- Assignment brief
The aim of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to produce a discussion
paper that critically evaluates an emerging theme arising from the changing marketing
environment and its impact on a selected sector or industry. The discussion paper should be
based on leading-edge marketing research and practice in the chosen sector/industry, and
be presented in a format suitable for use at an international conference or seminar for
senior marketing practitioners.
There are three components to this assignment. You are to undertake critical research into a
chosen emerging theme as the basis for the discussion paper, and should present in tabular
form a summary and evaluation of the sources used for this research. You are also required
to produce a discussion paper that demonstrates a critical awareness and in-depth
understanding of the relevant theme and its impact on the sector or industry. Finally, you
have been asked how the theme can be utilised as the basis of internal strategy for your
chosen organisation’s Senior Managers’ strategic planning weekend.
Business format and presentation
Business format and presentation is worth 10 marks overall for this assignment. You will be
awarded marks for:
relevance to the tasks
use of supporting concepts and frameworks
professional tone and required format
Harvard referencing.
Task 1 (Assessment Criteria 1.1, 1.2)
Based on a sector/industry that you are thoroughly familiar with, critically research your
chosen macro-environmental change (emerging theme) in order to establish the
potential impact this change may have on the sector/industry. You should use a range of
relevant and credible secondary sources, including suitable industry journals, periodicals
and other publications.
In a table, summarise the various sources used, together with brief notes
as to the credibility, reliability and merits of the different sources for the
purposes of your discussion paper. (10 marks)
(Total – 10 marks)
(Word count for brief notes within the table: 500 words maximum)
Emerging Themes (560) – July 2017
VERSION 1 – 05.12.16 Page 8 of 13
Task 2 (Assessment Criteria 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
Based on your research, write a discussion paper that could form the basis of a
presentation that will be given at an international conference or seminar for senior
marketing practitioners. The paper should:
identify and critically assess, through the use of published evidence,
ONE macro-environmental change (an emerging theme) that has the
potential to bring about fundamental change to the nature of a
sector/industry of your choice (20 marks)
critically evaluate how that macro-environmental theme will bring about
change to ONE of the following specific aspects of your chosen
sector/industry:
- consumer behaviour (or business buying behaviour in B2B) OR
- the nature/structure of competition OR
- the nature/structure of supply chains (20 marks)
recommend and justify, using relevant marketing concepts and
theories, ONE appropriate strategic marketing response that
organisations within your chosen sector/industry should make in
response to these changes (20 marks)
predict how marketing professionals will need to adapt in terms of their
skills, attitudes and behaviours, given the strategic marketing response
that you have recommended. (10 marks)
(Total – 70 marks)
(Word count: 2,500 words maximum)
Task 3 (Assessment Criteria 2.2)
Prepare briefing notes on FOUR ‘break out’ topics from your discussion
paper for your chosen organisation’s Senior Managers’ strategic
planning weekend. (10 marks)
(Total – 10 marks)
(Word count: 500 words maximum)
