Task Description:
The purpose of the Case Study is for students to demonstrate their understanding of the functional purpose of an integrated marketing mix. Students are required to use marketing theory as a framework for the presentation of their Case Study. This theory can be sourced from the prescribed text, and importantly from peer-reviewed journal articles, which are available from the library databases.
Once chosen, students are required to undertake their own research into how the New Product is marketed to consumers in Australia. This research should be conducted using only publicly available sources (e.g., websites, trade journals, industry reports, magazine articles, blogs, reviews), and students’ own observations.
The following guidelines can be used to structure the Case Study document:
1. Introduce the marketing concepts that will be addressed in the Case Study (Target Market, Value Proposition and Marketing Mix), and the chosen New Product.
2. Use marketing theory to discuss the purpose of Market Segmentation. Based on insights gained from your case research, use Table 6.1 (see below) as a tool to construct a ‘profile’ of who you perceive to be the New Product’s Target Market. That is, link perceived consumer characteristics to specific segmentation variables and explain ‘who’ the New Product is targeting.
3. Use marketing theory to discuss the importance of identifying and reinforcing a products’ Value Proposition. Using evidence from Case research, clearly identify and discuss the chosen New Product’s Value Proposition and perceptual ‘positioning’ in the market.
4. Integrate marketing theory and evidence from Case research to discuss the function of the Product element of the marketing mix. In particular, identify and focus discussion on the Product elements that communicate the New Product’s Value Proposition to the Target Market.
5. Integrate marketing theory and evidence from Case research to discuss the function of the Price element of the marketing mix. In particular, identify and focus discussion on those elements of Pricing that communicate the New Product’s Value Proposition to the Target Market.
6. Integrate marketing theory and evidence from Case research to discuss the function of the Place element of the marketing mix. In particular, identify and focus discussion on those elements of Placement that communicate the New Product’s Value Proposition to the Target Market.
7. Integrate marketing theory and evidence from Case research to discuss the function of the Promotion element of the marketing mix. In particular, identify and focus discussion on those elements of Promotion that communicate the New Product’s Value Proposition to the Target Market.
8. Conclude with a summary opinion on how effective you believe the elements of the Marketing Mix have been integrated to deliver the Value Proposition to the Target Market.
The case study should be presented in essay format (introduction, body and conclusion), using 12 point font with 1.5 or double line spacing (headings can be used to help structure content). Page numbers must be used. For this assessment item, students are to use the prescribed text, plus a minimum of FOUR (4) academic references (peer-reviewed journal articles), in addition to the secondary sources from which the New Product case information is sourced (e.g., Internet, personal observation).
Task Length: 2200 words Maximum.