Assignment and Student Guidance Sheet
Programme: Professional Diploma in Management
Module Title: Marketing Management (MN4505)
Module Session: Aug – Oct 2015
Credits accrued for satisfactory completion of this module: 15
Weighting of this assignment for obtaining module credits: 100%
Assignment Question
For a company and/or brand of your choice, analyse its current product offering(s) using
the ‘5 levels of product’. Analyse how the total offering of your chosen company/brand
positions itself vis-a-vis its competitors. Discuss how the brand manager can support its
differential product offering(s) through its promotion and place strategies. Please provide
illustrative examples to support your analysis.
Deadline: 31 October 2015
Content
begin with a brief introduction outlining the aims and the structure of the assignment.
Provide a brief description of the chosen company/brand and its product offering(s).
Analyse the ‘5 levels of product’ for your chosen company/brand. You should discuss (a)
the core benefit, (b) generic product, (c) expected product, (d) Augmented Product and
(e) potential product.
Analyse how the total offering of your chosen company/brand differentiates itself from
the competitors. What is the unique selling point of their offering?
Next, consider how your chosen company/brand communicates the differential offering(s)
through promotion. Here, you may wish to discuss the extent to which your chosen
company/brand has adopted an integrated marketing communication approach to
promote their unique offering(s).
Then discuss the distribution (place) strategy your chosen company/brand uses to support
their unique offering(s). Here, you may wish to discuss whether the company/brand
adopts an intensive, selective or exclusive distribution strategy.
Conclude your essay with a summary of key points made and briefly discuss the future
direction of the company’s product strategy.
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Format
The assignment should
ï‚· be word-processed, double-spaced throughout, in point 12 size font, left justified,
with standard margins (at least 2.5 cm on all sides), with all pages consecutively
numbered
ï‚· be formally structured, i.e. divided into sections (and, if necessary, subsections)
with meaningful headings
ï‚· include a full bibliography as well as a comprehensive range of in-text references,
documenting all the sources used in its preparation
Referencing
Referencing should strictly adhere to the Harvard referencing system, as outlined in
Section 5 of the Foundations of Management module book and your Programme
Handbook. All sources directly or indirectly used for completing the assignment
(including Internet sources and any internal organisational documents), should be clearly
identified and appropriately referenced in both the main text and in the bibliography.
Any unacknowledged or insufficiently acknowledged use of sources will be identified as
plagiarism and will be subject to the appropriate penalties.
Word Limit
Word limit for the assignment is 2500 words. Please do not submit an assignment that
deviates from the word limit by more than 10% (i.e. less than 2250 or more than 2750
words), otherwise the penalties described in your Programme Handbook will apply.
Assessment Criteria
In addition to the criteria outlined above and in the Programme Handbook, students are
expected to fulfill the following criteria for this assignment:
ï‚· Understanding of theories and demonstrate how these can be used to inform
marketing decision making.
ï‚· Application of theories through the use of illustrative examples.
ï‚· Coherent, comprehensive, and reflective critique of existing ideas and its
limitations.
ï‚· Evidence of wider reading of key literature and academic references
ï‚· Clear development of the argument(s) contained in the essay. The essay should
flow in a way that enables any reader to follow the argument(s) and see how the
various points made are being used to answer the question.
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ï‚· Analytical and clear conclusions that are well grounded in theory and literature
showing reflection upon key issues.
ï‚· Clear and coherent structure through the use of headings and subheadings.
ï‚· Fluency in the use of the English language and clarity of expression.
Submission Instructions
Please visit the Online Submission facility on Blackboard for further information and
guidance on submitting your assignment electronically. Only one file in the specified
format can be submitted.
ï‚· Please insert the assignment question to your submission.
ï‚· Retain your electronic submission receipt.
If you have questions about the submission of your work via Blackboard please
contact the School of Management for assistance, before the deadline date.