MKTG 3200 PRINCIPLES OF MARKETINGANALYZING MARKETING STRATEGY AN .docx

MKTG 3200: PRINCIPLES OF MARKETINGANALYZING
MARKETING STRATEGY: AN OPTIONAL RESEARCH
REPORT
Students interested in earning extra grade credit in MKTG 3200:
Principles of Marketing may research and prepare an Optional
Research Report.
Broad Goal
The broad goal of the Optional Research Report is to give the
student an opportunity to describe, analyze and evaluate
in‑depth the marketing strategies and tactics employed in
marketing a specific product or service. In the process of the
special research, the student uses the basic conceptual
framework of marketing management in developing the
marketing strategy analysis.
The Conceptual Coverage and Organization of the Optional
Research Report
The Optional Research Report should be organized into five
major sections with the following content: (an approximate page
length for each section is included)
Section I:
Describes the basic product or service in straightforward terms.
(1/2 page)
Section II:
Describes the “real business” of the firm as expressed in “user-
benefits” provided to the buyer/user of the product or service.
(1 page)
Section III:
Describes what the firm is actually doing in terms of its current
marketing strategy. (4 pages)
Section IV: Presents Competitive Analysis of Three Firms

A. Systematic Comparison of Three Companies: Target
Company vs.
Two Competitors on Key Strategic and Tactical Issues
B. S.W.O.T. Analysis Summary of Target Company—Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ( 5 1/2 pages)
Section V:
Presents recommendations outlining how the firm could
improve its marketing strategy and tactics and its market
position longer term. (4 pages)
Section VI: Lists each contact name, corporate title, address
and telephone number of target company and competitors. (Not
included in report page count)
The framework of the 3 "C's' (Customer, Competition and
Company Mission and Objective) and the 4 "P's" (Product,
Price, Place/Distribution, and Promotion/ Marketing Com
munication), the managerial variables manipulated by the
marketing manager, can provide a valuable organizational
structure for the strategy description.
Topics to be Researched
The student is totally free to select any product or service that
is interesting to the student. Based on past student experience,
several observations are relevant.
The topic should have basic appeal to the individual student.
That appeal could be based on:
· Interest in a new or unique concept, product or service.
· Exploration of a particular industry or product service as a
potential part time or longer term employment career.

· A business owned by the student’s family.
The company should ideally be Tri-Cities based or have a strong
operation in the Tri-Cities area to guarantee availability of
adequate management interaction and company information
locally for the student's research.
Historically, topics have covered a broad range of products and
services including marketing strategies of local ethnic
restaurants, trucking/local moving companies, the major city
and suburban newspapers, boutiques within the major
department stores, smaller specialty stores, educational
institutions, sports teams, night clubs, health clubs, hospitals,
professional serving organizations, e.g., accountants,
physicians, dentists, chiropractors, etc.
Methodology
The methodology for the research project requires:
· "Hands‑on" involvement with the product or service in the
market place, and
· In‑depth interviews with the operating managers of the firm.
Therefore, it is essential that the topic selected have a strong
Tri-Cities area presence for involvement with the operating
managers.
LIBRARY/INTERNET RESEARCH ALONE IS TOTALLY
UNACCEPTABLE AS THE DATA BASE FOR THE PROJECT.
EACH STUDENT MUST INTERVIEW THREE COMPANIES
WHO ARE COMPETING IN THE SAME BROADLY DEFINED
GEOGRAPHIC MARKET. ONE FIRM WILL BE THE
TARGET COMPANY. THE OTHER TWO FIRMS WILL BE
USED FOR COMPARISON.

If THREE COMPANIES ARE NOT COMPARED, the project
will be graded as UNSATIFSACTORY and “0” grade credit will
be given.
The Mechanics and Format of the Optional Research Report
The Optional Research Report should follow this format:
· The Optional Research Report should consist of a maximum of
15 double spaced typed pages of text, 10 pt. Arial font. 1 inch
margins (left/right and top/bottom). Exhibits are not counted as
part of the 15 pages of text.
· Each Report should be introduced with a simple cover page
including the student's name and social security number for
identification.
· No elaborate binders or folders should be used.
· Each Report should be labeled with the student's name and
UIN for identification.
· Each page in the Report should be clearly numbered.
· Each Report should include five content sections as outlined
earlier.
· Each section should be titled with the name of the section,
e.g.,
Section I: The Basic Product or Service
NOTE: The format to be used in preparing the Optional
Research Report has been outlined here in detail to simplify the
student’s task. Failure to follow this recommended format will
result in a reduction in the report’s grade.
Return of the Optional Research Reports
THE OPTIONAL RESEARCH REPORTS WILL NOT RE
RETURNED TO THE STUDENTS!

