Lahore School of Economics
Master of Business Administration
Marketing Management
Project
Date for Submission: Last week
Page 1 of 6
Assignment Brief
Assignment Task
Instructions
For ONE of the following five brands, compile a SWOT analysis based on an Internal and External analysis.
Develop a marketing plan for the brand to address the needs of a new strategic business unit intended to
operate in a country or economic area with which you are familiar. It should be structured around the
sections and sub-sections outlined below. Students should take account of the marks for each section and
the marking criteria when writing their marketing plan.
Note: Strategic Business Unit Definition
“A business unit within the overall corporate identity which is distinguishable from other business because it
serves a defined external market where management can conduct strategic planning in relation to products
and markets.
A Strategic Business Unit can encompass an entire company, or can simply be a smaller part of a company
set up to perform a specific task. The SBU has its own business strategy and objectives, and these will often
be different from those of the parent company."
London South East (2011). Strategic Business Unit Definition [Online]. Available from -
http://www.lse.co.uk/financeglossary.asp?searchterm=&iarticleid=921&definition=strategic_busine
ss_unit .
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Please choose ONE of the following five brands:
Section
Situation Analysis
(30%)
Sub-Sections
External Analysis: PESTLE analysis
Internal Analysis: Analysis of
competencies.
the
brand’s
core
SWOT analysis: Based on the internal and external
Analysis, produce a SWOT analysis
New Product: brief description of the brand.
Marketing
Objectives
(10%)
Marketing Plan
(50%)
Marketing Objectives: these should be specific,
measurable, attainable, realistic and set within a given
time frame (SMART).
Segmentation of the market: apply relevant segmentation
criteria.
Target Market: describe the chosen target market,
explaining why it is attractive to the brand.
Positioning and Differentiation: Explain how the target
market should perceive the new product.
Marketing Mix: Outline the product, pricing strategy,
promotional strategy and the distribution plans.
Marketing Mix – Global and E-Business: Outline how the
marketing mix could be expanded for the global market.
Explain how the marketing mix will use e-business.
Corresponding Learning
Outcome(s)
Critically
evaluate
the
information needs of the
marketing function in terms
of its contribution to the
strategic
processes
and
tactical decision-making.
Develop and implement
marketing plans for a
product or service; Establish
a broad base of marketing
knowledge and the strategic
implications.
Develop and implement
marketing plans for a
product or service;
Reflect an international
perspective and the global
context of decision making in
marketing planning;
Evaluate the appropriateness
of e-business strategies.
Develop and implement
Marketing Budget Using your promotional plans as a basis, calculate the costs marketing plans for a
(10%)
of marketing the new product.
product or service.
In addition, 10 marks will be allocated to the overall presentation of the report.
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Word Limit
4000 words (maximum) excluding the title page, reference list and appendices. Penalties will be applied for
assignments exceeding the word limit by more than 10%. You are required to detail the exact word count on
the Title Page of the assessment. Please also carefully note the University regulations on plagiarism.
Marking Criteria
Learning Outcomes assessed: all
Heading
Section
Situation
Analysis
External
Analysis:
consider the
customers,
competitors
and the
univerity’s
macro
environment.
Marketing
Objectives
Marketing
Objectives:
these should be
specific,
measurable,
attainable,
realistic and set
within a given
time
frame
(SMART).
New Product
Marketing
Plan
Positioning and
Differentiation:
Explain how the
target market
should perceive
the product.
> 69%
Analysis is very
methodical,
uses a wide
variety of
sources, is
relevant to
university and
identifies
opportunities
and threats.
Outstanding
competitive
analysis.
Comprehensiv
e analysis of
the strengths
and
weaknesses of
the proposed
product.. Well
underpinned
by marketing
concepts.
60 – 69%
Analysis is
through, uses a
variety of
sources, is
relevant to
university and
identifies
opportunities
and threats.
Excellent
competitive
analysis.
Systematic
analysis of the
strengths and
weaknesses of
the proposed
product or
service and the
team. Some
use of relevant
marketing
concepts.
50 – 59%
Analysis could
be more
thorough, uses
a range of
sources, is
relevant to
university and
identifies some
opportunities
and threats.
Good
competitive
analysis.
Reasonable
analysis of the
strengths and
weaknesses of
the proposed
product. Few
marketing
concepts used.
Objectives are
intelligently
formulated;
clearly
presented and
use SMART
guidelines.
Effective
description of
the new
product.
Excellent
description of
how the
product should
be perceived,
with effective
use of
perceptual
maps.
