Baines, P. (2013) Essentials of Marketing, 1 st edition; ISBN:

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1 ICM STUDENT MANUAL Project Marketing Plan JIC-PMP.2v-15 Module Marketing Communication Study Year 2, academic year Course overview Book(s) RECOMMENDED Baines, P. (2013) Essentials of Marketing, 1 st edition; ISBN: Percy, L. (2012) Strategic Advertising Management, 4th revised edition; ISBN: Test Weight Deadline Module Coordinator One group assignment 5 ECTs: Write a Strategic Marketing Communications Plan Monday, Week 9, 12:00. Hardcopy in the pigeonhole and uploaded on Sharepoint Dropbox Marnie de Koning Coaches Elvira Joldersma, Jose Cabrera 1

2 Learning objectives The mentioned competencies are translated into learning goals for this course. The following learning goals will be assessed: Project Commercial Communication: The student can research an organization from both an internal and external perspective and use the information gathered to make a clear and concise SWOT analysis. (B1, B2) The student can evaluate different consumer segments and their needs to arrive at a well defined target audience for a specific product or brand. (B2) (B7) The student can propose a segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy based on their research of the target audience, the product or brand and the market in which the product or brand operates in. (B3) (B7) The student can develop a detailed marketing communication plan, using a specific template, in an international environment (B1, B3, B7) Competences During this module we will help you to develop the following competencies from the ICM competencies-list: 1.Analysing a Problem: The graduate has an insight in communication processes as well as policy and organization processes related to these. He analyses these processes, shapes them and puts them in an organizational context. In addition, he indicates how these processes can be used in the best way by means of communication means within an organization. 2.Carrying out Research: As a result of a problem concerning the field of communication and information management, the graduate sets up practical research. The graduate carries out this research, analyses the results an reports about this. 3.Advising and Planning: Within the framework of communication or information policies, the graduate provides advice about the innovation of practice, use of communication means and writes an action plan for that purpose. 7. Evaluating: The graduate researches and assesses the production and use of communication means in an organization. He researches the use and effect of communication means. Assessment criteria: Your final assignment will consist of a strategic marketing communication plan and a sample (mock-up) of an advertising or promotional campaign You must receive at least a 5,5 to pass the assignment. See assessment form for specific criteria Deadline: Final assignment: Your final report will be handed in in the pigeonhole of the project coach and also uploaded in the Dropbox folder on Sharepoint by Monday 12:00 of week 9. Page 2 of 20

3 Table of contents 1. Course overview 1 2. Course content 4 3. Course structure and methods 4 4. Assessment and evaluation 8 5. Study load How the course fits in the greater programme 13 Page 3 of 20

4 2. Course content In today s competitive business environment, communication with the target audience about the brand/organizations is vital for organizations/companies to survive and be successful. The primary goal of marketing communication is to build awareness of a business, its products, and its position to an appropriate target audience via effective positioning, advertising and media strategies. Planning integrated campaigns that reinforces a company's message with target audiences and motivates customers to buy is the marketing communication manager's top responsibility. A good marketing communication plan is always derived from a good marketing plan. It requires you to develop an in-depth understanding of your target audiences and the processes involved in buying, selling, and communicating. After you've armed yourself with the knowledge that you need, you can determine what you hope to gain from your marketing activities, what you want your customers to know, and how best to communicate that information to them. You'll also need to decide on a budget and schedule, and to evaluate any constraints that these might place on the campaign. A sample (mock-up) of an advertising or promotional campaign will also be part of your assignment. In this course you will develop a strategic marketing communication plan for a client looking to introduce a product into a European market. With a team (4/ 5 students) you will investigate a product and a market to launch that product (options will be introduced by the project coach in Week 1) and then, using that information, write a strategic marketing communication plan to introduce the product to your chosen target group. An important factor is, that all teams will do this for a different (EU) country. So the intercultural aspect is very important in this block. Group formation should reflect this. To guide your progress, you will be assigned a project coach, whom you may meet on a weekly basis. 3. Course structure and methods Contact hours: 3 hours a week The schedule below is advisory to help keep you on track as you do your research, develop a strategy and start the writing and design process. The deadlines mentioned below are guidelines that will help create time for questions and advice before the final delivery. It is recommended that you try to finalize these documents as much as possible at each stage. If you have questions that you wish to discuss with your coach during your project meeting, you must the questions to your coach at least one day before the scheduled meeting. Presence in class and at scheduled group meetings is highly recommended. Individual participation will be taken into account (based on team evaluations, individual reflections and attendance in class) when determining individual grades. In week 9 you will deliver your final report: a Strategic Marketing Communications Plan, including a mock-up of a creative campaign idea and appendices. Page 4 of 20

