Course Title: Identify and evaluate marketing opportunities

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2015

Course Code: MKTG5832C

Course Title: Identify and evaluate marketing opportunities

School: 650T Vocational Business Education

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5229 - Diploma of Marketing

Course Contact : Tim Wallis

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5423

Course Contact Email:timothy.wallis@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Elaine Holstein

elaine.holstein@rmit.edu.au

9925 5155

Nominal Hours: 70

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None required
 

Course Description

This unit applies to individuals working in senior marketing management roles who, together with a marketing team, identify, investigate and evaluate marketing opportunities to determine whether they meet organisational and marketing objectives. Based on this evaluation, changes to current business operations can be determined to take advantage of marketing opportunities.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

BSBMKG501B Identify and evaluate marketing opportunities

Element:

1. Identify marketing opportunities

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Analyse information on market and business needs to identify marketing opportunities
1.2. Research potential new markets and assess opportunities to enter, shape or influence the market
in terms of likely contribution to the business
1.3. Explore entrepreneurial, innovative approaches and creative ideas for their potential business application, and develop into potential marketing opportunities
 

Element:

2. Investigate marketing opportunities

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Identify and analyse opportunities in terms of their likely fit with organisational goals and capabilities
2.2. Evaluate each opportunity to determine its impact on current business and customer base
2.3. Use an assessment of external factors, costs, benefits, risks and opportunities to determine the financial viability of each marketing opportunity
2.4. Determine probable return on investment and potential competitors
2.5. Describe and rank marketing opportunities in terms of their viability and likely contribution to the business
 

Element:

3. Evaluate required changes to current operations

Performance Criteria:

3.1. Identify and document changes needed to current operations to take advantage of viable marketing
opportunities
3.2. Ensure organisational changes to service an increased or different customer base include provision
for continued quality of service to existing customers
3.3. Estimate resource requirements for changed operations
3.4. Determine and communicate viability of making changes to current operations to key stakeholders
3.5. Document newly identified marketing opportunities and required changes
 


Learning Outcomes


This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify, evaluate and take advantage of marketing opportunities by analysing market data, distinguishing the characteristics of possible markets and assessing the viability of changes to operations.


Details of Learning Activities

This unit is co delivered and co assessed with MKTG5835C (BSBMKG506B) - Plan Market Research

A range of in class activities, case studies and independent research are included as the learning activities for this course.


Teaching Schedule

Week Number Date Topic
1 9th Feb Introduction to course
 
2 16th Feb Research, and the concept development process
• Overview of the processes
• Steps and issues for consideration in planning and developing concepts/products.
• Introduction to the market research concepts and process
 
3 23rd Feb Identifying and working with a range of stakeholders
Stakeholder management –
• Identifying and understanding the different stakeholders that will be involved in the process
Preparing stakeholder management plans

Essential skills of project management
Project Management
Identifying the skills and requirements of managing the project from beginning to end

 

4 2nd March Understanding market research and the potential research requirements of a project
5 9th March
Monday 9th march labour Day holiday
 
• Understanding market research and the potential research requirements of a project cont.

Opportunity ID
Idea generation
• Examination of the concept of innovation and innovation management

Opportunity ID
Idea screening
• SWOT
• GAP analysis
Evaluating concepts in terms of their suitability for the target audience or purpose, their feasibility and their commercial potential -Taking account of legal, social, ethical and environmental issues as concepts and ideas are generated and discussed.

6 16th March Opportunity ID
Idea generation
Idea screening
• Creative thinking techniques
• Using creativity in innovation to generate concepts to address identified needs Test and experiment with different concepts and ideas as part of a collaborative process
Conduct a mini lab using different techniques
 
7 23rd March Budget Management for new concepts

Identifying the skills and requirements of managing the budget and other metrics from beginning to end
 

8a 30th March Opportunity ID
Feasibility

• Evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for achieving desired outcomes.
• Select concepts or approaches that achieve required outcomes in an innovative and feasible way
Look at a number of metrics numerical and financial that will assist in refining and selecting concept for potential commercialisation 
 

Mid Semester Break  2nd April – 8th April
Mid-semester break and Easter
 
8b 9th - 10th April Self Directed Activity - case study to be discussed during next weeks classes
9 13th April Research and Development Technology – nuts and bolts of commercialising creativity

