Papers must be at least 10 pages long and no longer than 15 pages not including Cover page or references. APA format required! I doubt you will have trouble meeting this requirement!
At a minimum, you must address the following questions/issues
How was the general idea for this product developed? Was it developed in-house, by an inventor, as a response to customer suggestions, etc.? Give me a history of this product.
Who was the intended target market? What were their needs? How did the company find out about the target market’s needs (research, comments, etc.)? Was this market sizable enough to support the product? Why or why not? How big was the market? Give me numbers.
Who were the main competitors (at a minimum, select the three closest competitors)? What products did they offer? What were their marketing strategies (target markets, price, product, channels, promotion, etc.)? Don’t neglect this section!
Describe each of the components in the marketing mix (product, price, place, promotion) for this product. Did they all fit/work together?
Was the product/service successful? Why or why not? Give me proof (with references), not just your own opinion.
Give me your assessment of this product/service. Would you have marketed it? What changes, if any, would you have made?
. I expect to see evidence that you made contact with the company via interviews, as well as through written references/sources. You must have a minimum of five references (catalogs and other organizational documents may be included here, but look for articles from peer-reviewed trade journals and newspapers, as well). Do not rely solely on corporate materials or internet information—you must have some references that are unrelated to the company (in other words, go to the library page and look up some information on this company/product). Be sure to follow appropriate guidelines for citing quotations and references. Your grade will be based on the following:
Comprehensiveness–How many aspects of marketing have you taken into consideration? Are any important areas/concepts missing?
Thoroughness–How thoroughly have you covered each of these areas? Do you incorporate information from class and/or the text?
Effort–Does your project reflect your best effort? Did you just do the minimum amount required, or did you go beyond the call of duty
Rationale–How much insight do you contribute to the paper? Are your comments well-reasoned? Do you illustrate that you understand what marketing is all about
Other criteria–Grammar, lateness, etc. Remember the penalty for late papers!
If you complete the basic requirements as outlined on this syllabus, you can be sure of receiving at least a C/C+ on your project. Next, I look for factors that show above-average understanding and effort—a B/B+ grade. An A grade is reserved for papers which are truly outstanding in terms of synthesis of material; insights the author(s) brings to the project; effort involved in gathering research material, and quality of writing.