5 Compact Schedule Project Commercial Communication Week To Do s 1 Kick-off/ read manual Form teams (4/5 students see requirements) and form communication agency (fictitious name). Decide company and country (EU). Write Affiliation Agreement Write Plan of Action 2 Overall Objectives: Mission/Vision Product/Market Background Research Summary of product (4 P s) Category Market information including competitors, market trends, product portfolio Market Analysis External Analysis (PEST) Internal Analysis (Porter s 5) Performance Environment (Competitor/distribution analysis) 3 SWOT Analysis Create a SWOT analysis using info from your research. Minimal 3 items per box and explain. Be sure to relate it to your chosen country. Marketing Strategies Target market(s) Positioning/Positioning Statement Competitive Advantages Dates and Deadlines Recommended to be completed during class in Week 1. Recommended to be completed before or during the scheduled class in Week 2 Recommended to be completed before or during the scheduled class in Week 3 Marketing goals: SMART terminology e.g Market share, sales, volumes etc. 4 Context Analysis: Applying the Market Analysis to the Communications Plan by describing Target Audience needs, perceptions, motivation, attitudes, decision making, media and people used for information gathering. Impact of internal and external analysis on communication strategy. Communication objectives: SMART terminology (awareness, perception, knowledge, attitude, preference) Recommended to be completed before or during the scheduled class in Week 4 Page 6 of 20

6 5 Marketing Communications Strategy Suggest a model of communication (AIDA, Hierarchy of Effects, Percy) Communications Methods Marketing Communications Tools: Advertising, Sales Promotion, Direct marketing, PR and Personal Selling Media Mix: Broadcast, print, outdoor, Digital media, In-Store, other Message Appeals Recommended to be completed before or during the scheduled class in Week 5 6 Schedule A campaign launch schedule should be made Recommended to be completed before or during the scheduled class in Week 6 Resources Media budget must be put together using the tariff sheet provided Control and Evaluation There is a mechanism in place for measuring success or failure Mock up of your Campaign idea Develop a mock-up of a campaign idea which reflects the strategy you have developed. Be creative! 7 Finalizing entire report. Write Executive Summary and place at the front of your document. Ensure that your document does not exceed 30 pages. Place useful but non-essential documents in the appendix. Use your creativity to make the document appealing to read APA referenced sources Recommended to be completed before or during the scheduled class in Week 7 8 Finalizing appendices Individual reflection Format evaluation of team members (appendix 5 of this module guide) Monday week 9 Before 12 noon in pigeonhole of teacher and in Drop box folder Sharepoint Page 6 of 20

7 4. Assessment and evaluation Your final assignment will consist of: 100% Strategic Marketing Communications Plan - Individual reflection (to be used in part to differentiate grades among team members up to a maximum of 1 point. Report The final report should be no longer than 30 pages excluding appendices and must include the information below. Strategic Marketing Communication Plan Your marketing communication plan must include all information listed in the assessment form (appendix): Overall Objectives, Product/Market background, Marketing Analysis, Marketing Strategies, Marketing Goals, (BAINES ESSENTIALS, pp ), Context Analysis, Marketing Communication Objectives, Marketing Communications Strategy, Communication Methods, Schedule, Resources, Control, Evaluation (BAINES ESSENTIALS pp ) and Advertising or Promotion Mock-up campaign. GRADING CRITERIA None or insufficient information: Sufficient information only: Satisfactory information with some added value analysis Good information with added value analysis Excellent and thorough analysis with significant added value Page 8 of 20

8 ASSESSMENT FORM 10% A. Executive Summary, Objectives and Background Research 1. The Executive Summary is placed at the front of the document and gives a 25% thorough summary of the document with specific recommendations 2. The company vision and mission are included, thoroughly analyzed and improved if 25% necessary. The 4 P's are correctly summarised. 3. The background research is thoroughly researched with added value analysis and 50% relevant conclusions 25% B. Market Analysis & Strategy & Goals 30% 4. The market analysis is complete including internal, external, performance and SWOT 20% 5. The SWOT is derived from the internal, external and performance environment analysis (min. 3 per letter) 20% 6. Target market is appropriate to the brand, derived from the segmentation research, reachable and make a segmented marketing and communication strategy possible 20% 7. Competitive advantages are correctly identified and a clearly defined positioning with regard to target market and competition 8. Marketing Goals are developed using SMART terminology, are rational, 10% measurable and sales focused. 15% C. Context Analysis & Communication Objectives 40% 9. Market analysis is accurately applied in the communications plan. 10. Target audience, needs, perceptions, etc are analyzed and correctly applied as a 40% basis for strategy. 11. Communication Objectives are developed using SMART terminology, are specific 20% to your brand and address at least one of the listed objectives) 20% D. Marketing Communications Strategy 12. A marketing communications strategy has been formulated based on an 25% appropriate model of communication and the analysis. 13. An appropriate mix of marketing communication tools are recommended, applied 25% and justified based on the marketing strategy 14. The media mix is appropriate to the marketing strategy, within budget and well 25% balanced 15. Specific message appeals are recommended, are appropriate to the marketing 25% strategy and are well explained 15% E. Schedule, Budgeting & Control and Evaluation 30% 16. Launch schedule meets the needs of the brand and communications objectives 17. An appropriate budget method is recommended and the media spend is balanced, 60% related to the strategy and accurately utilises the tariff sheet 18. Instruments for measuring and evaluating success or failure are included and are 10% measurable 10% F. Sample (Mock-up) of Campaign Idea 19. Accurately reflects the strategy in your plan and is appropriate to the selected 50% target group and marketing and communications strategy. 20. The mock-up is appealing, creative and uses an appropriate tone-of-voice for the 50% target audience. 5% G. Report Structure and professionalism 25% 21. The report has a logical and clear structure 25% 22. Grammar and spelling in the written report are correct 25% 23. The student adequately uses references/apa formatting style 25% 24. The report has a clear layout, formatting and design Page 9 of 20

9 Individual reflection At the end of this project describe in approximately 1000 words what you have learnt from this project. It must include the following topics. What was your part of the work and how did it go? What have you done well? What could you have done better? What would you do differently in the next project? Did you work well as a team? Grade the work of yourself and each of your group mates on a scale of 1 10 (very poor-excellent) Use the form in the appendix for this purpose. Your final mark for this module will be the grade you receive for the assignment for 100%. Only exception being team grade variation (maximum 1.0 plus or minus) 1. Final report (Strategic Marketing Communication Plan) 2. Individual reflection. This reflection report is a necessary requirement in order to get your final grade and can be used to differentiate individual grades in a team by +/- 1.0 point. The deliverables will be graded on the basis of the competencies and learning goals you are working on in this Module. Page 10 of 20

