Describe and evaluate the current strategy of the firm or business. Focus on proposing a strategy that provides distinct positioning of the firm.

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Disney’s Marketing Strategy

The first part of the report should describe and evaluate the current strategy of the firm or business. The second part should focus on proposing a strategy that provides distinct positioning of the firm. Ensure you detail of how you have arrived at this positioning, how you will communicate it in a way that exploits its particular strengths, why you think it will be successful and what you consider success to be. Your market analysis should include a review of company’s performance to-date, an assessment of your competition’s current and likely future positioning. You should present your project in such a way as to sell it to the firm’s board of directors. To do this you will need to estimate the investment required to achieve the positioning and the expected results (in terms of market share over the next five years).

The report will ordinarily be based on secondary sources and information in the public domain but can also be based on field research or interviews and data collection within a company.

The reports will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. The quality and comprehensiveness of the analysis – were the right questions asked?
2. The feasibility of the conclusions or recommendations – did they follow from the analysis?
3. Evidence of mastery of the frameworks, concepts, and methods developed during the course; and
4. The effectiveness of the written and verbal presentation of the report.

Which category (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats) of the analysis simulation was the most challenging for you? What have you now learned that will help you better identify items that belong in that category in the future?

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SWOT Analysis: Reflections

Overview

A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis is an effective tool for making marketing decisions and continually evaluating the marketplace to determine if adjustments should be made to a marketing plan.

For this assignment, you will complete a SWOT analysis. You may do the analysis in the form of an interactive or in the form of a quiz. You only need to complete one version of the SWOT analysis. Then, you will reflect on what you learned from doing the SWOT analysis by responding to some questions.

Prompt

Complete one version of the SWOT analysis simulation. The interactive and the quiz themselves are non-graded tools to help you experience a SWOT analysis. You will be graded based on the Module Six SWOT Analysis Rubric.

Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:

  • Name the SWOT analysis version that you completed. Reflect on your experience with completing a simulation of a SWOT analysis by answering the questions provided below.
    • Which category (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats) of the analysis simulation was the most challenging for you?
    • What have you now learned that will help you better identify items that belong in that category in the future?
    • Which category of a SWOT analysis do you think marketers may tend to overlook most often, and why?
    • What are at least two potential negative impacts of failing to consider the often overlooked category you’ve just identified?

Who here drinks lattes? Who here makes their own lattes at home? Why do you make them at home? What products or appliances do you use to make your own lattes at home?

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MKTG 6140 cool hunt 2

Appendix A: Focus Group Guides

Focus Group Guide #1

This guide was used by the moderator to facilitate the focus group discussion.

 

Opening                                          

Share with participants what the focus group topics will cover and disclaimers before beginning.

 Moderator Prompts:

  • Today, we will be talking about latte making and coffee accessories.
  • You will be shown a new product concept.
  • There are no right or wrong answers – we just want to hear your honest opinions about your preferences and learn about what is prioritized by you when it comes to coffee.
  • This session will run for one hour.

 

 

Zone 1: Exploring Coffee Behaviour

Ask easy ice-breaker style questions to have the participants warm up to sharing their ideas. These questions help to explore the topic of coffee.

 Moderator Prompts:

  • Who here drinks lattes?
  • Who here makes their own lattes at home? Why do you make them at home?
  • What products or appliances do you use to make your own lattes at home?

 

Zone 2: Explore Latte Making Accessories

Narrow down on the particular topic of late making accessories to allude to the product concept without revealing it. Start to ask more specific questions about coffee beans.

 Moderator Prompts:

  • Do you grind your own coffee beans?
  • Do you measure your coffee beans?
  • Where do you store your coffee beans at home?

 

Zone 3: Introduce the Product Concept

Present the concept board to the participants.

 Moderator Prompts:

  • What are your first impressions of this product?
  • Rate the concept on a scale of 1-5, based on how much you like this concept idea.
  • What are your likes or dislikes about this concept?

 

Zone 4: Explore How Compelling the Idea Is

Ask whether participants would actually be interested in this concept.

Moderator Prompts:

  • Would you purchase this product? Why or why not?
  • How likely are you to purchase this product if it were around $100 CAD?
  • Would you be willing to pay a premium for additional features?
  • Would price be a deal breaker?

 

Zone 5: Open Discussion

Allow for participants to bring up candid topics.

 Moderator Prompts:

  • Are there any topics or issues about this product that have not been addressed?
  • Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share?

