Assignment 2: Report (on Amazon Australia)

Core Information:

Due:  Due by 11.00pm AEST, 23th September 2018

Weighting:  30%

Individual/Group  Individual

Word limit:  1500-2000 words in total (plus or minus 10%)

Aim

The purpose of this assignment is to again provide you with an opportunity to apply knowledge, theory, frameworks and tools from the early part of the unit to an analysis of the strategy and strategic practices of a real organisation. In this assignment, you will work to analyse the strategies pursued by the Amazon Australia since its creation. You will evaluate marketing-related strategies and their effectiveness and relate to be real-life experiences and relevant research to look at core marketing theory. The aim is to provide experience of marketing analysis and practice and to determine your ability to relate real marketing strategy to theory and research. 

The Overall Task

In increasingly competitive markets, consumers have a greater choice over where they buy their goods and services. For an organisation to meet its business objectives, it has to find out what consumers require and then identify the best way in which it can satisfy these needs and wants. Creating a competitive advantage can be difficult. A unique marketing strategy with clear objectives is vital to ensure effective promotional activity.

Your task in this case analysis is to answer two questions by critically analysing Amazon Australia’s market situation. Please do not just describe events, although you should read Amazon Australia’s history to understand the background to your analysis. You should use the principles and concepts that you have learned throughout the unit to answer the following two questions:

1. What marketing strategy or strategies has Amazon Australia has adopted since it was created? Answer this question by applying one or more of the theoretical approaches discussed in the course.

2. What marketing options can you describe for Amazon Australia if it wishes to remain a successful organisation throughout the next decade? Answer this question based on the circumstances that exist in 2018 and your best forecasts of relevant future industry factors.

These are wide-ranging questions and you should undertake extensive independent research into Amazon Australia and its industry. You should explore different aspects of these issues and incorporate them into your report. This is a practical assessment of a real company, but you need to show an understanding of theory and research in your evaluation and suggestions.

Process

1. Begin to gather information about Amazon Australia and its marketing-related strategies. There are a range of sources you can make use including the company’s own corporate website and related publications, academic journals, business press and media and so on. The quality business press such as Forbes or Business Week or the Economist are in some ways good places to start. 

2. However, you need to begin to study relevant course materials as the task requires you to analyse and evaluate Amazon Australia’s marketing strategy in relation to theory, frameworks and research.

3. Consider each of the two questions carefully and begin to relate practice to theory in an attempt to answer each of them. The questions explicitly direct you to specific aspects of the unit material and to specific types of models, tools and theories. 

4. It should be clear that there is no definitive right answer here. This also mirrors reality, in that companies are not able to find a single solution or pathway; they have to make difficult choices from alternatives. In the light of that try to explore different aspects of the two questions – there are no ‘correct’ answers and lots of valid arguments for and against all kinds of alternatives. The merits of your argument will depend to a large extent on how much evidence you can cite to support your point of view; that is why this is called a research project.

5. Write up your analysis. This should be in a report format. Here is a suggested structure:

a. Executive Summary

b. Introduction

c. Background to the Company

d. Marketing Analysis

i. The Nature of Amazon Australia’s Marketing Strategy or Strategies since it began.

ii. Strategic Marketing Options for Amazon Australia moving forward

e. Conclusion

f. References

g. Appendix 

Ensure that you have related the real conditions of the company to theory and research and that you have read, cited and referenced appropriate academic material as well as more popular sources (which also need to be properly referenced).

6. Submit the report via the Turnitin Submission Link (under Assessment Details on the Blackboard site)…be fully aware of the plagiarism rules in the School; plagiarism will not be tolerated.

7. The marking criteria for the assignment can be found on the following page. They are published to give you detailed guidelines about the way in which your mark will be calculated. Please read them carefully. Note that they are a guide, not a definitive formula for allocating marks, and no set of criteria can accurately describe every possible assignment. Your final mark will reflect the application of academic judgement by your marker to your whole assignment.

Marketing – MKT00720 (Session 2, 2018)

Assignment 2: Report (on Amazon Australia)

Ratings and Comments   According to Criteria 

Mark

Executive Summary

Provides a properly constructed and correct   length executive summary:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

The executive summary provides a brief overview   of the purpose of the report and an effective summary of its content:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Further Comments as necessary:

/5

Introduction.

Properly describes the task and sets up the   report content that follows:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor  NA

Places the assignment in context in terms of   discussing the nature and importance of marketing strategy and its relation   to the success (or otherwise) of companies such as Amazon Australia:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Further Comments as necessary:

/5

Background to the Company

Provides a clear, sufficiently detailed and   properly referenced account of Amazon Australia’s emergence and development   as a company:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Provides a clear, sufficiently detailed and   properly referenced account of Amazon Australia as a company, for example,   type of company, size, industry, basic performance data etc:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Further Comments as necessary:

/10

Marketing Analysis

The   Nature of Amazon Australia’s Marketing Strategy or Strategies since it began.

Identifies and discusses the marketing strategy   or strategies pursued by Amazon Australia:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Relates the strategy/strategies pursued by Amazon   Australia to theories, models and research:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Further Comments as necessary:

/30

Strategic   Marketing Options for Amazon Australia moving forward

Provides an analysis of Amazon Australia’s current   situation from a strategic marketing standpoint: 

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Demonstrates capability in applying marketing-based   analytical tools:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Provides plausible recommendations for a marketing   strategy that promises to move it forward successfully:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Further Comments as necessary:

/30

Conclusions: 

Draws sensible conclusions based on the analysis   and discussion:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Conclusions reveal key learning to be taken from   the analysis:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Further Comments as necessary:

/10

Technical and Professionalism   Aspects of the Report

In-text citations and proper referencing (note:   an absence of in-text citations and referencing may lead to penalties beyond   the marks allocated for this criteria point):

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Appropriate sources used and referenced:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Presented in well-thought out, consistent,   readable form/appropriate length:

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Style, spelling, grammar and syntax 

Excellent  Very Good  Good  Satisfactory  Needs Development  Poor 

Further Comments as necessary: 

/10