41 - prof dip mp assignment dec 09 final

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Professional Diploma in Marketing  41 – Marketing Planning Assignment Brief and Mark Scheme Academic Session July 2009 to December 2009 Candidates are required to undertake core and elective tasks for this assignment. Each candidate must complete the required ‘declaration front sheet’ and register as a member with CIM and for this assignment by the required deadline. Tutors are also required to sign this declaration form stating that to the best of t heir knowledge the candidate’s work is their own. Core Task  Compulsory requirement  Worth 50% of the marks available for this paper  Maximum word count – 3,000 words Elective Tasks  Choose any two of the options  Each is worth 25% of the marks available for this paper  Maximum word count – 1,500 words per task Word Count  Candidates must adhere to the word count stated. CIM reserves the right to return unmarked any assignment that exceeds the stated word count or contains, in the opinion of the examiner, excessive appendices. It is essential that candidates read the updated guidance printed on the inside of this assignment brief in order to adhere to the word count policy for this assignment.  Documentation Candidates must complete the required declaration front sheet and ensure that they are registered with CIM as a student member and for this assignment, by the required deadline. The tutor is also required to sign the declaration front sheet stating that to the best of their knowledge the work that the candidate is submitting is their own. The Chartered Institute of Marketing 2009

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Professional Diploma

in Marketing 41 – Marketing Planning

Assignment Brief and Mark SchemeAcademic Session July 2009 to December 2009

Candidates are required to undertake core and elective tasks for this assignment.

Each candidate must complete the required ‘declaration front sheet’ and register asa member with CIM and for this assignment by the required deadline. Tutors arealso required to sign this declaration form stating that to the best of their knowledgethe candidate’s work is their own.

Core Task  •  Compulsory requirement

•  Worth 50% of the marks available for this paper 

•  Maximum word count – 3,000 words 

Elective Tasks  •  Choose any two of the options

•  Each is worth 25% of the marks available for this paper 

•  Maximum word count – 1,500 words per task 

Word Count  Candidates must adhere to the word count stated. CIM reservesthe right to return unmarked any assignment that exceeds thestated word count or contains, in the opinion of the examiner,excessive appendices. It is essential that candidates read theupdated guidance printed on the inside of this assignmentbrief in order to adhere to the word count policy for thisassignment. 

Documentation Candidates must complete the required declaration front sheetand ensure that they are registered with CIM as a studentmember and for this assignment, by the required deadline. Thetutor is also required to sign the declaration front sheet statingthat to the best of their knowledge the work that the candidate issubmitting is their own.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing 2009

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Professional Diploma in Marketing Guidance Notes

Assignment/Project Brief 

Candidates have to complete the assignment/project brief published by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) for the relevant academic session. Tutors should be prepared to offer advice to

candidates regarding the brief, the mark scheme and the grade descriptors.

Context

The assignment/project should be based on the candidate’s organisation, or an organisation of their choice, selected with tutor advice. A brief overview of the organisation chosen, including legalclassification, product or service offered, target market and structure, should be included in theappendix. This information should not be included as part of the word count and no marks will beallocated to this section. Each assignment/project must be completed individually, not as part of agroup.

Confidentiality

Where candidates work in organisations that deal with sensitive material or issues, they must seekthe advice of their line manager about its inclusion in an assignment/project script. Whereconfidentiality is an issue, studying members are advised to anonymise their assignment/project sothat it cannot be attributed to their particular organisation.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing for its part accepts responsibility for marking theassignment/project following the confidentiality procedures it has laid down. All CIM examiners haveto sign a Confidentiality Agreement and cannot mark any assignment/project where there is a conflictof interest. In addition, no work is published without the prior agreement of a studying member andtheir organisation. All assignments/projects are stored securely and after twelve months, areshredded confidentially.

Assessment Criteria 

The assignment/project briefing documents include the marking scheme and guidance notes, whichare designed to indicate to the candidate the types of information and format that are required. Themarking scheme should not replace any briefing that is usually undertaken by the unit tutor. It isimportant that, when assignments/projects are issued, discussions take place between the group andtutor to clarify their understanding of the assignment/project brief and what is required.

