• Select one of the following companies for this assignment: Mattel or Danone. Do research and analyze based on their current situation. Look for investor relations for the best information from the company web sites (e.g., Mattel, Inc. | Corporate Website Home or Danone Investor Relations.
• You should do this paper with complete sentences and paragraphs and use subheadings for each section in the outline below to organize the assignment. Approx. 5-7 pages double-spaced. See links in Modules for APA format help.
• Cite sources of information as you write (parentheses with source following any information from that source – not just for direct quotes). Also, include a full list of references used at the end of the assignment (using APA format – not just web site addresses). You should have at least three quality references in addition to the company’s web site and 10-K report (more will likely improve grade). Consult the APA format/citation guide at the library’s web site or in the Help Documents Module if you are not sure how to do it. *Note: Wikipedia is not considered a valid reference in academic research. Also avoid sources that don’t have an author and date (e.g., if someone posted their own analysis of the company but without date or references) – unless it is a reputable site that maintains company financials, etc.
• These are public companies with a lot of information available. The best information on their web sites is usually under Investor Relations (often in small print at bottom of the home page). A 10-K (or annual) report is also a great resource. For external analysis, you will need to search articles about the industry or other trends that could affect the company (searchable databases in the library – see link in Help Documents). Also use the textbook if you need explanation and examples of the terms used in the outline.
• Be sure you understand and avoid plagiarism! If you copy-paste information directly from a web site, that can lead to an F (unless you are using it as a direct quote and have quotation marks and proper citation – and you should not have too many direct quotes in a paper). TurnItIn will be used to check for plagiarism. You must cite all information in the paper that came from some source, even if you did not use the exact wording. See the sample paper in Help Documents for examples of citing sources.
• Follow the paper outline on the next page.
Paper Outline (do all 3 sections, paying careful attention to the instructions)
Product-Market Analysis
• What products/services are offered by the company (i.e., description of the product mix and main benefits offered to customers)?
• Profile the target markets for these products (different products may target different segments; some products target multiple market segments).
• Also, include something about the brand(s) used by the company and how they position their brands (i.e., brand image).
External Situation Analysis
• Who are the main competitors and possible substitute competitors? What are some important competitive issues or conditions to consider in this industry?
• What current trends in the marketing environment might have an effect (positive or negative) on this company? See Chapter 5 for ideas on this and consider all areas of the macroenvironment (e.g., political, culture, social, technology, economic, demographics, natural environment). Be specific about trends in each part of the macroenvironment (might need to scan some current news to get some ideas of what is happening that might affect the company).
Marketing Mix
• Discuss the other parts of the marketing mix for the company (i.e., what kind of promotion they use, how/where the products are distributed, and what kind of pricing approach they use). Note: You already discussed “product” in the first part of the outline.
• What is this company doing to be more responsible regarding the protection or conservation of the natural environment? (Both of these company web sites have sections on this! For Mattel, look for Sustainability section – Sustainability PLAYBACK | Mattel, Inc.. For Danone, look for Sustainability section under About Us.)