• Understanding the R&D and its role in new concept development
• The R&D technology acquisition continuum

Design theory and thinking
Overview of the design/product development process
 

10 20th April Use of strategic alliances
• Strategic Alliances and networks as part of the commercialisation process
Strategic development
• Product and Brand strategies and testing
• Includes a range Branding issues and platforms
 
11 27th April Packaging
• Types and roles of packaging
• Packaging as part of the brand
• A look at packaging as part of the new product concept
Services Innovation
• Overview of innovation in services
• A look at the services innovation process
 
12 4th May • Commercialising concepts
• Overview of Launch and Lifecycle Management strategy
 
13 11th May Finalise assessment 3
14 18th May Focus on assessment 3, presentation preparation
15 25th May In class presentations
16 1st June Client presentations where appropriate, Resubmits if required.

This may be subject to change throughout the semester.

Introduction to course includes:
• Blackboard
• Overview of assessment requirements
• Grading
• Plagiarism
• Appeals
• Extensions
• Feedback
• Privacy
• Submission requirements
Resubmission policy:
• What to expect from the course
• Content and assessment
– students are introduced to the concepts of:
• Innovation and creativity what’s the difference?
• Innovation vs. invention
• Why is it important to the business and marketing function
• Strategy and the innovation process
• Innovation and change management
The economic context of investing in a new concept/product
 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Relevant resources will be provided to students throughout the semester.


Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.

Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including assignments, journals, presentation and written or test. Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
 


Assessment Tasks

This unit is co delivered and co assessed with MKTG5835C (BSBMKG506B) - Plan Market Research 
 
TASK 1 – Group participation and e-reflection -

Group or Individual: Individual assessment

Purpose:

This assessment is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate individual concept analysis and research skills as they relate to the content of this course.

Scope:
Each week students will be set a case study or research and analysis task for completion during the class. This will be followed by a group discussion.

Students will be required to participate both in the research and analysis task and take an active part in small group and in class discussions. For weeks 2, 6, 10 and 16 students will be required to prepare a short reflective comment and discussion board entry that summarises the essence of their learning for each week and includes the link to 1 interesting reference (not including in teachers resources and not included by another student I your class) to share with the rest of the class.

Requirements: Students are required to participate in class activities which will be assessed by observation and post discussion board contributions as per the specific criteria to be outlined in class, during the identified weeks. The parameters of the discussion content will be discussed in the first week of class.

To be deemed competent in this task students must participate in class activities and satisfactorily participate in the weekly discussion board discussions.

Grading for this specific task is as follows:

Completion of 2 discussions – CAG
Completion of 3 discussions – CC
Completion of 4 discussions CDI

For a CHD students must complete all reflections with rationale for their comments. They must include a unique link to an interesting article for all of them.

If links are not included, or if the link is the same as other students for any of the discussions, or if the commentary is a statement with no real analysis or consideration, a CHD will not be awarded.

Marking guides will be discussed during class time

Submission Requirements: Through the discussion board and wiki facilities on Blackboard.

.
Task 2 Market Scoping and Opportunity Identification:

Due Date:  6:30 pm Friday week 8

Group or individual: groups 3 (maximum)

Purpose:

This assessment task is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate skills in research, analysis, market scoping, preparing preliminary estimate of any market research requirements as well as their ability to manage and participate as a member of a consulting team.

Scope:

The focus for assessment 2 is research and the exploration of concepts and market exploration techniques. Students are required to work in designated groups 3 (maximum) and prepare an evaluation and exploration of the need for a new concept/product/service/technology/process. The evaluation needs to explicitly include:

Requirements:

Market and Competitor analysis:
• Research, analysis and summary of a particular market (i.e. golf, fashion, tennis, mobile phones etc. identification of any gaps in existing product, program, process or services market and whether any competitors are filling the identified gaps (industry and segment SWOT, Gap analysis)

Background, idea generation and screening:
• Research into and Identification of:
o market need from the industry of their choosing
o summary of potential ideas that meet that need
• Description of preliminary concept and description of how the concept/idea was generated and screened
• Information such as existing market research, technology development, social, legal development etc. that has given rise to the need and must be addressed in new concept development
• Preparation of preliminary market research proposal identifying potential additional market research needs timeframes and project plan
• social and ethical issues that impact the new concept.