Tutor Guidance to Candidates 

Each candidate should receive a minimum of 15 minutes’ tutorial time per unit, scheduled at keyperiods throughout the undertaking. Tutors should be prepared to offer advice to candidates regardingthe tasks, particularly with regard to the organisation they choose to use.

Tutors can give feedback on one draft of an assignment/project and/or answer specific subject-related questions from a candidate related to their assignment/project. Tutors should not return acompleted assignment/project to the candidate for improvement. Evidence of a centre doing this willresult in the assignment/project being sent back unmarked/unmoderated.

Word Count Policy

Candidates must comply with the recommended word count, within a margin of +10%. For sometasks a specified number of pages is given as an alternative to the word count.

These rules exclude the index (if used), headings, information contained within references,bibliography and appendices. Candidates should present their work professionally, using tables anddiagrams to support and/or illustrate the text. Unless tables and diagrams are specified as arequirement of a task, they can be included in either the appendix or the main body of the text. If tables are included as appendices they must be referred to within the main body of the text for marks

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to be awarded. If candidates use tables to present their answer in the main body of the text, the wordsused (or where appropriate the number of pages) will be counted and the rules relating to word countor number of pages will apply.

When an assignment/project task requires candidates to produce presentation slides with supportingnotes, the word count applies to the supporting notes only. The maximum number of slides indicated

on the assignment/project brief excludes the title page slide and the contents page slide.

Candidates should state the number of words that they have used at the end of each task. In addition,the total number of words used for the whole assignment/project must be indicated on the front cover of the assignment/project.

Any assignments/projects that exceed the word count policy will be penalised by candidates forfeitingthe marks for presentation for each individual task that exceeds the recommended wordcount/specified number of pages. Work that grossly exceeds the recommended word count/specifiednumber of pages will be returned unmarked/unmoderated and candidates will be asked to completeand submit a new assignment/project. Where a candidate’s work has contravened the word countpolicy it will be reviewed by the senior examiner and the CIM Academic Misconduct and IrregularitiesCommittee before a decision is made to return the work unmarked/unmoderated.

Appendices 

Appendices should only be included where necessary and should be used to accommodate tablesand diagrams to support/illustrate the main body of the text. No marks are awarded for work includedin the appendices, and these should not be used as an alternative location for work that shouldappear in the main text. 

Mark Schemes

Mark schemes are included so that candidates are aware where the majority of the marks will comefrom and are therefore able to structure their work accordingly. However, CIM reserves the right toamend the mark scheme if appropriate. 

Final Grades 

Final grades will be sent to the candidates from the CIM by the usual process in February or August,depending on when assignments/projects were submitted for marking.

Referencing and Professionalism

A professional approach to work is expected from all candidates. Candidates must therefore:

•  identify and acknowledge ALL sources/methodologies/applications used. The candidate must usea Harvard referencing system to achieve this (notes on Harvard are on the tutor/studying member websites). 

•  express their work in plain business English. Marks are not awarded for use of English, but agood standard of English will help candidates to express their understanding more effectively. 

All work that candidates submit as part of the CIM requirements must be expressed in their ownwords and incorporate their own judgements. Direct quotations from the published or unpublishedwork of others, including that of tutors or employers, must be appropriately referenced. Authors of images used in reports and audiovisual presentations must be acknowledged.

Plagiarism and Collusion 

Academic offences, including plagiarism and collusion, are treated very seriously. Plagiarism involvespresenting work, excerpts, ideas or passages of another author without appropriate referencing andattribution. Collusion occurs when two or more students submit work which is so alike in ideas,

content, wording and/or structure that the similarity goes beyond what might have been merecoincidence. Plagiarism and collusion are very serious offences and any candidate found to be

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copying another candidate’s work or quoting work from another source without recognising anddisclosing that source will be penalised.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to make sure that he or she understands what constitutes anacademic offence, and, in particular, what plagiarism and collusion are and how to avoid them. Usefulguidance materials and supporting policies are available on the tutor and studying member websites.

