BS1528 MARKETING 2023/2024

2023-2024 Session
BS1528 Marketing: Spring Assignment Guidelines
Individual Assignment Task DEADLINE: Thursday, 9th May @11am

This assignment is worth 50% of your overall module mark and is to be competed individually.
The companies below plan to develop a new product to add to their product mix for the UK
market (a product that they do not currently offer in their product portfolio) and have asked you
for assistance in developing appropriate marketing strategies as basis for their marketing plan. The
product will be launched in the UK in 2025.
You must choose ONE of the following four companies and product category:
• LLAETH Y LLAN Yogurt (www.villagedairy.co.uk) (UK Yogurt Market)
• Do Goodly DIPS (www.dogoodlydips.com) (UK Condiments and Dressing Market; UK
Savoury Spreads & Dips, UK Chilled Dips)
• Love Struck Smoothies (https://love-struck.com) (UK Fruit Juice, Juice Drinks and
Smoothies Market)
• Scrapples Apple Crisps (https://scrapples.co.uk) (UK Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts
Market, Consumer Snacking UK)

We recommend that you choose the same company you have used for your 1st assignment, as
you have already completed an environmental scan and a SWOT analysis for that company, and
are thus familiar with the market.

As before, remember this is a hypothetical task and thus please do not contact the companies
directly as all the information needed for the assignment is publicly available.

You have been asked to include the following information in your report:
1. Market Segmentation, identification of an appropriate target market and product idea
(around 500 words)
- Briefly introduce your new product idea for your company on the basis of the trends in
the business environment, relevant opportunities and strengths you identified in your
1st assignment. This can either be a modification of an existing product or a completely
new product idea for the company – it needs to be a tangible product, not a service.
- How would you segment the consumer market (e.g. using different bases of
segmentation)?
- On the basis of the market segmentation, identify and justify an appropriate target
market for your proposed product idea. (i.e. Who is your target market for your new
product concept? Why is this a good segment to target? What is your targeting
strategy?)
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2. Product, Branding and Brand Positioning (around 600 words)

- Provide a detailed description of the new product (i.e., three levels of a product)
including the features (e.g. content, features, packaging) and the anticipated benefits.
- How does the new product complement the company’s current product mix and
product portfolio (e.g. product line, depth etc.)?
- How would you brand and position the new product (i.e. brand identity, new or existing
brand name, brand positioning)? What is unique and different from competitor’s
offering?
3. Price and Place (around 300 words)
- Decide on an appropriate price and distribution channels for your new product and
provide a very brief justification.
4. Promotion (around 600 words)
- How would you promote your new product? Identify a relevant promotional mix,
identify relevant tools, channels and messages (if appropriate) and justify your choices.
It is recommended that multiple promotional tools be used. You should explain why
these tools are appropriate for promotion of your new product. Please make sure that
you provide information about the choice of channel(s) through which the promotion
message will be delivered. For example, if advertising is selected as one of the
promotion tools, please mention the advertising medium (or media), and explain why it
is (they are) chosen.

You must use the following headings for your assignment:

1. Market Segmentation, Targeting and Product Idea
2. Product, Branding and Positioning
3. Price and Place
4. Promotion
Remember there is no right or wrong answer for this assignment. Higher marks will be awarded
for application of knowledge and theories discussed in the module to justify your choices. PLEASE
SEE MARKING CRITERIA (PAGE 4/5) FOR MORE DETAILS.

Assignment Deadline and Submission Procedures

Completed assignments should be submitted via Learning Central on Thursday, 9th May @11am.
You need to submit online via the BS1528 Marketing Module page under the ‘Assignment
Submission Link’ tab under ‘Assessment & Feedback’. Please contact the UG Hub if you have any
queries regarding the online submission.
You need to include the word count of your assignment (excluding references) on the first page.
Please ensure that you save your work with your “Studentnumber_Module Code_Assignment
Title” in the name before your submit. Do not include your name in the assignment, just your
student number and module code.
N.B. A penalty shall be applied for work submitted late, non-submission, or absence from the assessment,
where Extenuating Circumstances do not apply. If you do have valid reason for late submission, forms to
request an extension of the submission deadline may be obtained from CARBS UG Hub.

Assignment Support:
Assignment support will be provided in class in Weeks 10 and 11. Please post any assignment
queries on the relevant discussion board on Learning Central.
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Assignment Formatting
1. Your assignment must be 2,000 words in length (+/- 10%), this excludes the reference list at
the end, appendices, figures, tables and graphs. Penalties will apply if the word count has
been exceeded (see marking criteria).
You must include an accurate word count on the assignment cover sheet. If the wordcount is
missing, a penalty will also apply.
Reference list and appendices are not included in the word count, however, in-text references
(citations) and headings/subheadings need to be included in the word count. Figures,
drawings, pictures, tables should be used to support your arguments. These do not count
towards the wordcount. However, it is not acceptable to replace entire sections of the above
with just a table or to merely display the text in a table format to get around the wordcount.
Thus, please use tables to summarise or visualise information which has been discussed in the
main text. You can also use an Appendix to include supporting information (which is not
essential to your main text). Appendix and list of references are excluded from the wordcount.
2. All work should be typed using 12-font and double-line spaced. All pages should be numbered.
Calibri or Times New Roman is the preferred font. The report should be concise and succinct,
and your writing style should be suitable for the intended audience (a business professional).
The assignment should be presented as a report: use headings and subheadings, as well as
figures, graphs, pictures and/or tables to support your arguments. Creative and professional
presentation will be rewarded.
3. You must use the following headings for your assignment:
• Market Segmentation, Targeting and Product Idea
• Product, Branding and Positioning
• Price and Place
• Promotion
4. Make use of the spell-check facilities on your word-processor and proof-read your work before
submission.
5. Where essential and relevant, appendices may be used.
6. Clearly follow the instructions for electronic submissions on Learning Central.

Plagiarism
The university has very strict guidelines on plagiarism. These are explained in the Unfair Practice
Booklet issued to you at enrolment. You are encouraged to read widely and draw on different
sources of information. You are free to cite or quote from any publication, provided that you
provide a reference for the source. In other words, if the research or the views you cite are not
your own, then you MUST acknowledge your source(s) using the Cardiff Business School Harvard
referencing style, whereby citations are made in the text by author and date, with a full alphabetical
listing at the end of the paper (i.e. reference list). If you fail to acknowledge your sources, you run
the risk of being accused of plagiarism, which is an academic offence.

Please complete the ‘Unfair Practise and Plagiarism’ learning module which can be found on
Learning Central under ‘Essential Student Information’ – ‘Learning Modules’.

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Marking Criteria
We are looking for a thorough analysis, leading to appropriate and realistic recommendations.
You MUST apply, use and demonstrate understanding of relevant knowledge, theories and
concepts/frameworks discussed in the module and you MUST provide references to them to
justify your arguments and choices to pass this assignment. Higher marks will be achieved for
demonstrating wider/further reading.
Your work will be assessed according to the following marking criteria:
Criterion Weight Guidance
Market Segmentation, Targeting, New Product Idea around 500 words
New Product 20% You new product idea needs to be briefly introduced and justified (based on the
Idea, Market trends/opportunities/strength identified in your 1st assignment). Ensure that you
Segmentation, provide key references here to relevant market reports, such as Mintel etc. The
Targeting new product idea must demonstrate a good fit with those trends and the
company.
(Term 1,
You need to provide an overview of how the market could be segmented and
Week 9)
identify an appropriate target market for your new product idea. Provide
justification why this would be a good segment to target and critically evaluate
your choice. You need to apply and use relevant knowledge and theories
discussed in the lecture and textbook (i.e. bases of segmentation, effective
segments, what makes a good target market, targeting strategy). Ensure that you
provide key references of these sources.
Product, Branding and Positioning (30% of total grade) around 600 words
Product, 30% In this section, provide a detailed description of your new product idea, describe
Branding and how you would brand and position it. You should also provide a section on how
Positioning the new product complements and fits into the company’s current product mix.
You need to link your choices and justifications to relevant theories and
(Term 2,
knowledge from the module (e.g., three levels of product), product mix &
Week 1-3) product mix decisions, branding decisions (brand name, packaging), and brand
positioning frameworks (i.e., Jobber Brand Positioning Model, Brand Archetypes
& positioning maps). Ensure that you provide key references to the key
concepts/frameworks used and sources to justify your choices (e.g., from your
core, optional and wider reading). You must ensure that your new product idea
fits well with the company and the proposed target market. Higher marks will be
achieved for creativity as well as providing a realistic idea. You can support your
answer using drawings, pictures, graphs to illustrate your product idea.
Price and Place (10% of total grade) around 300 words
Price & Place 10% Identify and very briefly justify an appropriate price and distribution channel for
your new product. Ensure a good fit with the company’s current portfolio,
(Term 2, proposed target market and competitors. You can make assumptions based on
Week 4 & 6) their current products, competitors’ prices etc. Make sure your choices are
realistic. Use and apply relevant knowledge and theories from the course and
textbook to briefly justify your choices (e.g., pricing strategy, skimming versus
penetration, product line pricing, distribution channel and extent of distribution).
Ensure that you provide key references to the key concepts/frameworks used
and sources to justify your choices (e.g., from your core, optional and wider
reading).

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Promotion (30% of total grade) around 600 words

Promotional 30% Identify and justify a relevant promotional mix to promote your new product.
Mix Identify relevant promotional tools (i.e., advertising, sales promotion, personal
selling, public relations, direct marketing, digital marketing). It is recommended
(Term 2,
that multiple promotional tools be used. Please also identify media channels and
Week 7-9) promotional message. Ensure you apply relevant knowledge and theories from
the course, textbook or wider reading and explain why all of your promotional
choices are appropriate for the promotion of your new product. Ensure your
choices show a good fit with the type of company, company resources, target
market, and proposed product idea. Realistic and creative solutions will achieve
higher marks. Ensure that you provide references to the key
concepts/frameworks used and sources to justify your choices (e.g., from your
core, optional and wider reading).
Referencing and Presentation (10% of total grade)
Quality of 10% The report should have a logical structure, using headings and subheadings to
Report guide the reader. Writing should be clear and concise. The tone should be
Presentation appropriate to a professional report. Figures and tables etc. should have
& numbers and headings, and are cued in the main text. Creative presentation,
Correct including effective use of diagrams, pictures, tables will be rewarded. Marks will
referencing be deducted for poor grammar and spelling, and word count violations. The
following penalties apply: 2,201 words – 3,000 words 10% penalty, 3,001+ words
20% penalty. If the wordcount is missing, a penalty will also apply. The penalty
will be applied to the assignment mark.

You should consult the recommended readings for the module (core and optional
reading) and wider reading of academic sources which needs to be referenced
appropriately, as well as market reports if appropriate, to justify your arguments
and choices. Avoid unreliable online sources such as MBASkool, UKessays,
Wikipedia, etc. You must follow the Cardiff Business School Harvard Referencing
style.

Understanding your grade

Outstanding Exceptional content, independent, innovative, high level of analysis (critical
evaluation), informed, creative, realistic and good fit with company, application
of knowledge/theories above expectations
Very Good/ Rigorous, methodical, analytic, content meets all the requirements of the work,
Excellent detailed and accurate content, sustained quality in all areas, accomplished,
excellent application of knowledge/theories, critical evaluation
Good Competent, reasoned, coherent, content very sound, few errors/ omissions,
good application of knowledge/theories but could go further in places
Average Satisfactory, basic relevant content evident meeting many of the
required elements, weaknesses in execution, some errors/omissions, lacks
creativity and realistic approach, lacks application of theory in number of places
Poor Passable but evident weaknesses, some basic relevant content
evident, evident errors/omissions, lacks application of theory and knowledge in
most places
Very Poor Inadequate, little or irrelevant content, extensive errors/omissions
Missing Entire section missing

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