Special materials, exhibits, photographs, etc. may be returned
after the research reports are graded. To guarantee return of
selected materials, advanced arrangements must be made with
the instructor.
THE TEXT OF THE RESEARCH REPORTS, HOWEVER,
WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
If a student wants a copy of the research report his/her file, the
student should make a copy before handing in the report.
Due Date
The specific due date will be announced in the class syllabus.
Grading Procedures
The Optional Research Report will be worth up to 30 points.
The points earned on the Optional Research Report however,
will be a bonus added to your curve grade from your
examination scores.
The Optional Research Report will be graded on these criteria:
· The structure and organization of the report.
· The comprehensiveness and quality of the factual content in
each section of the Report.
· The quality and reasonableness of Section V:
Recommendations outlining how the firm could improve its
marketing strategy and tactics.
· Degree of compliance with the format instructions outlined in
this assignment sheet.
The individual student's basic grade point score for MKTG 3200
is calculated from the ten-minute quizzes, exams and the
participation. The individual students' point scores are then
arrayed into a total grade point curve. Based on that curve,

grade point categories are established for grades A, B, C, D, and
F.
The Optional Research Report grade points are ADDED TO the
individual student's grade point score and the individual
student's increased grade point is positioned within the
established course grade point categories.
The Optional Research Report grade is NOT INCLUDED IN
THE ORIGINAL COURSE CURVE CALCULATION.
Therefore, the Optional Research Report grade is a NET
BONUS to the student.
Benefits from Preparing the Optional Research Report
From a course grade viewpoint, students have typically prepared
the Optional Research Report to:
· Collect in-depth information about a particular product/service
category or potential career field as part of the MKTG 3200
course and receive bonus credit for that effort.
· Develop interviewing skills in dealing with managers and
small business owners in preparation for future career
interviewing.
· "Buy insurance" (bonus points toward the MKTG 3200 course
grade) if they were concerned about making a low grade on the
multiple-choice examinations.
· Make the highest grade practical in MKTG 3200. This is
particularly important for marketing majors who want to
establish a strong grade foundation in their major area
introductory course.
Historically, students who do submit quality research reports
will often raise their ultimate course grade by one letter grade

level.
4
Case studY
Chapter 2
In 2006, Disney’s Pixar released the hit movie Cars, which
grossed $462 million worldwide. Since then, Cars mer-
chandise has generated over $2 billion in sales each year.
Pixar has since created a series of Cars shorts to be aired
on the Disney Channel with a subsequent DVD release. A
Cars sequel was released in 2011 along with an online vir-
tual gaming world on its Web site to help build hype. In
2012, Disney’s California Adventure theme park opened its
12-acre Cars Land attraction.
At Disney, the brand is the name of the game, and
the cross-platform success of the Cars franchise is by no
means an exception to the rule. Disney also has the Jonas
Brothers, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, the
Disney Princesses, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the list goes
on and on. The man behind the magic is Disney’s CEO, Bob
Iger, who has lead a dramatic revitalization of the Disney
brand since succeeding longtime head Michael Eisner
in 2005. When he first took the post, his strategy shifted
Disney’s focus to its stable of “franchises.” These franchises
are distributed across Disney’s multiple company plat-
forms and divisions, such as Disney’s various television
broadcast platforms (the Disney Channel, ABC, ESPN),
its consumer products business, theme parks, Disney’s
Hollywood Records music label, and Disney’s publishing
arm in Hyperion, just to name a few.

