Marketing Planning and Operations

Assignment

Assignment Task

With reference to the case study “KidZania: Spreading Fun around the World”

1. Critically appraise the company’s current internal and external environments, clearly identifying the firm’s current competitive and market position. This section just needs to be a brief review of the research you have conducted during the seminars.

• As a result of your analysis in task 1 above, evaluate, justify and recommend appropriate marketing strategies for the company, to sustain its competitive advantage in the future and address the issues highlighted in the case. You may decide to support a particular option from the four strategic alternatives identified in the case. You also have the opportunity to make additional suggestions and critically evaluate to enhance the chosen option.

• Develop an appropriate marketing plan to implement your chosen strategy.

The report should encompass a thorough analysis of the Company together with recommendations for future marketing strategies to secure opportunities and anticipate threats. The report must integrate appropriate strategic marketing theory and frameworks as well as utilise appropriate illustrative material.

You should operate as if you were an external marketing management consultant. It is expected that you will pursue a professional approach to the report.

Weighting: Task 1 = 20%, tasks 2&3 = 80%.

Task Guidance

In addition to the above you are advised to consider the following points:

• You are expected to conduct and engage in additional wider research about the organisation, ensuring that the information you analyse, evaluate and present is both current and reflects the most up to date position of the organisation.
•  There needs to be clear evidence of the wider reading and research
• There should be evidence of a clear and effective integration of relevant models within the report.
• Models and theoretical frameworks should be selected strategically in order to aid your analysis. Be prepared to justify your selections but do not feel you need to include all models and theories but those most relevant to your case and its analysis.
• There must be a clear link between your suggested strategy(ies) and your internal/external analysis.
• Consideration should be given to both the short term and long term marketing direction of the organisation.
• The marketing plan must illustrate how your suggested strategy(ies) will impact upon the company’s marketing mix and a time-scale for the implementation of your suggested marketing activities may perhaps be illustrated in a table.
• Particular attention should be given to the structure of your report, ensuring that a logical format is pursued.

Credit will be given for quality reports that reveal a clear understanding of theoretical concepts of marketing strategy and planning and that derive logical recommendations. The final outcome is expected to be an integrated, coherent, report. Marks will be awarded for OUTCOME and NOT EFFORT.

For guidance on this assignment, please access the assignment vodcast available through Canvas.

General Assignment Guidance