structure and rubric
Overview of Assessment Task 3
 In groups of 4-5, students are supposed to choose a company and propose an integrated marketing communications (IMCs)
plan through which the company can: enhance its current position in the market, introduce a product / brand into a current /
new market, or manage a marketing crisis of any sort. The context (market) can be any relevant place (domestic /
international market). It should be a real-life scenario.
 Students choose the company / brand / market / context.
 No two groups in one tutorial can choose the same company / brand. Once a group has chosen the company / brand, the
rest of the groups should choose a different one.
 Group formation will take place in week 1 – first tutorial. Students can also choose their company / brand in week 1. All
groups and their choice of company/brand should be finalised by week 3. The sooner, the better.
 Students need to provide their tutor with their group details (full name of each student, student number, and
company/brand and the context they have chosen).
 This assessment task is split into two parts:
o Assessment task 3a: group oral presentation.
 Students are to present their IMC plan in their tutorials in weeks 9, 10, and 11 (no video recordings will be
accepted).
 All students in the group are required to present.
 The time of each group’s presentation will be allocated by the tutor as soon as the groups are formed.
 The oral presentation of the IMC plan will be an opportunity for students to receive comments / suggestions
from their tutor and other students on their plan, which can be then implemented in their written report
(assessment task 3b).
 A hard copy of the script of the presentation is to be submitted to the tutor before the presentation starts.

o Assessment task 3b: group written report.
 The written report will be a final version of the IMC plan.
 It will be due on Friday at 5pm of week 12.
 The written report is to be submit it through the Turnitin

 One student submits on behalf of the rest of the group members.
Assessment Task 3 proposed structure
Executive Summary (5%)
This summary is equivalent to a conclusion (it is not an introduction). It is normally 1-1.5 pages long. It should include:
 An overview of the report.
 Key findings from your analysis about the company: its current situation, opportunities, threats, etc.
 A summary of your major recommendations and key outcomes: how the company can use its IMCs to seize opportunities
and / or avoid threats.
NOTE: This is the last section to be completed; however, it should be displayed at the beginning of the report before Table
of Contents.
Table of contents (1%)
It should include sections, sub-sections, and page numbers.
Introduction (2%)

It should provide the reader with an understanding of the purpose of the project, its scope and structure – sections and
sub-sections. Do NOT discuss the company and the IMC plan in detail in this section.
Situation Analysis based on market Research (10%)
This section can be split into two parts:
1. An overview of the company (5%)
 History.
 The market(s) it is in (Australia, an overseas market, regional, international).
 Brands.
 Product(s) it serves.
 Description of its target customers / segment(s).
2. Situational analysis (5%)
It can be any of the following (not necessarily all of them):
 Launching a new product / brand
 Company’s intention to reposition its current product / brand? Why?
 Or are you suggesting to the company to reposition? If yes, why?
 Any controversies the company is currently dealing with? Any sustainability issues, socially irresponsible issues?
 Decreasing sales / market share: due to competition, change in consumer preferences.
 What is the context of the situation? Australia, an overseas market(s), or a global issue?
 Anything else you have found?

This can be split into two parts:
Note: Students do not need to include all these objectives. They should include only those which are relevant to their company and
its context.
1. Marketing objectives (5%)
 Increasing sales / market share / revenues.
 Responding to competition: competitors are stealing company’s market share.
 Introducing a new product / brand.
 Increasing brand awareness.
 Entering a new market / segment (locally, internationally).
 Defending current position in the market(s).
 Targeting a (new) segment(s) which may require repositioning the product / brand.
 Dealing with sustainability / ethical issues: social issues, child labour, working conditions, fairtrade, environmental
(ecological) issues, consumer safety / welfare.
 A number of objectives can be combined (responding to competition through introducing a new brand in a new market).
2. IMC objectives (5%)
 Brand awareness (introduction stage).
 Product (and its attributes) awareness – Informing people about a new product launch (introduction stage).
 Persuasion, comparison against competitors’ offerings (growth stage).
 Reminding (maturity / decline stages).
 Crisis management (dealing with a controversy which is threatening sales / market share / brand’s image).

Target audience (5%) and positioning (5%)
 Customers /segments (demographic, psychographic, etc.), government, non-government organisation(s) (NGOs), political
activists.
 Coverage / reach: geographic, local (within a particular country), foreign, etc.
 Show how your IMC plan will contribute to brand’s positioning or re-positioning.
Useful material: (not limited to) chapter 4 pp. 113-123 (market Segmentation by Consumer Groups) and pp. 125-129 (product
positioning) + chapter 4 slides.
Theories which can be discussed in your objectives and target audience
 What consumer needs is (will) the company be focusing on – use Maslow’s hierarchy
 Segment(s) you are targeting: demographics, psychographics, geographic, behavioural, benefit, usage.
 Product positioning: product attributes, competitors, use or application, price-quality relationship, product user, product
class.
 Product life cycle: at what stage is the product you are promoting: introduction, growth, maturity, or decline?
 Are you repositioning the product?
 Consumer attitude: are you using cognitive or affective appeals in your promotions? Cognitive maps, means-end theory.
Develop an IMC plan to budget (15%)
This can be split into three parts:
Types of budget (5%)
 Percentage of sales.
 Meet competition.

