LONDON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ATHE Level 6 Diploma in Management

Module: Strategic Marketing

Assignment
September 2013 Session

DUE DATE: 04/12/2013, 5:00 PM

ONE HARD COPY must be submitted by hand to the Academics Office, Cheam Campus, by the above deadline ONE ELECTRONIC COPY must be emailed to academics@lcbmit.co.uk by the above deadline You must read the associated Assignment Guidelines including those on Plagiarism

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Assignment Questions
Total marks: PASS or FAIL. There are NO grades. Students should answer ALL questions You have recently been recruited by Adidas Group, a company which is now a well-recognised sports

brand after its humble beginnings. Your Manager has asked you to carry out a review of the company in a range of areas and the tasks are set out below. Remember that Adidas Group does not just create the Adidas trainers and clothing range, but also a range of other products and brands including Reebok, TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Rockport and CCM-Hockey. Task 1: Assess the role that strategic marketing plays in the development of the Adidas Group, AND analyse how the companys marketing strategy is linked to the corporate strategy of Adidas. Note: in your answer you should define marketing strategy. Supporting resources: Adidas Case Study courtesy of Times 100 (businesscasestudies.co.uk). You may wish to conduct further research. http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/adidas/planning-effectivemarketing-strategies-for-a-target-audience/introduction.html#axzz2glw6jR00 AC 1.1, 1.2

Task 2 An analysis of the environment, and setting of objectives are key stages in the development of a marketing strategy. Analyse the stages involved in developing a marketing strategy. Your answer should include reference to the particular marketing objectives of the Adidas Group. AC 1.3 Task 3: a. Evaluate the resource based approach of internal environment analysis AND evaluate at least one more approach of your choice AC 2.1 b. Evaluate the Competitor Analysis approach to external environmental analysis AND evaluate at least one more approach of your choice. AC 2.2

c. Explain how you would integrate the analyses/results from an internal analysis of the environment with an external analysis of the environment from any of the approaches evaluated in questions 3 and 4. AC 2.3

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Task 4: Apply the theory of Porters generic strategies to Adidas and analyse which source of competitive advantage it has opted for. Then analyse how this has informed Adidas vision, mission and the direction of its marketing strategy. Thereafter, analyse how applicable (or suitable) the marketing strategy is for the Adidas Group given the environment in which it operates, and the resources available to Adidas.

Supporting resources: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_82.htm. You may also refer to the environmental analysis conducted in question 3. AC 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.3 Task 5: Assess how the marketing decisions taken in question 4 (with regards to the chosen source of competitive advantage, vision, mission and marketing strategy) have influenced the strategy and/or actions of various other functions of the company (e.g. finance, R & D, human resource department, etc) in order to meet the marketing objectives of the Adidas Group. Note: You should have understood the marketing objectives of Adidas from question 2. AC 3.2 Task 6: Analyse the strategy used by Adidas Group to position itself competitively against other sports brands (e.g. such as Nike or Puma) and analyse the strategies used to communicate this marketing strategy. .. Your answer should include reference to Adidas Groups marketing objectives. AC 3.3, 4.1, 4.2

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Assignment Questions Mapping to Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Total marks: PASS or FAIL. There are NO grades.

This mapping is important as students are then able to see how each question is testing each aspect of the syllabus/learning outcomes/assessment criteria. Question Assignment Topic Learning outcome Content 1.1 Assess the role of strategic marketing in an Organisation Task 1 1.2 Analyse the relationship between corporate strategy and marketing strategy Task 1 Supporting resources: Adidas Case Study courtesy of Times 100 (businesscasestudies.co.uk). You may wish to conduct further research.
http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/adid as/planning-effective-marketingstrategies-for-a-targetaudience/introduction.html#axzz2glw 6jR00

LO1. Understand the Task 1: Assess the role that strategic principles of strategic marketing plays in the marketing development of the Adidas Group, AND analyse how the companys marketing strategy is linked to the corporate strategy of Adidas. Note: in your answer you should define marketing strategy.

1.3 Analyse how marketing strategy is developed Task 2

Task 2: An analysis of the environment, and setting of objectives are key stages in the development of a marketing strategy. Analyse the stages involved in developing a marketing strategy. Your answer should include reference to the particular marketing objectives of the Adidas Group LO2. Understand how to carry out strategic b. Evaluate the resource based marketing analysis approach of internal environment analysis AND Task 3: 2.1 Evaluate approaches to internal environmental Analysis Task 3a
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evaluate at least one more approach of your choice

2.2 Evaluate approaches to external environmental Analysis Task 3b 2.3 Explain how internal and external analyses are Integrated Task 3c

b. Evaluate the Competitor Analysis approach to external environmental analysis AND evaluate at least one more approach of your choice.

c. Explain how you would integrate the analyses/results from an internal analysis of the environment with an external analysis of the environment from any of the approaches evaluated in questions 3 and 4. LO3. Analyse strategic Task 4: marketing decisions and Apply the theory of Porters choices generic strategies to Adidas and analyse which source of competitive advantage it has opted for. Then analyse how this has informed Adidas vision, mission and the direction of its marketing strategy. Thereafter, analyse how applicable (or suitable) the marketing strategy is for the Adidas Group given the environment in which it operates, and the resources available to Adidas.

3.1 Analyse decisions and choices to be made at a corporate level Task 4 3.2 Assess how these decisions influence marketing at business unit and functional level Task 5 3.3 Analyse approaches to competitive positioning of Organisations Task 4 and 6

Supporting resources:
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/arti cle/newSTR_82.htm. You may also

refer to the environmental analysis conducted in question 3. Task 5: Assess how the marketing decisions taken in question 4 (with regards to the chosen source of competitive advantage, vision, mission and marketing strategy) have influenced the strategy and/or
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actions of various other functions of the company (e.g. finance, R & D, human resource department, etc) in order to meet the marketing objectives of the Adidas Group. Note: You should have understood the marketing objectives of Adidas from question 2. Task 6: Analyse the strategy used by Adidas Group to position itself competitively against other sports brands (e.g. such as Nike or Puma) and analyse the strategies used to communicate this marketing strategy. .. Your answer should include reference to Adidas Groups marketing objectives.

Task 4: Apply the theory of Porters generic strategies to Adidas and analyse which source of competitive advantage it has opted for. Then analyse how this has informed Adidas vision, mission and the direction of its marketing strategy. Thereafter, analyse how applicable (or suitable) the marketing strategy is for the Adidas Group given the environment in which it operates, and the resources available to Adidas.

LO4. Understand how a range of marketing strategies can be implemented to contribute to competitive advantage

4.1 Identify a range of strategies that can contribute to competitive advantage Task 4 and 6 4.2 Analyse marketing communications strategies Task 6 4.3 Analyse marketing strategies, their application and implementation for an organisation Task 4

Supporting resources:
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/arti cle/newSTR_82.htm. You may also

refer to the environmental analysis conducted in question 3.

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Task 6: Analyse the strategy used by Adidas Group to position itself competitively against other sports brands (e.g. such as Nike or Puma) and analyse the strategies used to communicate this marketing strategy. .. Your answer should include reference to Adidas Groups marketing objectives. Assessment Criterias 4.1. and 4.2 are covered in Tasks 4 and task 6. Assessment Criteria 4.3. in a range of areas through the assignment including tasks 1, 2, 4 and 6.

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