10 Individual Grade At the discretion of your coach, grades for individual members of the team may differ by up to 1.0 point (above or below the group grade) depending on individual contribution and based on the coaches observations and the individual reflection reports. The final grade must be at least 5.5 in order to pass. Requirements Final Assignment 1. Your final report will be handed in in the pigeonhole and in the Dropbox on Sharepoint of the project coach before Monday 12:00 of week 9 of this block. After the deadline, your report will not be graded and you will be required to resit the assignment. There will be a cover sheet. a table of contents, an executive summary and a document style that reflects your company identity and creates maximum readability. 2. All your material meets the requirements as stated in the standard document for handing in assignments. Anything that does not meet these requirements will not be graded see ICM Code of conduct. 3. You will hand in an individual reflection along with your final report (as attachment) 4. Your affiliation report and Plan of Action need to be included as attachments in your final assignment. Handing in the final assignment on Dropbox The final assignment must be uploaded on the course site on SharePoint in the appropriate Dropbox folder. Assignments must be labelled. Class_course code (without JIC)_groupnumber_name assignment (see also ICM code of conduct) and country. The names and student numbers of the group members must be clearly shown in your document. All documents uploaded to Dropbox are automatically scanned via Ephorus (antiplagiarism software). General assessment criteria: - you write grammatically and idiomatically correct English, geared at your target audience - you show a professional attitude, i.e. you: - keep to the ICM code of conduct - keep to agreements - keep to deadlines - are on time and give due notice of absence - inform team and coach of state of affairs - communicate according to agreement - do your part of the work - show initiative - cooperate in your team and support team members - your documents are complete, in time, and according to requirements of the ICM code of conduct (title page, names, id s, class & group number, index etc. etc.) - your deliverables meet the professional standard - you are able to argue and justify your choices - you refer to sources APA style - you can explain what you have learned in this course -Each document will have a cover sheet with student, group and project information as well as the agency identity of the group Page 11 of 20

11 -each document will have a table of contents, page numbers and a professional lay-out that supports the readability and usability of the document. Assessor Your project coach will assess the process, your individual effort and professional attitude. Resits If you fail this course you will have the possibility to do a resit. Resits for this course are offered in Blocks A, B and C. In order to be eligible for this you must register in Osiris for the Block in which you wish to resit. You may only attempt an assignment 2 times per academic year (the regular course plus one resit). A resit will require you to choose a different brand and country and to do the entire assignment again in a group. No repair of the original assignment will be accepted for a resit. The final report will be handed in, in pigeonhole of project coach and uploaded in the dropbox folder on Sharepoint, deadline: Monday, week 9, before 12:00 during your resit period. Page 12 of 20

12 5. Study load This is a 5 ect course, which means 5 x 28 clock hours = 140 hours of study. There are 7 x 3 hours = 21 hours of project time scheduled for working and meeting with your senior project coach and team. This leaves 119: 8 = approximately 15 hours per week (each!) for doing your own research, working in your team, writing reports, preparing and presenting your debriefing and pitch etc. The hours below are approximate and the structure is a suggestion. scheduled meeting time (21 hours) unsupervised meetings, editing and discussing documents (24 hours) organising meetings, communicating with your team (4 hours) market research (40 hours) marketing communication plan (47 hours) reflection (4 hours) 6. How the course fits in the greater programme In our era of interactive media it is crucial for professionals in communication and media to think outside-in: from the perspective of the receiver. The receiver can have different roles in relation to the organization you work for and these roles will overlap, a role that he/ she always plays is that of the receiver. During this year you will focus on the general role of receiver and three more specific roles of receivers that you will often have to deal with during your internship and graduation assignment in years 3 and 4. These specific roles are: Consumer, Employee and (Re) producer of news. The general role of consumer will be tackled in this module. Thus the themes of the four modules during year 2 are: Module Marketing communication: Consumer Module Corporate Communication: (Re) producer of news Module Change Management: Employee Module Media research: Receiver Entry requirements We assume that you have passed all the subjects of year 1 and that you meet the general ICM entry requirements. (Exchange students should have finished at least one year of a bachelor-study in communication and media, and an IELTS score of at least 6,0.) Page 13 of 20

