Marketing Environment and Strategic Planning Assignment

Company Selection

In this assignment, you will be putting to practice the lessons from weeks 1 and 2 on the Marketing Environment and Strategic Planning. Select a company that you know well or would like to get to know more about. The company must produce an actual product. Good examples are Samsung, Apple, Dove, Nike, Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Porsche. These companies manufacture products that are sold to the customer, either directly through their own stores and websites and/or through partners such as grocery stores, electronics stores, etc. Do not select a company like Best Buy that sells products produced by other manufacturers. Prepare a written report that answers the following questions. Organize your report by using the same question numbers and headings as outlined below:

Learning Outcome

Evaluate a company’s strategy and market position by applying key marketing concepts as they relate to the external competitive environment, the strategic direction and internal environment of the company being considered.

Assignment Requirements

In this assignment, you will be putting to practice the lessons from weeks 1 and 2 on the Marketing Environment and Strategic Planning.

Select a company that you know well or would like to get to know more about. The company must produce an actual product. Good examples are Samsung, Apple, Dove, Nike, Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Porsche. These companies manufacture products that are sold to the customer, either directly through their own stores and websites and/or through partners such as grocery stores, electronics stores, etc. Do not select a company like Best Buy that sells products produced by other manufacturers.

Prepare a written report that answers the following questions. Organize your report by using the same question numbers and headings as outlined below:

Please answer the following questions:

Question 1: Company Background

a. Provide the name of your company and a short outline of their business. Information that you could include here is: What the company does, their mission/vision, notable new products they have created, your thoughts on what they do well and not so well. You can find this by researching the company’s website and annual reports or general news articles.

Question 2: Competitive Environment

a. List at least 2 companies that you believe are the primary competitors to your selected company. For each competitor, using the information described in the text in section 2-2 Forces of Competition, explain if the competitor is Direct, Substitute, New Entrant, Supplier or a Buyer.

b. How do you believe your company differentiates itself from its competitors? For example, consider such questions as: What do you think makes your company special? Why do consumers choose to buy their products over competitors’ products? What ‘problems’ are they solving for customers better than how other companies can solve them? How do they convince consumers that they are the right choice over the competitors?

Question 3: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

Complete a SWOT analysis for your company using a matrix such as the one below. Try to come up with at least 3 thoughts for each of the “S” “W” “O” and “T” (i.e. 3 Strengths, 3 Weaknesses, etc.)