Assignment Brief Academic Year 2021-22

Module code MG412 Principles of Marketing Module leader: Sanzida Kamal

and title:

Assignment Coursework 1: Assessment 50%

No. and type: Individual report: The weighting:
4Ps/marketing mix.
1500 words.

Submission Individual assignment Target feedback Thursday 16th December 2021

time and date: submission on by 2pm via time and date:
Turnitin on:
Tuesday 09th November 2021

Assignment task

This assignment assesses your secondary research skills and your ability to follow the rules of academic
writing. The topic is the 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion), which is also called the “marketing mix”.
You need to compare and contrast how effective the application of the 4Ps is for one pair of brands (NOT
ALL OF THEM) from the list below:

Brand A Brand B
Weetabix Kellogg’s Coco Pops

PlayStation 5 Games Console Nintendo Switch Game Console

Halo Top ice- cream Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream

Dove soap/hand wash Baylis and Harding soap/hand wash

BrewDog Beer Guinness

Fairy Washing Up Liquid Ecover Washing Up Liquid

Cadbury Dairy Milk Bar Lindt ‘Excellence’ Milk Chocolate Bar

Internal approval: Celosia Mendes 13/09/21

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This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your
achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO 1 Analyse the effectiveness of the marketing mix for any given company or brand.

LO 2 Demonstrate knowledge of STP marketing planning process

Task requirements

You need to carry out in-depth research into the brand’s target market (who they are, their likes/dislikes,
their levels of personal disposable income etc.) using market research databases – e.g. Mintel reports,
WARC and TGI. You then need to look at the brands themselves, their brand values and competitive
positioning in the market before going on to discuss their application of the 4Ps – product, price, place and
promotion. The key to getting a good mark on this is to prepare a comparative analysis. Do not describe
the brands in isolation – always look at the two together and explain why they do things differently.
This assignment should be based on secondary and observational research only. You are not required
to carry out any form of primary research. You need to research the following:

1. Target Market
You need to develop a detailed target market profile for each brand using data sources such as
Mintel, the companies’ own websites and other secondary sources. You need to think about age,
gender, personal disposable income, social class, level of education, family life cycle, lifestyles, other
brands they like, TV programmes they watch, hobbies etc.

2. Product /Brand
Using Levitt’s model of a brand, try to analyse your two selected brands (their shape, packaging,
colour scheme etc.). How different are they at the functional and emotional level? What are the
brand values that the companies are trying to portray? In addition, have a look at Aaker’s brand
personality framework to see which personality type(s) each brand follows.

3. Price
You need to carry out some on-line and in-store research to establish a market price for each of the
brands and any competing products. Display all this competitive pricing research in a table and draw
conclusions about which pricing strategy they are adopting.

4. Place (Distribution)
You need to look at channel management. Which stores stock this product? Is it a mass market
product where the company has maximised distribution outlets, or is it a luxury brand where
distribution is deliberately limited? Explain your answer. If possible, take photos of the product in-
store/on-line. What does this tell you about brand values?

5. Promotion
You need to research their past methods of communication (e.g. cinema, TV, outdoor, print, social
media, mobile, own website etc.). Which communication methods do they use to build their respective
brands? – and how do they do this? How are they positioning themselves in the minds of target
audiences? (E.g. affordable, luxury, healthy, socially conscious etc.)

You only have 1500 words for your report so you need to decide what goes in the appendices. It is suggested
that you follow this structure for your work.

Executive Summary

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THIS IS WRITTEN LAST (because it is a summary of your research) BUT IT APPEARS FIRST (before the
contents page), in order to catch the attention of the reader and encourage them to read further. It should
cover in one page or less:

 The aim of the report,

 The methods of research,
 The results (top-line summary only)
 Conclusions

Contents Page (Use the feature in Word to do this automatically)

Introduction
This should be quite brief – it’s NOT a detailed coverage of a 100 years of corporate history. It should include
the aim of the report and some background information on each of the chosen brands – I.E a brief
description of the brands with useful data such as market share, market size and trends in sales, which
you can find from the most recent Mintel reports as well as in the trade press.

Findings
Use sub-headings to make your report easier to follow. We suggest you adopt the following headings:
1. Comparison of Target Markets
2. Product - Evaluation of the Products and their Brand Values
3. Price - Evaluation of the Pricing Strategies Used
4. Place - Distribution of the Brands
5. Promotion – Communication of the Brands

You should try to put relevant raw data in the appendices with only a summary of the data in the body of the
report. Every time you state a fact e.g. market size, price data, sales etc. you must provide a referenced
source for that fact (both in the text and in the reference list based on the Harvard referencing rules). All
graphs, data, diagrams and tables should have the title on the top e.g. Figure 1: XYZ Product Category
Market Share; or if it’s a table, Table 1: XYZ Product Category Market Share with a source written directly
underneath and to the right of that table e.g. Source: Mintel (2014).

Conclusion and Recommendations

This is where you provide some element of evaluation of your research findings.
 How has each brand applied the 4P’s?
 Why have they applied the 4P’s in this way?
 Which brand has been most successful in its application of the 4P’s?
 How could each of the brands improve their use of the 4P’s?

Reference List
This should be listed alphabetically by Surname.

Appendices
Use the appendices to display any raw research data such as pricing data which the reader could not
access anywhere else.

Style Issues
 You may not write in first person – using I, me or my.
 Your report should be written in a formal business-like manner.
 You may include tables and photographs in the body of the report, but they must all include a title
(above and to the left) and the source (below and to the right)

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Referencing and research requirements

Please reference your work according to the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online
(http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and
Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 11th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan. Copies are available via the University library.

More than 10 references are required and from a variety of sources suitable for use in H.E.

How your work will be assessed

Your work will be assessed against the assessment criteria which have been provided at the end of this
brief.

These criteria have been designed specifically for this assignment and are intended to measure the extent
to which you have demonstrated your achievement of its associated learning outcomes (see above). They
have been aligned with the institutional grade descriptor appropriate for your level.

The assessment criteria provide a basis for fair and consistent marking and indicate what is expected of
you in this assignment. It is strongly recommended that you engage with them while you are working on
the assignment and use them in combination with any feedback you receive once your work has been
marked to help you plan for future learning and development.

Specific guidance is detailed below.

Research Skills 25%

You need to demonstrate that you have spent at least a month working on this report. To do this, you need
to provide evidence in the written text and in your reference list that you have engaged in research in the
form of academic texts and secondary sources, such as Mintel, TGI, Trade and National Press and
articles on WARC. We will be looking for more than 10 references from a variety of sources in your
reference list. If all that is mentioned in the reference list is website links and company websites, you will
lose marks.

Marketing Knowledge 30%

You will need to demonstrate full knowledge of a range of marketing concepts including: STP marketing,
profiling target audiences, branding (e.g. Aaker’s brand personality and Levitt’s product model), as well as
the 4Ps/marketing mix. Importantly you need academic references to demonstrate applied knowledge and
understanding of the two brands under discussion.

Analysis 25%
You will need to demonstrate analytical skills in terms of interpreting the data you find on the market, the
target audience and the two brands. Most important is that you provide a comparison i.e. what is the same
and what is different about the way the two companies market their brands.

Literacy Skills 10%

Please remember with academic writing that it must be objective, impersonal, concise, accurate and
evidence-based

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Referencing 10%
We expect you to apply the rules of Harvard Referencing throughout the report, both in the text and in the
Reference List at the end of the report.

Submission details

 You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic misconduct, which can be viewed on
the University website: https://bucks.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/9546/Academic-Misconduct-
Policy.pdf. In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and
understood these regulations
 Please also note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will
be considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded,
but will be capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard.
Work submitted after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission.
 This assignment should be submitted electronically. Please use the relevant Turnitin submission
point in the Submit your work area in your VLE module shell.
 Please ensure that your work has been saved in an appropriate file format. Turnitin will only accept
the following file types: Microsoft Word and PDF. Your file must also contain at least 20 words of
text, consist of fewer than 400 pages and be less than 20MB in size.
 You can submit your work as many times as you like before the submission date. If you do submit
your work more than once, your earlier submission will be replaced by the most recent version.
 Once you have submitted your work, you will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission, which
will be sent to your forwarded e-mail address (provided you have set this up). Please keep this
receipt for future reference, along with the original electronic copy of your assignment.

