You will amass up to 800 points towards your final grade by demonstrating mastery of the concepts discussed in class. The remaining 200 points are clarified at the Previous Postings page.

The prescriptive analysis project is designed to help you prepare for the final Capstone project. This is a cumulative project that requires research after each lecture.

Click here or scroll down to view a listing of past projects. This semester, you must select an organization that is NOT on this list.

• Create a Word document; simply add new questions for each part and submit as an email attachment. Title the document
  "Class number:" "Organization" by "Your full name"
  Ex: "5133: Coca Cola by Steve Toms"

• There are 3 parts and a final submission to your project. Each date below is based on receipt no later than midnight on that day.
  Be sure to type "5133 submission" in your email subject line.

• Tips are provided after each set of questions.

Part 1 due:
5133.60 - Submit only those response for which you wish feedback
5133.61 - 11/14 (Friday)

Select a business or organization, and draft responses to questions 1-4 below. Copy and paste your responses into an email message.
Each response will include terms in bold and at least 1 reference.

(See "Follow this format" and Prescriptive Checklist below for more help.)

Each draft answer should be at least 1 paragraph with at least 1 reference.

1. Briefly name and describe the business or organization.

2. Define its SCA, USP, and how it differentiates and positions itself.

3. Which/What Uncontrollable Variables impact your organization?
   (There are 6 variables; all impact your organization.)

4. Define the geographic and demographic target market.
   (Your geographic market will include borders; your demographic categories will address all segmentation categories below.)

Geographic market: (define borders; give reference source)

Demographic market (combine categories from chart below based on a reference or source):

Sex:
Age:
Race:
Religion:
Nationality:
Education:
Income:
Occupation:

Want bonus points? Do a psychographic profile of your TM: list a few activities, interests, and opinions gathered
for other sources or personal interviews).

(Tips follow below.)

Tips:

(Number in parenthesis = suggested number and type of references) 

¨   Q1: Briefly name and describe the business or organization. (1-2)
1-2 sentences on the scope, focus, and limitations of the project.

¨   Q2: Define its SCA, USP, and how it differentiates and positions itself. (3+, textbook) Make sure to cover USP, differentiation and positioning; many organizations don’t have an SCA: it has to be sustainable over time.

¨   Q3: Which/What Uncontrollable Variables impact your organization? (6+; textbook) There are 6 variables; all impact your organization.
1 example for each is sufficient.

¨   Q4: Define the geographic and demographic target market. (2+, textbook) Make sure geographic markets include borders, and cover each of the demographic categories from the lecture PowerPoint screen. A bullet point listing is sufficient.

Part  2 due:
5133.60 - Submit only those response for which you wish feedback
5133.61 - 11/28 (Friday)

Send draft responses to questions 5-8 below. Copy and paste your responses into an email message (click here for address). Each response will include terms in bold or capital letters and at least 1 reference.

You may also wish to update/revise Qs1-4. Indicate changes with another color, or by telling Steve what you've improved in your opening statement.

5. Define the product or service (what it satisfies); then apply the 4 marketing utilities (form, place, time, and possession. (Define it based on benefits to the consumer; think need level satisfaction; refer to class discussion on how we defined products and services)

6. Where is the product in terms of the product life cycle (Pick a stage and use lecture/text definitions and a real world example as proof.)

7. Describe the current commercialization schedule. (Show Steve you have identified the flow of goods and services, starting with the resources needed to make/deliver the product/service. Think each transaction/transformation through the channel. If you cannot find specific info on your organization, use a competitor or similar type product. See example below.)

8. What kinds of exposure does the organization require?
   (Hint: It's intensive, selective, or exclusive. And it's based on where the customer wants/expects it. Justify your response with an example.)
   
   (Tips follow below.)

Tips:

(Number in parenthesis = suggested number and type of references) 

Q5: Define the product or service (what it provides/satisfies),
and apply the 4 marketing utilities (form, place, time, and possession. (2+, textbook) Start with the benefit/satisfaction sought by the TM
(get behind what it does or provides; think back to our class discussion on how marketers define products).

¨   Q6: Where is the product in terms of the product life cycle
(what stage; show proof)? (2+, textbook and personal interview quotes) State the stage and give real world examples.

¨   Q7: Describe the current commercialization schedule.
(1-2, textbook) Try to identify all channel members that facilitate distribution. For example, where does the organization get/acquire
the resources transformed into the product or service?

¨   Q8: What kinds of exposure does the organization require? (2+)
Avoid the textbook here; it tends to discuss exclusive, selective,
and intensive distribution. We’re focused on exposure: where the TM wants/expects to acquire possession utility.

