Assignment

Assessment is based on a 2,500 word personal portfolio.

Promotion Marketing Portfolio
Select an identified sector from any industry that interests you €“ for example women’s consumer magazines or tabloid newspapers (from publishing), high street fashion stores (from retailing), chocolate bars (from confectionary), pizza restaurants (from catering). It is your choice €“ however avoid specialist sectors (such as ??organic toothpastes’) or industries that tend not to use promotions. Ideally, select an area that is large enough in size to ensure you can find a variety of examples.

For your assignment, you are required to produce a portfolio, in the format of a business report, that will include examples of promotional activity in your chosen sector. However, your report must be more than a list of promotions. You will be expected to analyse and critically evaluate your findings by writing a commentary where you reflect on the different techniques applied by companies in your chosen sector.

For example, are price promotions prevalent or are other types of promotion used €“ such as ??Self Liquidating Promotions’ and ??Free Samples’? Are the promotions used to link particular themes (remember €“ over the course of the assignment you may encounter occasions/events such as ??Father’s Day, The FIFA World Cup, Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Summer Holidays, Back to School, etc. which are ??hooks’ that companies often use when it comes to promotions.)

In addition to the analysis, your portfolio might also include examples of promotional advertising (this could be printed or electronic media), on-pack, in-store, direct mail €“ or photographs of posters and still-shots from TV campaigns that you have seen (remember that everything requires accompanying commentary).

However to pass this assignment you must ensure a good balance between theory and observation. For example your analysis could include:

€¢ An overview of promotional marketing in your chosen sector €“ examining the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches (this requires that you do some academic research in order to embellish your understanding of the way promotions work.)
€¢ Some kind of comparative analysis between competing brands and the types of promotion they deploy.
€¢ An assessment of how successful you believe that promotional activity to be €“ would it appeal to the target audience (if not, why not?), is it ??on brand’? Are there examples of 3rd party promotions?
€¢ An appreciation of budgets and how ROI might be determined.

Grades: the rationale
€¢ To achieve 70%+ (a distinction):
A comprehensive portfolio with a wide number of examples and relevant, well researched commentary. Innovative ideas and comparative analysis will provide considered insights, backed up by appropriate theory; we will also be looking for evidence of going the ??extra mile’ (such as making comparisons between competitor activity etc.) Sharp, crisp analysis (no ??padding’) and high production values expected. The assignment should be submitted as bound report €“ with an executive summary, table of contents and bibliography.
€¢ To achieve 60%+ (a merit):
A very high standard of work will still be expected €“ with a good balance between relevant theory and observation. However, it is probable that it will lack the qualities of a ??distinction’. This maybe because the portfolio is not so extensive, or that the commentary is not so incisive. The assignment should be submitted as bound report €“ with an executive summary, table of contents and bibliography.
€¢ To achieve 50%+ (a pass):
A good standard of work will be expected €“ with some relevant theory and observation. However, overall it will lack the qualities of a ??merit’. This maybe because the portfolio is not so extensive, or the production may not be so high, or because the written content is lacking in style and substance. The assignment should be submitted as bound report €“ with an executive summary, table of contents and bibliography.
€¢ A Fail (<50%):
Lack of attention to detail €“ with a limited portfolio and/or inappropriate examples. The commentary will poor €“ either too ??annectdotal’ and/or because it lacks relevant theory or shows little evidence of research being undertaken. Poor production values and not submitted in proper report format.

Marking criteria

Your assignment is assessed on three areas of marking criteria:

Research Content (40%)
€¢ The breadth and perspective of the research sources. (20%) This will be evident from the reference list and/or bibliography. Is the essay limited on the sources it uses or has it used a wide variety of research? Good marks can be awarded here as long as it is evident that there is some perspective and comprehensiveness in the essay. This is not the same as the use of citation below as we are looking for sheer research effort in relation to the relevant topic.

€¢ The quality of citing and the reference system. (20%) How well is the research content used to fortify the main content of the report? If citing is not used in collaboration with a consistent referencing system then marks will be deducted.

Analysis (40%)
€¢ Quality of analysis. (30%) How well do the project build on these rather than simply summarising and describing points?
€¢ Conclusions (10%) Are the most salient issues from the report brought together at the end? Are the conclusions relevant?
€¢ Bonus marks will be awarded for creativity and originality as long as it relates to the preceding analysis.

Presentation, structure & clarity (20%)
€¢ The overall quality of the report structure & linkage. (10%)
€¢ The clarity of the report and use of English. It is important that the report flows and is properly proof read. (5%)
€¢ The overall presentation style and look. (5%)