Before you submit

 Please use the provided checklist below to make sure you are ‘fit to submit’ your work
 We recommend you use this checklist as soon as you get this assignment brief to help you plan
your work

Fit to Submit: Assignment Checklist

This brief assignment checklist is designed to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes
students make in their coursework.
Have you read the assignment brief? If not, do so now!
In it you will find details of the assessment task, word count, the assessment criteria your work is marked
against, and the learning outcomes – the basis for the assessment strategy in each module.

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Students often lose marks by forgetting some of the more straightforward elements of their
assignments. We recommend that you “tick off” each of the points below as you prepare your work for
submission. If you need any help, ask your tutor and/or visit
https://bucks.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessment-and-examination

Have you read and understood the assessment criteria?

Have you met the learning outcomes? You will lose marks and your work may even be failed if
you have not.

Have you demonstrated you can think and write critically in the completed work? This means
you have supported your arguments/explanations appropriately e.g. using relevant academic
sources and you have offered discussion points which extends your own or others’ viewpoints
to make reasoned conclusions/judgements.

Have you maintained an appropriate tone throughout your work? Is your work formal, focused,
developed and clear?

Have you checked that the referencing in your assignment is in line with your programme
requirements?

Have you proof-read your work and used spellcheck software to check your spelling and
grammar?

Have you checked the presentation of your work is as specified by your tutor, for example, are
font size, colour, style, line spacing and margins as the tutor specified?

Have you kept to the word count (or equivalent)? If you are not sure, check with your tutor.

Can you confirm that the work submitted is your own and maintains academic integrity?

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Assessment Criteria Academic Year 2021-22

Fail Fail Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass

0-34 (F) – 35-39 E – 40-49 (D) 50-59 (C) 60-69 (B) 70-79 (A) 80-100 (A+)
Fail Marginal fail
Not successful Below required Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent Outstanding
standard
Knowledge and Work Work Work Work Work Work Work
understanding demonstrates a demonstrates demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrates an
30% limited and/or insufficient basic sound breadth and refined highly exceptional
substantially understanding of understanding of depth of understanding of accomplished understanding of
inaccurate or no the underlying the underlying understanding of the underlying understanding of the underlying
understanding of concepts and concepts and the underlying concepts and the underlying concepts and
the underlying principles principles concepts and principles concepts and principles
concepts and associated with associated with principles associated with principles associated with
principles STP marketing and STP marketing and associated with STP marketing and associated with STP marketing and
associated with the marketing mix. the marketing mix. STP marketing and the marketing mix. STP marketing and the marketing mix.
STP marketing and There is There is sufficient the marketing mix. There is a the marketing mix. There is an
the marketing mix. insufficient demonstration of There is a sound sophisticated There is a highly exceptional
There is little or no demonstration of the ability to demonstration of demonstration of accomplished demonstration of
demonstration of the ability to identify principles the ability to the ability to demonstration of the ability to
the ability to identify principles and concepts identify principles identify principles the ability to identify principles
identify principles and concepts underlying and concepts and concepts identify principles and concepts
and concepts underlying theoretical underlying underlying and concepts underlying
underlying theoretical frameworks and theoretical theoretical underlying theoretical
theoretical frameworks and approaches. frameworks and frameworks and theoretical frameworks and
frameworks and approaches approaches. approaches. frameworks and approaches.
approaches. approaches.

