MKT 3113 – Marketing
Analysis
Due: by July 2 (100 points)
This
is an individual assignment – do your own research and work. Turn
your assignment in via the Assignment link in Canvas.
Select
one of the following
companies for this assignment: Mattel or lululemon. Do research and analyze
based on their current situation. Look for investor relations for
the best information from the company web sites (e.g., Mattel,
Inc. | Corporate Website Home or Investors | lululemon).
You
should do this paper with complete sentences and paragraphs and use subheadings
for each section in the outline below to organize the assignment. Approx. 6-7
pages double-spaced. See links in Modules for APA format help.
Cite sources of information as you
write (parentheses with source following any information from that source
– not just for direct quotes). Also, include a full list of references
used at the end of the assignment (using APA format – not just web site addresses). You should
have at least three quality references (e.g., recent articles;
legitimate financial/industry websites) in addition to the company’s web
site and 10-K report (more will likely improve grade). Consult the
APA format/citation guide at the library’s web site or in the Help
Documents Module if you are not sure how to do it. *Note:
Wikipedia is not considered a valid reference in academic research. Also
avoid sources that don’t have an author and date (e.g., if someone posted
their own analysis of the company but without date or references) – unless
it is a reputable site that maintains company financials, etc.
These
are public companies with a lot of information available. The best
information on their web sites is usually under Investor Relations (often
in small print at bottom of the home page). A 10-K (or annual) report is also a great resource. For external
analysis, you will need to search articles about the industry or other
trends that could affect the company (searchable databases in the library
– see link in Help Documents). Also use the textbook if you need
explanation and examples of the terms used in the outline.
Be sure you understand and
avoid plagiarism! If you copy-paste information directly from a web
site, that can lead to an F (unless you are using it as a direct quote and
have quotation marks and proper citation – and you should not have too
many direct quotes in a paper). TurnItIn will be used to check for
plagiarism. You must cite all information in the paper that came from some
source, even if you did not use the exact wording. See the sample paper in
Help Documents for examples of citing sources.
Follow
the paper outline on the next page.
Paper Outline (do
all 3 sections, paying careful attention to the instructions)
Product-Market
Analysis
What products/services
are offered by the company (i.e., description of the product mix and main
benefits offered to customers)?
Profile
the target markets for these products (different products may
target different segments; some products target multiple market segments).
Also,
include something about the brand(s) used by the company and how
they position their brands (i.e., brand image). If doing Mattel,
include at least 3 of their major brands.
External Situation
Analysis
Who
are the main competitors and possible substitute competitors? What
are some important competitive issues or conditions to consider in this
industry?
What
current trends in the marketing environment might have an effect
(positive or negative) on this company?
See Chapter 2 for ideas on this and consider all areas of
the macroenvironment (e.g., political, culture, social, technology,
economic, demographics, natural environment). Be specific about trends in
each part of the macroenvironment (might need to scan some current news to
get some ideas of what is happening that might affect the company).
Marketing Mix
·
Discuss the other parts of the marketing mix
for the company (i.e., what kind of promotion they use, how/where the
products are distributed, and what kind of pricing approach they
use). Note: You already discussed “product” in the first part of the outline.
·
What is this company doing to be more
responsible regarding the protection or conservation of the natural
environment? (Both of these company web sites have sections on this! For Mattel, look
for Sustainability section – Sustainability
PLAYBACK | Mattel, Inc.. For lululemon,
look under Our
Planet | lululemon.
