UWBS038g Assessment Briefing for Students

UWBS038g Assessment Briefing for Students
Assessment brief number: Assessment 1

Module leader:    Dr Mohammad Mahdi        email address: [email protected]
Academic Year: 2015/16
Semester 1
Module assessment detail (approved at validation as amended by module modification)
Module code & title    5MK006    Marketing Planning
Module Learning outcomes:         Tick ()
if tested here
LO1    Demonstrate an understanding of what is involved in Marketing Planning across a wide range of businesses customers and the required knowledge about the market environment, customers and competitors.
LO2    Demonstrate the ability to research data and information sources appropriate for a specific marketing situation.
LO3    Discuss the roles of the various stages of marketing planning process and their inter-links leading to the creation of an effective written marketing plan.    x
LO4    Develop appropriate plans of monitoring, implementation and control system for a marketing plan including identifying the required success measurements.    x
Assessment types    Weightings (%)
An individual report for Conducting Situational Analysis       40%

Assessment type, weighting and LOs tested by this assessment indicated in the shaded area above by a
Important requirements
Mode of Working:              Individual
Presentation Format:             Written report
Method of Submission:             Electronic Submission via WOLF and
Paper Copy for Submission to MX student Office
Mark required to pass this coursework:     40%

Hand in date & time    Friday 20th November 2015 by 12 noon
Date & method by which you will receive feedback    4 weeks from the submission date

Resit/retrieval date    Friday 15th July 2016 by 12 noon
Assessment limits (in accordance with UWBS assessment tariff)
No more than: 1,800 words, excluding appendices

Do clearly state your student number when submitting work but do not indicate your name.
Always keep a copy of your work.
Always keep a file of working papers (containing, for instance, working notes, copied journal article and early drafts of your work, etc.) that show the development of your work and the sources you have used. You may need to show this to tutor at some point so notes should be clear and written in English. This is an important requirement. There may be circumstances where it is difficult to arrive at a mark for your work. If this is so you may be asked to submit your file within 3 working days and possibly meet with your tutor to answer questions on your submission.
Explanation of submission requirements and further guidance

