MARK1107 PPM

Assignment two guidance notes: Age cream

Put your sci-fi books away, this is NOT a creative writing course!

The first thing to remember is that this is NOT a creative writing course, it is about marketing
and that’s what you need to do – market this product.
If you write a work of fiction, you will not pass
If you don’t use academic sources to support your ideas, you will not pass
If you don’t reference your sources, your grade will be reduced (and you may be
reported for plagiarism)

General approach and concerns

Commonly heard concern: “How can I market a product that doesn’t exist?”
I bet Steve Jobs didn’t ask that when Apple invented the iPhone!
ALL products start off as new, and if you trace the product type back far enough, at some
point it will have been a brand new invention: from smart phones to landlines, cars to
bicycles, canned drinks to calculators – someone had to be first into the market, and
someone had to market the product. This time, you lucky lucky people, it’s your turn!
Don’t forget that if you are first into a market, your organisation will often enjoy what’s
referred to as ‘first mover advantage’ – a short period of time when you have no competitors,
at all, and you should remember this when answering the questions asked.
Commonly heard concern: “Yes, but this isn’t even a real thing!”
Back in the 70’s I remember my parents laughing at me (not unkindly) when we were lost on
holiday and I said what we really need is a map that knows where you are. That way, it
could just show your position on the map and, as you move, it would move your position on
the map so that you would never get lost. Simple! That and a phone in the car so you could
tell people if you were late.
Yep, you heard it here folks: satnav and mobile phones were invented by a pre-pubescent
me. Okay, not quite, but the ideas were mere science fiction back then. But someone else,
bigger and smarter than me, was thinking the same way ….
Commonly heard concern: “So how can I reference this non-existent product?”
What’s written in the box below this line is a key learning element for this assignment:

Marketing principles are basically the same, whatever you are selling

It’s irrelevant whether you are selling a boat, cigars, beer, scissors, plums, pet food, knives,
illegal drugs for the Mafia … etc. The principles – and the approach you take – will be pretty
much the same. By addressing this assignment, you will demonstrate you understand that.

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0. Don’t forget the executive summary!

Executive summary purpose

An executive summary (ES) is supposed to summarise the whole report in one page - it
needs to tell the person who commissioned the report (and who hasn't got time to read the
whole thing) what you have found out that s/he doesn't know, and what has to happen
next. In other words, it summarises your findings and your recommendations.   
Its purpose is NOT to:
a) summarise the task 
b) summarise your approach to the task
c) act as an introduction. 
The best way to create an ES is to finish the report and leave it aside for at least two days so
you can see the mistakes in it when you return to proof read it. As you are proofing it, you
can summarise each section in a different Word document and then copy/paste that to the
top of your report when you have finished. 
It is placed on a page on its own, and it MUST include key findings of the report and your
recommendations.
If you need more help with ESs, look at the guidance notes for assignment one.

1. How will the various elements of the marketing environment impact on your plans?

This requires you perform a PEST analysis OR an environmental analysis using Porter’s
Five Forces. Which you choose is entirely up to you, but you don’t need both. Bear the
following in mind when deciding on your approach:
There are some really helpful templates for both of these analyses on Moodle (see the
top section, under the “Only look at the contents of this section if you want to pass the
assignments” heading
In my experience as a marker, students generally perform PESTEL analyses better than
they perform Porter’s Five Forces
You don’t get extra marks for taking the more difficult route
You do NOT need SWOT.
Remember ….
Ensure you include about five points under each of the PESTEL subheadings
Make those points especially relevant to the company and product in the case study
“We must obey all employment law” is not especially relevant because:
 ALL organisations must do this: you might just as well write “we must not
murder our future competitors” – these things are LAWS and laws must be
obeyed, doing so is not optional!
 Also, it is not relevant because we are marketers, not lawyers
“We cannot begin formal marketing until we have been granted government-approved
safety clearance” would be relevant because we are marketers, not lawyers

