Strategic Marketing Success (SMS) Project- A Comparative study

MBA- Spring 2015

Instructor: Sana Riaz Malik
Weightage 20%

Instructions

Make Learning team of 4 members

Select a successful brand and how strategy played role in its success
Compare to a failing brand of same category and analyze where their strategies went
wrong.
20 Minutes Power Point Presentation
Approx. 50-70 page report

Doing a project like this is a wonderful learning experience, you will have the opportunity to
work with others, refine your written and oral communication skills, and make immediate
connections between theory taught in the classroom and situations that arise in the work world.
For this project to be successful, each team member must be cooperative, flexible, conscientious,
and responsible.
Your grade for this project will be comprised of three components:

Report 10 marks,

Presentation 5 marks,

Peer evaluation 5 marks.

Below is a detailed outline that you may follow while writing your SMS Project. You have to
provide your critical views regarding strategies wherever possible.
1. Title Page
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (including both products)
3. Table of Contents
4. BODY OF REPORT
a. Your Company--brief description (one page or less) providing background information
on company.

b. 5Cs, Porters Industry Analysis, Internal Analysis, SWOT analysis (of company),
SWOT Matrix (suggested by you for the company). Competitors list and in this section
try to estimate your expected market share. Clearly explain assumptions you made.
c. Target Market--include a detailed description of relevant market, including various
market segments. Discuss relevant trends in the market with respect to the selected
product. Also describe geographic location of target market(s), demographic
characteristics of target market(s), and what underlying needs and/or wants of target
market(s) are you satisfying with your offering. Critical analysis of strategies used.
d. Positioning Perceptual maps (according to a short survey), positioning statement
(proposed by you)
e. Product strategy- This section should include benefits the product(s) offer the end-user;
brand name (if applicable), packaging, location of product(s) on Product Life Cycle
curve, goods class, Portfolio Analysis, brand, packaging, slogan, logo etc. Past Sales
Record (last 2 years).
f. Pricing strategy--price of product and competitors' prices--depending on nature of
product, discuss gross margin or profitability of product. How price sensitive is target
market(s) in this product category? What strategy is being used by the selected product
and your critique on those strategies?
g. Placement Strategy--description of distribution channels (if a retailer, description of
store location and physical appearance of store).What is the ideal market exposure level
for this product? Describe the relevant middlemen and retailers, if any. Distribution
network flowchart, distribution strategies used.
h. Promotion Strategy--description of personal sales, advertising, sales promotions and
publicity the product is using. Please provide illustrations and critically analyze them.
i. Conclude with a discussion that what role did STRATEGY play in the success of this
product, and for failed product what went wrong with the strategies and how should be
those strategies corrected. (Brief discussion of 1 or 2 pages)

Repeat the above for a similar failed or failing product.

5. APPENDIX
a. Include the marketing research information used to develop your marketing strategy.
The information should be both secondary information as well as primary information
(such as surveys or focus group interviews).

b. Bibliography--prepare a bibliography in APA format. It should include references of all

sources whether articles, books, URLs. Also mention the information you received from
that source in a bracket.

Schedule for SMS Project.

You will have to e-mail these components on Mondays
15-6-15---------------Submission of names of both products.
22-6-15----------------Rough draft of a and b for both products.
29-6-15----------------Rough draft of c, d and e for both products.
6-7-15------------------Rough draft of f, and g for both products.
13-7-15----------------Rough draft of h, and i for both products.
20-7-15----------------Executive summary, bibliography, final editing, revising and Final
Submission of report.
Submission will not be delayed in any case, however these dates are tentative and will be
adjusted according to the academic calendar holidays. Presentations will be held in the last 3
session of this semester.

GOOD LUCK!