Candidates must sign the declaration front sheet with their membership number confirming that thework submitted is their own. Tutors must also sign the assignment/project, confirming that to the bestof their knowledge the work submitted is the candidate’s own. Where a tutor has concerns about theauthenticity of a candidate’s submission, this should be noted on the assignment/project. CIMreserves the right to return assignments/projects if the necessary declaration documents have notbeen signed.

Candidates believed to be involved in plagiarism and/or collusion for one or more tasks will have their work looked at separately by the senior examiner and/or another senior academic and plagiarismdetection software will be used. Candidates found to be in breach of these regulations may be subjectto one or more of the following: disqualification from membership; refused award of unit or qualification; disqualification from other CIM assessments/qualifications; refused the right to retake

units/qualifications. 

Grade Descriptors

There are documents relating to grade descriptors and the magic formula on the tutor website whichmay be useful in explaining the marking criteria.

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CORE SECTION – COMPULSORY

Task One SME Segmentation Strategy and the Impact of Changes in the MarketingEnvironment

50% weighting 

For an SME of your choice, write a report that relates to the organisation’s segmentationstrategy and discusses how the changing marketing environment impacts on this strategy.

In the context of your chosen organisation write a report that:

•  defines segmentation, targeting and positioning, including the bases that might be used•  appraises the organisation’s segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy•  demonstrates how an analysis of the macro and micro environment might impact on the

organisation•  recommends how the organisation might adapt its segmentation strategy in the light of this

changing environment.

Appendix•  Provide a brief background to your chosen organisation, its customer base and

product/service range (two sides of A4 maximum).

Word count 3,000 words, excluding relevant appendices

Syllabus References1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.8, 3.2

Assessment Criteria•  Definitions of segmentation, targeting and positioning and the bases used•  Appraisal of the organisation’s segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy•  Demonstration of how an analysis of the macro and micro environment might impact on the

organisation•  Recommendation of how the organisation might adapt its segmentation strategy in the light

of this changing environment

AppendixBrief background to the organisation, its customer base and product/service range (two sides of A4 maximum, no marks allocated) 

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

Page 6 of 19

CORE SECTION

Task One SME Segmentation Strategy and the Impact of Changes in theMarketing Environment

50% weighting

Guidance Notes

In previous years, candidates have successfully responded to tasks specific to certain contexts(eg a service firm or a B2B firm) and the context for this task is an SME. This task requirescandidates to undertake research within an SME of their own choice (this could be anorganisation that they work with or are familiar with). The essence of the task is theunderstanding of the segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy within their chosenorganisation, and the impact of the marketing environment on such marketing strategy.

The first part of the report should use full academic references to define segmentation, targeting

and positioning strategy. Here, the different bases of segmentation strategies should also beexplained fully.

The next part of the report requires the candidate to complete an appraisal of the organisation’ssegmentation, targeting and positioning strategy. Here, the candidate might be well advised tofocus on ONE product range or brand.

The candidate should then undertake an analysis of the macro and micro environment andexplain how the issues from this analysis might impact on the organisation. So, candidatesshould complete a PEST, Five Forces and SWOT analysis for the organisation of their choice.Here, the candidate should reference their points from Mintel, quality papers and other practicalsources.

Finally, the candidate should recommend how the organisation might adapt its segmentationstrategy in the light of this changing environment. Here, there might be some discussion aboutdifferent segmentation bases that the company could adopt that might be more appropriate, or perhaps a different positioning strategy.

The report should be of a professional standard, indicating references throughout and includinga bibliography.

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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CORE SECTION

Task One SME Segmentation Strategy and the Impact of Changes in the MarketingEnvironment

50% weighting

Mark Scheme

MARKING CRITERIA % MarkAvailable

FirstMarker 

SecondMarker 

AgreedMark

Definitions of segmentation, targetingand positioning and the bases used

30

Appraisal of the organisation’ssegmentation, targeting and positioningstrategy

25

Demonstration of how an analysis of themacro and micro environment mightimpact on the organisation 

30

Recommendation of how theorganisation might adapt itssegmentation strategy in the light of thischanging environment 

15

Total Mark 100

Contribution to final mark – weightedmark

50

Markers should use their judgement in rewarding answers that:•

  are relevant to the tasks•  use concepts and frameworks to support arguments, points and recommendations•  are presented in a suitably professional tone and in the required format•  use examples appropriately to illustrate points•  are referenced (Harvard APA).

