Fluent Essays

The students are required to conduct retail marketing audit. The chosen retailer can be of any size or of any country of origin as long as they trade in the UK. The retail audit should be presented in an individual written report, no longer than 2,000 words (excluding references and appendices). The report should have a clear report structure and presentation throughout. Only secondary data should be used to evaluate the chosen retailer. PLEASE CHOOSE WAITROSE WHICH IS A RETAIL STORE IN THE UKStudents should choose and analyse ONE of the following retail concepts to the selected U.K. retail store in the U.K.●Retail store branding●Retail Communication●Retail Technology (e.g. AR, magic mirrors)●Retailers and sustainability●Future trends in retailing●Future trends and impacts on technology on servicesIn addition, to the above retail concepts, students should choose and analyse ONE of the following retail service to the chosen retail store in the U.K.❖Servicescape❖SERQUAL model❖Retail Services – importance to customersThe following criteria will be used to assess your work:●Presentation of the retailer and the analysis of its market environment●Appropriateness of theoretical analysis, relevance of theoretical frameworks/ concepts; effectiveness and quality of theoretical analysis; evaluation and critique of essential aspects of the work●Application of the theories and concepts to the selected retailer●Issue/problems identification (opportunities/ challenges) and recommendations●Referencing and additional research: Evidence of academic research, standard of referencing and overall report presentationReport Structure:A brief introduction to the report and justification of the chosen company (300 words)A brief PEST (macro environment analysis) – please present this in a table (table is excluded from the word count)Discussion and Analysis of ONE chosen retail concepts (Remember to choose ONE concept for discussion only) 700 words✔Retail store branding✔Retail Communication✔Retail Technology (e.g. AR, magic mirrors)✔Retailers and sustainability✔Future trends in retailing✔Future trends and impacts on technology on servicesDiscussion and Analysis of ONE chosen retail service (e.g. evaluation of the service offered in relation to the retail service models / frameworks) – Remember to choose ONE service for discussion only) 500 words✔Servicescape✔SERQUAL model✔Retail Services – importance to customersSWOT analysis (Please present this in a table – table is excluded from the word count)Identify major issues facing the retailer – BULLET POINTS 300 wordsMake short term (1-3 years) and long term (4-5 years) recommendations (based on the identified issues) to the retailer – BULLET POINTS 200 wordsReferencesPlease use Harvard references and need 30 more references in this report.Please when you write this report before need study this class PPT and need use definitions and some models to analyze in this report. Because the powerpoint are to big, so i share google drive link for you to read the ppt. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1M8_RHbbh2p...There also has an example for you ! THANK YOU mgt6147_revised_assessment_grid_april_2020.docx mgt6147_2019_2020_amended_assessment.docx ___mgt6181_2.docx Unformatted Attachment Preview MGT6147 Revised Assessment Grid 2019-2020 Assessment Criteria Presentation of the company and the market environment Appropriateness of theoretical analysis, relevance of theoretical frameworks/ concepts; effectiveness and quality of theoretical analysis; evaluation and critique of essential aspects of the work Hard Fail (0-39) Soft Fail (40-49) No background information is provided or it is uninformative; markets are not described, or are described in insufficient detail to get any understanding of the object of analysis; no sources are provided. The answer fails to include appropriate theories and concepts; the answer is descriptive and there is a lack of theoretical analysis, evaluation and critique. Report presents some background history and (some) markets of the presented organisation, but does not provide a clear picture of the object of analysis; no sources are provided. The answer includes some, but not all of the appropriate theories and concepts; the answer is descriptive in places and the standard of theoretical analysis, evaluation and critique is limited. Pass (50-59) Merit (60-69) Distinction(70-79) Outstanding (80+) Report presents the background history and markets on which the organisation operates; it relies on few sources Report presents the background history and markets for the analysed organisation providing a clear picture and details; it collates a number of sources to give a balanced overview. The presentation of organisational background and its markets relies on a number of different sources and provides insights useful for conducting subsequent analyses. The presentation of the organisation is outstanding. The presentation of the market relies on a number of sources and is critical. The answer includes all appropriate theories and concepts; there is effective theoretical analysis, evaluation and critique but the depth of analysis sometimes limited. The answer has a very effective theoretical analysis and evaluation; there is strong evidence of indepth theoretical knowledge and critical reflection. The answer has an excellent theoretical analysis and evaluation; an excellent degree of theoretical knowledge is demonstrated and there is strong evidence of critical reflection and originality of thought. The report has an outstanding theoretical analysis and demonstrates strong evidence of critical reflection and originality. Application of the theories and concepts to the selected organisation The application