 

Zone 6: Closing

Thank the participants for taking the time to participate in this discussion.

 Moderator Prompts:

  • Thank you for taking the time to participate in this discussion.
  • We are thrilled to have these new learnings, which will be used to refine the product concept further and explore how we can meet the needs of consumers like you.

 

Focus Group Guide #2

The second focus group was conducted using the same guide as the first, with the following edits applied:

 

Zone 3: Introduction of the Product Concept

  • The product concept now includes a rechargeable feature, where the container can be plugged into a power source to recharge the battery.
  • Based on an idea proposed in the first focus group by a participant, the product concept now also includes a mobile app that is similar to a social media platform.

Define your service/product features and benefits and performance characteristics versus competitive products. How does the product/service fulfill the value proposition? What product/service changes do you recommend? What attributes do you want to add/delete to your product/service? What do you recommend in terms of changes to package design, logos, and/or brand identity?

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Nitro Snowboards Marketing Plan

Put yourself in the shoes of VP for Marketing and develop a market plan for the next step for Nitro Snowboards.

Overview: Nitro has been designing, building, and distributing snowboards for almost 30 years. Recently through extensive R&D, our engineers have designed a new board that will revolutionize backcountry boarding for years to come. As the VP, you need to analyze and understand how to best market the company’s new innovation and craft a Marketing Plan. As you craft your plan, consider the iconic status of existing snowboards, and the lack of any recent radical innovations in the category, which pose major challenges in securing consumer adoption. If the company continues along the same distribution channels as its other board lines, Nitro potentially lacks the market penetration and sales that are forecasted for this new innovation. You will need to consider a cohesive and innovative plan for all 4 Ps of this product launch.

Based on this information, create a go-to-market strategy addressing the following:

Marketing Objectives – These could include marketing objectives such as market share, customer satisfaction, loyalty, etc.

Target Market (examples: professional players, hobbyists, etc) – Who have you identified as the most appropriate segment (target) for this product/service? Create a profile, define a typical target consumer, and describe them in specific detail. Why have you chosen this target market over

Product/Service Strategies – Define your service/product features and benefits and performance characteristics versus competitive products. How does the product/service fulfill the value proposition? What product/service changes do you recommend? What attributes do you want to add/delete to your product/service? What do you recommend in terms of changes to package design, logos, and/or brand identity? This may include the service promise, including any customer service and warranty information.

Pricing Strategy – Outline your pricing objectives and explain how they relate to your marketing objectives. Present a list price for your product that retailers will pay you. Discuss payment terms/options including any discounts and allowances you will give to your retailer customers. Discuss how you will balance pricing issues amongst different channels. Provide a rationale for your choices.

Place Strategy -Define your distribution strategy. In which retail channels do you want to sell your product? Why? Provide a rationale for your choices. Define your selling approach. What selling message will you use to persuade your retail partners to carry the product?

Promotion Strategy – Discuss if/how/why you will use the following promotion tactics: advertising (TV, print, radio, outdoor, Internet), consumer sales promotions (displays, price promotions, gift with purchase, sweepstakes/contests), event marketing/sponsorships, public relations, trade show, and conference participation, direct marketing (mail, telephone, email), Internet marketing, and Web 2.0 social media programs and other forms of communication. How will the customer receive information about the product? Be specific about what role each medium will play in the strategy and fulfill the overall marketing objectives. What is the recommended timing and frequency of the marketing communications plan?

Action Plan – discuss timing, and decide who should be responsible for the various aspects of implementation, and indicate the resources necessary to implement the marketing plan.

Use 2 of these sources and let the other three be from academic resources.
https://hbr.org/1981/05/marketing-intangible-products-and-product-intangibles
https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-a-marketing-mix-2295520
https://www.mindtools.com/akksnwa/themarketingmixandthe4ps

Locate and evaluate 8 digital tools based upon: interoperability, privacy, digital pedagogy, research & evidence, usability, and accessiblity.

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Choose the Right Tool Activity

  1. Go to the Choose the Right Digital Tool Website from Edsurge.
  2. You will locate and evaluate 8 digital tools based upon: interoperability, privacy, digital pedagogy, research & evidence, usability, and accessiblity. You MUST find these tools on this website and provide a link to each one of them.
  3. At the end of the actvity select one of your favorite tools.

Who are we trying to persuade to take action? What is the action we want that person or persons to take? What does that person need to know in order to feel confident in taking that action?

