Reference no: EM132352358 , Length: word count:1500
Marketing Assignment - Case Study Analysis
Aim: The primary aim of this assignment is to explore your capacity to analyse the marketing strategies and marketing processes of real organisations and determine their effectiveness. It also aims to determine your ability to analyse such practical matters using early concepts (such as marketing intelligence, market segmentation and target marketing to name a few examples) covered in the formative weeks of the unit.
Core Task: Basing your arguments on the academic literature that you have studied in the first four topics of this unit, write a report on the ways two different organisations have been able to compete in their markets. Your report should discuss the following points about each of the two organisations:
1. Evidence that the organisation has a gain a competitive advantage from their marketing processes.
2. Theoretical analysis of the reasons for the achievement of this advantage.
Your discussion is to be based on two suitable published case studies. This means case studies published in the academic literature - for example, the series of case studies in a textbook, or published in journals etc. Case studies and short articles in newspapers, magazines, website opinion pages and the like are definitely not acceptable, although such materials may be used to supplement the published case study and your analysis. All sources must be properly referenced. If in any doubt about the suitability of a case study, seek an early ruling from your local lecturer/tutor.
This is a substantial piece of scholarly work and will require extensive engagement with both unit theory and at least two detailed case studies.
Process:
1. Choose your two cases. They all need to be published cases in academic sources (e.g. textbooks, journal articles). It is obviously important that each case represents an instance of a company achieving a clear success in terms of their marketing function.
2. Analyse and locate evidence. Begin to analyse each case in terms of the two questions - particularly question one listed previous. It is vital that you respond to both questions, but the evidence successful marketing practice is more likely to be in the case material itself. It is in this part of the process that you might bring in supplemental material from company documents/websites, media analysis and so on. Be sure to reference all sources properly. You need to try and show clear and where possible objective evidence of sustained competitive advantage.
3. Analyse and explain. You need to move from the presentation of evidence to explaining how the company/organisation was able to achieve its success through its strategies. This part of the assignment requires you to consider any aspect of the marketing strategy process and/or any aspect of the organisations' marketing-based strategising that you think has enabled them to sustain their competitive advantage. You will need to show that you understand relevant theories and concepts from the course and that you can apply them to an analysis and assessment of different companies' marketing actions and performance. Consider using relevant models and theoretical perspectives to make your analysis. For example, you might find that one successful organisation has executed its marketing strategy by applying Ansoff's Matrix in a disciplined manner, whereas another successful organisation has executed a successful marketing strategy by consistently exploiting some interesting form of customer segmentation. You may find an opportunity to critique various concepts and theoretical positions through seeing how they apply or don't apply to your case organisations. Evidence that you understand and can use tools discussed in the early topics of the unit will add value.
4. Write up. On completing your analysis, you obviously need to write it up. You should respond to this task in report format, with headings and subheadings used to help readers understand the structure of your paper. A possible structure might be:
a. An introduction which both sets up the task and the rest of the paper, and introduces the core concepts that the task is designed to deal with. You might also take this chance to scope the work - for example the time frame that will be used to assess the marketing success for the case organisations.
b. Description of the two cases. Describe each case, each organisation and the sources of your information.
c. Evidence of Marketing-related success (leading through to a competitive advantage for the firm). Marshal all the evidence that you can that you think reveals that each organisation has well and truly found success in the marketing realm.
d. Analysis and Explanation. Provide a detailed analysis of how each organisation achieved its success in marketing terms.
e. Conclusion. Summarise the key points and what can be learnt from the overall analysis.
Please select two Case Studies which are one from Toyota and another from ALDI because i have chosen these two companies for the assessment. From these two case study of Toyota and ALDI we need to do as per the requirement there are 6parts on the assignment .
1) Introduction part you need to write on topic for 150 words but don't explain about the company. Just explain on the topic and regarding the question. (150 words only)
2) Write about the case study 1 (company A "TOYOTA) don't make charts and bla just write on paragraphs. here just explain about the maketing process of company by giving an example of how they got a successful story and by which marketing strategy ,also explain competitive gain and support from the research .this must be linking to your topic or question.( see the structure requirement of the assement) (150 words).
3) Write same thing like in paragraph 3 but about company B which is ALDI. (150 words)
4) Explain the sustained marketing success for each case study by giving the expamples along with the refrences and support competitive advantage also. (400 words)
5) Explain the sustained marketing success of each organization here link these to theories like PESTLE and SWOT analysis. Show how company have used these theories. USE THE ANALYTICAL TOOLS TO ASSESS MARKETING RELATED STRATEGIES. Don't write on bullet points just explain it on paragraphs (500 words).
6) Sum up the key points from each section the main reasons for competitive advantage and lessons learnt from the overall analysis. Don't write any new information here in conclusion (150 words).
Basic REPORT Structure for Case Study Analysis -
1. Cover sheet
2. Title page
3. Introduction - 150 words
Beginning of essay or report: Introduce topic - move from general to more specific; give brief background, explain why marketing is important, scope of report, core concepts and companies. Tell the reader what the report will cover (This report will analyse the marketing strategies of.....)
4. Body - 1200 words
Section 1 - Key point case study 1: Describe company A context; give examples of marketing process, explain competitive gain and support from theory/research using references. Explain reasons for advantage. Link back to your main topic.
Section 2 - Key point case study 2: Describe company B context, give examples of marketing process, explain competitive gain and support from theory/research using references. Explain reasons for advantage. Link back to your main topic.
Section 3 - Key point 3 marketing success evidence: Discuss / explain sustained marketing success for each case/organisation; give detailed and objective examples/ support of competitive advantage from research studies with references.
Section 4 - Key point 4: analysis and explanation: explain sustained marketing success of each organisation; links to theories, models and concepts to explain success; apply theories/concepts to cases; use of analytical tools to assess marketing- related strategies.
5. Conclusion - 150 words
Conclusion - sum up key points from each section, the main reasons for competitive advantage and lessons learnt from the overall analysis. No new information in the conclusion!
6. Reference list.