Critically evaluate the challenges and implications of designing and implementing effective marketing research in an international context

Assessment Brief

International Marketing Research-MKTM031-Level-7

Please read the whole assessment brief before starting work on the Assessment Task.

Assessment Task Guidance Description

Learning Outcomes aligned to this assessment:

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

b) Critically evaluate the challenges and implications of designing and implementing effective marketing research in an international context.

d) Design and justify creative and robust research solutions for identified problems taking into account the nuances associated with working internationally.

Subject Specific skills 

e) Adopt an autonomous evidence-based approach to problem solving.

Task:

You are required to produce a market research report for an international market of your choice. Below you are given a scenario along with a research brief (appendix one) for which you must base your report. A template for your proposal is provided in appendix two but you should also read around the topic of market research proposals to help you with your report.

Task scenario:

You work as a marketing research manager for an international marketing research agency. You have received a market research brief (appendix 1) requesting your agency to submit a proposal to undertake market research on behalf of Dove UK. You must respond to this brief by providing a market research proposal on behalf of your agency.

Dove UK is exploring a new brand for make-up, skin care, Men’s grooming and sun care.

At the moment, Dove UK are considering brand names such as White Bird and Phoenix. White Bird because there is still an association with the Dove brand and Phoenix because it is part of Greek mythology and is cyclical and regenerates. This new brand for Dove will compete with brands such as Lancôme, Clarins and Clinique, so a little more up market than the current Dove UK brand. Dove UK will make the decision on the brand name, but they would like you to explore a market for the product category you choose. For the purposes of this research proposal, you can choose which name you would like to refer to for the new brand.

Product Categories:

Colour Cosmetics

Skin Care

Men’s Grooming

Sun Care

• You must choose and clearly state which international market you wish to base your REPORT on.
• You need to choose one product category.
• As part of your REPORT, you need to review the potential of online sales. COVID has driven consumers to shop online, so e-commerce potential must be explored.

You should choose the agency you wish to represent according to the chosen international market and based upon the requirements of the brief and the type of research you are proposing.

General guidance 

Your report should be written with the intended audience of the business customer using business English and using a clear report format. This is a practical scenario, but you should use evidence from a wide range of appropriate literature to provide justification for your decisions and recommendations in this proposed research.

You must not carry out any primary research, instead you must USE secondary ‘desk research’ which means to conduct some preliminary desk research findings to support your report.

For this task you must choose which marketing research agency you are working for. You must not contact any companies directly. All details of the agency should be gained via the company website or associated organisations.

Word Limits

The maximum word limit for this assessment is 2000 words

Use of Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) within this assessment:

Some uses of Generative AI may deemed as unethical in your assessment. Further guidance on the conditions for allowable use of Generative AI will be given by the module team.

Please access the following position guidance from University of Northampton on the use of Generative AI within assessments.

Assessment Submission

To submit your work electronically, please go to the ‘Assessment and submission’ area on the NILE site and use the relevant submission point to upload the assignment deliverable. The deadline for this is 11.59pm (UK local time) on the date of submission. Please note that Essays and text-based reports should be submitted as Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx), or as guided within the assignment. Please access the following guide to submitting assessments.

Written work submitted to Turnitin will be subject to anti-plagiarism detection software. Turnitin checks student work for possible textual matches against internet available resources and its own proprietary database. Please access the University of Northampton’s Plagiarism Avoidance Course (UNPAC) to learn more.

When you upload your work correctly to Turnitin you will receive a receipt which is your record and proof of submission. If your assessment is not submitted to Turnitin, rather than a receipt, you will see a green banner at the top of the screen that denotes successful submission.

N.B Work emailed directly to your tutor will not be marked.

Grading:

Your grade will depend on the extent to which you meet these learning outcomes in the way relevant for this assessment. You will be assessed on your ability to successfully address specified module learning outcomes, with marks allocated based on what is called a grading rubric.

The rubric is a table which has different statements for how well each learning outcome has been met, and is used as a standard benchmark so that all assignments are marked equally against. Please see the grading rubric on NILE, or see the final page of this document for further details of the criteria against which you will be assessed, presented in the grading rubric. 

Further Assessment Guidance:

Please access the following document for more general information about the assessment process, including anonymous marking, submissions, and where to find feedback and grades.

2023 UON Standard Assessment Guidance.