TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
1
• Cover page to the report is like the best dress to you.
• Table of Content explaining what your report includes.
1. Identify correctly your document
➢ Course ID and Student Number not name.
➢
➢ Title of report
➢ Date
2. Use the same format, size and type of letters.
3. Insert page numbers on every page.
4. Careful how you break pages, so titles of next paragraph for example does not stay in previous page
5. Use Harvard style and recommendations
6. When possible, insert also:
➢ Cover page
➢ Index
➢ Executive Summary
➢ Conclusion
➢ Bibliography used
7. Use same spacing among paragraphs.
Small paragraphs only.
8. Number the paragraphs according to the Index
9. Use graphs and images, if possible, to support your ideas
10. Use bold letters, Italics and/or underlining for easier reading
11. Justify the text (suggestion) and give examples of how this applied to your company and find pictures to support your evidence.
12. Interrelate different concepts (VERY IMPORTANT!)
13. Always revise the final text to avoid misspellings.
14. A good text, if brief, it is two times as good…
15. Use bullet points to make the reading more understandable.
TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
2
v Templates.
TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
3
What is the task?
Description of the assessment
Assessment purpose is to critically analyse the past and present marketing strategy as per Learning outcome one to ‘critically evaluate
marketing strategy from the perspective of a market led and market focused view’.
Your document will be marked against:
1. An executive summary (5 marks = 1 A4)
2. The rationale behind choosing the organization (5 marks = 150 words)
3. PAST – What is the organization’s history/heritage? Why was this business created? Original purpose and values? What
consumer needs did it originally fulfil? (marks = 200 words)
4. PRESENT PROBLEM – Where is the organization now? What is happening around the organization? How efficiently and
effectively are they currently operating? (35 marks = 550 words)
5. PLAYERS – Who is the competition? What’s going on with them? How have they been affected? How has the competitive
landscape changed? What are they doing about it? (25 marks = 300 words)
6. A summary consisting of the key conclusions (5 marks = 150 words)
7. The presentation and Harvard referencing of the document (10 marks)
The structure of your report:
➢ Cover page: It is like the best dress you have.
➢ Table of Contents: Explaining what your report includes:
• Executive summary
• Introduction and rationale behind choosing YOUR COMPANY
Past:
• The company’s heritage: Brand Heritage Model
Present:
Macro environment:
• PEST
Microenvironment:
• MOST analysis or Porters Generic Strategies
Micro+ Macro= Marketing Environment Analysis
• SWOT analysis of the marketing environment:
• TOWS matrix
Players:
Competitors Identification
• Porters Five Forces for identifying WHO are the main sources of competition in your industry. What does the
Market look like and who are the players which shape competition?
TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
4
Porter’s model of competitive industry structure: General overview no need to apply to specific competitor. Use the guide below
to answer what information is needed from your side to explain:
⊹ New entrants – Easy or difficulty to enter an industry
⊹ Substitutes – Easy or difficult to replace our product
⊹ Suppliers – Many or only few suppliers
⊹ Customers – Little or many choices for customers
⊹ Competitive rivalry – Little or intense competition.
Competitive
rivalry
New entrants
Supplier Customers
Substitutes
TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
5
• Define Direct, Indirect and Potential customers using Market Commonality or Resource commonality matrix. At least 2
for each for identification.
• WHO is your existing competitor, new and substitute?
How do a competitor analysis?