of theories to organisations is poorly articulated. The application and analysis is not thoroughly answered. The application is largely appropriate; further analysis however and a more critical evaluation is needed. The application of theories is effective and appropriate. Issue/problems identification (opportunities/ challenges) and recommendations No major issues or recommendations for dealing with them are presented, or presented issues and/or recommendations do not follow from analysis. Issues presented do not appear to cover the main results of the analysis, though there is overlap between previous analyses and the selection of major issues; recommendations do not take into consideration previously presented information. Issues presented are the most significant ones identified so far; recommendations take into account previous analysis. Issues presented are the most significant ones, often combining various factors identified earlier; recommendations make use of organisational assets and problems identified earlier. Referencing and additional research: Evidence of academic research, standard of referencing and There is limited evidence of research; very few sources are utilised and the standard of referencing is There is partial evidence of research, only the obvious sources are utilised and the referencing is A range of appropriate sources is used effectively; the referencing is largely consistent; A wide variety of different research sources are used effectively; there is very good evidence of researching skills The answer demonstrates the ways the chosen organisation could make use of the key issues / concepts and their theoretical models outstandingly. Issues presented are the most significant ones, showing interrelation between different factors in the external and internal environment of the organisation; recommendations take into account not just a single issue each, but a general situation of the studied organisation. In-depth research has been undertaken & the research sources are highly effective; the standard of Outstanding application of theories and concepts. Outstanding issues identification and recommendations based on previous analysis. Outstanding Indepth research has been undertaken & the research sources are highly effective; the overall report presentation inadequate the presentation of the report is poor. adequate but inconsistent. The presentation of the report is relatively poor. the presentation of the report is good. & the standard of referencing is good; the presentation of the report is very good. referencing is excellent throughout; the presentation of the report is excellent. standard of referencing is excellent throughout; the presentation of the report is outstanding MGT6147 Amended Assessment 100\% The students are required to conduct retail marketing audit. The chosen retailer can be of any size or of any country of origin as long as they trade in the UK. The retail audit should be presented in an individual written report, no longer than 2,000 words (excluding references and appendices). The report should have a clear report structure and presentation throughout. Only secondary data should be used to evaluate the chosen retailer. Students should choose and analyse ONE of the following retail concepts to the selected U.K. retail store in the U.K. ● ● ● ● ● ● Retail store branding Retail Communication Retail Technology (e.g. AR, magic mirrors) Retailers and sustainability Future trends in retailing Future trends and impacts on technology on services In addition, to the above retail concepts, students should choose and analyse ONE of the following retail service to the chosen retail store in the U.K. ❖ Servicescape ❖ SERQUAL model ❖ Retail Services – importance to customers The following criteria will be used to assess your work: ● ● ● ● ● Presentation of the retailer and the analysis of its market environment Appropriateness of theoretical analysis, relevance of theoretical frameworks/ concepts; effectiveness and quality of theoretical analysis; evaluation and critique of essential aspects of the work Application of the theories and concepts to the selected retailer Issue/problems identification (opportunities/ challenges) and recommendations Referencing and additional research: Evidence of academic research, standard of referencing and overall report presentation Report Structure: 1. A brief introduction to the report and justification of the chosen company (300 words) 2. A brief PEST (macro environment analysis) – please present this in a table (table is excluded from the word count) 3. Discussion and Analysis of ONE chosen retail concepts (Remember to choose ONE concept for discussion only) 700 words ✔ Retail store branding ✔ Retail Communication ✔ Retail Technology (e.g. AR, magic mirrors) ✔ Retailers and sustainability ✔ Future trends in retailing ✔ Future trends and impacts on technology on services 4. Discussion and Analysis of ONE chosen retail service (e.g. evaluation of the service offered in relation to the retail service models / frameworks) – Remember to choose ONE service for discussion only) 500 words ✔ Servicescape ✔ SERQUAL model ✔ Retail Services – importance to customers 5. SWOT analysis (Please present this in a table – table is excluded from the word count) 6. Identify major issues facing the retailer – BULLET POINTS 300 words 7. Make short term (1-3 years) and long term (4-5 years) recommendations (based on the identified issues) to the retailer – BULLET POINTS 200 words 8. References Assignment Coversheet : 1 90 2 48 77 4 Student Registration Number Module Code : MGT6181-2 Assignment : 2 Number Word Count : 1883 Declarations: Please click on the relevant box to make one or both of these declarations. By uploading my work I am certifying that the attached is all my own work, except where specifically stated and confirm that I have read and understood the Universitys rules relating to plagiarism. I understand that the Department reserves the right to run spot checks on all coursework using plagiarism software I wish to indicate that I am a student with dyslexia or other written communication Difficulties  ☐ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Background and Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3 2. Analysis of the Campaign ................................................................................................................ 