Assignment 1
Taylor’s Business Foundation Programme
Introduction To Marketing / BUS0313
September Semester 2013
Individual Assignment 1: Debate / Argumentative Essay (15%):
Students will be a given a choice to select any one debate / argumentative assignment topics to
work on. After choosing the topic that interests you, you are then required to state your stand;
either “for” or “against” the statement topic. Based on your stand point, write an essay in 800
words (plus minus 10%) to justify why you have taken the stand. Assignment type: essay
structure.
Due: Week 8 (22nd November 2013); Friday; 5 p.m.
Choose either one of the following topic to attempt:
Topic 1:
One of the widely debated issues in developing marketing programs that target certain age
groups is how much consumers change over time. Some marketers maintain that age differences
are critical and that the needs and wants of a 25 years old in 2013 are not that different from
those of a 25 years old in 1978. Others dispute that contention and argue that cohort and
generation effects are critical and that marketing programs must therefore suit the times. Debate.
Tips:
What brands and products do you feel successfully “speak to you” and effectively target your
age group? Why? Which ones do not? What could they do better?
Or
Topic 2:
Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers’ needs and wants. Critics,
however, maintain that marketing does much more than that and create needs and wants that did
not exist before. According to these critics, marketers encourage consumers to spend more
money than they should on goods and services they really do not need. Debate.
Tips:
Consider the broad shifts in marketing. Are there any themes that emerge in these shifts? Can
they be related to the major societal forces? Which force has contributed to which shift?
Assessment details
Students are required to submit Assignments in hardcopy into the designated collection box at
the entrance of the Business Divisional Office, level 2 and to submit a softcopy of your
assignment in Word Document format into Digital Dropbox. Each assignment must be
accompanied with a Turnitin report; reflecting not more than 25% of text similarity.
Deadlines must be strictly adhered to. All assignments must use the Assignment Cover Sheet and
Assignment Feedback Form (page 11 and 12 of the MIB) when submitting both the hard and
softcopies.
Late Submission of Assignments
No extensions will be granted for late assignment submissions. A late penalty will be applied to
an assessment item submitted after the date for submission as stated in the assignment
specification, or a later date agreed to by the module leader in response to an application for an
extension of time. The late penalty will take the form of a deduction of a fixed percentage of
marks (5%) per day up to a maximum period of five (5) days, at which time the assignment will
be assigned zero marks.
All students must adhere to the Taylor’s University’s Examinations, Assessment Policies and
Procedures
Manual.
Key
information
can
be
found
(http://portals.taylors.edu.my).
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the
program
website