Objectives are
clearly
presented and
use SMART
guidelines.
Reasonable
description of
the new
product.
Objectives are
not specific or
measurable.
They lack a
time frame.
Basic
description of
the new
product.
Very good
description of
how the
product should
be perceived,
with effective
use of
perceptual
maps.
Reasonable
description of
how the
product should
be perceived.
Page 4 of 6
40 – 49%
Analysis could
be more
thorough, uses
a range of
sources, is not
relevant to
university and
identifies
limited amount
of
opportunities
and threats.
Basic
competitive
analysis. Weak
analysis of the
strengths and
weaknesses of
the proposed
product. Is
overly
descriptive.
Lack of
marketing
concepts.
Objectives are
not specific or
measurable.
They lack a
time frame.
They are not
realistic.
Weak
description of
the new
product.
Basic
description of
how the
product should
be perceived.
< 40%
Analysis not
thorough, uses
a poor range of
sources, is not
relevant to
university and
identifies
limited amount
of
opportunities
and threats.
Lacking a
competitive
analysis. Fails
to analyse the
strengths and
weakness of
the university.
No marketing
concepts.
The objectives
are missing. If
present is not
adequate.
No description
of the new
product.
Weak
description of
how the
product should
be perceived.
Heading
Section
Marketing Mix:
Outline
the
product, pricing
strategy,
promotional
strategy and the
distribution
plans.
Marketing Mix
– Global and EBusiness:
Outline how the
marketing mix
could
be
expanded for
the
global
market. Explain
how e-business
will be built into
the marketing
mix.
Marketing
Budget
Using your
promotional
plans as a basis,
calculate the
costs of
marketing costs
of launching the
new product.
> 69%
The marketing
mix is excellent
and the 4Ps are
intelligently
devised after
considerable
research into
the market.
The price is
realistic, the
relationship
with
distributors is
understood
and there is a
detailed
promotional
plan.
The global
market has
been very well
researched and
there has been
an intelligent
discussion on
how the
marketing mix
could be
tailored for the
international
market. Ebusiness
strategies for
the new
product have
been very well
formulated.
60 – 69%
The marketing
mix is well
done and the
4Ps are well
devised after
research into
the market.
50 – 59%
The marketing
mix is basic
with little
detail. There
has been some
research into
the market.
40 – 49%
There has been
little research
into the
market and
there is a
minimal
description of
the 4 ps.
< 40%
4 Ps poorly
described with
little or no
research into
the market.
There has been
some research
into the global
market for the
new product
and some good
points made
on how the
marketing mix
could be
tailored. There
has been some
good
discussion on
how the
marketing
could
incorporate ebusiness.
There has been
a basic
understanding
of the global
market and
this is reflected
in a basic
discussion of
how the
marketing mix
could be
tailored. There
is a limited
discussion on
how the
marketing mix
could
incorporate ebusiness.
There has been
no indication of
how the
marketing mi
could be
adapted for the
global context
with little or no
indication of
how e-business
could be used
in marketing.
Excellent
research into
the
promotional
costs and very
effective
presentation of
the figures.
The
promotional
costs have
been well
researched and
effectively
presented.
There has been
some research
into the
promotional
costs, and a
reasonable
presentation of
the costs.
There is a
limited
understanding
of the global
market and
very little
adaptation of
the marketing
mix to
incorporate it.
There are a
few ideas on
how e-business
could be used
in the
marketing mix.
There is limited
research
underpinning
the answer.
Little research
into the
promotional
costs. Basic
presentation.
Page 5 of 6
Promotional
costs
estimated and
poorly
presented.
Heading
Section
Overall presentation of the
report.
> 69%
High standard
of written
English.
Citations and
list of
references
conform to
Guidelines.
Excellent
presentation
and
appropriate
title, table of
contents.
60 – 69%
High standard
of written
English.
Citations, list of
references
conform to
Guidelines.
Presentation
good with
appropriate
title, table of
contents
Page 6 of 6
50 – 59%
A few, minor
deficiencies of
English.
Citations, list of
references
conform to
Guidelines.
Presentation
acceptable
with
appropriate
title, table of
contents
40 – 49%
Fair number of
deficiencies of
English but not
such as to
render plan
incomprehensi
ble. Citations
and list of
references
conform to
Guidelines.
Presentation
acceptable but
inappropriate
title, table of
contents
< 40%
Serious
inadequacies in
the use of
English to point
where meaning
is unclear or
citations not in
accordance
with Harvard
Convention or
list of
references
does not
conform to
Guidelines or
presentation
not up to MBA
standard.