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Planning the Sales Call

“You can’t get good at something you never do”

It often takes persistence and perseverance to get in front of a new prospect. Most sales professionals will call a prospect 2–3 times. Nearly half will follow up 4–5 times, and only the top 10% will make the 6–10 contacts necessary to get the business appointment. It is important to keep your name in front of the prospect.

A sales call is centered around 3 defining questions:
1. Who are we trying to persuade to take action?
2. What is the action we want that person or persons to take?
3. What does that person need to know in order to feel confident in taking that action?

Identify a product or service that both you and your parents or grandparents have purchased, but through different distribution channels. Name and describe the distribution channel your parents or grandparents used to purchase the product or service.

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Not Your Grandparents’ Distribution Channel mkt

In your initial post, identify a product or service that both you and your parents or grandparents have purchased, but through different distribution channels. Name and describe the distribution channel your parents or grandparents used to purchase the product or service. Then, name and describe the distribution channel that you prefer to purchase that same product or service, and explain why.

In your replies to at least two peers, discuss the demographic and psychographic characteristics that would align with the distribution channels they described.

Apply evidence-based leadership skills and concepts in the planning of an executive-level practice change project. Develop an evidence-based foundation to lead organizational change using current knowledge, standards of practice, and research from current literature.

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Week 7 Assignment:

CGE Project Portfolio: Part 1

Purpose

Organizational leaders are often involved in a process that requires involves demonstrating compliance with regulatory guidelines or demonstrating evidence that the organization meets a particular set of standards. Some examples of this might include Magnet Journey, specialty area certification (i.e., upgrading of ER Trauma Level; Stroke Center Designation), Joint Commission Survey, State Department of Health. The organization is often provided with a form that specifies the information required and which must be completed and returned to the requesting agency for review. The information you provide to the requesting agency is then distributed to the team of evaluators responsible for determining if your organization has met the requirements of the agency. The quality of information you provide and the consistency of the format requested play a critical role in the minds of the evaluators. If there are gaps in the information, it will lead to questions from the evaluators during the visit. If you produce a thorough, high-quality, and professional document, consistent with the format requested, it significantly increases the likelihood of a favorable review process.

The portfolio assignment provides the student with practice in finding and assembling information into a requested format for review. In a very small and simple way, this simulates a process such as what is described in the previous paragraph.

The portfolio assignment also serves to chronicle and archive the project process. While you may start the project as the project manager, sometimes projects are handed off to another person or another team. Having a current set of documents and information allows a current PM to seamlessly hand off the project to another PM. Think of yourself as the PM taking over your project. What information would you want to help ensure a seamless transition? Assemble the portfolio so that it would be such that you would want to receive it in taking the handoff.

This assignment allows you to assemble your CGE portfolio with the project management components and activities completed to this point. You will build on this assignment at the conclusion of the CGE II course to create an updated portfolio.

 

Course Learning Outcomes  

Through this assignment, you will address the following course learning outcomes:

CO 1: Apply evidence-based leadership skills and concepts in the planning of an executive-level practice change project. (PO 4, 5)

CO 2: Develop an evidence-based foundation to lead organizational change using current knowledge, standards of practice, and research from current literature. (PO 4, 5)

CO 4: Apply evidence-based fiscal principles that contribute to the creation of a caring environment characterized by high quality, safe, patient-centered care. (PO 1, 2, 4, 5)

CO 5: Apply an evidence-based change theory to a project that results in practice change and positive organizational outcomes. (PO 1, 2, 5)

Why do marketing professionals care about and participate in supply chain decisions? Are small business owners at a disadvantage if they lack the marketing research resources large companies have? Why or why not?

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Answer two out of the three discussion questions, listed below.

1. Make a list of products you believe failed because of poor marketing channel choices.

2. Why do marketing professionals care about and participate in supply chain decisions?

3. Are small business owners at a disadvantage if they lack the marketing research resources large companies have? Why or why not?

Create a list of four BROAD topics that classify as current and relevant trends in digital marketing.

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Eng 302 questions

ASSIGNMENT 1: Create a list of four BROAD topics that classify as current and relevant trends in digital marketing. Then, using the formula on p. 39 of The Craft of Research as a model, narrow your broad topics to NARROW topics. Be sure to use action words, such as “conflict,” “describe,” “contribute” and “develop,” in narrowing your topics as exemplified in the formula on p. 39 of the text.

ASSIGNMENT 2: After narrowing your four topics, create one meaningful question for each of the four narrowed topics.