ROBERT KENNEDY COLLEGE/CUMBRIA

MARKETING MANAGEMENT FIRST ASSESSMENT

Due Date: Sunday, May 31st, 11:59 PM Zurich Time

Please read these instructions carefullyand ask questions if you are unsure about anything.Most errors occur because instructions are not followed. Before you submit your assignment, reread the instructions to make sure you have fulfilled all the requirements.

You are a marketing consultant hired to create a sustainable marketing plan for an organization of your choice. This first assessment tests your ability to research and analyze the corporation and its stakeholders; the final assessment will test your ability to use your research and analysis to create a plan for the same organization.

Organization Selection

You may select ANY organizationas long as it meets these 5 criteria:

  1. It can NOTbe an organization discussed in class, such as Fiji Water, Better World Books, or RKC.
  2. It can NOT be a company you have ever worked for or owned, past or present. You need to show that you can analyze outside organizations. However, you can select one of your company's competitors.
  3. It may be for-profit or non-profit. It may even be an idea (like literacy) or a person (like a celebrity).
  4. If you select a large multinational corporation, pick just ONEof its products in just ONE of its markets. For example, AppleCorporation is too large for a short paper; the iPhone in China ismore manageable.
  5. Make sure you can find enough information about the organization. This is critical. Many students complain at the last minute that they can't find any information online or from other people. Don't complain — just pick another organization, and start researching as soon as possible. Don't wait until next week to discover you don't have enough sources to support your paper. Consider analyzing a B-Corporation, since there is often more written about them online, although financial data may not be very available.

Required Elements

For each question, provide specific details and data, and support your arguments with research and references.

I. Cover Sheet. Do NOT include your name here or anywhere in your paper. Be sure to include a title (including the name of the organization) and the date you completed your paper.

II. Introduction.Describe your organization in approximately two or three sentences for the benefit of the reader. Keep this brief!

III. Triple Bottom Line Analysis (50 points).Be very specific about this if you can.

a)Profit: How is your organization performing financially? Show key facts and numbers, state whether you think it is under-performing or over-performing, and why.

b)Planet: How is your organization performing in terms of environmental impact? Show key facts and numbers, state whether you think it is net-negative or net-positive on this bottom line, and why.

c)People: How is your organization performing in terms of social impact? Show key facts and numbers, state whether you think it is net-negative or net-positive on this bottom line, and why.

IV. 4C's Stakeholders Analysis (50 points).Be very specific about this too. You're being asked to conduct market research here, not write an essay about business in general.

a)Company Analysis: This is NOT a company history. Rather, list your organization's key internal stakeholders, and critically evaluate ONE in detail, looking particularly at who they are andwhat they want.

b)Community Analysis:List your organization's significantexternal stakeholders (other than competitors or customers, which you will analyze below), and critically evaluate ONEin detail.

c)Customer Analysis:List your organization's target customer segments, and critically evaluate ONE in detail. Include BOTH quantitative details (demographics, financial data, etc.) and qualitative details (needs, habits, etc.).

d)Competitor Analysis:List the organization's competitors (direct and a few indirect), and describe ONE in detail, including their strengths and weaknesses.nb everyone has competitors.

V. Reference Notes + Bibliography. Minimum 5 authoritative and relevant sources. Include reference notes in the body of the paper (for example: Costa 2008) with a complete bibliography at the end.Be sure to use the proper Harvard reference formatting discussed in the Expectations + Guidelines for the course. Points will be deducted for incorrect referencing and for citing poor sources (absolutely no Wikipedia).

Important Notes

  • The first assessment accounts for 30% of your total course grade.
  • Please write your paper in clearly marked sections, not as one continuous essay.Please stick to the order presented in this assignment sheet. Do not add unnecessary sections.
  • Your word limit for this paper is 2000 words. Since your words are limited, do not waste them by providinggeneral marketing definitions or theories —just conduct your analysis of your specific company and your specific stakeholders.Your cover sheet, reference notes, and bibliography do NOT count toward your word total. Words in tables, charts, and the introduction DO count.
  • Upload your completed midterm as a .doc or .docx (NOT PDF) through the RKC system. Do NOT email it to your professor or post it to the forum.
  • Turn in your paper on time (before 11:59 pm, 31st May 2015, Zurich Time). Meeting deadlines is critical in business, and late papers will be penalized. Papers more than one week late will not be accepted. Start early and do not procrastinate. There will be no extensions except for medical and similar emergencies. Due to unpredictable Internet service, you should upload your paper at least two days before the deadline.
  • Clarity is important. We do not expect perfect English, but please proofread your work to eliminate confusing passages and major errors.

DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!

Plagiarism has been described in the RKC forum, and in the Expectations + Guidelines of this course. The paper should be in your own words. Quotes should be LIMITED and have quotation marks (""). And all of your sources must be referenced, even if you take just one word, fact, or number from them.

All those negative notes aside, please select an organization that interests you so that researching them proves valuable and even enjoyable...

Bon voyage!

Marketing First Assessment | Page 1 of 2