M&M Contest
The wonderful, colorful world of M&M’S® Brand of Chocolate candies is about to
change. Once again, the makers of this delightful treat are holding a contest.
They have decided to add another new color to their plain M & M’s. A worldwide
contest is being introduced, and you have the chance to convince the chocolate
makers to include your choice of new color. You must write a persuasive essay
extolling the virtues of this color you want to introduce to this candy as well as
create a presentation for the Board of Directors of the M&M Company.
Before you can write your essay and create your presentation, you must do some
data collecting to see which color you think will fit in best with the existing colors.
Follow the sequence of activities below. Hopefully these activities will help you
choose the best “new” color to be added to the package. Please use the Help
Guide for directions on completing any of the tasks below.
Activity 1 – How many of each color are in the bag?
When a marketing department plans for a project, there are many variables that
they take into consideration. When adding colors for a product that already
exists, they need to look at what is already there so they make sure what they
are proposing fits together with the whole concept. Your first task is to see what
colors already exist, and in what percentage.
1. With your group, open the bag and find count how many M&M’s are in
your bag. Do not eat any of the M&M’s…………yet.
2. Open Excel and set up a table listing the colors. Put the color name in
Column A and the amount in Column B. Make sure you put Total at the
bottom of Column A.
a. To automatically add column B for the total, click on the empty cell
right below the list of numbers and click on the AutoSum icon
3. Count each of the colors of the M&M’s and fill in your table
4. Click on the Chart Wizard
5. Create a graph to show a visual depiction of the M&M’s in your bag. You
may choose to use any type of graph that you want that you think will
show your data best. Please explain why you used the graph that you did?
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6. Create a formula that will show you what percentage each of the colors in
the bag is of the total.
a. You could put in the following formula to find the percentage of
each color, or you could devise your own
Activity 2 – What color should we add?
In this activity, you will suggest a color to add to what already exists. Not only do
you have to decide what color, but you must decide what percentage of M&M’s
you want this color to be. The total in the bag may not change, so you must
decide how each color is going to change.
1. Open Excel and set up a table listing the original colors as well as your
new color. Put the color name in Column A and the amount in Column B.
Make sure you put Total at the bottom of Column A.
2. Fill in your table
3. Create a graph to show a visual depiction of your changes.
Activity 3 – Persuading the Boss
So you think the hard work is done, do you? Actually the hardest part is yet to
come. You need to write a persuasive essay and create a presentation that will
convince the top bosses at the M&M Company to accept your suggestion for the
next new color to be added to the package of M&M’s. In the space below, draft
out what you are going to say and plan out your presentation.