 What we can afford.
 Objective and task.
 Etc.
Hint: check what budget the company is already setting annually. If information cannot be found, make reasonable assumptions
based on company’s size, its objectives, what competitors with the same size are doing.
Useful material: (not limited to) chapter 4, pp. 129-131 / chapter 4 slides.
Use three IMC variables (10%)
 Traditional marketing
 Broadcast: TV, radio, etc.
 Print: magazines, newspapers.
 Social media: Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
 Sales promotions: coupons, contests and sweepstakes, sampling, bonus packs, etc.
 Alternative marketing: buzz marketing, stealth, guerrilla, product placement, etc.
 Personal selling: direct mail / email, telephone.
 Public relations: cause-based marketing, green marketing, sponsorships, event marketing, etc.
Useful material: (not limited to) chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Discuss the rationale of your selected three IMC variables (5%)
How do the selected IMC variables fit with your marketing/IMC objectives and your STP strategy?

Develop a creative strategy and Mock-Up (20%)
 Design a creative mock-up of your broadcast, print or internet/interactive media campaign.
 Explain the content of your advertisement / commercial / billboard / brochure / sales promotions, etc.
 Detail and explain the rationale for your selected creative strategy (based on your IMC objectives, target audience,
(re)positioning, etc).
Useful material: (not limited to) chapter 6 pp. 181-191 (Types of Advertising Appeal) and the relevant lecture slides
Media scheduling and timeline (15%)
Useful material: (not limited to) chapter 4, pp. 131 / chapter 4 slides.
No. Media class Actual media
vehicle / where
to advertise
Scheduling tactic When to
advertise
Timing Duration / size
Reach / scope
of the segment
Frequency / degree of exposure / continuity
1 TV/Radio/
newspaper/digital, instore displays,
alternative marketing
(billboards, lifestyle,
guerrilla, product
placement in movies),
direct marketing using
mails/email, etc.
ABC, FOX,
YouTube,
shopping centre
/ store name in
which the
display will be
used, any
specific
countries, cities,
roads, places
for alternative
Pulsating,
Flighting, or
Continuous
(see page 131 of
the textbook,
Chapter 4 lecture
slides
For how long
(days, weeks,
months, years?)
You can give
actual period (in
2019, 2020, etc).
During this time,
how often will it
appear?
Every day,
specific days,
At what time will
it appear?
Tied to the timing
of the show /
program? Specific
times during the
day / night based
on who watches
what at a specific
time?
At the beginning,
For how many
seconds / minutes?
What size will it be
in the print media,
in-store (displays)?

marketing such
as displays,
billboards,
posters, flyers,
etc.
To be
considered:
geographic
areas, to whom
to advertise
always there (as
maybe the case
with company’s
website, social
media), during
specific events,
specific TV show
/radio programs.
middle, or end of
the program, etc.
If using print
media, in what
part of the
newspaper /
magazine?
Local news /
international
news,
business, sport,
etc.
if using in-store
displays, where
about will it be
displayed? Pointof-purchase, or
anywhere else?
2 Same as above

Campaign evaluation (5%)
 Compare company’s performance pre- and post-the communication campaign.
o What desired difference is it going to make?
o This should be tied to the situation analysis and marketing / IMC objectives discussed above.
MKT3ADV 2019 – Assessment Task 3a and 3b – Proposed report structure

 Respondent behaviour evaluations (count customer actions, store visits, actual purchases), change in sales / market share /
revenues, brand / product awareness, loyalty, affective responses.
 Online metrics: views, click-throughs, likes, comments, product reviews, etc.
Useful material: (not limited to) chapter 15 (textbook and lecture slides)
Scholarly pursuit: Presentation, Grammar, Spelling and Referencing, Appendices (7%)

 It may be useful that one student in the group proofreads the report – checks the grammar, punctuation, spelling,
presentation, etc.
 All claims must be referenced in the body of the report (in-text citation) using the surname of the author or name of the
organisation, and year of publication, e.g. (Smith, 2018). The cited reference should be included in the end-of-report
reference list. Please use Harvard referencing system.
 Students are encouraged to use recent references.
Note
Students are advised to begin with their assignment as soon as possible. Tutors can allocate the last 5-10 minutes of their tutorials
for student inquiries.