1. II. Target Market
a. Describe the current target market(s) for the product. What
segmentation variables are used to divide the market?
b. What type of targeting strategy is used? (undifferentiated,
concentrated, differentiated)
c. Research additional information about this (these) target
markets that would be helpful in improving the marketing mix.
A business librarian may be useful in finding appropriate
sources of information.
Instructions or Rubrics:
Choose a brand from the list below to research and develop a
marketing plan. You should be able to find information from
business media, such as
The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, Advertising
Age,
or
Forbes.
Start with the recommended publications above. Other
information may be obtained from the company’s website, and
from the business section of daily newspapers. You may also
look for the product in stores or visit the business for additional
information. This is particularly helpful for understanding the
competition, the pricing, and distribution strategies. Use

2. multiple sources because some may be biased (for example, the
company website probably avoids any negative information
about the brand).
I expect a minimum of twelve current articles (2017 – present),
not including the company w
ebsite, as background for your paper. If you are not sure about
the meaning of the terms in the outline below, consult your
textbook to make sure you understand what you are saying
about the brand. Although many students start their searches
with Wikipedia for background information, Wikipedia is
NEVER appropriate as a citation in college level work.
The major part of the assignment will focus on what the
company
is or has been doing
. Part four concludes with your recommendations to change
something about the way the product should be marketed. The
actual paper should be written in paragraphs, ie, not simply an
outline with bullets. Go to
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
if you need writing help, especially for an explanation of how
to cite your sources using APA format.
The paper should cover:
I. Situation Analysis
a.Internal Environment
i. What is the company’s mission and overall business
objectives?
ii. What resources does the company have that make them
unique?

3. iii. How is the marketing function organized (centralized?
By brand or category? By market?)
b. External Environment
i. What is the overall domestic and global market for the
product? What is the approximate market share?
ii. Who are the competitors? What are their marketing
strategies?
iii. How does the economic environment affect demand for
the product?
iv. What is happening in the social and cultural
environment that affects the product?
v. What is happening in the legal and regulatory
environment?
vi. How does the technological environment affect the
business?
c. SWOT Analysis
i. Based on our understanding of the internal and external
environments, what are the key opportunities and threats for the
marketing of the brand?
II. Target Market
a. Describe the current target market(s) for the product. What
segmentation variables are used to divide the market?
b. What type of targeting strategy is used? (undifferentiated,

4. concentrated, differentiated)
c. Research additional information about this (these) target
markets that would be helpful in improving the marketing mix.
A business librarian may be useful in finding appropriate
sources of information.
III. Current Marketing Mix
a. Product
b. Pricing strategy
c. Place or distribution
d. Promotional campaign
IV. New Directions: Based on the information you about the
current marketing plan for your brand, identify a major problem
or opportunity (for your company or brand) that you want to
address with changes, including:
A. Marketing Objectives (list 3 or 4 outcomes that can be
achieved by altering a target market, introducing a new product,
or substantially changing elements of the marketing mix to
address the problem or opportunity.
B. Marketing Strategies
1. Any changes in the consumer or business target markets
2. Any target market segments that will remain the same
C. Marketing Mix
1. Positioning the product and product strategies. Include

5. packaging, branding, and introduction of any new product lines
2. Pricing strategies (using terminology from the text)
3. Promotion strategies (current and new recommendations) –
(again, using terminology from the text)
4. Distribution strategies (current and new recommendations)
D. Implementation Strategies
E. Monitoring and Control Strategies
Brands:
Coca-Cola beverages
Jitterbug cell phones
Nespresso coffee makers and coffees
Ring Video Doorbell 2
Top Golf
Under Armor
Only one plan should be submitted per group. Papers will be
automatically screened by Turnitin.com when they are uploaded
to the Dropbox, so allow time to make revisions if your
originality score is above 20%. ONLY SUBMIT THE ENTIRE
PAPER, NOT ANY INDIVIDUAL SECTION. Papers with more
than 20% duplication may not be accepted, so plan on editing

6. your paper after you get initial feedback from Turnitin.com.
All references must be cited, using the APA format.
Please make sure all names are on the first page, in alphabetical
order. Then submit the assignment in the Dropbox for Group
Assignment