Assignment 1
Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due date
Completed by week
6 – 26 August 2011
Marketing audit (modules 1–5) 40.00 40.00
Length: 2000 words maximum
You are required to write one Marketing Audit Report (2000 words maximum – excluding
references). You should try to have a good list of references showing where you have found your
information. It is important to cite all work and websites you have visited. Do not use textbook
references. Websites, Magazines and other such periodicals must be referenced. See the links to
journals. If in doubt, check with a USQ reference librarian.
Audit company and report
Your first assignment is to conduct a marketing audit on one of the firm case outlines offered.
These can be found on USQ study desk. Information that will assist you to analyse this firm can
be found on the internet, you can look to firms local to you that are like these firms and use them
as a benchmark and you can use library and media searches. These are Small Medium Enterprises
so will be easier to evaluate for you. You must conduct a marketing audit which includes an
environmental scan, PEST analysis, customer analysis, and competitor analysis and stakeholder
analysis. You must clearly analyse the internal and external factors of this firm and offer a SWOT
to support this. Further materials will be available to support these cases on the study desk. The
modules 1-5 will support these activities and the discussion activities we have completed will also
support these activities. Once you have completed all of the analytical sections, you must develop
a set of important issues that are the outcome of the SWOT, this is called a gap analysis or a TOWS
analysis.
Your assignment 1 will be completed at this point. An example of a TOWS is offered.
© University of Southern Queensland
MKT5000 – Marketing management 1
Guidelines on writing reports are provided in chapter 3 of the 3rd edition of the
Communication skills handbook which is a set text for this course. Your report should comprise:
1. An executive summary and introduction outlining your firm and business description.
2. A body that includes all the analysis of business, current marketing and internal firm
environments, customer analysis , external environments, competitor analysis and tows
analysis.
3. Conclusion. This includes the statement of issues you have found, the gaps in the internal
capability and external market forces found in your TOWS.
The introduction should provide an overview of the firm and very clearly identify the business
and market the firm operates in. This will require some further content and discussion than offered
in the firm outlines. The report should comprise of a logical, sequential and persuasive arguments,
justified or supported by secondary sources and journal articles. The purpose of your audit is not
to simply reword or describe the firm or comments from the literature but to offer a thorough
understanding of the marketing issues and capabilities facing the firm.
The audit will require you to utilize the library resources, search computer databases, retrieve
journal articles (full text from computer or from journals on the shelf), read them and apply the
information to answer the question.
You will be assessed on your:
© University of Southern Queensland
2 MKT5000 – Marketing management
1. Ability to locate, assess and research material related to current marketing planning process
and environmental scanning requirements. You will need to use logic and read widely to
identify issues and leads to where you should research for this firm. These are important skills
for a marketer to develop.
2. Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the current marketing planning process and
environmental scanning requirements.
3. Ability to identify and assess relevant theoretical and management issues in the environmental
scan and audit.
4. Presentation of a logical arguments and gap analysis. NB. A marketing audit DOES NOT
include a full marketing plan only to the point of the issues. The most important part of the
audit is the environmental market place scan (PEST, SWOT, Stakeholder analysis) and overall
analysis including customer analysis, competitor analysis and current activities.
5. Ability to justify your position with use of supporting references.
6. Communication style, including correct spelling, grammar and referencing.
Your report should be in Times New Roman 12 point with double line spacing.
© University of Southern Queensland
MKT5000 – Marketing management 3
Marking criteria for assignment 1
Criteria Mark Comment
Referencing and structure 6
● Use of journals websites and relevant materials
● Use of current materials and facts related to
your business
● Harvard AGPS Reference format used
correctly
● Correct business report style as per assignment
outline
● Each Section required completed and included
Audit has shown understanding of the firm and 8
its internal operations and external factors
● Student has used own words – not just simple
rewording of the literature
● Marketing practices, relevant issues and
themes have been identified
● Student shows knowledge of marketing issues
and accesses and uses information in a logical
manner
Information contained is analysed and themes 13
have been identified.
● Understanding of marketing issues both
internal to the firm and external have been
identified
● Tools and sections have been completed
successfully
How well is the marketing case argued? 13
● A marketing view and clearly identified gaps
and issues for future strategic development
Total mark /40
© University of Southern Queensland
4 MKT5000 – Marketing management
