Graded Homework

Unit II Essay Marketing Plan: Part I

Throughout this course, you will compile a comprehensive
marketing plan using one of the product/service scenarios listed below. (Note:
You will use the same scenario throughout the course.) This scenario will be
the basis of your start-up company and will be the catalyst for the three parts
of the marketing plan that you will compose in Units II (Part I), IV (Part II),
and VII (Part III). The company that you choose to submit a marketing plan for
is a fictional start-up company (not an existing company). Scenarios for your
start-up company are explained below. (Note that these descriptions are basic,
and you will need to be creative and develop the business idea/model for your
selected scenario.)

Scenario #1 Travel Supreme is a start-up travel organization
with the mission of assisting customers with travel planning. While today’s
customers enjoy developing their vacations themselves, Travel Supreme believes
there are travel services that are still in demand. Initial research needs to
develop what types of travel services are in demand by this target market.

Scenario #2 IT to Seniors is a start-up company interested
in ensuring a positive experience for seniors (65 and older) with respect to
the use of technological gadgets, software, the Internet, and/or any additional
aspects of technology. Initial research will provide an idea of the business
model that would be in most demand for this target market.

Scenario #3 Galaxy Restaurant is a start-up restaurant
developed with the idea of providing the customer with a unique dining
experience. This could extend from the product offering, service offering,
atmosphere, or a host of other unique experiences. Initial research will
provide an idea of what this unique dining experience would look like.

Scenario #4 Women on the Go is a startup company targeted at
women who need assistance with the selection and purchasing of their
clothing/accessories. This service is aimed at the more affluent customer who
simply does not have the time and/or knowledge to dress to the business or
social setting that they are expected to fulfill. Initial research will provide
insight into the types of services that this particular target market would be
interested in.

Remember to choose one of the aforementioned scenarios to
use for the entire course. Submissions will be completed in Units II, IV, VI,
and VII and, together, will comprise a full marketing plan.

This unit’s submission should consist of the items listed
below.

Include an
introduction/overview of the company. This section of the marketing plan should
introduce the company and business model along with a brief description of the
products/services.

Discuss market research strategies. This section of the
marketing plan should discuss the research strategies that will be used by your
company to understand the target market(s), industry, competition, and/or any
other aspects of the company that will provide valuable insight into profitable
operations.

Describe the macro environment through a political,
economic, social, and technological (PEST) analysis. In this section, you will
compile a PEST analysis of your company. You will analyze how the changes in
the macro environment as described in the PEST will impact the company and,
specifically, the marketing decisions. The format of the submission should be
in essay format using subheadings. Use APA format. Additionally, you need to
include a minimum of five sources, three of which must be peer-reviewed,
academic sources that are no more than 5 years old. The submission should be a
minimum of three pages length (not counting the title and reference pages).
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided
below.

Marketing Plan: Part II

Throughout this
course, you will compile a comprehensive marketing plan using one of the
product/service scenarios listed in the Unit II assignment. (Note: You will use
the same scenario throughout the course.) This scenario will be the basis of
your start-up company and will be the catalyst for the subsequent marketing plan
that you will compile. The company that you choose to submit a marketing plan
for is a fictional start-up company (not an existing company).

This unit’s submission should consist of the items listed
below.

Provide a segmentation and target market analysis. In this
section of the marketing plan, you should identify the four criteria useful in
segmenting the market, and apply them to your company. Explain how identifying the target market is
more clearly defined once a marketer has conducted segmentation on the
population. Explain several target markets for your company using detailed
explanations.

Include a competitive and industry analysis. This section of
the marketing plan should identify three or four competitors of your company.
These can be direct or indirect competitors. (Note: Not all companies have
competitors.) Differentiate each competitor based upon multiple criteria.
Additionally, conduct an industry analysis by looking at the health of the
industry in which your company resides. Identify whether the industry has grown
or shrunk in the last 5–10 years. Explain why understanding the competitors and
the health of the industry are important elements of the marketing plan.

Provide a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats) analysis. In this section, you will compile a SWOT analysis of your
company. The internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external
opportunities and threats need to be identified and explained (include at least
2–3 elements under each area of the SWOT). The value proposition will be
demonstrated through a strong showing in the strengths section of the SWOT
analysis. Reference the SWOT analysis explanation in the Unit I Lesson for
additional insight on how to compile this analysis. The format of the submission
should be in essay format using subheadings. Use APA format. Additionally, you
need to include a minimum of five sources, three of which must be
peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old. The
submission should be a minimum of three pages in length (not counting the title
and reference pages). Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below

Marketing Plan: Part III

Throughout this
course, you have been compiling a comprehensive marketing plan using one of the
product/service scenarios listed in the Unit II assignment. (Note: You should
have been using the same scenario for Parts I–III.)

This unit’s submission should consist of the items listed
below. 1.

Product

a. This section of the marketing plan should include a
description of the products and services offered to the consumer. Remember that
this product section should also identify services, warranties, and
installation features. Additionally, brand, logo, and other identifying characteristics
should be discussed in this section as they encompass part of the product
offering.

b. Examine whether
your company has a competitive advantage relative to its product offering
(i.e., only address the product here).

Place

This section of the marketing plan should explain the entire
distribution channel (see Unit VII Lesson). As a reminder, this is the flow of
the product from the manufacturer or creator of the product/service to the
final consumer (the entire process—not just the retailer at the end of the
process). Describe a physical facility associated with your company. This can
be a unique manufacturing or distribution center, retailer, or even a
merchandising technique. The idea here is to describe what it looks like to the
consumer and the value that this atmosphere brings to the buying experience.
Examine whether your company has a competitive advantage relative to its place
offering (i.e., only address place or distribution here).

Price

This section of the
marketing plan should describe the pricing strategies used by your company.
Include theoretical aspects of pricing (see Unit VII Lesson) in your discussion
here. Examine whether your company has a competitive advantage relative to its
pricing strategies (i.e., only address pricing here).

Promotion

This section of the marketing plan should address the
promotional methods used by your company. This should not only include social
media/Internet marketing but also traditional marketing and advertising used
(e.g., personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, publicity). Examine
whether your company has a competitive advantage relative to its promotional
strategies (i.e., only address promotion here). The format of the submission
should be in essay format using subheadings. Use APA format. Additionally, you
need to include a minimum of five sources, three of which must be
peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old. The
submission should be a minimum of three pages in length (not counting the title
and reference pages). Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.