Marked by Date

Second Marker (if appropriate) Date

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION – 25% weighting for each of TWO options 

You are required to complete TWO of the four options within this section. As previously stated, itwill be most beneficial in terms of research etc. if the organisation chosen for the Core Section

is also used in this section.

Task Two New Product Development (NPD) and Pricing Policies25% weighting

In your role as a Marketing Manager for an organisation of your own choice you have beenasked to provide guidance on the organisation’s pricing policy for a newly developed product.The organisation is about to launch this new product onto the market.

You are required to prepare an internal newsletter that:

•  explains the new product development process (NPD) and the role of innovation•  identifies and justifies the pricing decisions that should be made within the NPD process•  describes the different theoretical methods for establishing competitive pricing policies•  identifies the secondary data that the organisation should gather before setting the pricing of 

the new product, giving reasons for your choice•  recommends and justifies the pricing policy that should be adopted for the new product.

Appendix•  Provide a brief background to your chosen organisation, its customer base and

product/service range, if not previously described (two sides of A4 maximum).

Word count 1,500 words, excluding relevant appendices

Syllabus References1.5, 2.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8

Assessment Criteria•  Explanation of the new product development process (NPD) and the role of innovation•  Identification of the pricing decisions that should be made within the NPD process, with

 justification•  Description of the different theoretical methods for establishing competitive pricing policies•  Identification of the secondary data that the organisation should gather before setting the

pricing of the new product, giving reasons for choice•

  Recommendation, with justification, of the pricing policy that should be adopted for the newproduct

AppendixBrief background to the organisation, its customer base and product/service range, if notpreviously described (two sides of A4 maximum, no marks allocated)

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

Page 9 of 19

ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Two New Product Development (NPD) and Pricing Policies25% weighting

Guidance Notes

The task has been written to appeal to the maximum number of candidates, as it requires themto understand the role of pricing in the marketing mix and the new product developmentprocess.

Candidates are required initially to explain, with references, the new product developmentprocess (including innovative, replacement, re-launched and imitative products) and the role of innovation. Here there should be some explanation of each of the stages involved andemphasis on the role of innovation for the chosen organisation.

The next part requires candidates to include a suggestion as to the pricing decisions that shouldbe made within the process – ie at test market stage, with adjustment at the commercialisationstage.

The third part of the report should be quite theoretical and should explain the differentmethods/frameworks of establishing competitive pricing policies that organisations could adopt.Here, examples should be used to explain each of the methods. Candidates should be criticaland explain the pros and cons of these methods.

The next section should identify and discuss secondary data that an organisation should gather before setting the pricing of the new product. Here, candidates will consider competitor information from sources such as the internet, etc. Some examples should be offered here.Better candidates will explain the importance of data analysis in this process.

The newsletter should recommend, with justification, the pricing policy that should be adoptedfor the new product. Here, candidates might refer to competitor information and market analysisfigures to back up their recommendations.

Finally, the task should be written as a newsletter for an internal audience. This givescandidates the opportunity to be as creative as they wish, whilst still achieving the learningoutcomes.

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Two New Product Development (NPD) and Pricing Policies25% weighting

Mark Scheme

MARKING CRITERIA % MarkAvailable

FirstMarker 

SecondMarker 

AgreedMark

Explanation of the new productdevelopment process (NPD) and therole of innovation

25

Identification of the pricing decisions thatshould be made within the NPDprocess, with justification

10

Description of the different theoreticalmethods for establishing competitivepricing policies

20

Identification of the secondary data thatthe organisation should gather beforesetting the pricing of the new product,giving reasons for choice

20

Recommendation, with justification, of the pricing policy that should be adoptedfor the new product.

20

Presentation, format and tone of internalnewsletter 

5

Total Mark 100

Contribution to final mark – weightedmark

25

Markers should use their judgement in rewarding answers that:•  are relevant to the tasks•  use concepts and frameworks to support arguments, points and recommendations•  are presented in a suitably professional tone and in the required format•  use examples appropriately to illustrate points•  are referenced (Harvard APA).

Marked by Date

Second Marker (if appropriate) Date

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Three Marketing Planning in an Organisational and Wider Marketing Context25% weighting 

For your organisation, or one of your choice, you have been asked to undertake primary andsecondary research into the role of, and barriers to, marketing planning within your chosenorganisation.

Having undertaken your research, produce a report that:

•  analyses the synergistic planning process (analysis, planning, implementation and control)as applied to the organisation

•  explains the role of the marketing plan in relation to the organisation’s philosophy or business definition

•  assesses the potential impact of wider macro-environmental forces relating to the role of culture, ethical approach, social responsibility, legal frameworks and sustainability

•  describes methods for evaluating and controlling the marketing plan.

Appendix•  Provide a brief background to your chosen organisation, its customer base and

product/service range, if not previously described (two sides of A4 maximum).

Word count 1,500 words, excluding relevant appendices

Syllabus References1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.10

Assessment Criteria•  Analysis of the synergistic planning process (analysis, planning, implementation and control)

as applied to this organisation•  Explanation of the role of the marketing plan in relation to the organisation’s philosophy or 

business definition•  Assessment of the potential impact of wider macro-environmental forces relating to the role

of culture, ethical approach, social responsibility, legal frameworks and sustainability•  Description of methods for evaluating and controlling the marketing plan

Appendix

Brief background to the organisation, its customer base and product/service range, if notpreviously described (two sides of A4 maximum, no marks allocated)

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Three Marketing Planning in an Organisational and Wider Marketing Context25% weighting

Guidance Notes

This task requires candidates to undertake research either within their own organisation or within an organisation of their choice. The essence of the task is the understanding of the role of marketing planning within any organisation – not-for-profit, SME, FMCG, etc.

The first part of the report requires candidates to analyse the synergistic planning process thatthis organisation undertakes. There should be some assessment of the application of thesynergistic planning process (analysis, planning, implementation and control) in theorganisational context. In doing so, candidates may refer to the theoretical components of themarketing plan and the actual components that are observed within the organisation.

The next section should explain the role of the marketing plan within the context of theorganisation’s philosophy or business definition. Here the focus should be describing thechosen organisation’s philosophy or business definition and assessing how the marketing planis influenced by and related to the context.

The next section requires candidates to assess the potential impact of wider macro-environmental forces relating to the role of culture, ethical approach, social responsibility, legalframeworks and sustainability. The section thus highlights the notion of developing marketingplans and responding to forces operating in the wider marketing environment in which theorganisation operates.

Finally, the report should evaluate and recommend the methods that the organisation could useto assess and control the marketing plan. Here, there should be reference to theory, and justification for the recommendations.

The report should be of a professional standard, indicating references throughout and includinga bibliography.

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Three Marketing Planning in Organisational and Wider Marketing Context25% weighting

Mark Scheme

MARKING CRITERIA % MarkAvailable

FirstMarker 

SecondMarker 

AgreedMark

Analysis of the synergistic planningprocess (analysis, planning,implementation and control) as appliedto this organisation

25

Explanation of the role of the marketingplan in relation to the organisation’sphilosophy or business definition

25

Assessment of the potential impact of wider macro-environmental forcesrelating to the role of culture, ethicalapproach, social responsibility, legalframeworks and sustainability

35

Description of methods for evaluatingand controlling the marketing plan

15

Total Mark 100

Contribution to final mark – weightedmark

25

Markers should use their judgement in rewarding answers that:•  are relevant to the tasks•  use concepts and frameworks to support arguments, points and recommendations•  are presented in a suitably professional tone and in the required format•  use examples appropriately to illustrate points•  are referenced (Harvard APA).

Marked by Date

Second Marker (if appropriate) Date

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Four Service Quality and the Marketing Mix for Service Recovery25% weighting

You work as a Marketing Consultant and have been approached by a service organisation of your choice that is focusing on continuous improvement in the quality of the service provision.

You have spent the last few weeks with this organisation, gathering some information from theorganisation and other relevant external sources, and are now ready to make a presentation tothe organisation.

