Topic: Consumer Behaviour

Requirement:

Each student needs to produce a written report to analyse the current marketing activities of a brand and to provide suggestions for their next marketing activities Students are expected to apply the relevant knowledge in analysing/assessing how the marketers try to utilize external and internal factor in order to influence consumers via their marketing activities and formulating new marketing activities to benefit the brand.

Brand selection: IKEA

1. Describe the current marketing activities of a focal brand

Provide a brief description of the current marketing activities of a focal brand. You also need to briefly mention who are the target segment of the marketing activities.

2. Identify the intended objectives of the marketing activities

Identify the intended objectives of their marketing activities to the target market, in terms of 'internal' and 'external' factors. Internal factors include consumers' needs, motivation, personality, lifestyles and values. External factors include group influence, social media, income, social class, culture and subcultures. Provide an analysis of how the marketing activities intend to influence consumers in relation to internal and external factors in the focal market/consumption context.

3. Assess the outcomes of the marketing activities on consumer responses

Assess the outcomes of the marketing activities on consumer responses (e.g., associations in memory; perceptions; attitudes; purchase intention; word-of-mouth; satisfaction; loyalty; etc.). Evaluate which specific changes the marketing activities can make in consumers' mind and their behaviours based on the relevant consumer behaviour theories/concepts.

4. Set the objectives of the new marketing strategy

Based on the analysis of the current marketing activities of a focal brand, set the objectives of the new marketing strategy.

5. Recommend three marketing activities to the brand (One of recommended activities should be related to a digital media such as social media)

Recommend three marketing activities to the brand. You are encouraged to offer creative marketing activities. For each recommendation, you need to explain why the recommendations are expected to be effective in meeting the objectives of the marketing strategy based on the concepts/theories taught in this course. It should be also included how each of recommendations can help to achieve the objectives of the marketing strategy. Among three recommended activities, one activity should be related to a digital media (e.g., social media) in light of increasing significance of the digital media.

6. Appendix for the key examples of the marketing activities

Include Appendix for the key examples of the marketing activities. You may include some images, media mentions, company's webpages for the marketing activities, etc. with a brief explanation. Sources should be specified.