Planning and Budgeting:
• Project plan to take the concept to initial approval to proceed to a detailed R&D – this needs to include stakeholder management plans and preliminary revenue and cost estimates

Appropriate formats and templates will be discussed with students during the course. Much of this work will be undertaken both outside of class time and some during “Practical Sessions”.

As an integral part of this assessment three “review pit stops” will be conducted during class time. Each group member will chair one of the pit stop meetings held with the client (the teacher). Criteria for what constitutes a successful pit stop meeting is attached as part of the marking guide for this assessment. While the project itself will receive an overall group grade, individual grades will be adjusted downwards accordingly for any group member who does not participate in all three pit stop meetings or does not chair a successful pit stop meeting

Submission Requirements: Students are required to provide a written document. Uploaded into Blackboard in either word or PDF format. Note emailed assignments will not be marked

A marking guide will also be provided for this assessment and discussed during classes in week 1.

Task 3 - Concept to commercialisation

Due Date: (This assessment piece is due 6:30 pm Friday week 14) class presentations week 15
 

Group or individual: groups 3 (maximum)

Following on from assessment piece 2, this assessment piece is designed to provide a more refined focus by providing students with the opportunity to develop their recommendation to launch stage. “commercialising their concept”.

Scope:
Working in their groups students are required to prepare an evaluation and exploration of the new product need identified in assessment 2. This assessment task includes elements that could take the concept to commercialisation. Development of “product prototypes – sample designs” etc. are also included as part of this project which are all creative elements of the in practice in the workplace.

Requirements:
The evaluation needs to explicitly include:

A description of the research and technology integration of the company/industry for whom the concept is being developed

A detailed description of the concept including competitive positioning (using perceptual mapping)

Design and production:
• Design specifications (2 iterations) that are capable of being briefed into production
• Prototypes or design sketches for production purposes
• A description of the design testing process that assisted in the evolution of the concept

• A Stakeholder action plan for design and production.

• A launch strategy outlining how the 7 P’s will be developed

• Recommendations/risks and issues for commercialisation:
This could include issues such as:
o Product and market testing
o Launch timing
o Any risks/issues identified in planning phase that might impact launch

Submission Requirements: Students are required to provide a written document by the due date uploaded into blackboard. Please note that submissions are not to be emailed.

As an integral part of this assessment three “review pit stops” will be conducted during class time. Each group member will chair one of the pit stop meetings held with the client (the teacher). Criteria for what constitutes a successful pit stop meeting is attached as part of the marking guide for this assessment. While the project itself will receive an overall group grade, individual grades will be adjusted downwards accordingly for any group member who does not participate in all three pit stop meetings or does not chair a successful pit stop meeting


 


Assessment Matrix


 A marking guide will also be provided for this assessment and discussed during classes in week 1.

Other Information

Submission requirements:
You are required to meet the following criteria for all assessments. Failure to do so may result in you being deemed not-yet-competent:

• Submit all assessment tasks online through blackboard, and include the RMIT e-submission declaration (see below).
• Ensure that you submit assessments on or before the due date.
• Retain a copy of your assessment tasks.


Electronic Submission
When submitting work online, you need to include the cover sheet supplied by your teacher. This includes the following declaration:

RMIT Electronic Submission of work for assessment
I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration.
(URL: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/declaration)


Resubmissions:
If you are found to be Not Yet Competent (NYC) in an Assessment Task you will be allowed one resubmission to demonstrate competence. Your teacher will provide feedback regarding what you need to do to improve and will set a new deadline for the resubmission. The highest grade you will receive if your resubmission is successful is “CAG”.

Late Submissions
Students are required to submit assessment items and/or ensure performance based assessment is completed by the due dates. If a student is to be prevented from submitting an assessment item on time, by circumstances outside their control, they may apply in advance to the teacher for an extension to the due date of up to seven calendar days. To be eligible for an extension, you must lodge the extension form availabile at the following link with your teacher: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension

Where an extension of greater than seven days is needed, the student must apply for special consideration. Applications for special consideration must be submitted no later than two working days after the assessment task deadline or scheduled examination. More information on special consideration and how to apply can be found here: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration

Final Date for All Assessments
No assessment tasks or resubmissions will be accepted after 5pm Friday, week 16.

Adjustments to Assessment
In certain circumstances students may be eligible for an assessment adjustment. Information on circumstances under which the assessment arrangements might be granted can be found at the following website: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/adjustment
 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview