Students will form teams of 4 or 5 students and carefully a select a business (or non-profit) headquartered (or founded) in the BC Lower Mainland. Each team will prepare a market analysis and marketing plan for a specific product (or service) provided by this business.

A. Title page: Project/Deliverable Name

B. Table of Contents

C. Executive Summary: Provide a brief, high level overview of your report.

C-suite executives will have <5 minutes to read your report. What do they need to know to make a sound decision? In 1 page or less (ideally 300-500 words), convey the purpose of the document (why its important), the scope and focus of the report, the key points, conclusions, and recommendations

D. Organization and Product Overview:

Organization description

Whats the nature of the business: What do they offer and who do they serve? Brief history, structure, size, culture, vision, mission, goals/objectives, etc. Key stats: sales, number of locations, growth trends, etc.

Product(s) description

What is the product/service, why would someone buy it, what are some unique features of your product/service, what makes it distinct, etc.

E. Market Analysis: What do we need to know? Complete sections 1 5 below Sources: How do we know it? Impact So what? What else?

E 1) Market Definition:

Potential (size, value, location)

Buyers and distribution channels

Key supplier(s) attributes & process(es)

E 2) Competitors:

Existing competitors, new entrants, substitute products, positioning and perceptual maps, size, location, positioning etc. of competitors

Environmental Forces:

Competitive,

Socio-cultural,

Technological,

Economic,

Ethical,

Political (and legal)

E 3) Segmentation:

Describe potential market segments

o Describe consumer categorization based on demo/psycho/attitudes/lifestyles/benefits-sought etc.

o Create segment profiles

Describe potential target market(s)

o Which profiles are most appealing? Why?

o Who, size, location(s), characteristics, motivation and constraints for purchase

E 4) Assessment: (Your opinion based on the research and analysis)

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities: Potential for future sales. How big? How likely?

Threats/Risks: How big? How likely?

F. Conclusion: Your report should wrap up with a brief summary of the key conclusions and recommendations of your analysis.