13 Appendices A number of these appendices will be familiar from your first year. As a result a number of these documents have been shortened. Appendix 1: Affiliation contract Appendix 2: Plan of action Appendix 3: Team meetings and minutes Appendix 4: Format evaluation of team members Appendix 5: Report deliverables Page 14 of 20

14 Appendix 1: Affiliation contract It is up to you to decide the rules for cooperation in your project group during your first project meeting. You will agree on how to cooperate by drawing up an affiliation contract according to the format. Your discussion must cover the following subjects: scheduling meetings, consultations with the coach, meetings with the commissioning party; communication with commissioning parties and the coach; contact details: names, addresses, telephone numbers, addresses; arranging when people will or will not be present; everyone's expectations about the cooperation, how preparations will be made and how people will participate; the means of ensuring that there are equal contributions from everyone (take account of individual responsibility); ways of calling people to account if things go wrong; how to agree on a new date to meet; which of the above will be included in the report. The supervisor will approve your affiliation contract. Format and checklist Checklist affiliation Name, telephone, Agreements presence Agreements Meeting Contact What rules must members follow and what are the Here the project group makes it clear how a balanced contribution can achieved from all members and what sanctions there will be if fall short in terms of quality or What resources will the group deploy in order to ensure that agreements The way in which reporting will take place, who will have the authority to reports and what will be done with How and where will you manage the Practical Agree on at least two unsupervised meetings with your project set the start and end Compile an agenda for all Compile an on-going list of action points and decisions Compile minutes of the supervised and unsupervised Compile a weekly report on activities in that Ensure that your project coach receives the above-mentioned on a weekly Draw up a schedule of who will be the chairperson/minute Ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be chairperson and Always agree on the date of the next meeting whenever you If this is not possible, enlist the assistance of the project Page 15 of 20

15 Appendix 2: Plan of action When you have been allocated the assignment, you will need to investigate the various aspects and complexity of the assignment (and the commissioning party). Your aim will be to gain as broad as possible a perspective on the question and of the situation that the commissioning party sees as a problem. After extensive investigation or preliminary research, you will draw up a plan of action. You will then adopt a project-based approach to tackling the assignment you have been allocated. The formulation of the assignment will become more specific: you will describe what the assignment involves, what it will culminate in, the results that will need to be delivered and how you intend to execute the assignment. A plan of action is not a list of activities. Your plan should include: A diagnosis of the situation/assignment. An overview of how you intend to execute the assignment (who will carry out which activities, when and with which results?). An overview of the results for the commissioning party, including any requirements that will be met. Format 1 Title page Provide a precise indication of the programme name, the names of project group members (student numbers), the date and the version number. 2 Problem description Describe the commissioning party's problem in no more than two paragraphs. 3 Requested final product Provide a brief description of the final product, with the specifications formulated by the commissioning party (from the assignment). 4 Problem analysis Investigate and analyse the question and requirements of the commissioning party. Compare the request for the final product with information found in the literature or in real life about the final product. Decide what knowledge is required in order to determine which options are possible, what is (financially) feasible, what is technically possible as a basis for deciding which option to choose (result of the analysis). Reformulate the requirements of the commissioning party, adding the newly-formulated requirements and conditions about the final product from step 4. 5 Step-by-step plan: Draw up a step-by-step plan to reach your final goal, including phasing with various milestones. * Work to be done in each phase Describe the activities that will be necessary in each phase. In other words: What do you intend to study and investigate in order ultimately to be able to respond to the question from the commissioning party? * Organization and allocation of tasks Specify who will be doing what; for example: who will be studying, interviewing x? Also include a deadline by which this work should be completed and what results should be achieved. Do not forget to include interim products. 6 Information gathering and archiving Indicate who will be responsible for collecting information and ensuring it is stored tidily and systematically. Also indicate who will be responsible for ensuring that everyone has access to this information. 7 Approval of the commissioning party and project supervisor The commissioning party endorses the reformulated final product and the preconditions that apply to it. The project supervisor approves the formulation of the assignment, its phasing and the work that will be done, including the allocation of tasks. Page 16 of 20

