CIM Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing

Transcription

1 CIM Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing Digital Strategy (2203) June 2016 Assignment The assignment comprises THREE compulsory tasks Task 1 is worth 15 marks Task 2 is worth 40 marks Task 3 is worth 45 marks Total marks available 100 Candidate guidance: Answer all tasks The available marks are shown alongside each part of the task Read all tasks carefully before attempting them The Chartered Institute of Marketing 2015 VERSION

2 Scenario: Conversion rate optimisation Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is a crucial part of a digital marketing strategy. Whilst an organisation may be generating a substantial amount of traffic to the website(s) they may still struggle to meet their objectives if the people visiting the site aren t undertaking the action intended. Conversions are often thought of primarily in relation to sales, but they could be linked to creating an account, downloading content, registering interest, providing content details or even sharing content. In your role as an experienced marketer of your own organisation, or a suitable organisation of your choice, you have been asked to develop a digital marketing strategy with a specific focus on CRO within the context of a digital marketing plan. Guidance notes: The assignment comprises three separate tasks, but they are linked as part of the process to identify, and then respond, to changes in the organisation s digital marketing environment. Whilst it is helpful to include an introduction and a summary for each task, these should be brief, with the main focus being on the content outlined in the tasks provided. FIVE marks will be awarded for the organisation summary, which will form part of the briefing paper, using the heading provided in the Assignment Guidance Section. Conversion rate optimisation can relate, but is not restricted, to sales. In many organisations the profit motive may be inappropriate, or less relevant. For example, public sector, not-for-profit and charitable organisations may not see financial profit as other organisations might. In these instances, candidates can focus on varied goals for conversion linked to actions other than purchase. It is good practice to acknowledge all sources/methodologies/applications using the Harvard referencing system. Good Practice Guidelines for Assessment Production The recommended limit for word/page count is intended to assist candidates in producing a professional document of an appropriate length that can be used in the workplace. The submission should be written in a professional tone (unless otherwise instructed) and should only contain relevant material that directly contributes towards answering the task. Page 2 of 8

3 TASK 1 BRIEFING PAPER Assessment criteria covered in Task 1: AC1.1, AC1.3, AC2.1, AC2.2, AC2.3 Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details. Write a briefing paper for the senior management of your chosen organisation. The briefing paper should provide the reader with an understanding of conversion rate optimisation (CRO) as a digital marketing concept, as well as providing recommendations as to how developments in this area can be monitored. Required: (a) Using the organisation summary guidelines, provide a background to your chosen organisation. (5 marks) (b) Explain the purpose and benefits of CRO. (5 marks) (c) Recommend how future developments in CRO practice can be monitored and reported throughout the chosen organisation. (5 marks) (Total 15 marks) (Organisation summary recommended page count limit 1 page) (Tasks 1 (b) to (c) recommended page count limit 2 pages) Page 3 of 8

4 TASK 2 REPORT Assessment criteria covered in Task 2: AC1.1, AC1.2, AC1.3, AC2.1, AC2.3, AC3.1, AC4.1 Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details. In order to develop an effective digital marketing plan, inclusive of a digital marketing strategy, it is imperative that research is undertaken into the digital marketing environment. Using relevant models and frameworks, you have been asked to undertake a digital marketing audit. Required: (a) (b) (c) (d) Conduct an analysis of the chosen organisation s external digital marketing environment, with a focus on key disruptive factors that may affect the organisation. Analyse the digital behaviour and identity of a key customer segment for which there is potential for increasing conversions. Conduct an internal appraisal into the digital marketing activities which could be used by the chosen organisation to support both digital acquisition and conversion. Based on the key findings from sub-tasks (a) to (c) above undertake a TOWS analysis that identifies key digital strategic options for the organisation, with a focus on optimising conversion rates. (Total 40 marks) (Tasks 2 (a) to (d) recommended page count limit 7 pages) Page 4 of 8

