Sunderland Faulty of Business & Law Undergraduate Programmes MKT306 Marketing Strategy Assignment January 2012/13

Please read all instructions and information carefully. You are required to submit your work within the bounds of the University Infringement of Assessment Regulations. Your assignments must be handed in to the University of Sunderland Learning Resource Centre with an accurately and clearly completed Assignment Cover Sheet. Learning Outcomes Assessed: Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to: Knowledge 1. Explain the nature of marketing strategy and its significance for the organisation 2. Assess the drivers and factors affecting the choice of marketing strategies 3. Evaluate appropriate models and techniques that aid the strategic marketing process 4. Analyse contemporary marketing issues and problems in a strategic context Skills 1. Apply research skills 2. Demonstrate interpreting advanced information and marketing data handling skills 3. Assess communications skills to develop effective relationship marketing

Title: Weighting: Module Assessor: Issue Date: Completion Date: Word Count:

Individual report 100% Stephen Storey September 2012 10th January 2013 3000 - 3500 + Appendices

Task This assignment is in report format in two parts each worth approx. 50%: a) Investigation and analysis (50%) Individually, choose an organization, either producer and/or brand owner, who is involved in the marketing of frozen ready meals. Investigate and evaluate the marketing strategy of the producer/owner using contemporary marketing tools and techniques. This may however be illuminated using examples from other companies/ organizations. You can demonstrate the effectiveness of the reported policies for the chosen company by giving performance data against competitors in the market (e.g. market share, sales, profitability, etc.). b) Recommendations(50%) Your remit is to put forward your own suggestions covering changes in marketing strategy that will improve the future performance of the service provider for the benefit of the parent company and its steakholders. Justify your choices again using contemporary marketing methods and techniques. These suggestions should be your own ideas but may include marketing tactics and strategies used by other successful organisations but in different industry sectors. You will put these suggestions, forward in a written report. Please do not just restate the strategies used by your chosen firm but outline your own ideas for improved performance. N.B. You should be using publicly available sources. Though the report should include facts and figures from these sources e.g. journals, newspapers, magazines, or reference/text books. When these are incorporated they should be fully referenced using the Harvard referencing system. This is an individual piece of work. The work must be original (Data gained from published sources and referenced is exempted) if there is evidence of any work that is not wholly attributable to you, the Universitys policy on Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism will be applied.

Summative feedback will be provided on the coversheet of the assignment.

Submission 1. All students are required to submit assessed work through Turnitin 2. All students are normally required to submit two copies of their assessed work. One copy must be submitted though Turnitin and one paper copy should be submitted to the University of Sunderland Learning Resource Centre. 3. All students must submit a Turnitin receipt with the paper copy submission 4. The penalty for students who do not submit their assessed work through Turnitin is that their mark is withheld and the assessment board may deem the work to have failed. 5. Students may submit drafts through Turnitin prior to submission and generate reports prior to submission. The last submission prior to the deadline will be deemed to be the final submission for assessment purposes. Please note that you need to allow 24 hours between submissions through Turnitin to generate a fresh/new/different report so please do not leave submission to the last moment.

Marking Scheme 1st (70+%) An excellent assignment. It demonstrates a high level of understanding of the learning outcomes. The report provides evidence of significant understanding of marketing strategy theory/techniques and its application to the selected organisation. All decisions are logical, coherent, fully justified, explained succinctly and coherently, but also demonstrates a high level of insight and originality. The presentation is of a very high standard demonstrating a professional approach which is generally free of errors. 2:1 (60-69%) A very good assignment. It demonstrates a reasonably high level of understanding of the learning outcomes. The assignment provides evidence of understanding of marketing strategy theory/techniques and its application to the selected organisation. All decisions are logical, justified and explained however are less strong in terms of insight and originality. The presentation is of a high standard and predominantly free from errors. 2.2 (50-59%) A good assignment. It demonstrates a sound understanding of the learning outcomes. The report provides evidence of understanding of marketing strategy theory/techniques and its application to the selected organisation, though this may be somewhat limited. Most decisions are appropriate however are less strong in terms of insight, logic and originality. The presentation is adequate. 3rd (40-49%) A satisfactory assignment. It demonstrates an understanding of the learning outcomes. The report provides evidence of understanding of marketing strategy theory/techniques and its application to the selected organisation, although this is limited. Decisions are appropriate however lack coherence, insight and logic. The presentation is adequate, but lacks cohesion.

