Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Unit 3 overview

Introduction.

I am going to be investigating a business and I will carry out and fabricate evidence of market research about the company. This will be both primary and secondary research and will be provided by a range of sources for the company. Primary research is an kind of research that you find yourself. An example of this can include questionnaires and interviews. Secondary research is processing data that has already been collected by someone else.

I will be presenting this investigation in the form of a report. 

I will start the investigation by writing an introduction. In the introduction I will include the company name and background, a quick overview of how the company works and an overview of the Cadbury's range of products. This will help me to understand an existing example that constantly uses marketing.

After this I will explain and describe the product I have chose. To do this I will write a description of the product, write about all the ingredients, the details of the packaging and I will also include an illustration. This will help to confirm why Cadbury's have marketed the way they have.

I will then explain the reasons about my choice of product and justify them. To do this I will write about a gap in the market and also about Cadbury and the gap in their product portfolio. I will include information about trends, consumer tastes/habits and will also incorporate statistics to back up my information. It will also be useful to include information about any potential competitors. This task will help me to investigate about choosing the right product to go a head with. It will also help me to understand about what customers want/need.

In task four there are three things that I will be doing. The first will be describing what market research is and also its main purposes. I will then explain what primary and secondary sources are. The final thing that I will do is state what the difference between quantitative and qualitative  research. Whilst doing these three main things I will include target markets, identify size and structure of the market and also identify any competition. This will help me understand these terms and also be able to get examples of them for Cadbury's.

For task five I will state why it is important to conduct market research before you produce your product and also say what research I am going to do. To do this I will produce a questionnaire and also conduct a focus group for my primary research. I will use the internet, newspapers and also Government statistics. This will give me in sight into what market research is and how it works as this is a major part for a business.

In task six I will have to design and distribute the questionnaire to atleast thirty people and i will also have to consider the specific types of people I wish to fill out my questionnaires. This could be their age, gender etc.

I will then collate my results and present my findings using graphs and a written analysis to complete task seven. To be able to do this I will analyse all of the questions on the questionnaire. The analysis for each question will include sample sizes, the usefulness of the data and also the results validity and limitations. For each question I will produce either a pie chart or graph to show the results in percentages. And finally I shall state why I asked each question and the response that was given. Throughout this my research will be in depth and also collected from a wide range of sources that are relevant. This will enable me to understand how the general public feels about the product and what they think could make it better.







For task eight I will conduct a focus group and then analyse my results from it. I will include a in depth analysis of the results which will make reference to my own choice of product. I will also include a table which shows the results from the focus group and it will be typed up.

I will carry out basic secondary research which I will provide evidence of. The research will include things such as sales of chocolate, trends in eating and any other relevant information that I believe is to do with my chosen product. I will have atleast four sources which i will collect from places such as newspapers and the internet. I will then analyse this data by stating how useful it is and also about its validity and limitations. This will again make it possible to know what the public think/feel about the product.

For the final task I will then conclude my main findings from the primary and secondary research that I have collected. I will then state whether my findings have supported my choice of product and target market or made me reconsider my choice of products and intended target market. This will give an over-view of all of the research and will provide evidence for all of the research conducted.



    Friday, 19 September 2014

    ASSIGNMENT

    Unit 3 – Investigating Marketing - Section A

    Introduction
    This section focuses on your chosen product. You will carry out and produce evidence of market research (both primary and secondary) evidenced by a range of sources for your chosen product. You should submit this section in the form of a report.

    Task 1
    Write an introduction.

    Guidance
    The introduction should include:
    • The reasons for the investigation (see scenario)
    ·          The company name and background information
    ·          Brief overview of the market in which the company operates
    ·          Overview of the Cadbury’s product range
                                                                                                                    
                                                                                          Deadline __________________________

    Task 2

    Describe and explain the product you have chosen.
    MB1
    Guidance
    Include the following:
    ·         a description of the product
    ·         the ingredients
    ·         details of the packaging
    ·         an illustration

                                                                                            Deadline __________________________


    Task 3

    Explain the reasons and justification for your choice of product.

    MB2/3
    Guidance
    Explain your reasons and justification for your choice of product by:-
    • Including statistics (e.g. on obesity levels to justify need for low fat bar)
    • Including a positioning map to show gap in the market.
    • Information about Cadbury and the gap in their product portfolio
    • Including information on trends
    • Including information on consumer changing tastes/habits
    • Including competitor action information

                                                                                           Deadline __________________________

    Task 4

    (a) Explain what market research is and its main purposes.
    (b) Explain what primary research and secondary research is.
    (c) What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research?