16 Appendix 3: Team meetings and minutes The chairperson will lead your meetings. In your case, the chairperson may rotate. The chairperson for each week will be laid down in your affiliation agreement. In order to ensure that meetings are structured, it is important that there is an agenda and that it is clear to all of you what the objective is. The chairperson should compile an agenda for the weekly meetings. In addition to the meeting with the project coach, the project group should meet on at least one further occasion each week. This meeting should also have an agenda and decision list. Allocating tasks At the end of the meeting, you should allocate tasks for the upcoming week. You can use the following procedure for this: Formulate The results to be achieved this week: the task of the week, the problem of the week, the target for the week. Divide This task for the week into the activities to be completed. Check Whether everyone understands these activities. Allocate The tasks. Draw up A schedule and agreements. The minutes of meetings You should take minutes for each meeting. Think of minutes as notes that will make sure you are all on the same page as to the agreements made and tasks divided. They can be very brief. Your minutes should include the following elements as a minimum: Organizational issues The allocation of tasks The content of the meeting Appendices, if any Who attended, who arrived late, what agreements were reached, etc. What is the schedule for the upcoming period, who will be doing which task, etc. Described item by item. Presentations given, drawings done, etc. The secretary will compile the minutes and distribute to the rest of the team the day after the meeting. Page 17 of 20

17 Appendix 4: Format evaluation of team members Date: Class and team no. Project coach: Name of consultant receiving feedback: Name of consultant giving feedback: Overal grade from 1-10 x This is a questionnaire about your performance. In other words, you will use this questionnaire to assess your own performance and your team members will use the same questionnaire to assess you. The response options are: a. hardly ever b. seldom c. regularly d. usually e. almost always Subject A B C D E 1 Understands assignments quickly 2 Searches for background information 3 Can distinguish between main and side issues 4 Sets targets and priorities 5 Plans the work 6 Keeps to agreements 7 Takes the initiative 8 Enlivens the group 9 Works with precision/care 10 Asks questions 11 Is a good listener 12 Can articulate complex issues 13 Has the courage to stand up for him/herself 14 Takes account of other people 15 Adopts a flexible approach 16 Proposes good ideas 17 Makes decisions 18 Is committed 19 Is persistent (even in difficult conditions) 20 Copes well with stress Here is room for additional comments, if you have any Page 18 of 20

18 Appendix 6. Report deliverables Final report includes: cover sheet, table of contents, your references, Individual reflection content below. Individual reflection report deliverables (approximately 1000 words) Describe what you have learnt from this project. It must include the following topics. What was your part of the work and how did it go? What have you done well? What could you have done better? What would you do differently in the next project? Did you work well as a team? Reflect on your contribution and the contribution of each of your teammates. Elaborate on topics like Attitude, Contribution (quality and quantity), Co-operation, Working with deadlines, Commitment, Creativity, and Conflict. General assessment criteria: you write grammatically and idiomatically correct English, geared at your target audience you show a professional attitude, i.e. you: - keep to the ICM code of conduct - keep to agreements - keep to deadlines - are on time and give due notice of absence - inform team and coach of state of affairs - communicate according to agreement - do your part of the work - show initiative - cooperate in your team and support team members your documents are complete, in time, and according to requirements of the ICM code of conduct (title page, names, id s, class & group number, index etc. etc.) your deliverables meet the client s briefing your deliverables meet the professional standard your deliverables are geared to the target audience you are able to argue and justify your choices you refer to sources APA style you can explain what you have learnt in this course individual achievement (output and attitude, see feedback form in appendix) you have to put your final report in the pigeonhole of the project coach. Each document will have a cover sheet with student, group and project information as well as the agency identity of the group each document will have a table of content, page numbers and a graphic design that supports the readability and usability of the document. Page 19 of 20