Key words
Marketing project, IWETO code S191 market study
Objectives
The objective here is to emphasize the implementation of market analysis and drawing up a strategic marketing plan. It is group work with cross-course assessment and coaching.
Topics
The assignment is a strategic analysis of an existing organisation.
Students collect information on the internal and external environment (market, target group, competition). These data are used to define possible strategic problems. Then, students draft a marketing plan using this information. This plan contains the formerly executed strategic analysis and a number of specific suggestions on choice of strategy and its implementation, along with cost analysis. Students use this strategic plan to complete their analysis in the light of their optional 3rd year courses. Discussion of the means used and of budgetary consequences is a part of the assignment.
Optional course Communication:
After an analysis of the communication of the company involved as well as of their competitors) students should reach a communication proposition. This includes development of an integrated media plan corresponding with the chosen target group(s) for communication, with communication aims and budgetary need / possibilities. The lecturer may suggest adding a creative part. In the latter case, there will be cooperation with students from the arts department.
Optional course Sales:
Mapping sales management in a certain market or for a certain account in a structured manner and then working out several planning activities for the coming sales season.More precisely this means: assessing proper current sales activities and those of the competition, determining turnover potential, sales goals and strategies for a certain market or account for the coming season, linking actions to strategies proposed (including their budgeting).
Optional course MIS:
Students write a report containing an analysis of the present ICT situation and a study of future ICT needs based on a step-by-step approach for the development of ICT applications when automating the marketing function.The last part of this project consists of a typed report and a group presentation in French.
Statistics software:- Preparing data and entering them in the statistics software;
- Being able to transform data with a view to the analyses to be used;
- Basics of statistics, to be applied in statistics software.
A "marketing lexicon" component is also a part of this integrated marketing exercise. The purpose is to allow students to show their command of current terminology on any marketing field in this assignment as well as in their later work placement.
Prerequisites
Students need broad general knowledge.
This of course includes all aspects of marketing and knowledge of business economics (e.g. management, economy).
Final Objectives
Knowledge:
Job-related:- Statistics software;
- Knowing means of presentation;
- Knowing techniques of reporting;
- Knowing spreadsheets, database software, word processing, e-mail, internet and the capacities of programs used in the field.
Skills:
General:- Capacity of critical reflection;
- Ability to work on a project;
- Working by oneself;
- Decisiveness;
- Keeping knowledge up to date;
- Consulting sources;
- Acquiring and processing information.
General and job-related:- Being able to argue;
- Coordinating and leading a team;
- Understanding human relationships;
- Being sociable in a team, i.al. when doing assignments;
- Establishing shortcomings in oneself and in co-workers on professional know-how and on social and communicative skills;
- Efficiently researching information (professional methodology);
- Reporting in writing;
- Being able to make a report by oneself;
- Being able to interpret and apply professional directions;
- Drafting plans for the short, middle and long term and adjusting them wherever necessary;
- Handling confidential information in accordance with deontology;
- Discerning problems;
- Critically discovering weak and strong points of persons as well as the organisation and adjusting them wherever necessary;
- Looking through complex situations.
Job-related:- Giving the correct definition of a problem when preparing research;
- Being able to use calendar management and time management;
- Leading a team directly;
- Informing and advising customers / clients on marketing communication;
- Following up on the rapidly evolving marketing environment: politics, economy, demography, culture, technology;
- Being able to make an external analysis;
- Researching, listing and collecting any sources with marketing data efficiently;
- Checking collected information and documents on correctness, comprehensiveness and topicality, indicating bottlenecks and making additions; undertake action to get improvements wherever necessary;
- Being able to conduct internal analysis;
- Understanding and distilling the information offered in light of the issues: drafting and filling out a SWOT analysis;
- Developing a marketing plan: external, internal and SWOT analysis as well as formulating strategic recommendations;
- Converting strategic recommendations into a tactical plan (communication, sales)
- Being able to estimate and calculate the consequences of various plans;
- Phrasing alternative scripts;
- Reaching conclusions sufficiently quickly;
- Advising customers: self-employed, starters, … on marketing and communication.
Attitudes:
General:- Sense of cooperation;
- Creativity.
Job-related:- Customer relations;
- Handling information;
- Being selective in this information;
- Planning activities when doing the assignments;
- Adding value to available information;
- Sense of structure;
- Sense of initiative;
- Resistance to work stress;
- Willingness to be absorbed in a problem;
- Critical sense towards own conclusions;
- Sense of analysis;
- Meticulousness.
Materials used
Recommended reading: Marketingstrategie; Frambach en Nijssen, Stenfert Kroese / Marketingplan, Logman, Communicatieplanner, W.J. Michels, Wolters Noordhoff,
Marketingcommunicatiestrategie ,J. Floor , F. Van Raaij, , Stenfert Kroese
Sales Management, Rustenberg e.a., Wolters Noordhoff
Marketing met ICT, Hummel, Academic Service + professional reading on sectors
Study costs
Expenses generated in the course of the marketing assignment.
Possibly the fee for the Students' Congress of Stichting Marketing (if present in the option calendar).
Study guidance
The lecturer has consultations with each group at previously appointed times in order to discuss and assess the information already collected and further planning.
Teaching Methods
Project work in teams: developing a marketing plan.
An organisation / client gives a briefing for this assignment. A number of teams is built that will work next to one another like competitors.
Students develop their ideas in a report, present their marketing plan and defend it in front of a jury consisting of lecturers and client.
Practicing with statistics software.
Assessment
Lecturer(s)
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