3 3. 4. 2.1 Integrated Marketing Communications Theory .................................................................... 3 2.2 Hierarchy-of-Effects Theory .................................................................................................. 4 2.2.1 Awareness and Knowledge ............................................................................................... 4 2.2.2 Liking and Preference ........................................................................................................ 5 2.2.3 Conviction and Purchase ................................................................................................... 6 Analysis of Environment Factors..................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Ethical Issues.......................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Legislation and Regulation .................................................................................................... 7 Recommendations for Adaptation to the Chinese Market ............................................................ 8 References .............................................................................................................................................. 9 1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION In November 2019, Smyths Toys Superstores launched their 40-second ‘If I Were a Toy’ advertisement for their new festive campaign, featuring a little boy called Oscar who sings that he wished he was a toy. Oscar had previously featured in a successful campaign for the Smyths Toys in 2016 Christmas campaign (Packham, 2016). This essay critically analyses the marketing communications of the ‘If I Were a Toy’ advertisement. To begin with, the campaign’s communications objectives and the advertisement’s targeted audience will be identified followed by an analysis of the campaign using the hierarchy of effects theory (Lavidge and Steiner, 1961). Then, an analysis of the environmental factors, including the ethical and regulatory issues, are considered. Finally, recommendations are presented on the aspects that should be adapted or standardised for its airing in China. 2. ANALYSIS OF THE CAMPAIGN 2.1INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS THEORY The integrated marketing communications (IMC) describes the process in which persuasive communication programmes are developed and implemented over time, with the purpose to present consistency in the messages to impact the behaviour of the audience using the available promotional mix (Kitchen and Burgmann, 2010). The new campaign ‘If I Were a Toy’ is an example of this, applying a similar idea to its 2016 advertisement (Packham, 2016). The ‘If I Were a Toy’ advertisement is created as an animation, to appeal to children. The advertisement depicts the journey in the imagination of the young boy called Oscar, who is under enchantment by the toy store and sings ‘If I Were a Toy’, a spoof of the lyrics by Beyonce, blurring marketing and entertainment. The objectives of this campaign are to increase retail sales particularly in the peak pre-Christmas period. This advertisement was shown on ITV, Channel 4 and Sky as well as supported in an integrated campaign consisting of other mediums such as television digital, radio, social media, public relations and in-store to support a healthier brand relationship with consumers and reach other audiences (Keller, 2001; McGrath, 2005). 2.2HIERARCHY-OF-EFFECTS THEORY The hierarchy-of-effects theory explains how advertisements can impact on the decisions of consumers to buy a product or service (Lavidge and Steiner, 1961). The hierarchy reflects advances in learning and decision-making because of the advertisement informing the structure in the series of advertisement messages. The campaign objectives should be structured according to the order of: awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction and purchase (Lavidge and Steiner, 1961). 2.2.1 AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE The awareness and knowledge refer to the cognitive stages when consumers gain understanding about the brand’s product and services and determines how they would process the information (Belch and Belch, 2009). The awareness of the brand is raised by the advertisement since the brand name ‘Smyths’ is shown in several instances in the animation. For example, the setting of the advertisement is at a grand Smyths Toys Superstore theatre, where there are lights shining on the brand name in the opening of the advertisement to draw attention to the name. Furthermore, Oscar as the conductor of the different toys that would be sold at Christmas, reads from a Smyths Toys catalogue as if it is a music score. The depiction of the catalogue helps to inform consumers of the existence of it, which could encourage them to use this to support their product identification and to subtly show that there are many other products that is sold by the store other than those shown in the animation. The brand’s logo is clearly shown consistently throughout the animation and Oscar verbally says the name of the store at the end of the advertisement to reaffirm the brand knowledge. 