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List the points in each quadrant in order of importance
Expand on some of the points made if necessary for clarity of meaning
Short summary points like “green issues” or “mobility” would need expansion
If GDP is included as an economic factor (a student favourite), the report MUST say
WHY it is a factor worth considering
 Not once I have ever considered the state of GDP before making a purchase!
Show a diagram of the model you are using
Put the diagram before the discussion, and in the same section as the discussion
The diagram is there to aid reader understanding
 It’s NOT there merely to look pretty or to tick a box that says “diagram included”
 It must be big enough to be legible – if it isn’t, what does it add to your report?
Reference your work using academic journal articles and textbooks
 There is a section at the end of these notes that will help you determine the
value of different source types
Look at reading lists for week five (and others) and use these as guidance.
You can complete this section of the report now.

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2. Where do you see your key markets and who would be your main customers?

You should consider both B2B and B2C markets, though it may be that you eventually
decide to only target one of these.
If you want to sell via a distribution chain of intermediaries, B2B would be appropriate
If you are selling direct, then B2C would be appropriate
You may be doing a combination of both
Whatever route you choose for the company, the report needs to justify why you chose that
route. There isn’t a ‘right’ route, just different routes from which you must choose.
Markets should be accessible, profitable, and sustainable.
You need to remember that this is a truly unique product.
Consider how this will impact opportunities to make money quickly
Say how this will tie in with your pricing strategy
You must justify whether you are taking a B2B approach, a B2C approach, or a combination
of both. Support your justification of the market with referenced research.
Say how big the market you have chosen is likely to be – undertake academic research that
will let you put numbers to it - and how many of these items you believe you will sell per year.
You can make any assumptions you want as long as these are stated, reasonable, and
within the confines of the brief
Markets should be accessible, profitable, and sustainable.
Remember that this is a truly unique product, and this WILL affect your marketing approach
– I’ll leave you to do the reading required to work out how – it is YOUR assignment, after all!
Look at reading lists from weeks eight, nine, ten (and others). Use these as guidance.
You can complete this section of the report now.

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3. Who (and what) are your competitors, and which ones will be the most important?

This depends on who you identify as the target market. Take into account both direct and
indirect competitors.
Direct competitors
Direct competitors are things that do the same job as your product in much the same way as
your product
Ford, Peugeot-Citroen, Renault, and Jaguar are direct competition
Indirect competitors
Indirect competitors are things that do the same job as your product in a different way to
your product
In London, the Underground, overground, busses, taxis, and hire bikes are all indirect
competitors because they all enable people to move around the capital more quickly
than on foot, and with ease
Research (using solid academic sources) to determine who your in/direct competitors are
Which are the key/main competitors?
You must say which of the competitors identified are our main competitors
They may or may not be the market leader
They may not even be in our market at the moment – for example, Pfizer and other drug
companies will be reverse-engineering our product as soon as they can get a sample of it!
Answers should justify why companies identified are felt to be key competitors, using
referenced research to support the answer.
Look at reading lists from weeks three, four (and others). Use these as guidance.
You can complete this section of the report now.

4. What pricing strategy should be adopted?

Note well the third word of the question. You are expected to identify (and justify) a pricing
strategy, which is NOT the same as naming a price (though you may wish to name the sort
of price you may charge to illustrate your understanding of “premium” as well as answering
the question by discussing your pricing strategy).
Look at the slides from week 22 and read based on the references slide at the end of the
second lecture session.
Remember, if you say you are going to charge a premium price, you must make it a
PREMIUM price, not the same (or less) as existing potential competitors currently charge for
a product you will be replacing. For instance, a premium price for this product would not be
the same as an expensive make-up brand … but why not?
Again, this section must be justified with referenced research, and the application of theory.
Look at reading lists from week 23 (and others). Use these as guidance.
Read ahead to the 21 Feb lecture and you can complete this section now

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5. What promotional techniques would you recommend?

In this case, the paper is looking for Promotions as in the Marketing Mix,
It is NOT looking for promotions as in “10% off” or “buy one get one free”.
That is important.
Your approach will depend very much on the target market and any assumptions your report
wants to make about budgets available
You are expected to consider how you will support the product launch in terms of
Promotional strategy
Media used, and what will be the lead medium/media
 Say why they will be the lead medium/media
 Medium is singular (one medium)
 Media is plural (two or more media)
 Mediums are people who pretend they can talk to the dead
 Don’t use such people in your communications plan
 Medias is just plain wrong!
Say how you will integrate the promotions campaign
You should use a range of media and not just rely on the Generations Y and Z “go-to”
approaches of online and social media
Ideas must be supported with referenced academic research from good sources.
This is a revolutionary and entirely new product to the extent that it will literally replace the
wheel in many situations. Be brave, be confident, and be imaginative with your plans,
especially the promotional plan.
This question will draw on learning from throughout the module. Look at the core
course textbook, academic journals on the subject of promotional strategy (or similar)
and the lecture slides (with their reading lists).
There seems little point in delaying this one either, but I would make it the last
question you answer simply because it DOES include so much from so many places

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What is covered in which lecture?

In the age of the word processor, it doesn’t matter what order questions are tackled as they
can be put into the right order for the final submission. Similarly, you can start each question
as soon as we have covered it in the lectures … or you could even read ahead!
For this assignment, you are expected to apply their learning from the whole course
to your answers.
The table below shows which sessions will be of particular relevance, though you should
NOT restrict yourself to just these sources:
1. How will the various elements of the Teaching week, 04 Start
marketing environment impact your plans? now
2. Where do you see your key markets and Teaching week, 05 Start
who would be your main customers? Teaching week 12 now
3. Who (and what) are your competitors, and Teaching week, 03 Start
which ones will be the most important? now
4. What pricing strategy should be adopted? Teaching week, 24 Read
21 February 2022 ahead
5. What promotional techniques would you Needs application of the Start
recommend? whole module now

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Source goodness

You must discriminate between good and bad sources when referencing. It may have been
acceptable at school to trawl the internet using Google and use any site that comes up, but
at university it is not.
An analogy I like to use is that sources are like food for the brain. You should think of them
as follows, and use them in this order:
1. Academic journal articles
These are like the health-foods of the academic writing world.
They should be used heavily and should be the majority of your references.
Academic journals are freely available from the University portal so you don’t even have to
leave home to get them, and they will never be out on loan when you get there.
You can use copy and paste to get quotations accurately and quickly (don’t forget to
reference using Harvard).
2. Marketing and related textbooks
These are the fruit and vegetables of academic writing – “five a day” stuff.
These should be second only to academic journals.
You are actively encouraged to NOT restrict yourself to books on the course reading list.
3. Reputable news sources
This is a dessert and coffee after the main meal – don’t have too much of it.
In the UK you can use things like BBC News, The Times, FT, Telegraph, Guardian etc.
Overseas sources include things like Le Monde, Die Welt, The Australian, Huffington Post etc.
4. Reputable blogs
Cheese and biscuits after the dessert – you should be pretty full by now, so if you want to
pass on this course that’s fine.
Check the author’s biography or ‘about us’ page to assess their expertise and right to be
included in your work. If these pages aren’t there, move on.
5. All other sites (including corporate websites)
Corporate websites will never tell you anything but how great the company is, so use such
sources for facts and figures relating to the company ONLY. Things like:
We have X stores in the UK and Y stores overseas
We employ X people
Our turnover last year was “X, and we made £Y profit
6. DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING SITES AND SOURCES
Wikipedia or Wiki-anything
These can be altered by users and so they are unreliable for academic purposes.
Even though they have checks by experts, it would be just your luck that you use a page
when it has been hacked by a joker
Spoof sites
Yes, I mean it: make sure the site you are quoting isn't a humour site. It happens. It doesn’t
improve your marks or credibility if it happens to you.

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