    Guidance
    (a) Include the following:
    ·         to identify target markets
    ·         to identify size and structure of market
    ·         to identify competition
                                                                                           Deadline __________________________


    Task 5

    Explain why market research is important before you produce your product and explain what research you are going to do.

    Guidance
    ·         You will conduct a questionnaire(s) and hold a focus group for your primary research and use the internet, newspapers and government statistics

                                                                                            Deadline __________________________


    Task 6

    Design and distribute a questionnaire.
    MB1
    Guidance
    ·          Design a questionnaire and distribute to at least 30 people.
    ·          You may need to consider the types of people you want to complete your questionnaire, e.g. age, sex.

                                                                                           Deadline __________________________


    Task 7

    Collate your results and present your findings using graphs and written analysis.
    MB1-3
    Guidance
    • You must analyse ALL the questions
    • You need to produce either a graph or pie chart and it must depict percentages and not numbers e.g. 40% male, 60% female
    • You must state why you have asked a particular question and what the response was, e.g. ‘I asked 60% of females because I intend to produce a chocolate product aimed at females’.

    For MB2/3 your research should be in depth and obtained from a wide range of relevant sources. 
    Your analysis should include:
    ·         sample sizes,
    ·         usefulness of the data
    ·         validity and limitations

                                                                                             Deadline __________________________


    Task 8

    Carry out a focus group and analyse your results.

    MB2-3
    Guidance
    You must include the following:
    • a table showing the results of the focus group typed up by yourself
    • a detailed analysis of the findings making reference to your own choice of product

                                                                                  Deadline __________________________





    Task 9

    Carry out and produce evidence of basic secondary research.

    MB1 – 3
    Guidance
    • The research could include:trends in eating, sales of chocolate products or any other information relevant to your choice of product
    • You must use at least 4 sources (e.g. internet, newspaper, government trends – www.statistics.gov.uk, Mintel etc.)
    • Analyse your findings including usefulness of the data, validity and limitations

                                                                                 Deadline __________________________

    Task 10

    Summarise your main findings from your primary and secondary research.
    MB1-3
    Guidance
    ·          Explain how your findings have justified your choice of product and/or your intended target market.
    OR
    ·          Has your research made you reconsider your choice of product and/or intended target market?

                                                                                     Deadline __________________________


    FINAL DEADLINE FOR FULL WRITTEN REPORT

    ___________________________




























    Unit 3 – Investigating Marketing

    Section B

    Introduction

    This section requires you to show your understanding of segmentation and target market by explaining how segmentation applies to your chosen product and describing your target market. You should submit this section in the form of a report.

    Task 1

    Explain the possible marketing aims and objectives a business may have.
    MB1
    Guidance
    A business will use different marketing activities depending on the objectives it is aiming to achieve. You must list these and explain how they will be achieved.
    • To improve market share
    • To diversify
    • To relaunch a product
    • To improve sales
    • To understand customer needs
    • To increase brand awareness
    •  Improve profitability
    • Developing new products

    Task 2

    Explain and justify the marketing aims and objectives of your business.
    MB2
    Guidance
    ·         Explain what the term ‘SMART’ means.
    ·         The aims and objectives for your business must be very clearly justified taking account of the term ‘SMART’.
    ·         Give 3 or 4 marketing aims and objectives for your product and explain why you have chosen them.

                                                                             Deadline __________________________

    Task 4

    Explain what is meant by target market.
    MB1
    Guidance
    • Give a definition and use examples to support your explanation.


    Task 5

    Explain how the target market is identified using segmentation and include examples.
    MB1
    Guidance
    You will need to consider the following ways in which markets can be segmented:
    • by age
    • by social class
    • by gender
    • by lifestyle
    • geodemographic segmentation
    • niche/mass markets

    Explain each of the above and give examples of different target markets and the segementation criteria of them.


    Task 6

    Explain and illustrate how segmentation applies to your product and how this will identify your target market.
    MB2
    Guidance
    Go through the segmentation criteria and identify your target market.  Give reasons for your segmentation and show why it relates to your product.  It may be due to image, quality, status etc.

    Task 7

    Consider the ‘aims and objectives’ and ‘segmentation’ and suggest how this information has allowed you to select a target group for your product.
    MB3
    Guidance
    You will need to explain how your aims and objectives, your product and your segmentation links together to determine and justify your choice of target market.


    DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN REPORT

    ________________________

                                     


                                         






















    Unit 3 – Investigating Marketing
    Section C

    Introduction
    In this section you are required to create a marketing mix for your chosen product. You should submit this section in the form of a report.

    Task 1

    Write an introduction to this section explaining what a marketing mix is and why they are used by businesses.

    Guidance
    • You will need to explain about product, price, place and promotion.