Prepare a slide presentation (maximum 15 slides) with speaker notes in which you carry out thefollowing:

•  appraise the service quality issues/problems that the organisation currently faces or may

face in the future•  evaluate the effectiveness of the current human element of the service encounter, including

the involvement of staff at different levels within the organisation•  explain the importance of customer/stakeholder relationships to the organisation, and how

the relationship with customers/stakeholders could be developed•  develop an integrated marketing mix using the 7Ps to aid continuous improvement in the

quality of the service provision.

NOTE: You are not required to give the presentation.

Appendix•  Provide a brief background to your chosen organisation, its customer base and

product/service range, if not previously described (two sides of A4 maximum).

Word count 1,500 words, excluding relevant appendices

Syllabus References3.11, 3.12, 4.4

Assessment Criteria•  Appraisal of the service quality issues/problems that the organisation currently faces or may

face in the future•  Evaluation of the effectiveness of the current human element of the service encounter,

including staff at different levels within the organisation•  Explanation of the importance of customer/stakeholder relationships to the organisation, and

of how the relationship with customers/stakeholders could be developed•  Development of an integrated marketing mix using the 7Ps to aid continuous improvement

in the quality of the service provision•  Presentation, tone and format of slides and notes

AppendixBrief background to the organisation, its customer base and product/service range, if notpreviously described (two sides of A4 maximum, no marks allocated)

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Four Service Quality and the Marketing Mix for Service Recovery25% weighting

Guidance Notes

The task relates to a very popular area of services marketing and requires the candidates tochoose a service organisation of their own and prepare a presentation for the organisation. It isanticipated that candidates who already work for not-for-profit organisations (such as a health or educational institution) and those who work in traditional service organisations should be able toexcel in this task.

The candidate needs to assume that they have been to the organisation and have beenproperly briefed about the current service provision, staff and other service deliveryissues/problems.

The candidate has been asked to give a presentation to the client and hence the format for thetask should be a maximum of 15 slides with supporting speaker notes. This means that allreferences should still be included.

The first part of the task requires the candidate to identify and appraise the existing servicequality issues/problems that it faces now or may face in the future. There should be someresearch and analysis of the service quality issues/problems that are/could be faced by theorganisation. Here, the candidate could allude to problems that are not currently being faced bythe organisation, if no issues are found.

The next task requires the candidate to appraise the effectiveness of the current humanelement of the service encounter, including staff at different levels within this organisation. Here,the candidate should explain the service encounter and ‘moments of truth’ wherecustomers/clients/stakeholders interact with the staff within the organisation. Here, the servicespecifications should be explained, if possible.

The next part requires the candidate to include slides outlining the theoretical issuessurrounding the importance of customer/stakeholder relationships to the organisation. Thereshould be some explanation of how the relationship with customers/stakeholders could bedeveloped and supported by the marketing mix. Therefore, slides should quote relevantacademic references.

In the final part, the candidate should demonstrate how a plan covering the process or thesystems of delivery for the service could be developed. The candidate should recommend howthe human, physical evidence element and the remaining integrated marketing mix (ie 7Ps)could be developed to overcome the quality issues being faced.

The layout and format of presentation should be of high quality and meet professionalstandards.

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Four Service Quality and the Marketing Mix for Service Recovery25% weighting

Mark Scheme

MARKING CRITERIA % MarkAvailable

FirstMarker 

SecondMarker 

AgreedMark

Appraisal of the service qualityissues/problems that the organisationcurrently faces or may face in the future

10

Evaluation of the effectiveness of thecurrent human element of the serviceencounter, including staff at differentlevels within the organisation

30

Explanation of the importance of customer/stakeholder relationships tothe organisation, and of how therelationship with customers/stakeholderscould be developed

20

Development of an integrated marketingmix using the 7Ps to aid continuousimprovement in the quality of the serviceprovision

30

Presentation, tone and format of slidesand notes

10

Total Mark 100

Contribution to final mark – weightedmark

25

Markers should use their judgement in rewarding answers that:•  are relevant to the tasks•  use concepts and frameworks to support arguments, points and recommendations•  are presented in a suitably professional tone and in the required format•  use examples appropriately to illustrate points•  are referenced (Harvard APA).