5 TASK 3 DIGITAL MARKETING PLAN Assessment criteria covered in Task 3: AC3.1, AC3.3, AC4.2, AC5.1, AC5.2, AC6.2, AC6.4 Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details. Following the research conducted focused on conversion rate optimisation, and also the digital marketing audit, you have been asked to develop a digital marketing strategy as part of a digital marketing plan. The plan should be aimed at senior managers and be supported by robust data and information on your chosen organisation, and its digital marketing environment. Required: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Outline TWO key digital marketing objectives focused on improving CRO for your chosen organisation. Recommend a justified digital marketing strategy, focused on CRO, for your chosen organisation. Outline the key digital marketing activities that could be used to achieve the digital marketing objectives and subsequent strategy. Explain how the digital marketing activities could be integrated into the organisation s wider marketing activities. Recommend the tools, techniques and metrics that could be used to measure the performance of each digital marketing activity with reference to the objectives and strategy. (6 marks) (12 marks) (5 marks) (12 marks) (Total 45 marks) (Tasks 3 (a) to (e) recommended page count limit 8 pages) Page 5 of 8

6 Assignment Guidance Section TASK 1 BRIEFING PAPER Recommended page count limit: 3 pages In preparing answers to this task it is important that the concept and process of conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is researched and understood. Guidance notes: Candidates need to demonstrate a clear understanding of what the concept is and how it works in practice within digital marketing strategy. There are benefits to having a strategic focus on CRO, these need to be identified and communicated. The digital marketing environment can be complex and dynamic, and as such key concepts, like CRO, can adapt and evolve over time. The monitoring of the digital marketing environment is important in order for organisations to stay current and not fall behind with contemporary practice. Therefore, candidates should identify how future developments in this key area can be monitored and reported within the organisation. TASK 2 REPORT Recommended page count limit: 7 pages Producing any strategic marketing plan requires marketers to answer four fundamental questions: What is the organisation s current situation? Where does the organisation want to go from here? How is it going to get there? And how do they know if they ve arrived? The evolution of digital marketing has made the process of developing plans more complex and added a new range of ideas and concepts for marketers to come to terms with. Guidance notes: This task requires candidates to address the first of the questions above by looking at sources of digital disruption and change that present opportunity and challenge via the external environment. The impact of these changes needs to be analysed with reference to the organisation and the customer/user for the chosen organisation, be they existing, lapsed or new customers/users, or co-creators, beneficiaries, donors or any other significant stakeholders. In order to make better-informed digital marketing decisions, relating to objectives, strategy and tactics, conducting research into the environment via the collection and analysis of external and internal data is vital. External data can be gathered from a variety of secondary sources, for example, market reports, news sites, and competitor sites. The internal data will be sourced from the candidates chosen organisation and digital marketing activities. Page 6 of 8

7 TASK 3 DIGITAL MARKETING PLAN Recommended page count limit: 8 pages For the digital marketing plan, candidates will need to use the information gathered in Task 1 and 2, and may need further research into the concept, and process, of conversion rate optimisation. Significant changes in the macro- and micro-environments can have a profound effect on the relevance and currency of an organisation s marketing activities, so candidates will need to explain how the organisation should respond in an agile digital manner. Guidance notes: The report is to be produced for senior management, but needs to specifically focus on the strategic issues that are relevant to the marketing function. When producing the digital marketing plan, candidates should adopt a formal style by writing in the third person. The digital marketing plan needs to be well-structured, concise and clear. It is important to follow a clear and relevant digital marketing planning framework, with each section clearly labelled. Focus on conversion rate optimisation through relevant strategic recommendations is vital. All recommendations across objectives, strategy, tactics and control should be justified and demonstrate synergy with key findings from the TOWS analysis, as well as each section of the digital marketing plan. Page 7 of 8

8 ORGANISATION SUMMARY GUIDELINES Contents will contribute to the FIVE marks available in Part (a) of Task 1. The following headings must be included: Organisation name Type of organisation, for example, profit or not-for-profit, local, national, global, and type of legal entity Size of organisation in terms of turnover and/or number of employees Range of products and services provided Customer base, for example, B2B/B2C Main competitors Other information relevant to the assessment may be included to assist the examiner in understanding the organisation within the recommended page count limit. Page 8 of 8