07 37285 Services and Retail MarketingSQL

Java Python Assignment Remit

Programme Title	MSc Marketing Suite
Module Title	Services and Retail Marketing
Module Code	O7 37285
Assignment Titles	Individual Assignment: Services and Retail Marketing Strategy
Level	MSc
Weighting	70%
Hand Out Date	08/07/2024
Due Date & Time	08/08/2024	12pm
Feedback Post Date	06/09/2024
Assignment Format	Report
Assignment Length	3,000 words max
Submission Format	Online		Individual

Assignment 2 – Individual Assignment

Assignment Title: Analysis of a Service Provider or a Retailer’s Strategy

Select ONE service provider or retailer of your choice. Using your service provider or retailer evaluate their strategy. Your service provider or retailer may be either online, in-store or both. The following areas must be discussed:

a. Audit your retailer or service provider’s strategy. You should identify what are the key strategies that have made your retailer or service provider successful. You should identify the following:

- What is the MAIN strategy that has led to their success?

- What are the additional THREE strategies that support the main strategy?

You must explain your choice with theoretical evidence. As this is an audit you should ensure that you use some of the core models as presented in the module and map your company to these models. This means that you should include diagrams or tables that you have amended to include your company’s strategy.

Areas that you may want to consider are (you are not limited to these areas – please look at the module content as a whole) (1200 words):

- Product range

- Brand strategy

- Innovations

- Use of technologies

- Customer experience

- Place design and location

- Customer service

- Online strategy

- CSR

b. Make 2 evidence-based recommendations as to how your service provider or retailer can improve their strategy to enhance their offering. In this section we encourage you to be creative and thoughtful (but always underpinned with theory) about how your service provider or retailer may develop. Areas that you may want to consider are - you are not limited to these areas – please look at the module content as a whole (1200 words):

- Sustainable place and product design

- Relationships with suppliers

- Sourcing of products

- CSR

- New consumer needs

- New products

- Phygitalisation

- The use of AI

- The use of data

- The use of robotics

The report should contain substantial evidence of wider academic reading. A minimum of 10 peer reviewed academic journal articles should be used.

*You must use services and retail theory and not general marketing theory e.g. Porter’s 5 Forces/ BCG Matrix. To gain maximum marks you should provide evidence for the statements that you make. This may include applying further service and retail theory to your chosen company.

Word Length:

A maximum of 3000 words – please ensure that the word count is listed on your coursework. There is no additional allowance. This excludes tables, models and the reference list etc.

The word counts for section A and B listed above are a guide only – it is essential that you do not exceed the maximum allowance of 3000 words.

Assignment Structure:

Your structure the report as follows:

· Short introduction to your company (you should not include a long company history or company overview)

· Section A

· Section B

· Short conclusion – you should not introduce any new information in the conclusion – this should be a very short summary

· Reference list (using Harvard Referencing conventions)

You should NOT include additional appendices – all tables/ models/ pictures must be included within the main body of your assignment

Assessment Rubric:

Section	Qualitative Comments
Select ONE service provider or retailer of your choice. Using your service provider or retailer evaluate their strategy. Your service provider or retailer may be either online, in-store or both. The following areas must be discussed: A) Audit your retailer or service provider’s strategy. You should identify what are the key strategies that have made your retailer or service provider successful. You should identify the following: - What is the MAIN strategy that has led to their success? - What are the additional THREE strategies that support the main strategy? You must explain your choice with theoretical evidence. As this is an audit you should ensure that you use some of the core models as presented in the module and map your company to these models. This means that you should include diagrams or tables that you have amended to include your company’s strategy. Areas that you may want to consider are (you are not limited to these areas – please look at the module content as a whole) (1200 words): - Product range - Brand strategy - Innovations - Use of technologies - Customer experience - Place design and location - Customer service - Online strategy - CSR	80+ This report shows originality of insight when analysing the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and excellent intellectual engagement is offered. Highly relevant arguments are presented regarding the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy 70+ Shows a sound understanding, offering a consistent and mature analytical insight into the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy. Incisive and persuasive with strong evidence for the conclusions drawn; highly relevant arguments made regarding the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy 60+ Some analysis and insight demonstrated into the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy. Some understanding of the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy demonstrated 50+ Shows a competent if dependent or incomplete understanding of the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy. Limited analysis offered. A general outline of an appropriate argument is presented; basic relevant material is offered regarding the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy 40+ Shows some limited understanding and some elements of an appropriate argument regarding the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy. No evidence of analysis. Less than 30 Shows little understanding of the service pro 07 37285 Services and Retail MarketingSQL vider’s or retailer’s strategy. Ill- considered or poorly constructed arguments regarding the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy are presented
b) Make 2 evidence-based recommendations as to how your service provider or retailer can improve their strategy to enhance their offering. In this section we encourage you to be creative and thoughtful (but always underpinned with theory) about how your service provider or retailer may develop. Areas that you may want to consider are - you are not limited to these areas – please look at the module content as a whole (1200 words): - Sustainable place and product design - Relationships with suppliers - Sourcing of products - CSR - New consumer needs - New products - Phygitalisation - The use of AI - The use of data - The use of robotics	80+ Recommendations are exceptionally detailed. All recommendations are thoroughly argued and supported by relevant academic evidence. All arguments go beyond received wisdom. All recommendations are highly relevant to the retailer and are highly congruent. Both recommendations are offered. 70+ Complete and thorough recommendations that incisive and persuasive and are very congruent to the retailer provider and their current strategy. All recommendations are effectively supported by relevant academic evidence. Both recommendations are offered. 60+ The recommendations are of a reasonable quality of and are mostly congruent with the retailer’s strategy. The recommendations are mostly supported by relevant academic evidence. Both recommendations are offered. 50+ Limited recommendations are offered that have some congruence with the retailer’s strategy. The recommendations lack considered supporting academic evidence. 40+ Limited and inaccurate recommendations that offer little congruence with the retailer’s strategy. Very little use of supporting academic evidence. Or not all 2 recommendations are offered. Less than 30 Very inaccurate recommendations that are not congruent with the retailer’s strategy.  No supporting academic evidence. 2 recommendations are not offered.
The report should contain substantial evidence of wider academic reading. A minimum of 10 peer reviewed academic journal articles should be used.	80+ References are complete, accurate and effectively presented to support the arguments made; appropriate number of citations to the word count. The assignment identifies new information from sources which are consistently appropriate, are used to develop sound arguments and go beyond the module reading list. The assignment makes extensive use of new information in order to support the arguments and recommendations made. The assignment shows an excellent grasp of the meaning and significance of new information and such new information supports the arguments and recommendations made accurately. The use of sources is succinct, innovative and creative. References are all of an academic standard 70+ References are complete and of an academic standard, accurate and effectively presented, appropriate number of citations to the word count. The assignment identifies new information from sources which are consistently appropriate and are used to develop sound arguments and mostly goes beyond the module reading list. The assignment makes effective use of some new information in order to support the arguments and recommendations made. The assignment shows a very good grasp of the meaning and significance of new information and such new information mostly supports the arguments and recommendations made accurately. The use of sources is mostly succinct. References are all of an academic standard 60+ References are complete and effectively presented and are mostly of an academic standard. The assignment identifies some new information from sources which are generally appropriate and there is evidence of some reading beyond the module reading list. The assignment makes use of some new information in order to support the arguments and recommendations made. The assignment shows a good grasp of the meaning and significance of new information. Where used, such new information mostly supports the arguments and recommendations made accurately. References are all of an academic standard 50+ References are complete but non- standardised and poorly presented; some references are not of an academic standard. The assignment identifies very little new information from sources. Little evidence of reading wider reading beyond the module reading list. The assignment makes little use of new information in order to support the arguments and recommendations made 40+ Few references; few references are of an academic standard. No evidence of wider reading beyond the module reading list. No use of new information from sources. No use of new information in order to support the arguments and recommendations made. Less than 30 Inadequate number of references; references are not of an academic standard. No use of new information to support the arguments and recommendations made.
Use of arguments:	80+ Convincing, fluent and going beyond received wisdom, highly relevant arguments regarding the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer; detailed arguments are made for the two recommendations 70+ Incisive and persuasive with strong evidence for the conclusions drawn; highly relevant arguments made 60+ Argues in an assured way with some clear development and some understanding of the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer; good arguments are made for the two recommendations; relevant material covered 50+ Presents the general outline of an appropriate argument; basic relevant material covered regarding the retailer 40+ Presents some elements of an appropriate argument; questionable relevance of material Less than 40 Ill- considered or poorly constructed arguments regarding the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer; irrelevant material
Quality of Analysis:	80+ This report shows originality of insight when analysing the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer and excellent intellectual engagement; excellent analysis of both recommendations 70+ Shows a sound understanding, offering a consistent and mature insight into the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer and thoughtful consideration of both recommendations 60+ Shows a clear understanding of retail theory and its significance; insight demonstrated into the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer; good analysis of both recommendations 50+ Shows a competent if dependent or incomplete understanding of the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer; some analysis of both recommendations 40+ Shows some limited understanding of the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer; limited analysis of both recommendations Less than 40 - Shows little understanding of the service provider’s or retailer’s strategy and the ethical and social responsibility strategy of your service provider or retailer; inappropriate analysis of both recommendations
The main 3 strengths of this assignment are:
What to improve on for next time:

Assessment Rationale:

This individual coursework is designed to assess:

• Your understanding of modern service and retail strategy

• Your ability to analyse how service providers and retailers have to adapt their strategy to global challenges

• Your ability to analyse the possible problems and opportunities encountered by service providers and retail organisations

• Your ability to create well-argued innovative recommendations that are congruent with existing service provider’s and retailer’s strategy

• Your knowledge of service and retail theory and accuracy when applying this theory to your service provider and retailer

Module Learning Outcomes:

LO1: Explain service and retail marketing principles and analytical techniques

LO2: Analyse the importance of the retail and services sectors to the world, national and local economies

LO3: Appraise and critique the complex relationships between service and retail providers; customers; suppliers and additional stakeholders

LO4: Critically analyse the role of employees in retail and service organisations

LO5: Evaluate the ethical responsibilities of service and retail organisations in the light of current and emerging technologies, including its digital element