2.2.2 LIKING AND PREFERENCE The liking and preference refer to the affective stages when consumers develop feelings for the brand (Belch and Belch, 2009). Clearly, the choice in the format of the advertisement is aimed at children, who have been known to have increasing discretionary income and greater influence on the purchasing decisions of parents (Morales, 2000). The increasing outlets to narrow cast to children have also contributed to an expanding media space for advertising to children (Izrael, 2013). In fact, Oscar had first appeared in the 2016 campaign by Smyths Toys. Thus, the continuity in the use of branded characters like ‘Oscar’ to associate with Smyths Toys in the advertisement is intended to appeal to young audiences and can help children to identify the brand and products and aid recall. This also helps Smyths Toys to differentiate from competitors like Toys R Us who have a less memorable character which children can identify with. The spoof of Beyonce’s song makes the advertisement more humorous, entertaining and attract and hold the attention of consumers, typically enhancing their brand recall (Johnson and Spilger, 2000). Furthermore, the animation is narrated and sung by a child, so that the advertisement is more relatable to the audience. The integration of this IMC is seen in that there is a message consistency to previous advertisements (Porcu et al., 2017). The advertisement also showed scenes to reinforce the fact that there are no gender distinctions when it comes to play such as Oscar saying that he would be “singing harmonies with Barbies” if he were a toy. This is consistent with its earlier advertisement which had received a lot of applause for challenging stereotypes (Campaign Live, 2016). For parents who might see this advertisement, they may have better attitudes towards Smyths Toys because of its differentiation from competitors as a brand that promotes positive messages about identity. Finally, the preference for the store is elicited by showing the new toys that are being sold at the store, to try and entice consumers to visit and buy from Smyths Toys. 2.2.3 CONVICTION AND PURCHASE The conviction and purchase refer to the endeavour in convincing the consumer to act on what they know and feel about the brand by through purchase behaviour (Belch and Belch, 2009). In the advertisement, this is created by emphasising the preference of the toys in being purchased from the “greatest store of all time”. By highlighting on the quality and popularity of its brand, the advertisement aims to build trust with the audiences. Furthermore, the ending scene of the advertisement shows Oscar reverting back to reality in the Smyths Toys store where, upon someone entering the store, he cheekily stands next to dolls as if he were a toy and weeks at the audience is playful and humorous. 3. ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENT FACTORS 3.1ETHICAL ISSUES The use of new and popular characters and toys are used to evoke interest in the audience and shape their views of the advertised products (Wilcox et al., 2004). Furthermore, the advertisement deliberately uses different types of toys and characters to try and appeal to a wider audience. However, there has been increasing criticisms in marketing because advertisements cultivate materialistic value system in children, where the acquisition of products are driven by their ability to determine the value of an individual (Baran et al., 1989; Dittmar, 2005). Research has also found that children with excessive toys tend to have less quality playtime and are easier to distract (Knapton, 2017). Furthermore, the nature of the advertisement being aimed at children, including those below the ages of eight, may be considered to be exploitative; they are considered a vulnerable consumer group since they have difficulty in being able to identify or comprehend the persuasive intent in advertisements due to limited cognitive development (Wilcox et al., 2004). Therefore, the intention of Smyths Toys can be considered unethical since it is trying to maximise its profits by encouraging children to want to acquire more possessions that are not necessities. 3.2LEGISLATION AND REGULATION According to the BCAP and CAP Codes, the marketing communications need to ensure that it is responsible to consumers and society and gives guidance regarding the use of expletives (ASA, 2018). The 2019 Christmas advertisement by Smyths Toys had received complaints about the advert from parents because they claim there are inappropriate language in the children’s Christmas advert. When Oscar points a toy gun at Pikachu, some think that he states: “I’d master the fat bastard for sure”, such that Advertising Standards Authority have been alerted on Twitter (Rodger, 2019). Smyths Toys has apologised but insist that the words said were “I’d master the fart blaster for sure” – which is a gunlike toy used in practical jokes (Rodger, 2019). However, it is clear from the complaints made by the parents that this misunderstanding can have a serious implication for the brand reputation. The ASA had introduced new rules to ban gender stereotyping in advertisements although it had been highlighted that the Christmas catalogues have yet to improve significantly on this (Hobbs, 2017). This has led to campaigns such as ‘Let Toys be Toys’ where it urges the end of gender stereotypes in marketing toys (Hobbs, 2017). Therefore, it can be seen in this advertisement, the portrayal of not only ‘masculine’ toys but also ‘feminine’ toys demonstrate Smyth’s intention to be a ... Purchase answer to see full attachment