work.
What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)
• Identify, formulate and justify adequately, the constituent elements of your marketing plan and propose acceptable strategic recommendations to take the organisation forward.
• Apply an in-depth knowledge of marketing theories to evaluate, to an acceptable level, alternative solutions in solving problems.
• Satisfactorily adapt your strategy, introducing and involving high level activities relating to data collection, analyses, synthesis, and reporting for complex purposes.
How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?
Please refer to all class notes, class discussions, guidance and feedback provided
How does assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?
The unit enable you to analyse and critically assess recurrent marketing related problems, challenges, and opportunities using conceptual tools and frameworks for effective decision-making.
It also develops your ability to analyse and evaluate current marketing perspectives against relevant research literature. Thus, preparing and equipping you with the skills to evaluate and recommend a variety of marketing strategies, tactics and plans that harmonise the organisation’s objectives, capabilities and resources with marketplace needs.
Relevance
The appropriate marketing of services and products is an increasingly vital ingredient for organisational success. An effective manager requires a variety of marketing strategies, tactics, and plans that harmonise the organisation’s objectives, capabilities, and resources with marketplace needs or political directives and opportunities. In particular, marketing managers have to develop skills in the development, planning and implementation of marketing programmes thus providing a competitive edge for the company or formal recognition as a high-quality organisation and the trust of your stakeholder groups. These skills are reinforced by awareness and understanding of the complex nature of the interface between organisation and customer, service users or communities in what is widely recognised as an increasingly turbulent socio-economic and business environment.
• Differentiating and positioning the marketing offer
• Developing new products and product life-cycle strategies Designing strategies for the global marketplace
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How will my assignment be marked?
Assignment 1: Pass – 40-49% Pass – 50-59% Commendation – 60-69% Distinction– 70%+
UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPANY/
ENVIRONMENT
(20%) A SUBMISSION WILL PASS IF THEY DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, SUPPORED BY SOME READING, OF THE COMPANY AND THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. THESE SUBMISSIONS MAY BE CHARACTERISED BY OVERLY DESCRIPTIVE DISCUSSIONS
A HIGHER LEVEL PASS WILL BE GAINED BY THOSE SUMISSIONS WHICH SHOW EVIDENCE OF READING FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, WITH AN ATTEMPT TO REFLECT AND ANALYSE THESE
GOOD SUBMISSIONS WILL HAVE USED A VARIETY OF SOURCES AND CONTAIN REFLECTION SHOWING INSIGHT AND APPLICATION.
BREADTH, DEPTH & INTEGRATION OF LITERATURE/EXAMPLES INTO WORK IS ABOVE AVERAGE.
THE HIGHEST MARKS WILL BE AWARDED TO SUBMISSION WHICH AVOID BASIC DESCRIPTION, HAVE CONSULTED A RANGE OF SOURCES, AND PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW WHICH DEMONSTRATES UNDERSTANDING, APPLICATION AND ANALYSIS
APPLICATION TO MARKETING MODELS
(30%) FOR A PASS THERE MUST BE EVIDENCE THAT THE STUDENT HAS THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE MARKETING TOOLS BEING USED (PESTLE AND SWOT). HOWEVER THE WEAKER SUBMISSION MAY NOT PROPERLY APPLY THESE TOOLS TO THE CHOSEN SITUATION. THERE MAY BE TOO LITTLE LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE RESEARCH, THE PESTLE AND THE SWOT
