Title, Exec Summary, Table of Contents

Title, Exec Summary, Table of Contents

The presentation format must be professional, meaning it should:

Style the assessment applying the branding style guide of the brand and in a professional manner.

Contain no typographic, grammatical, punctuation or structure issues

Title page

The title page must contain:

heading of the assessment task

course code and title

the brand name

your names (as it appears in Canvas) and student number

date due

date submitted

class day and time

lecturers name.

Table of Contents

Submissions should always contain a Table of Contents

Executive Summary

An Executive Summary is a must for any professional document (and expected within many academic papers too). When constructing an Executive Summary, following the tips below:

Always write your executive summary last.

A good executive summary will discuss the issue addressed within the report, explain activities/methods of research etc. undertaken, the key findings, conclusion and recommendations.

It should not be more than 1 page.

What needs to be included:

Sect 1: Company Overview

1.1 Company Overview

This section requires you to provide an introduction and overview of the brand owner (the company) and the brand for your allocated assessment topic.

Some tips for you:

Provide a quick statement about the company one paragraph (ordinarily this would not be found in a corporate document but in academia, we need to understand the perspective you have viewed the company and brand).

You can include a VISUAL representation of the companys portfolio (you can use Google images of what you think it looks like e.g., jeans image for instance).

2.1 Industry and Brand Analysis

Overview

This is a very important area of our assessment task. You will undertake your analysis using Porter's 5 Forces.

Some tips to get started:

Use the date and information available in the simulation as the sole source of data, and compliment this with your own critical thinking and synthesis of how markets, industries work and categories/brands function.

Interrogate and analyse the data to uncover insights and drivers of influence causing the trend (movement in size, growth, decline etc.)

2.2 Macro-environmental analysis

Applying the PEST model presented within the module materials, construct a macro-environmental analysis.

Tips:

Include the top 2 items of each factor - explain their implications on your jeans company.

*You can follow that through with your findings from Porter's Five Forces (which can essentially be included in your Appendix i.e., just refer to the appendix and what it adds) to explain the level of industry attractiveness. This would link nicely with the next section.

2.3 Levels of market competition

This section is visual only where you insert the Lehmann & Weiner Levels of Market Competition map.

The essential aspect of constructing this map is that you identify your viewpoint when constructing the proximity of brands and products. This means that when the reader reviews your map, they will easily gain an understanding of the direction of your analysis in the next part of your presentation.

Tip: You don't need to include competing brand names throughout your application of this map. See the example of tea. Product form might be the brands names in the same category e.g., in the black tea category these might be Lipton, Dilmah and Tetley but product category would include similar features to the tea such as iced tea, or kombucha tea. Generic competition includes products and services that fulfils customer needs like water, vitamin water etc. Budget competition includes anything that compete for the same amount of money such as biscuits or vegetables. You get the picture!

2.4 TOWS analysis

This section requires you to construct a TOWS for your brand.

Tips:

Apply the TOWS presented in Canvas and during class time.

Do this task last; ensuring the contents of the TOWS are closely linked to what was previously identified in your submission. New information appearing in the TOWS model that has not been previously explored in the analysis will be viewed poorly. The only new information should be your strategies.

This model will form the basis of the second part of your assessment ensure you consider carefully the TOWS and corresponding strategies.

Sect 3: Segmentation and targeting strategy

3.1 Consumer Segmentation

Construct a segmentation model and show 4 consumer segments for the category.

The model must show your ability to understand the theory of segmentation (meeting all five criteria of segmentation).

Whilst the segmentation will largely be founded on information sourced from the online simulation (MMX) data, you are able to use your judgement and understanding of the category's users.

Tip:

Refer to the handout on Canvas for the layout of the segmentation table.

3.2 Target markets

After identifying the 4 consumer segments, applying the theory of selecting target markets, select two segments that will represent the primary and secondary target market for your brand.

Develop one persona and one consumer journey map ONLY for the primary you identified.

1.2.1 Primary target market

Tip:

Refer to the materials on Canvas on how to apply the theory of selecting a target market, developing a persona and creating a customer journey map.

Sect 4: Positioning and brand strategy

4.1 Perceptual map (positioning map)

Construct a positioning map based on the customer needs for the category.

The map should contain ALL direct competitors, along with significant indirect competitors that will be relevant to your strategy or who potentially could compete with your brand in the future.

Tips:

Some reminders/tips:

a) You can use the content from the map in the simulation and explain how it relates to the motivations or needs of the customer.

b) Ensure this is linked to the segmentation work

c) Include the 4 consumer segments you developed (by editing and adding the names to the map) like the example shown here.

Section 5: Reference List and Appendix

Reference List

5.1 Reference List

Construct a reference list, not a bibliography.

Tips:

Apply Harvard referencing to the reference list. If you are uncertain, here is a link the to RMIT Library that will help you with Harvard Referencing: https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/referencing (Links to an external site.)

Ensure all appropriate in-text citations throughout the submission, following Harvard in-text citation method.

5.2 Appendix

An appendix includes any documentation that has not been incorporated in the body of your assessment but is relevant at some point in the text. This may include:

data (including charts, tables etc) or

other documentation (e.g., extended PESTLE, POD/POP, SWOT, etc) that is too long or complex to include in the body.

Therefore, data applied in the analysis to construct the tables and graphs presented in the body of your submission should be included in the appendix.

For example, the historical market share, sales and volume data could be included here, or your work you completed that allowed you to obtain the trends and assumptions you discuss in the body or the report (e.g., SWOT analysis for brainstorming that led you to the TOWS work). But please make sure you refer to these appendices in the body of your report (e.g., "see Appendix 5").

It is important that you demonstrate your abilities to operate at a management level applying critical thinking and synthesis.