    Task 2

    PRODUCT:
    Explain the importance of this element of the marketing mix.
    MB1
    Guidance
    You must include:
    • the product ‘features’.
    • the ‘product life cycle’ explaining the cycle that your product will take.
    • the ‘3 levels’ of a product.

    Task 3

    Explain your final product showing how your market research has helped you make this decision.
    MB2
    Guidance
    • Make reference to your market research (primary and secondary) to justify your final choice of product.

    Task 4

    How has segmentation contributed to your final choice of product?
    MB3
    Guidance
    You must include a range of factors and these must be justified in detail.

    Task 5

    PRICE:
    Explain the importance of this element of the marketing mix and state which strategy(s) are appropriate for your product.
    MB1
    Guidance
    You must describe the different pricing strategies:
    • Price skimming
    • Price penetration
    • Promotional pricing
    • Mixed pricing
    • Contribution pricing
    • Discriminatory pricing
    • Psychological pricing

    Task 6

    Give reasons from your market research why the pricing strategy(s) you have chosen are most suited to your product and Cadbury.
    MB2
    Guidance
    Make reference to your market research (primary and secondary) to justify your final choice of price.



    Task 7

    Consider your target market/segmentation and suggest how this information affects your choice of price.
    MB3
    Guidance
    You must include a range of factors and these must be justified in detail.

    Task 8

    PROMOTION:
    Explain the importance of this element of the marketing mix and state which form(s) of promotion you have decided to use for your product.
    MB1
    Guidance
    Include the different types of promotion businesses can use:
    • Branding
    • Advertising
    • Sponsorship

    Task 9

    Give reasons for your chosen methods of promotion making reference to your market research findings.
    MB2
    Guidance
    Make reference to your market research (primary and secondary) to justify your final choice of price.

    Task 10

    Explain why these methods are most suitable/effective for your target market.
    MB3
    Guidance
    You must include a range of factors and these must be justified in detail.

    Task 11

    PLACE
    Explain the importance of this element of the marketing mix and state which distribution channel you will be using.
    MB1
    Guidance
    • Describe the different channels available to businesses.
    • Describe the different types of outlets where your product could be sold and state which one(s) suit your product.


    Task 12

    Consider your choice of distribution channel(s)/outlet(s) and explain how your market research findings have helped you to arrive at your decision.
    MB2
    Guidance
    Make reference to your market research (primary and secondary) to justify your final choice of price.

    Task 13

    How does your choice of place link to your segmentation?
    MB3
    Guidance
    You must include a range of factors and these must be justified in detail.

    Task 14

    Summarise your main marketing mix decisions and provide an explanation of how they complement each other and allow you to achieve your marketing aims and objectives.
    MB1,2&3



    DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN REPORT: _____________
    Unit 3 – Investigating Marketing

    Section D
    Introduction
    This section requires you to consider the possible internal and external constraints on your marketing mix (4p’s). It is necessary to do this in order to evaluate the success of your proposed marketing mix. You should submit this section in the form of a report.

    Task 1

    Explain what internal constraints exist and the impact they are likely to have on your product.
    MB1-3
    Guidance
    • You will need to explain about the costs, time, skills of staff available, and ethical standards and relate these to your product.
    • Explain how cost has influenced your choice of marketing mix.

    Task 2

    Explain what a SWOT analysis is and how it is used by a business.

    Guidance
    • Use your class notes and text books.
    • You will need to understand this clearly in order to move on to the next question.

    Task 3

    Produce a SWOT analysis for your product to identify the factors that influenced your marketing mix.

    MB1-2
    Guidance
    You need to give reasons for each of the factors you have identified showing how the factors will affect the product.

    Task 4

    Produce a fully justified SWOT analysis for your product to identify the factors that influenced your marketing mix.

    MB3
    Guidance
    You must include a good range of factors and these must be justified in detail.

    Task 5

    Explain what a PESTEL analysis is and how it is used by a business.

    Guidance
    • Use your class notes and text books.
    • You will need to understand this clearly in order to move on to the next question.

    Task 6

    Produce a PESTEL analysis for your product to identify the factors that influenced your marketing mix.
    MB1-2
    Guidance
    You need to give reasons for each of the factors you have identified to show how the factors will affect the product.

    Task 7

    Produce a fully justified PESTEL analysis for your product to identify the factors that influenced your marketing mix.
    MB3
    Guidance
    You must include a good range of factors and these must be justified in detail.


    Task 8

    Go through each of your 4 P’s and use example from your PESTEL/SWOT to justify the decisions you have made.
    MB3
    Guidance
    You must include a good range of factors and these must be justified in detail.


    DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN REPORT - ___________________________________