A REASONABLE SUBMISSION MUST SHOW EVIDENCE OF AN ABILITY TO APPLY THE PESTLE AND SWOT TOOLS, AND TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ARGUMENTS BEING PRESENTED. THERE WILL BE SOME LINKAGE BETWEEN THE RESEARCH AND THE MARKETING TOOLS PRESENTED
GOOD SUBMISSIONS WILL HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS/ CRITICAL EVALUATION AND/OR REFLECTION. EVIDENCE/REFERENCES WILL BE PROVIDED TO JUSTIFY THE POINTS BEING MADE. SOME IDEAS/POINTS COULD BENEFIT FROM FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND/OR EVALUATION/COMPARISON. THERE WILL BE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE REPORET
THE HIGHEST MARKS WILL BE AWARDED TO SUBMISSIONS WHICH HAVE EXCELLENT LEVELS OF DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS/ CRITICAL EVALUATION AND/OR REFLECTION. THERE WILL BE A CLEAR LOGICAL STRUCTURE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE REPORT
CONCLUSION
(10%) AN ATTEMPT TO CONCLUDE BUT MAY SIMPLY REPEAT EARLIER PARTS OF THE REPORT WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS KEY POINTS. INCLUSION OF RECOMMENDATIONS WILL NOT BE APPROPRIATE. THERE SHOULD BE CLEAR LINKS WTH EARLIER DISCUSSION, WHICH MAY NOT BE APPARENT AT THIS LEVEL
A REASONABLE SUBMISSION WILL HAVE IDENTIFIED THE KEY FINDINGS IN THE CONCLUSION. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE. IT MAY BE THAT THERE IS A NEED TO MORE CLOSELY LINK BACK TO THE EARLIER DISCUSSION GOOD SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS KEY FINDINIGS, SHOWING CLEAR AND LOGICAL LINKAGE WITH THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION
THE BEST SUBMISSIONS WILL PRODUCE CONCLUSIONS THAT CAN STAND ALONE FOR A READER, WHICH SHOW CLEAR LINKAGES TO THE EARLIER DISCUSSION, AND HIGHLIGHT THE CRITICIAL FACTORS COVERED IN THE REPORT
RESEARCH
(25%) MINIMAL NUMBERS OF SOURCES WILL HAVE BEEN USED BUT BIBLIOGRAPHIES WILL NOT BE EXTENSIVE, AND REFERENCING IN THE REPORT WILL BE MINIMAL. SOME SOURCES MAY NOT BE PARTICULARLY RELEVANT AND THERE MAY BE LITTLE IN-TEXT REFERENCING
APPROPRIATE SOURCES WILL HAVE BEEN USED, BUT THESE MAY NOT BE EXTENSIVE AND/OR NOT PROPERLY REFERENCED IN THE DISCUSSION A REASONABLE NUMBER OF APPROPRIATE SOURCES WILL HAVE BEEN CONSULTED, REFLECTOIN ON THESE SOURCES WILL HAVE TAKEN PLACE, AND ALL REFERENCING WILL BE APPROPRIATE HARVARD REFERENCING SOURCES USED WILL BE EXTENSIVE AND RELEVANT; DISCUSSION WILL DRAW ON THESE SOURCES, SHOWING AN ABILITY TO READ, UNDERSTAND, REFLECT AND APPLY; HARVARD WILL HAVE BEEN USED APPROPRIATELY
PRESENTATION STYLE AND STRUCTURE
(15%)
BASIC STRUCTURE USED. WEAKER SUBMISSIONS ARE UNCLEAR, AMBIGUOUS, AND NOT AT AN APPROPRIATE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.
INCLUDES GRAMMATICAL AND/OR SPELLING ERRORS.
AN ACCEPTABLE SUBMISSION WILL HAVE A CLEAR STRUCTURE FOLLOWING GUIDANCE GIVEN. WRITING CAN BE GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE READER BUT IS OCCASIONALLY UNCLEAR AND CAN CONTAIN SOME SPELLING AND/OR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
A STRONG SUBMISSION WILL HAVE CLEAR PRESENTATION AND STRUCTURE, LOGICAL PARAGRAPHING, FLUENT ACADEMIC WRITING STYLE.
OVERALL THERE WILL BE VERY FEW GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND/OR SPELLING MISTAKES. THE STRONGEST SUBMISSIONS WILL BE REPORTS THAT HAVE PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION AND STRUCTURE WITH AN ARTICULATE AND FLUENT ACADEMIC WRITING STYLE. THERE WILL BE FEW IF ANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, ONLY MINOR ONES, AND NONE THAT AFFECT HOW COMMUNICATION IS ESTABLISHED WITH THE READER