Writing a Marketing Plan:

The marketing plan should include:

A title page, table of contents, works cited page, appendices $($optional and where necessary$)$

An introduction

Headings, sub$-$headings

Correct spelling and grammar $$ marks will be deducted for errors $($including typos$)$

To be typed, double spaced, $12$pt font $($Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri$)$

To be approximately $10-15$ pages of text $($not including any graphics, appendices, title page, table of contents, works cited$)$

A power point presentation$/$slide deck designed to highlight key areas of the marketing plan.

Presentation:

Teams will present their marketing plan to the class in an engaging manner to instruct them on their topic. Each team will have $15-18$ minutes $($including set up time$)$ to deliver their material in an instructional and engaging manner. All team members must be present and participate in the presentation to be eligible to marks. There are no $$make ups$$ for this assignment $$ if a team member is absent for the presentation and$/$or does not contribute material to the group prior to the presentation date a mark of zero will be assigned. If group member$($s$)$ are absent on the presentation day, the remainder of the team will be responsible for delivering the content.

Detailed Project parameters:

You and your team have identified an existing product $($good$/$service or idea$)$ that you are interested in bringing to a new, untapped market. For this project you must complete secondary research. You may also use primary research, but this is not a requirement. Use a minimum of fifteen different resources to support the plan you have developed. Remember all sources must be properly cited $($this mean citations in text as well$).$

You will use the following areas to design and validate your marketing plan.

Marketing Environment $$ Situation Analysis $($SWOT$)$

Through research you will identify and interpret environmental factors relevant to your product and potential target market. You will organize your findings by doing a:

a$.$ SWOT Analysis

For this section, you need to complete the internal assessment from visiting the website and other online sources and possibly $($if you can but not required$)$ a visit to an existing location of where this product can be found. You will conduct an external environmental assessment for the chosen product focusing on these external influences: Demographic, Social$/$Cultural$,$ Technological, Economic, and Regulatory. Review the Marketing focused SWOT analysis format discussed in class.

b$.$ Competitor Analysis

Provide a detailed competitor analysis. Identify three key direct as well as three indirect competitors for your product and your rationale for each. Document what you consider to be their major strengths and weaknesses in relation to your product based on what your target market is looking for.

Target Market Selection $($Segmentation$)$

Develop two detailed customer persona profiles for your target customer. You will design the customer profiles using demographic, psychographic, geographic and behaviour segmentation variables. Explain why you have selected these target markets $($validate with secondary research$)$ and justify your choice for each characteristic. Your target market choices need to relate back to the most likely customers for your product. Consider how your target market will be able to access your product either based on technological capabilities or geographic location, and others.

Consumer Behaviour

To understand how to best influence your consumer you need to understand how they behave towards your product therefore you will need to:

Identify and discuss the level of consumer involvement $($purchase decision process$)$ that would be typical for your target market $($the two defined personas you developed$)$ with your product.

Consider the three main consumer behaviour influences $($situational$,$ psychological and socio$-$cultural$)$ and the elements for each. Choose the most important ones for your target market in regard to your product. What is your rationale? Briefly identify how you will address the influences you have identified.

Positioning

Discuss the desired image and consumer perception which has already been created for your product. How might you change$/$continue this image$/$perception$?$ What will be $($are$)$ the point$($s$)$ of differentiation from your competitors? How come?

Create a positioning statement incorporating all four elements, for your product.

Prepare a perceptual$/$positioning map for your product identifying two unique attributes for the map. Include major competitors $($these should include the ones from your competitor analysis$)$ on the map.

Note: the perceptual$/$positioning map unique attributes will be designed using the perspective your ideal target market consumer. What they consider to be unique attributes of the product.

Marketing Mix

It$$s now time to launch your product within the market