Marked by Date

Second Marker (if appropriate) Date

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Five Organisational Market Growth Strategies in B2B Markets in the Digital Age 25% weighting

You are working in a marketing consultancy offering advice and marketing services for B2Bcompanies wishing to develop their marketing offerings using different channels – especiallyusing on-line or digital approaches.

You have been asked to write a report about the development of growth strategies employingdigital concepts. Write a report that:

•  explains the role of marketing strategy development for B2B organisations in relation todeveloping market share and growth – specifically considering market development andmarket penetration

•  evaluates how market development and market penetration can be achieved in a virtual

marketplace or via digital methodologies•  discusses how to develop an appropriate marketing mix for such a digital strategy•  explains, using examples, how the e-marketing communications mix is coordinated with the

marketing mix to achieve such growth strategies.

Appendix•  Provide a brief background to your chosen organisation, its customer base and

product/service range, if not previously described (two sides of A4 maximum).

Word count 1,500 words, excluding relevant appendices

Syllabus References3.1, 3.10, 4.3

Assessment Criteria•  Explanation of the role of marketing strategy development for B2B organisations in relation

to developing market share and growth – specifically considering market development andmarket penetration

•  Evaluation of how market development and market penetration can be achieved in a virtualmarketplace or via digital methodologies

•  Discussion of how to develop an appropriate marketing mix for such a digital strategy•  Explanation and examples illustrating how the e-marketing communications mix is

coordinated with the marketing mix to achieve such growth strategies

AppendixBrief background to the organisation, its customer base and product/service range, if notpreviously described (two sides of A4 maximum, no marks allocated)

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

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ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Five Organisational Market Growth Strategies in B2B Markets in the Digital Age25% weighting

Guidance Notes

This task should allow the candidates to be creative in their thinking and learning. They arerequired to write a report about the development of growth strategies employing digital conceptswithin the B2B context (eg a supplier of stationery to business firms).

The first part of the report should be quite theoretical and explain the role of marketing strategyfor organisations in general and for B2B organisations in particular (eg a supplier of stationery tobusiness firms). Specifically, the report should refer to Ansoff’s matrix and explain it in full –evaluating the concept. Then there should be some further discussion in relation to marketdevelopment and market penetration strategies. Better candidates will add examples here.

The next part should explain how market development and market penetration can be achievedin a virtual marketplace or via digital methodologies. Thus the candidates will consider a rangeof areas relating to this area, such as mobile communications/interactive communications, e-pr,new channels for distribution via the internet, etc. This section should include examples andtheoretical references.

The next section should discuss how to develop an appropriate marketing mix for such a digitalstrategy, for a B2B organisation of their choice or in general.

The final part of this task should offer examples illustrating how the e-marketing

communications mix is coordinated within the marketing mix to achieve penetration or marketgrowth strategies.

The report should be of a professional standard, indicating references throughout and includinga bibliography.

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Professional Diploma Marketing Planning July to December 09

ELECTIVE SECTION

Task Five Organisational Market Growth Strategies in B2B Markets in the Digital Age25% weighting

Mark Scheme

MARKING CRITERIA% Mark

AvailableFirst

Marker SecondMarker 

AgreedMark

Explanation of the role of marketingstrategy development for B2Borganisations in relation to developingmarket share and growth – specificallyconsidering market development andmarket penetration

25

Evaluation of how market development

and market penetration can be achievedin a virtual marketplace or via digitalmethodologies

25

Discussion of how to develop anappropriate marketing mix for such adigital strategy

20

Explanation and examples illustratinghow the e-marketing communicationsmix is coordinated with the marketingmix to achieve such growth strategies

25

Presentation, format and tone of report 5

Total Mark 100

Contribution to final mark – weightedmark

25

Markers should use their judgement in rewarding answers that:•  are relevant to the tasks•  use concepts and frameworks to support arguments, points and recommendations•  are presented in a suitably professional tone and in the required format•  use examples appropriately to illustrate points•  are referenced (Harvard APA).

Marked by Date

Second Marker (if appropriate) Date