Module 01 Course Project – Information Literacy: Secondary Data, SWOT, Research
Professional Business report
Module 01 Content
1.
You are a marketing specialist reporting directly to the Director of Marketing. One of your top competitors has recently begun stealing market share from your brand. Unless your team comes up with a successful defensive marketing plan, this competitor will overtake your brand’s market position within six months.
For this assignment, you will develop a marketing plan to effectively address the competitive threat. You will choose a real-life company and product, as well as a competitive company and product, to use in the course project assignments.
Module 01 Assignment: In order to respond effectively to the competitive threat, you need to gain a solid understanding of the current situation. Because of your excellent marketing education, you know that data and research will help you do just that. For this project, create a business report to be shared with your manager that addresses the following:
Section 1: Identify a real-life company and product as well as a competitor company and product. The company should be based in the United States and located in one of the data resources listed below.
Section 2: Conduct a detailed analysis of secondary data sources to identify industry, company, market, customer, and competitive data. One reference in your paper needs to be the data resource of your company information research.
Please Use secondary resources for section 2. Very important.
Section 3: Based on your secondary research, complete a SWOT analysis for your brand and your competitor.
• Resource: SWOT template provided here. Need to complete and insert into your paper.
SWOT Analysis Template
1. Complete each of the four sections
2. Each section should contain 3-5 bullets
3. Copy and insert the completed SWOT chart into your paper
Reminders:
• Strenghts and Weaknesses are internal (within the company)
• Opportunities and Threats are external (outside the company: trends and development)
SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
• Example One
• Example Two
• Example Three • Example One
• Example Two
• Example Three
Opportunities Threats
• Example One
• Example Two
• Example Three • Example One
• Example Two
• Example Three
Section 4: Describe other types of information that you would seek through qualitative and quantitative primary research methods if you had the time.
• Resource: Qualitative and Quantitative Chart template provided here. Need to complete and insert into your paper.
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• Quantitative versus Qualitative Research
• The chart below lists the six steps in the Marketing Research Process. In the six white blocks (only steps 1-3), for both Quantitative and Qualitative, define a different problem that can be solved for each. State your research plan and purpose, as well as the methods you intend to use to collect the information.
Marketing Research Process Quantitative Qualitative
Step 1: Define a problem or assumption about the company/product
Step 2:
Research Plan and Purpose
Step 3:
Methods to Collect the Information
Step 4: Analyze the Information
Step 5: Present the Findings
Step 6: Decide What to Do
Section 5: Two references required. (One source must be the data source site.)
Rubric:
Data Analysis
Mastery: Advanced or exceeds achievementData offers a clear explanation as to the importance of each section analyzed and gives relevant examples.
SWOT Chart
35% of total grade
Mastery: Advanced or exceeds achievement
Completes the SWOT analysis for and provides resources to support analysis.
Professional Tone TS – Information Literacy
21% of total grade
Mastery: Advanced or exceeds achievement
Paper is well-written and has a professional tone. Examples and resources are clearly explained.
APA Formatting
9% of total grade
Mastery: Advanced or exceeds achievement
Paper includes title page, APA formatted writing, and APA formatted references.