You will compile a report that critically evaluates the potential impact of contemporary marketing issues and formulates an appropriate strategic response

November 23, 2024November 23, 2024 Discipline: Business and Management

Step 1)
Select an Organisation- THE COMPANY IS TRUSTPILOT PLC

You will begin by selecting an organisation that meets the following
criteria:

·      
Sub-250 million (£) turnover business.

·      
Focused market offering (Defined product/
service offering and geographical reach)

·      
Can be ‘for-profit’ or ‘not-for-profit’ but
must have a marketable product or service

·      
A good amount of public information is available
for it (i.e. higher profile)

Later in the brief, a few examples of organisations are
offered, though students are strongly encouraged to identify
their own organisation for this assignment. 

 

Step 2)
Use an Appropriate SMM Model to Structure Strategic Analysis & Planning

Identify
a suitable strategic marketing management model for your strategic analysis and
planning. Use the chosen model to provide a framework for analysing existing
strategic direction, analysing the current position, assessing the impact of
contemporary marketing issues which you identify on this position, exploring
strategic options, and developing a plan of action.

Note: you can customise your use of the model to suit
your needs as a consultant.

You may wish to consider (the first three covered in
module content):

·      
Aaker and McLoughlin’s Strategic Marketing
Management Tool

·      
McDonald’s Strategic Marketing Planning Model
(Malcolm McDonald)

·      
Gilligan & Wilson’s Strategic Marketing
Planning Model

·      
Any other recognised strategic marketing model,
providing sufficient justification for its relevance to your chosen
organisation and its context (Discussing this with your tutor is strongly
recommended)

 

Step 3)
Compiling the Consultancy Report

Based
on your analysis of the organisation’s intended direction, market environment,
and awareness of contemporary marketing issues, as well as your proposed
response, you must communicate your analysis and recommendations in the form of
a consultancy report that will be shared with core stakeholders.

As a minimum, you must cover the following areas within the
report document:

Critical and Contemporary Audit & Impact Assessment:

·      
Conduct a comprehensive audit of the
organisation’s current marketing position, including an evaluation of internal
and external factors.

·      
Present a critical analysis of contemporary
marketing issues’ current or potential impact on the organisation’s position
and intended direction (supported by contemporary and relevant data).

Analysis of Strategic Marketing Options:

·      
Explore a range of evidence-based strategic
marketing management options available to the organisation.

·      
Provide an in-depth analysis of each option,
evaluating its potential impact and alignment with the organisation’s objectives.

Plan of Action:

·      
Develop a structured plan of action, based on
your audit and analysis, that addresses the identified key issues.

·      
Ensure the proposed actions are clear and
specific and address the organisation’s strategic marketing goals.

Implementation and Control:

·      
Outline how the action plan will be implemented,
including key steps, timelines, and responsible parties.

·      
Discuss how the implementation will be monitored
and controlled, specifying performance indicators and feedback mechanisms to
ensure the plan’s success.

 

Suggested Consultancy Report Structure:

This is included to provide guidance and should not be
used as a prescriptive ‘template’. Please consider the intended audience and
the communication skills that this requires. As a marketing consultant, you
present your complex analysis (framed by academic models) to a non-specialist
audience. This means you will need to explain your ideas in straightforward
language while also demonstrating the rigour of your analysis.

Section Name:

Wordcount:

Executive Summary:

Provide a brief (one paragraph) overview of the report
to aid navigation of the document. It should cover the report’s purpose and
an overview of its component sections and key outcomes. This section is not
included within the wordcount.

N/A

Table of Contents:

Provide navigation for the consultancy report. Include
key-numbered headings and page numbers. These are not included in the
wordcount.

N/A

Report Introduction, Purpose, & Method:

Give a detailed background of the report, its intended
purpose, and, most importantly, the methods of strategic analysis (including
justification).

For report introduction and purpose, consider
these questions:

·      
What does the report set out to do?

·      
Who is the report for?

·      
How should it be used?

·      
Are there any conditions to its use (e.g.
time limitations)?

 

For the Method, consider these questions:

·      
Which strategic marketing planning models
have you used to approach your analysis and why? (i.e. ensure
contextualisation of approach)

·      
Which academic models have you used to
audit the organisation?

·      
Which academic models have you used to analyse
strategic options?

400-500

Summary of Organisation & Current Strategic
Direction:

Offer a comprehensive overview of key relevant
information pertaining to the firm, then analyse the firm’s strategic
development to date (including its current strategic trajectory).

For the organisation summary, you may wish to consider:

·      
Describing the key product offerings

·      
Identifying the core market segments

·      
The financial position organisation

·      
Any other relevant marketing factors

 

For the current strategic direction, you may wish to
consider:

·      
Mission statements (and similar documents,
e.g. press releases)

·      
Market insight reports (e.g. Mintel)

·      
Trade and media reports (e.g. FT)

 

500-750

Impact Assessment of Contemporary Marketing Issues
(incl. Audit):

Provide a descriptive overview of the audit conducted
in step 2, this should include the findings of the audit itself (a clear link
should be made to the methods identified in the previous section). This
should establish the current position of the firm and its broader context. A
critical and evidence-based discussion of key contemporary marketing issues (explored
in weeks 4 & 5).

For the Audit, consider the following questions:

·      
Does the organisation’s current position
feel strong or weak (within its primary markets)?

·      
What contributes to those strengths or
weaknesses?

·      
What was significant and less significant
in your analysis?

·      
Are any of the findings more or less
significant than others?

 

For the Impact Assessment, consider the
following questions:

·      
What are the top three contemporary
marketing issues based on their impact on the organisation?

·      
In what ways could these issues impact the
brand (please identify all of them)?

·      
Which models have been used to assess the
impact of these factors?

 

 

 

1250-1500

Plan of Action to Address Strategic Challenges:

Detail your plan for the organisation to overcome these
challenges. Wherever possible, you should refer to academic models to frame
and justify your approach, linking back to any earlier discussion of your
methodology.

For the plan of action, you may wish to consider the
following questions:

·       Which
models, concepts and theories are useful for the main strategic challenges?

·       What
do those models, concepts and theories tell us about how the organisation can
best respond?

·       Are
there any contextual factors (e.g., the strength of the brand, geographical
reach, financial resources, strategies which have been tried before, etc.)
that further inform the appropriate response?

·       What
are the best strategies for communicating this strategic change to others?

750-1000

Implementation & Control Programme:

Provide an outline for an approach to implementation
and control. Use academic models, concepts, and theories, as appropriate, to
provide clear guidance for implementing your strategic direction.

For your implementation & control programme, you
may wish to consider the following questions:

·       Which
models, concepts and theories inform best practice when it comes to the
implementation of a plan of new strategic direction?

·       Who
do you need to inform and convince of these measures?

·       Does
the approach differ depending on their position within the organisation?

400-500

Conclusion:

Conclude the report by summarising the key points from
the undertaken process. Reiterate the value of your contribution to the
senior decision-makers.

200-400

 

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