Due Date – you have two weeks to work on the assignment, but do not procrastinate.  You will need the full two weeks.  The assignment is due at the end of Week 4.

Student Instructions: Use the marketing template created in Assignment 1 and begin filling in the following information about the organization and products and/or services you will focus on as you develop a complete marketing plan throughout the course. You may need to do research to get answers to the questions below. Be sure the organization and offering you select will 1) remain interesting to you for the duration of the course, and 2) have sufficient information available for you to conduct research and make informed recommendations in your marketing plan.

Note – at this point you do not have to fully complete all of the sections, you can continue working on them throughout the course.  For this assignment you will be graded on the Company Profile which must be complete.  The other areas must contain some basic information that you have obtained to date in your research.

Company Profile

• Company Name:
• Industry:
• Major products and/or services (names, types):
• Products and/or services your marketing plan will focus on:
• Target customers:
• Distribution channel(s):
• Headquarters (city, state, country):
• Year founded:
• Number of employees:
• Annual revenue (estimated)
• Key competitors:
• Link to Web site:
• Link to Yahoo! Finance information page (for public companies):

Market Segmentation and Targeting

• What problem does your product or service solve?
• Describe the total market for your solution: Who are potential customers?
• What are the key segments within this market?
• Identify and briefly describe 1–3 segments that this company serves.
• Which segment does this marketing plan focus on, and why? Why do you believe this segment will offer growth and profit opportunities?

Situation and Company Analysis

Economic Environment

Discuss factors that affect your consumers’ purchasing power and spending patterns. What is the economic environment that you are operating in? Is it a growth, recovery or recession? Will it be easy to find staff? What is the current interest rate i.e. is it increasing or decreasing? What is consumer confidence like?

Technical Environment

The technological environment changes rapidly. You need to make sure that you are aware of trends in your industry and other industries could affect your business. New technologies create new markets and can influence you consumers and competitors.  Industry environment What are the trends in your industry? Are there new entrants in the market? Has a substitute product been introduced? Are there changes in industry practices or new benchmarks to use?

Competitive Environment

How many competitors do you have? Who are the key competitors? What are the key selling points or competitive advantages of each one. What is your advantage over competitors? Is the market large enough to support you and competitors?

Political Environment

Consider the political environment for the areas that your business will trade and operate in. Is there a stable political system? Are there any licenses and regulations that you should be aware of? Do you need to win support to be able to operate?

Mission, Objectives, and Goals

State the mission or business purpose: what the organization wants to achieve, in market-oriented terms. (Example: Disney’s mission could be, “We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages.)

List 1–3 objectives that move the organization a step closer to achieving the mission. (Example: A Disney objective could be, “To be the most popular theme park for international visitors.”)

Convert objectives into specific marketing goals that are easy to measure and evaluate. (Example: Our goal is to increase market share of international theme park visitors by 10% in the next two years.”)

Marketing Plan – 125 Points

Marketing Plan – 125 Points

CriteriaRatingsPts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAssignment SUbmission

15 ptsSubmitted on Time

14 ptsSubmitted Late with Permission

12 ptsSubmitted Late at Instructor Discretion

0 ptsNo Marks

15 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeProper File and Submissio Construction

10 ptsSubmitted with specified file or format with correct naming conventions

8 ptsSubmitted with specified file structure and format but without proper naming convention.

6 ptsSubmitted with readable but non-specied or standard fiel format and/or lacking the proper file name.

0 ptsNo Marks

10 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAssignment Completeness

55 ptsAssignment contains all of the specified components that are produced with high quality research and input. A clear demonstration of time and attention are present.Full Marks

50 ptsAssignment contains most of the specified components and demonstrates that the student has conducted research and analysis on the subject. A few of the elements have been missed.

44 ptsRating DescriptionAssignment contains all of the specied elements and content but they are very limited in both quantity and quality of analysis.

38 ptsAssignment is limited and missing several of the key elements or components. The assignment reads as either rushed or limited in research.

0 ptsNo Marks

55 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePresentation Quality

45 ptsSubmission meets all criteria, matches any provided examples, contains clear and concise construction. Overall the appearance is of the highest quality.Full Marks

41 ptsSubmission meets most but not all of the criteria for construction and presentation. While the overall product shows a strong investment by the student there are a few areas lacking in attention to quality and detail.

36 ptsSubmission fails to meet the provided examples and assignment presentation instructions. However, the student has demonstrated that time has been invested to gain new perspectives.

31 ptsSubmission fails to meet the assignment presentation guidelines and represents either a rush to complete or a lack of focus on presentation quality.

0 ptsNo Marks

45 pts

Total Points: 125