•    Assessments are subject to a word limit to ensure consistency of approach across all modules. Your work should not exceed the limit indicated (excluding references and appendices). Do not feel that you have to “achieve” this word count in your work.  What is important is that the work satisfies the stated learning outcomes which are articulated through the assessment criteria (see following page).
•    Care is taken to ensure that work has been marked correctly. Checks are conducted by both a second lecturer and an independent expert from outside the University on batches of work.
•    Your work will not be returned to you but you will receive detailed feedback explaining how your mark has been arrived at and how your work could have been improved upon.
•    Always use the Harvard style referencing system. The University’s Learning Information Services have produced a series of guides covering a range of topics to support your studies and develop your academic skills including a guide to Harvard referencing http://www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/skills_for_learning/study_guides.aspx
•    Expensive or elaborate bindings and covers for submissions are not required in most instances. (Refer to guidelines however in the case of dissertations).
•    The Business School has a policy of anonymous marking of individual assessments which applies to most modules.  You should not identify yourself directly in the work you submit and you may need to use phrases such as “the author of this assignment ….”in the detail of your submission.
Avoid academic misconduct
Warning: Collusion, plagiarism and cheating are very serious offences that can result in a student being expelled from the University.  The Business School has a policy of actively identifying students who engage in academic misconduct of this nature and routinely applying detection techniques including the use of sophisticated software packages.
•    Avoid Collusion. The Business School encourages group working, however to avoid collusion always work on your own when completing individual assessments.  Do not let fellow students have access to your work at any stage and do not be tempted to access the work of others.  Refer to your module tutor if you do not understand or you need further guidance.
•    Avoid Plagiarism. You must use available and relevant literature to demonstrate your knowledge of a subject, however to avoid plagiarism you must take great care to acknowledge it properly. Plagiarism is the act of stealing someone else’s work and passing it off as your own.  This includes incorporating either unattributed direct quotation(s) or substantial paraphrasing from the work of another/others.  For this reason it is important that you cite all the sources whose work you have drawn on and reference them fully in accordance with the Harvard referencing standard. (This includes citing any work that you may have submitted yourself previously).   Extensive direct quotations in assessed work is ill advised because it represents a poor writing style, and it could lead to omission errors and a plagiarism offence could be committed accidentally.
•    Avoid the temptation to “commission” work or to cheat in other ways. There are temptations on the internet for you to take “short cuts”. Do not be tempted to either commission work to be completed on your behalf or search for completed past academic work.
When you submit your work you will be required to sign an important declaration that the submission is your own work, any material you have used has been acknowledged and referenced,  you have not allowed another student to have access to your work, the work has not been submitted previously, etc.
Assessment Brief / Task
The detailed requirements for this task are as follows:
As a member of a marketing team involved in the preparation of an effective marketing plan, you have been tasked with conducting an extensive market research on one of the listed companies below. Your research will cover the UK market only and will include researching the company’s products, customers and its main competitors.  Your research should specifically address the following two tasks:
•    Carry out a Situational Analysis of the UK market for your allocated company.
•    Based on your research, segment the market for your chosen company using appropriate segmentation variables. Identify 3 target markets that you think would be the most appropriate for the chosen company to target. Suggest possible positioning strategies for the three target markets.
Your report should utilise a range of perspectives and illustrate points made. As for the allocation of the company this is based on the last digit of your student number and as specified below:
Schuh Shoes      www.schuh.co.uk
Individual Report Structure
You are strongly advised to follow the report structure below.
Front Page
This should contain the following information: module code & name, the name of your allocated company, your student number (but not your name as the report will be blind marked), and the word count of each part of the report.
Second Page
This should be the Table of Contents page
Third Page: Executive Summary
Executive Summary (200 words maximum but will not be part of the word count). This is normally written after all sections of the report have been completed and includes the essential details of the report, such as:
•    Highlight of main points
•    Major findings
•    Main conclusion points
Fourth Page: Introduction
This will be about paragraph or so to act as a brief introduction of your allocated company and the business it is in. Any further detailed information on the company should be placed in an appendix.
Fifth Page: Situational Analysis (start this section on a new page)
(This is based on session slides of weeks 2 & 3, student activities and the corresponding chapters of the recommended for reading marketing texts and journal articles).
Hint: You should conduct secondary market research on your company through the use of published research reports such as Mintel and Key Note reports. For example, if the main area of your company’s business is catering then search Mintel and Key Note reports for information on the size of the market, product types, customers, competitors, etc. The company’s website should offer information on the product range, which can be viewed as current market segments targeted by the company. In answering this section you are strongly advised to follow this structure:
(1) Market analysis: provide some relevant information on the market in which the company operates within such as market trends, product range, consumers/customers, etc.
(2) SWOT analysis: place the most important points for each element of the company’s SWOT in a matrix table and leave the rest of your research on SWOT in an appendix,
(3) PLEST analysis: state the most important points for each element of the company’s PLEST and leave the rest of your research on PLEST in an appendix.
(4) Competitive analysis: state the main strengths and weaknesses of your company’s major competitors and leave the rest of the competitive research in an appendix.
Sixth Page: Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning (start this section on a new page)
(This is based on session slides of week 4, student activities and the corresponding chapters of the recommended for reading marketing texts and journal articles).
This section is based on the findings of your previous section. First of all, you should understand marketing segmentation theory really well as this will provide you with the knowledge of identifying the company’s current market segments in terms of the segment variables used. Start your answer by brief explanation of segmentation and the main segmentation variables. Then you will be required to identify 3 segments not currently targeted by the company and justify your reasons for their selection. Finally, you are required to develop appropriate positioning strategies (as discussed in the class) for your 3 chosen segments.
References (not part of the word count)
Use marketing textbooks and academic journal articles as sourced materials You must use the Harvard Citation and Referencing System. The Learning Centres of the University of Wolverhampton have produced a document called Harvard Referencing Guide which contains useful information supported by clear examples on how to cite and reference sources using the Harvard System. You can find this by following the link at: www.wlv.ac.uk/lib or see Module Resources folder for a copy of it.
Appendices
Append information you see as relevant to your report and part of your secondary research. Appendices are not part of the word count.
The following information is important when:
Preparing for your assessment
Checking your work before you submit it
Interpreting feedback on your work after marking
Subject Specific
•    Have you carried out extensive research on the company, product and competitors?
•    A good analysis should include comparisons of the sectors in the markets using appropriate tools and techniques. Have you done that?
•    Have you understood the principles (theory & application) of segmentation, targeting and positioning?
•    Have you identified the underlying marketing issues facing the company and the best possible options of dealing with them?
•    Have you collected the necessary data, statistics and other information to support your answer / recommendations?
•    Have you planned for the best organisation and time management to complete the report successfully?
General
•    Have you written your report in the third person?
•    Have you used 1.5 or double line space, Arial font style and 12 point font size?
•    Does your report comply with the maximum word limit stated on page 1 (excluding any tables, graphs or figures)?
•    Have you appended photocopies of any data, statistics and information you used in your report?
•    Have you kept an electronic copy of your report in case the submitted copy is lost or misplaced?
Construction
•    Is there a clear structure to your report?
•    Have you provided an Executive Summary to your report?
•    Have you concluded by summarising your argument?
•    Is your report well presented in terms of layout, fonts, and spacing?
Intellectual argument
•    Have you supported your analysis with appropriate evidence?
•    Is the argument clear and structured?
Source materials
•    Are the materials you have used properly acknowledged in your work?
•    Does your work clearly identify author names, dates and page numbers as specified in the Harvard system standards?
•    Can all you references be traced to your bibliography?
•    Has the bibliography been prepared to Harvard system standards?
Overall review
•    Re-read the requirements in the assignment brief. Have you answered each of the listed tasks?
•    Now look at your completed report. Would you say that you have demonstrated achievement of the learning outcomes and met the assessment criteria?
•    Refer to the marking criteria below and decide realistically the mark you want to achieve. Do the descriptors associated with that mark correspond with your work? If not what adjustments do you need to make?
Assessment Criteria
The module Learning Outcomes tested by this assessment task are indicated on page 1. The precise criteria against which your work will be marked is as follows:
•    Appropriateness of the methods and techniques used for analysing the marketing environments.
•    The extent of research and analysis of the relevant market.
•    The development and justification of the proposed segmentation, targeting and positioning within the marketing plan for the success of the chosen brand/product.
•    Communicate effectively: report writing skill, including report presentation

