MKTG 2200 – MARKETING II
Simulation Report #1 (10%)
Purpose of the Assignment and Learning Outcomes
This assignment will allow the group to conduct a situational analysis with a marketing
plan for the headphone industry based on the Music2Go online simulation (please use
simulation materials only for this assignment). This assignment will be completed
before the start of the first round. The following course learning outcomes for the
assignment:
• Explain the customer relationship management process.
• Assess the elements within the marketing mix (4 Ps: product, price,
promotion, and place)
• Create a marketing plan.
Guidelines - Music2Go Marketing Strategy Report
Your goal in Music2Go is to achieve your class’s highest Total Marketing Contribution
(TMC) by the end of the Multi-Player simulation. To do this, you must create a Strategic
Marketing plan for your Music2Go firm. This plan will be the basis of what you intend
your firm to achieve over the next seven rounds in the Multi-Player version. It should be
marketing focused and detailed enough that you have a clear picture of how you intend to
achieve the goal of the highest TMC in your class. For more guidance on Strategic
Marketing Planning, refer to your textbook, the Music2Go QuickStart Guide, and the
Music2Go Player’s Manual.
For this assignment, you are required to:
1. Conduct a Situation Analysis: This is an overview of the current market and
financial position of your Music2Go firm. Analyze your firm’s existing marketing
program, how it is performing, and what challenges you will likely face in the years
ahead. To complete this, you will need to view your Industry Benchmark Report,
Marketing Budget report, the Market Research reports, the Music2Go QuickStart Guide,
and the Music2Go Player’s Manual.
• Describe your firm, your current product, what market you are currently serving,
and how you are performing compared to your competitors. (Hint – all firms start
in an identical position in the Music2Go Multi-Player).
Include specific metrics such as
o Your current Total Marketing Contribution (TMC).
o How many Competitors are in your market?
o How much are you currently spending on Advertising?
o Your annual Marketing Budget.
o How much of your Marketing Budget is currently used/available?
o Your current sales revenue.
o Your current market share.
o How many units are you currently selling?
o Did you satisfy all the available demands of the market?
o Retail price, cost price, retail margin %, and unit margin of your existing
product.
o Any other useful or relevant information.
• Briefly describe the Standard, Sports, and Youth market segments,
including:
o How sensitive each segment is to Price, Advertising, Distribution, and
Product Development.
o Projected Market Size in units.
o Price Range (min / max).
o Which Media Channels are most important for each Market Segment?
o What changes (if any) do you predict for these market segments in the
future?
2. Create a Strategic Marketing Plan: Based on the above situation analysis, write a
Strategic Marketing Plan that will allow your firm to achieve the highest Total Marketing
Contribution (TMC) over the next seven rounds. You should at least discuss the
following:
• Your overall Product Strategy - e.g. do you intend to be a high volume / low-cost
manufacturer or a lower volume / higher margin manufacturer?
• Which Market Segments do you intend to enter and when?
• How do you intend to manage your Retail Margins to encourage Distributors to
stock your Products (Distribution Strategy)?
• What is your Positioning and Differential Advantage? Note: Differential
Advantage refers to any feature of an organization or brand perceived by
customers as desirable and different from the competition. In Music2Go, this is
how you plan to combine Price, Promotion, Distribution, and Product
Specifications to position your Products in the Market Place and how to
distinguish them from Competitors.
• Any specific tactics or changes in tactics planned over the next seven years to
maximize Total Marketing Contribution? For example, a tactic could be to
provide Distributors reasonable Retail Margins for the first two years to build
Market Share and then gradually reduce these as Sales volume increases.
Note - you will be able to launch a new product each year starting from the third year
onwards (up to a maximum of four products by Year 6). However, you should think
carefully about how many products you wish to have, as each new product requires a
significant cash investment and ongoing costs. In addition, you have a fixed Marketing
Budget each year, so it is easy to stretch this budget too thinly if some of your products
are unsuccessful.
Instructions on Deliverable
• The group paper (estimate about 2-3 pages, single-spaced) should cover all the
abovementioned points.
• Professional report format single-spaced with:
▪ Title page
▪ Executive summary (an overview of the report)
▪ Cover all points mentioned above
• APA in-text citations and APA reference page (if you cite Music 2Go research in
the paper, you need to prove it)
• Please proofread and edit your work before submitting it (up to 20 percent of the
mark may be deducted). Consider Grammarly, Ginger, or WhiteSmoke to aid in
proofreading and editing. However, remember that the best way is to reread your
work before submitting it or have another person proofread it.
• Please submit to the Dropbox in DC Connect. Turnitin will be activated on the
Dropbox, and students are expected to follow the college guidelines for academic
honesty.
• Late assignments will receive a deduction of 20% per day (including weekends).
If the assignment has not been submitted within three days following the due date,
it will be assigned a grade of "0".
• Rubric on next page
Rubric – Paper
Group Number Exceptional Strong Capable Developing
(negligible errors) (minor errors) (intermittent errors) (numerous errors)
Content: Situation Followed & completed all Followed & completed all Followed & completed most Did not follow
Analysis requirements for their requirements for their topic of the requirements, but there requirements. The
It is logically assignment in exceptional in very good detail. is room for improvement in content delivery is
delivered with detail. There are little to no However, a few missed many areas poor.
plenty of details on gaps or errors. The group content opportunities were (10-16 marks) (0-10 marks)
each requirement shows exceptional found in explaining the
for the Music2Go knowledge and insights into situation analysis.
situation analysis. the Music2Go market. (16-19 marks)
(19-20 marks)
40% of Assignment mark
(A) ____/20 marks
Content: Marketing Followed & completed all Followed & completed all Followed & completed most Did not follow
Plan requirements for their requirements for their topic of the requirements, but there requirements. The
It is logically assignment in exceptional in very good detail. is room for improvement in content delivery is
delivered with detail. There are little to no However, there were a few many areas poor.
plenty of details on gaps or errors. The group missed content (10-16 marks) (0-10 marks)
each requirement shows exceptional opportunities in
for the Music2Go knowledge and insights into explanations in their
marketing plan. their marketing plan. marketing plan.
(19-20 marks) (16-19 marks)
40% of Assignment mark
(B) ____/20 marks
Academic Writing Exceptional clarity and Minor-to-few errors: There are minor errors with The paper has
Skills focus on the written delivery Reasonable clarity and one or two significant writing unfocused efforts with
of the group’s thoughts and focus in the group’s errors. Paper displays basic multiple infractions
20% of Assignment mark analysis with proper word thoughts and analysis with clarity and focus on the and significant errors in
choice, sentence structure, good word choice, written delivery of the group’s writing mechanics.
(C) ___/10 marks and use of APA in-text sentence structure, and use thoughts and analysis. The group fails to
citations and references. of APA in-text citations However, the words and follow academic
(9-10 marks) and references. sentence structure are weak integrity in writing.
(8-9 marks) with citation issues. (0-5 marks)
(5-8 marks)
Total: (A) ___ marks + (B) ___marks + (C) ____marks = / 50 marks
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