Part 3 due:
5133.60 - Submit only those response for which you wish feedback
5133.61 - 12/10 (Wednesday)

Send draft responses to questions 9-12 below. Copy and paste your responses into an email message (click here for address). Each response will include terms in bold or capital letters and at least 1 reference.

You may also wish to update/revise Qs1-8. Indicate changes with another color, or by telling Steve what you've improved in your opening statement.

9. Discuss the pricing objective (It's either profit, sales, or status quo. Give/show an example.)

10. What mark-ups or margins apply? (If you cannot find specific data on your product or organization, use an industry or competitive industry standard. Do some math to show Steve you know how margins and mark-ups are calculated.)

11. Discuss the integrated promotional mix (Address each of the 3 components: personal selling, mass selling, and sales promotion.
    Give an example of each.)

12. Does the organization use a push or pull strategy?
    (If you say "pull," make sure to show how marketers
    are creating a new channel. See below.)

    (Tips follow below.)

Tips:

(Number in parenthesis = suggested number and type of references) 

Q9: Discuss the pricing objective (profit, sales, status quo).
(1 or more, textbook) It’s one of the 3 in parenthesis. If you can’t find support for YOUR organization, compare it to competitors or similar types of organizations. Those who provide data score bonus points.

¨   Q10: What mark-ups or margins apply? (2+, textbook) Do the math. Show you understand the “marketer’s playground” and how to calculate mark-ups. As in Q9, feel free use competitor data here.

¨   Q11: Discuss the integrated promotional mix (personal selling, mass selling, and sales promotion)? (3+, textbook) Address all 3; simply explain why one or more are not part of the IMC mix.

¨   Q12: Does the organization use a push or pull strategy? (2+, textbook) Caution: Pull campaigns tend to create distribution/commercialization schedules; push applies to move products through an existing channel. You need to have a real world example here.

FINAL PROJECT due:
5133.60 - 11/30 (Sunday)
5133.61 - 12/13 (Sunday)

Cut and paste your updated/revised responses to Qs1-12 into a Word document and complete Qs 13-14 below.

13. Is this a production, product, selling, or marketing-oriented organization? (If you choose more than one, give specific examples. If you say marketing-oriented, justify it by applying the marketing concept (unmet needs, allocated resources, and profit).

14. What did you learn from performing this analysis?
    (Avoid regurgitating stuff that should be part of an earlier response. This is about what YOU got, realized, came away with;
    what you didn't realize before; how you can use this stuff
    in your work/studies.)

Tips:

¨   Q13: Is this organization production, product, selling, or marketing-oriented? (1+)  If you say “marketing-oriented,” discuss how it acquires resources based on unmet needs.

¨   Q14: What did you learn from performing this analysis? (No references required) This is about what YOU got, realized, came away with; what you didn't realize before; how you can use this stuff in your work/studies. Avoid more concepts, facts, and figures. Consider starting your response with "Here's what I didn't know before doing this project."

Follow this format in your Word document

• Each response must be numbered and contain a source:
  place it in parenthesis (in blue) after the sentence to which it pertains.
  (p.18) <textbook
  (Lecture 1) <notes from class
   (www.full name of website), (Time, 12/10/97, p. 57),
  (Interview Pam Simpson, manager 10/12/07) <outside references
  
  References: Wikipedia is NOT a credible reference, and do not use the organization’s home page website after Q1. After you’ve used one source several times, find others. Also, you’ll want to show more than 5 different textbook references (different pages).

• Put marketing terms in bold.

• All statements require a source at the end of the sentence (like this, in parenthesis and in blue). Steve doesn't read footnotes.

• Have several other people proofread your final project. Listen as one reads it aloud; you'll hear what needs to be edited. Steve deducts points for multiple grammar and punctuation errors.

Those wishing to earn an "A"

Based on the 60 Marketing Terms handout, Steve totaled the number
of terms and references appearing in previously submitted projects.

Select an organization that does NOT appear on this list
List of previous project submissions
(# or projects submitted)

^ top | < back  |  question?

Self-evaluation

Answer the following at the end of your project analysis (copy and paste answers in the same file as your project). No need to repeat the questions. Steve will be reading for specific results obtained: what did you get from your efforts?

1. Pick 1 lecture topic, reading assignment, project, or outside source that helped you better understand or appreciate the concepts we addressed in this class (be specific as to why and how it will help you in your business career)?

2. How much time did you put into researching, reading, and thinking
about this course? How would you assess your commitment to getting the most from the assignments?

3. What was your most and least favorite part of the class, and why?
(There are 2 parts to this question. Please be specific.)

4. Based on the above, what grade do you feel you have earned?
(Make sure you support it with specific concepts and actions taken during your class.)