Date/Time:

August 2024

Assessment Information - What you need to do

This assignment is an individual assignment.

This assignment requires you to create a SOSTAC Marketing Report for a company of your choice (we
recommend staying with your chosen live client from this year so please select from the three
organisations covered across the module). Please review the live client briefs within the assessment
folder to make your selection.

The purpose of the SOSTAC plan is to help deliver the objectives similar to the ones set out in the live
Client Briefing document. This report must include secondary market research, customer insights and
relevant advertising and marketing theories and frameworks.

SOSTAC is a marketing strategy framework created by PR Smith and covers: Situation Analysis,
Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action and Control. Ensure you understand the framework and use this as
the basis for your report.

You should also make clear campaign recommendations, using a total overall budget of £750,000. See LZ
for further advice and guidance on SOSTAC Planning.

A recommended format for your report is:

Cover Sheet

Contents Page

Executive Summary

Situational Analysis - where are we now?

Objectives where do we want to get to?

Strategy - how are we going to get there?

Tactics how are we going to get there (different integrated advertising channels, with details on what
they are and the relevant budget spent)?

Action - who is going to do what and when (Gannt chart of timings of the campaign)? Control
(Measurement) - how well have we done?

References/Bibliography

Criteria for Assessment - How you will be marked

Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here.

This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes:

Select and apply contemporary communication and promotional theory

• Understand the application of the marketing mix within different marketing contexts Know what
influences customer behaviour across a range of contexts

• Know how to apply and adapt marketing mix to satisfy customers' needs

Compare and contrast various promotional tools and media.

Campaign planning, customer engagement and retention.

• Appreciate how the social media landscape is evolving and identify the implications for

⚫ contemporary marketing communications strategy

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Assessment Details

The word count is 3000 words (+/- 10%).

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or
more.

The word limit includes tables, figures, quotations and citations, but excludes the references list and
appendices.

Your report should critique the nature and range of communications the organisation you have chosen
currently use, suitability for the target audience, competitor analysis and considerations for how to gain
competitive advantage and USP. This critique should be underpinned by theoretical principles relating to
message and media choice. You should also consider recommendations to develop their marketing
communications going forward, to help them advertise more effectively to their target audience.

Situational Analysis

Market analysis - what's happening in your macro environment? PESTEL⚫ Organisational analysis - what
capabilities do you have? SWOT Competitor analysis - who are they and what are they doing?

• Product analysis - what is your USP / point of difference? Perceptual Mapping

market?

Consumer analysis - who are your customers, how do they buy and why? Who is your

Objectives consider hierarchy of effects, 5S and DAGMAR models to set SMART objectives: Specific (with
numbers)

• Measurable (to monitor progress and confirm achievement)

• Actionable (can we do it?)

Reasonable (realistically attainable)

• Timescales (incorporate deadlines)

Strategy - push, pull or profile

Provides direction for all those involved in the campaign in order to achieve objectives

• How a company chooses to communicate with its customers and stakeholders

May include sub strategies - creative, media, public relations and sales promotions

• Creative strategy should define the message

audience

Should recognise target audience, target action, what the campaign should tell the target

• Strategy will vary according to the objectives which have been set

Tactics/Actions

• Which marketing tools and channels are we going to use?

How are we going to use them?

• What message do we wish to communicate?

Are we being consistent across different channels and messages?

• What is the budget and how will this be spent across the different channels, promotions and tactics?

• What are the timings of the plan?

• Who will be doing what and when?

Control

• What are the key performance measurements?

• How is performance going to be recorded?

The review should be written using a marketing report format, in clear business English and using
appropriate marketing terminology and theories. It must be properly referenced using the Harvard
system and a complete reference list should be included at the end.

How to Submit your Assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 12:00 noon (GMT/BST) on 16/08/24. No paper copies are
required. You can access the submission link through the module web.

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take
care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.

• Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will
receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise
advised by the module leader.

• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason will be subject
to the University regulations on late submissions.

o If an assessment is submitted up to 24 hours late the mark for the work will be capped at the pass
mark of 40 per cent for undergraduate modules or 50 per cent for postgraduate modules
o If an assessment is submitted beyond 24 hours late the work will receive a mark of zero per cent O The
above applies te ork submitted as a reassessment of a previously failed assessment task is submitted
later than the deadline the work