Grade F (<40%) Unsatisfactory assignment. It demonstrates a lack of understanding of the learning outcomes. It contains some elements of marketing strategy/techniques applied to the context however is not wholly appropriate. The assignment lacks logic, coherence, originality and insight. The presentation is poor with a number of errors.

Generic Assessment Criteria Undergraduate These should be interpreted according to the level at which you are working and related to the assessment criteria for the module Categories Grade Relevance Knowledge Analysis Argument and Structure Critical Evaluation Presentation Reference to Literature 86 The work examined is exemplary and provides clear evidence of a complete grasp of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. There is also 100% ample excellent evidence showing that all the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are fully satisfied. At this level it is expected that the work will be exemplary in all the categories cited above. It will demonstrate a particularly compelling evaluation, originality, and elegance of argument, interpretation or discourse. 76-85% The work examined is outstanding and demonstrates comprehensive knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. There is also excellent evidence showing that all the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that level are fully satisfied. At this level it is expected that the work will be outstanding in the majority of the categories cited above or by demonstrating particularly compelling evaluation and elegance of argument, interpretation or discourse. The work examined is excellent and is evidence of comprehensive knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. There is also excellent evidence 70 75% showing that all the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that level are satisfied At this level it is expected that the work will be excellent in the majority of the categories cited above or by demonstrating particularly compelling evaluation and elegance of argument, interpretation or discourse. Directly relevant to A substantial Good analysis, Generally coherent and May contain some Well written, with Critical appraisal of up-to60 69% the requirements of knowledge of clear and orderly logically structured, using an distinctive or standard spelling and date and/or appropriate the assessment relevant material, appropriate mode of independent thinking; grammar, in a literature. Recognition of showing a clear grasp argument and/or theoretical may begin to formulate readable style with different perspectives. Very of themes, questions mode(s) an independent position acceptable format good use of source material. and issues therein in relation to theory Uses a range of sources and/or practice. Some attempt to Adequate knowledge Some analytical Some attempt to construct a Sound work which Competently written, Uses a variety of literature 50 59% address the of a fair range of treatment, but may coherent argument, but may expresses a coherent with only minor which includes some recent requirements of the relevant material, be prone to suffer loss of focus and position only in broad lapses from standard texts and/or appropriate assessment: may with intermittent description, or to consistency, with issues at terms and in uncritical grammar, with literature, though not drift away from this evidence of an narrative, which stake stated only vaguely, or conformity to one or acceptable format necessarily including a in less focused appreciation of its lacks clear theoretical mode(s) couched more standard views of substantive amount beyond passages significance analytical purpose in simplistic terms the topic library texts. Competent use of source material. 40 49% Some correlation Basic understanding Largely descriptive A basic argument is evident, Some evidence of a A simple basic style Some up-to-date and/or with the of the subject but or narrative, with but mainly supported by view starting to be but with significant appropriate literature used. requirements of the addressing a limited little evidence of assertion and there may be a formed but mainly deficiencies in Goes beyond the material assessment but there range of material analysis lack of clarity and coherence derivative. expression or format tutor has provided. Limited is a significant that may pose use of sources to support a degree of obstacles for the point. Weak use of source irrelevance reader material. 35 39% Relevance to the A limited Heavy dependence Little evidence of coherent Almost wholly Numerous Barely adequate use of requirements of the understanding of a on description, argument: lacks development derivative: the writers deficiencies in literature. Over reliance on assessment may be narrow range of and/or on and may be repetitive or thin contribution rarely goes expression and material provided by the very intermittent, material paraphrase, is beyond simplifying presentation; the tutor. Fail Pass

and may be reduced common paraphrase writer may achieve to its vaguest and clarity (if at all) only least challenging by using a simplistic terms or repetitious style The evidence provided shows that the majority of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied. 30 34% The work examined provides insufficient evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. The evidence provided shows that some of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied. The work will be weak in some of the indicators. 15-29% The work examined is unacceptable and provides little evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. The evidence shows that few of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied. The work will be weak in several of the indicators. 0-14% The work examined is unacceptable and provides almost no evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. The evidence fails to show that any of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied. The work will be weak in the majority or all of the indicators. Ver 1.3 13/02/2008 SJS