strategic marketing process elements

Instructions

You are required to complete your personal marketing plan that includes the
strategic marketing process elements that you are learning throughout Introduction
to Marketing. These include a situation (SWOT) analysis, focus and goal setting, and
marketing mix (4Ps). Grading rubrics are shown in the parenthesis. I will grade your assignment based on
the assigned percentages.

1. Situation (SWOT) Analysis, Competitive Analysis, and Market Analysis (40%)
Internal Assessment (SW) –What are your strengths and weaknesses? What
can you do to enhance your strengths, minimize your weaknesses? What type
of competitive advantage do YOU have? If you don’t have one, can you
develop one? How are you differentiated?
External Analysis (OT) –What are the trends in the environmental factors that could have an impact on
your job and career development? Technological, Regulatory/Ethics & Social
Responsibility, Economic, Social?
Competitive Analysis –What type of background, experiences, strengths and weaknesses do your
competitors have? Market Analysis –What market segments have you identified as having the
best potential? How do you fit in to these markets? (This means doing some research!)
2. Focus and Goal Setting (10%)
What are your objectives? Make them specific and measurable. What is your
target market? Examples might be large advertising firms, business to business
sales, social media marketer, or marketing researcher for a consulting firm in
Texas.
3. Marketing Mix (40%)
Product (i.e. you are the “product”)–Understand how it can meet the
needs of your target market. What are your key attributes/benefits? How are
you differentiated?
Pricing -What salary and compensation package do you want; are you
willing to settle for? What’s the competitive price for your target market?
Place–What channels or networks have you developed to access your target market?
Are you involved with any associations, career placement, personal contacts,
student organizations, local communities, charities, etc.
Do some careful research on these. Don’t assume that intensive distribution
is necessarily the way to go. Focus your channel to the target market you are
seeking.
Promotion–Think about the buying process. How will you create awareness? Do you have
a LinkedIn profile? What can you do to ‘break through the clutter’ and get the opportunity for an interview?
What is your “positioning” strategy, i.e. what do you want your future (or current if it applies) employer
think about you?
6 Your personal selling skills will be important for telephone contacts and face-to-face interviews.
Probe to find out about the needs of the organization before the
“sales call” and during the interview. Have questions prepared.
Word count: at least 1200 words.