Iger’s franchise strategy has been supported by the
other major move he made upon first becoming CEO. On
his first day on the job, Iger told the board that revitaliz-
ing Disney’s animation business was a top priority, which
would be improved through the purchase of Pixar. As part
of Iger’s franchise strategy the deal made perfect sense, as
many of Disney’s latest television shows, theme park rides,
and merchandise were based on Pixar characters.
Finding a new market to push the Disney franchise into
became a priority as well. With the Walt Disney Company
experiencing flat growth, it was becoming evident that
Disney had missed some opportunities for broader success
due to a narrowing of its target market, which was at the
time largely associated with younger children.
Iger’s first move was to broaden Disney’s viewership
by moving the Disney Channel from premium to basic
cable and launching local versions in key global markets.
Then, Disney began pushing franchises to capture the
rapidly growing tween market. Putting its support be-
hind the Disney Channel’s High School Musical, Hannah
Montana, and the Jonas Brothers (who were emerging out
of Disney’s music label), Disney quickly generated a series
of franchise juggernauts in the tween-girl market.
Though Disney’s focus has remained on family-
friendly fare, Iger has shown a new willingness to look
to even broader markets, if it fits with the Disney brand.
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, the first Disney film with a
PG-13 rating, played a major role in refocusing the brand,
being based on the classic theme park ride, and it also
helped expand the Disney appeal to older kids and even
adults. The Pirates and Cars franchises also provided pre-
liminary steps for Disney’s latest endeavors to crack the

tween-boy (age 6 to 14) market, one traditionally difficult
for media companies to sustainably capture. Their efforts
focus around the new Disney XD channel, with a broad
range of offerings, such as potential new franchises like
the science fiction action-adventure show Aaron Stone and
showcases of new musical talent. Disney will also be able
to leverage ESPN to create original sports-based program-
ming. The recent acquisition of Marvel Entertainment also
provided Disney with a broad stable of material to create
content for that platform. The channel is accompanied by
a Disney XD Web site, which will promote the channel’s
programs, as well as offer games and original videos, social
networking, and online community opportunities.
As it continues to expand and provide new fran chise
offerings, Disney looks to have relatively strong momen-
tum. The success of its cross-platform franchise strategy has
certainly helped it weather the economic downturn as the
DiSneY
the happieSt BranD on earth
1CASE STUDIESCASE STUDIES
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effects of the recession continue to recede. Disney plans to
continue that strategy with the release of many film fran-
chise sequels, including new Cars, Pirates, and Monsters, Inc.
films. As the late Steve Jobs, former Apple CEO and Pixar

stakeholder, commented, “Family is a renewable resource,”
and right now, Disney is making the most of it.
Sources: Richard Siklos, “Bob Iger Rocks Disney,” Fortune,
January 19, 2009, 80–86; Peter Sanders,
“Disney Focuses on Boys,” Wall Street Journal, January 8,
2009, http://online.wsj.com/article
/SB123137513996262627.html (Accessed November 8, 2012);
Ethan Smith, “‘Alice’ Boosts Disney; Theme
Parks Disappoint,” Wall Street Journal, May 12, 2010,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527487042
50104575238640 019592022.html (Accessed November 8,
2012).
2 CASE STUDIES
Assignment 2: Competitive Advantage
Scenario:
You are a new marketing associate working for a growing
Hollywood movie production company
named Movie Insights, Inc. Your marketing manager is working
on a quarterly update to the
marketing plan for the company. The marketing manager assigns
you the task of researching
the success of the Disney Company under the direction of Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) Bob
Iger during the years 2006–2012. You have 7 days to conduct
your research and report your

findings.
Directions for completing this assignment:
Before beginning this Assignment, make sure to review the
Learning Activities pertaining to the
target market and marketing mix which will help you to be more
successful in completing this
Assignment.
Write a 2-page, business memo answering the following
questions. For assistance with your
Assignment, please use your textbook and library research
resources. The directions for you to
execute this task are as follows:
1. Read “Disney®: The Happiest Place on Earth” case study:
Click here
2. Learn how to write a Business Memo by downloading the
short explanation on the document
icon and looking at the business memo example in doc sharing
below.
3. Use APA style referencing to avoid plagiarism. Include in-
text citations and a References
page. Use a minimum of two References resources, including
your textbook.
4. Select a Disney franchise mentioned in the case study.
5. In your business memo, summarize the following marketing
strategy components of your
selected Disney franchise by addressing the following items:
Checklist:

franchises mentioned in the case
study during the years 2006–2012.
keting mix.
Directions for Submitting this Assignment:
http://extmedia.kaplan.edu/business/AB219/1501B/U2/Unit2_Ca
seStudy.pdf
http://extmedia.kaplan.edu/business/GM543/GM543_1402D/MU
LTIMEDIA/APA_Tutorial/presentation.html
Review the grading rubric below before beginning this activity.
Compose your Assignment as a Microsoft Word document and
save it as (Example:
TAllen-MT219 Assignment-Unit 2.docx). Submit your file to
the Unit 2 Assignment Dropbox
before the end of the unit.
Unit 2 Assignment:
Competitive Advantage
Percent

possible
Points
possible
Points
Earned
Comments
Content per Checklists 100% 50
Answer provides complete
information
demonstrating analysis
and critical thinking in
response to the following
Checklist items:
80%
Summarize the marketing
strategy for one of
Disney’s franchises

mentioned in the case
study during the years
2006–2012.
marketing strategy
used.
20
components of the
marketing mix.
20
Subtotal: 80% 40
Provides a 2-page
business memo using
correct grammar,

spelling, and APA format
and citation style.
Includes a minimum of 2
references including the
textbook.
20%
10
Percent Total
Points
possible
Your Assignment
Score:
100% 50

© 2011, Kaplan University Writing Center, All Rights Reserved
A memo is a document commonly used in the workplace to
convey information to company employees.
In that sense, it is an internal document, which means that,
generally, the audience is internal to the
company; it is not a form used for outside customers or clients.
The purpose of a memo, usually, is to
inform employees of policies or other company-related matters,
such as a change in personnel within
departments, change in a process or procedure, or an upcoming
company meeting.
Each company you work for may have its own particular format
for a memo, but generally, a memo is
written in the following format.
Date: April 25, 2011 (if you are addressing employees in a
foreign branch of the company, you
might want to use this format for the date: 25 April 2011, which
is more common
overseas).
To: List the names of employees that this memo is addressed to.
If you are sending it to an
entire department, you can list the department title here, such as
All English Faculty and
Staff. Consider the order of people. Will you alphabetize or

should you go by
rank/position within the company listing the most senior
personnel first?
From: List the contact person’s name and title, such as Diane
Martinez, Writing Specialist
Subject: Make this brief but descriptive of the memo contents,
such as Resource Development
Procedure Changes
The content of the memo begins here. Generally, a memo is
single-spaced. For a memo written to an
American audience, you would state the purpose of the memo in
the opening paragraph.
Body paragraphs of a memo contain the details of the news you
are informing employees about.
Generally, you want to keep the information in a memo brief, or
at least concise, providing only facts
that are needed to understand the main message of the memo.
However, there are times when a
memo may be a longer document, such as when writing a memo
proposal or a strategy memo. If the
memo is particularly long, you might consider using
subheadings for easier reading since you will likely
be addressing different topics in the longer memo.
A conclusion paragraph ends the correspondence and generally
provides readers with contact
information.
Remember that a memo is a business document so the language
should be formal and the tone
professional.

The next page shows an example of a memo.
Writing a Memo
© 2011, Kaplan University Writing Center, All Rights Reserved
Example Memo
Date: April 25,2011
To: Academic Advisors; Susan Campbell; Darleen Harding;
James Russell
From: Kimberly Sullivan
Subject: New Communications Degree Training
We are pleased to announce the addition of a new technical
communication degree in the School of
Humanities. All academic advisors are required to attend the
training session on Monday, May 2, 2011,
at 10:00 AM ET in the Laguna Conference Room.
The Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication is a new
degree program that will be launched May
15, 2011, in the School of Humanities. Because this degree is
new and many faculty and staff are
unclear as to what this program is about, as well as career
opportunities for graduates with this degree,
Kimberly Sullivan will conduct an hour-long training that will

give you information about the degree and
career options. Please plan on attending this training. One
make up session will be given on
Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at 10:00 AM ET in the Laguna
Conference Room for those employees that are
out on Monday.
If you have any questions or concerns about this new degree
program or the training, please contact
Kimberly at x123 or [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]�

MKTG 3200 PRINCIPLES OF MARKETINGANALYZING MARKETING STRATEGY AN .docx

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