⊹ VITAL elements of their marketing mix – 4Ps (McCarthy 1960) or 7Ps (Booms and Bitner 1981) or 4CS (Lauterborn
1990)
⊹ Choose 1 model and apply as follows:
1. Analysis of the Players
2. Have you introduced the section?
3. Discussed the importance of this section?
4. Have you outlined your chosen frameworks? LIKE 4P´S OR 7p´S OR 4 c´S
5. Have you applied the frameworks?
6. Drawn conclusions,
7. Critique the frameworks: LIMITATIONS IF ANY. For example, what do you find not applying?
4ps model Competitor 1 Competitor 2 Competitor 3 Competitor 4
⊹ PRODUCT Bullet Points
⊹ PRICE
⊹ PLACE
⊹ PROMOTION
ensi vity nterna
Level of
ompetitive
ivalry
hreat of
ew
ntrants
uyer
ower
hreat of
u stitutes
upplier
ower
ow long has the organisation s market
een around
s it a market that is currently growing
ow easy is it for a new organisation to
start trading
ould igger corporations e interested
in oining the market through an
ac uisition
an customers shop around for the
est price
s it easy for the organisation to
differentiate itself on something
other than price
ow loyal are customers generally
an customers uy alternative products
which will allow them to achieve the same
outcome
s the current technology a out to e
superseded y something significantly
different
ould the organisation also potentially offer
these alternatives
ow many total competitors are there in the
organisation s market
as this num er of competitors increased or
decreased in the last months
ho are the organisation s main
competitors
hat is the atmosphere of the market e.g.
rice attles c uisitions ontentment.
Adapted from orter 1
o suppliers have the power
to change prices up or down
easily
oes the organisation have a
range of suppliers so it can
shop around
s the supplier power
relatively the same for all
products and services the
organisation uys or are
there certain e ceptions
L
TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
6
• Customer Persona or profile of your 2 direct competitors, ideally if 4ps model is used then customer profile of
competitors is a must.
➢ Use Canva templates in this task and be creative.
➢ The buyer persona is an integral part of marketing strategies and their success. A customer profile is a document that
contains key information about your ideal customer. Free and customizable user persona templates
• A summary consisting of the key conclusions (5 marks = 150 words)
• The presentation and Harvard referencing of the document (10 marks)
• All your references should be in alphabetical order. At least minimum 20 references out of them 5 or 8 should be academic.
• Reference the images.
• Create two sections in referencing one for all the other references the other one only for images.
• Do in text citation where needed.
TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
7
Assignment Rubrics:
90-100% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% Under 40%
Exceptional,
as meets the
brief and goes
the extra mile.
Exceptional
amount of
research by
finding
additional
sources to
reference the
arguments.
Exceptional
depth of
analysis by
relentlessly
focusing on
‘why’, which is
called critical
evaluation.
Exceptional
presentation
visually, in
attention to
detail and an
engaging
writing style
Very high
quality, as
it meets
the brief
brilliantly.
Very high-
quality
research
by using all
suggested
references
Very high –
quality
analysis
but which
mostly
focuses on
‘why’ apart
from one
or two
places
Presented
to a very
high
quality
visually,
minor gaps
of
attention
to detail,
minor
lapse of
energy in
writing
style
High quality,
as meets the
brief apart
from minor
elements
missing.
High-quality
research by
using most
suggested
references
High quality
in
describing,
mostly
analyses
well but the
focus on
‘why’ lacks
consistency
in a few
places
Presented to
a high
quality
visually,
with some
gaps of
attention to
detail and
consistent
but
monotonous
writing style
Very good as
meets most
of the brief
but some
elements
lack detail.
Very good
research by
using many
suggested
references
with some
missed out
Very good in
describing,
mostly
descriptive
and focused
on ‘what’
with limited
focus om
‘why’
Very good
presentation
visually, with
inconsistent
attention to
detail and
descriptive
writing style
Good, as is
inconsistent in
meeting the
brief with
some elements
completely not
addressed
Good research
by using only
some
suggested
references
Good in
describing,
mostly
descriptive
and focused
on ‘what’
Good
presentation
visually, with
lack of
attention to
detail and a
very basic
writing style
Satisfactory,
as it does
not meet
most
elements of
the brief
Fail, as it
completely
fails to meet
the brief
TOP TEN TIPS TO PRODUCE A GREAT REPORT
Prof. Harseerat Kaur
8
Exceptional Very high
quality
High quality Very good Good Satisfactory Fail
1st 1st 1st 2.1 2.2 3rd F