Research skills There is little or no There is limited Evidence of Wider reading is Wider reading Application of Application of
25% evidence of evidence of reading largely largely limited to shows a range of wider independent extensive
reading of the core reading of the core restricted to core core texts but has sources being reading is fully independent

Internal approval: Celosia Mendes 13/09/21

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 academic texts or academic texts or texts and only clearly enhanced used and applied, evident in the reading is evident
the utilisation of the utilisation of partially integrated. the work. some of which are work. throughout the
key secondary key secondary Some utilisation of Utilisation of key independently Effective reference work.
sources sources. recommended key secondary sources selected. to key academic Highly effective
There is little or no Wider reading secondary noted. Reference to key texts and the reference to key
evidence of wider lacks relevance. sources. Wider reading is academic texts utilisation of key academic texts
reading. Wider reading is relevant and only and the utilisation secondary sources and the utilisation
relevant but limited partially integrated. of key secondary noted. of key secondary
and only partially sources noted. Wider reading is sources noted.
integrated. Wider reading is relevant and fully Wider reading is
relevant and integrated. relevant and fully
integrated. integrated.

Analysis 25% Work Work Work Work Work Work Work

demonstrates a demonstrates an demonstrates a demonstrates well- demonstrates well- demonstrates demonstrates
limited or no ability insufficient ability sufficient ability to developed lines of developed lines of highly exceptionally
to develop lines of to develop lines of develop lines of argument and argument and accomplished accomplished
argument and argument and argument and sound judgements sophisticated development of development of
make judgements make some sound make largely made in judgements made lines of argument lines of argument
in accordance with judgements in sound judgements accordance with in accordance with and independent as well as
basic theories and accordance with in accordance with fundamental fundamental judgements made sophisticated and
concepts, basic theories and fundamental theories and theories and in accordance with independent
evidenced by: concepts, theories and concepts, concepts, fundamental judgements made
• little or no evidenced by: concepts, evidenced by: evidenced by: theories and in accordance with
demonstration of • insufficient evidenced by: • good use of ideas • very good use of concepts, fundamental
an ability to draw demonstration of • sufficient use of and techniques to ideas and evidenced by: theories and
comparisons on the ability to draw ideas and draw comparisons techniques to draw • excellent use of concepts,
what is the same comparisons on techniques to draw on what is the comparisons on ideas and evidenced by:
and what is what is the same comparisons on same and what is what is the same techniques to draw • exceptional use
different about the and what is what is the same different about the and what is comparisons on of ideas and
way the two different about the and what is way the two different about the what is the same techniques to draw
companies utilise way the two different about the companies utilise way the two and what is comparisons on
STP marketing for companies utilise way the two STP marketing for companies utilise different about the what is the same
the brands STP marketing for companies utilise the brands STP marketing for way the two and what is
selected. the brands STP marketing for selected. the brands companies utilise different about the
selected. the brands selected. STP marketing for way the two
• little or no use of selected. the brands companies utilise
relevant and selected. STP marketing for
appropriate

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 sources to support • there is some • use of a sound • use of a • use of a highly the brands
arguments. limited evidence of • use of a sufficient range of relevant sophisticated accomplished selected.
the ability to select range of relevant and appropriate range of relevant range of relevant • use of an
evaluate and and appropriate sources to support and appropriate and appropriate exceptional range
comment on a sources to support arguments some of sources to support sources to support of relevant and
limited range of arguments, some which arguments some of arguments many of appropriate
relevant and of which are independently which are which are sources to support
appropriate independently selected independently independently arguments many of
sources to support selected selected selected which are
arguments independently
selected
Literary skills 10% No evidence of any Weak editing in the Satisfactory editing Good editing in the Very good editing Excellent editing in Outstanding
attempt to edit the final report. in the final report. final report. in the final report. the final report. editing in the final
report into a Major problems Consistent Minor problems Very good literacy Excellent literacy report.
cohesive with literacy skills problems with with literacy skills. skills skills Outstanding
document. literacy skills. demonstrated. demonstrated. literacy skills
Poor literacy skills. demonstrated.
Referencing 10% No attempt at Major errors noted Parts of work Mostly adheres to Very good Excellent Perfect or almost
referencing in the application adheres to rules of rules of Harvard adherence to rules adherence to rules perfect adherence
of the rules of Harvard referencing in text of Harvard of Harvard to rules of Harvard
Harvard referencing and in reference referencing in text referencing in text Referencing in text
referencing missing or list. and in reference and in reference and in reference
missing or inaccurate list. list. list.
inaccurate reference list. .
reference list.