Performance descriptors
Performance descriptors indicate how marks will be arrived at against each of the above criteria. The descriptors indicate the likely characteristics of work that is marked within the percentage bands indicated.
5MK006 Assignment 1 – Assessment Criteria and Performance Descriptors
Assessment criteria    70-100%
Work of an outstanding, excellent and very good standard.
60-69%
Work of a good standard.     50-59%
Work of a competent standard.     40-49%
Work of a satisfactory standard to pass.    30-39%
Work of an unsatisfactory standard *    0-29%
No learning outcomes fully met.
Appropriateness of the methods and techniques used for analysing the marketing environments
Outstanding demonstration of using methods and techniques appropriate and relevant for the analysis of the marketing environments of the allocated business. Excellent application of researched material and supporting material to the task.     Some clear evidence of using methods and techniques appropriate and relevant for the analysis of the marketing environments of the allocated business.
Some evidence of good application of researched material.    The extent of using methods and techniques relevant to the task is limited and not full. Limited application of researched material and/or supporting material.     Some methods and techniques are used but mainly descriptive in nature. A limited application of researched material.     A too broad use of methods and techniques in the answer. No evidence of application of researched material but merely repeats of taught input.     Little or no attempt to address the assignment brief and earning outcomes. No evidence of engaging with module  materials.

The extent of research and analysis of the relevant market.

Wide range of relevant material researched and sourced for the analysis of the company’s markets.  Very clear evidence of understanding researched materials and their application to the task.       A good range of relevant sourced materials used in the development of the answer. A clear evidence of knowledge of the researched materials and their application.      Some reading based on sourced materials but not fully utilised in the answer.   Some evidence of application to the task.    Limited reading and/or use of class and/or sourced notes. Answer lacks application and/or mainly descriptive.    Conducted research is a too basic and no attempt to analyse information. Collected sourced material is weak and / or lacks seriousness and thoroughness.      No evidence of reading and researching sourced material. No demonstration of knowledge or understanding of gathered information and data.

The development and justification of the proposed segmentation, targeting and positioning within the marketing plan for the success of the chosen brand/product.

Excellent understanding of theory and principles of STP. A very clear evidence of knowledge and application of STP to the allocated company’s markets. A fully justified and developed response including the use of relevant diagrams and examples in support of the argument.     A good understanding of theory and principles of STP. Most of main points and application of STP covered. Some good justification provided including using relevant diagrams in support of the answer.
Generally sound understanding of theory and principles of STP. Some application of STP is evidenced. A useful range of justified points provided with relevant diagrams.    Soma application of STP but with limited or little theory. Some useful assertions made but not substantiated by evidence. Answer mostly descriptive with some diagrams.     Superficial understanding of STP and without the support of theory. No evidence of knowledge of STP application. Some relevant or no diagrams. A poor answer as it lacks logic and context.    No evidence of understanding STP and theory. Extremely poor answer as it lacks clear ideas and context.
Communicate effectively: report writing skill, including report presentation
Extremely well structured, organised and has professional appearance. Excellent fluid writing style, virtually free from grammatical and spelling errors. Written in the third person and referenced according to the Harvard Referencing System.     Generally good use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Ideas clearly explained. Written in the third person. Some small repeated errors in grammar and the use of Harvard Referencing.     Grammatically competent but some repeated errors in referencing or grammar. Some clumsiness in expression. Not all written in third person. Harvard Referencing not fully adhered to.     Errors in grammar, punctuation and/or spelling. Clumsiness of expression. Some attempt at referencing. Sources usually given but not systematically or consistently.    Many errors in grammar, punctuation and/or spelling. Possible use of extensive quoted passages. No attempt at referencing. No Harvard referencing. Not written in the third person.     Poorly written. No structure. Limited or no references. Not adhering to the Harvard Referencing.

To help you further:
•    Refer to the WOLF topic for contact details of your module leader/tutor, tutorial inputs, recommended reading and other sources, etc.   Resit details will also appear on WOLF.
•    The University’s Learning Information Services offer support and guidance to help you with your studies and develop your academic skills http://www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/skills_for_learning/study_guides.aspx

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