London School of Business & Finance (LSBF)

Module Assignment Title Assignment Type Word Limit Weighting Student Intake Issue Date Submission Date Feedback Date Issued by (Assessor) Internal Verifier Plagiarism

MSc Marketing/Masters in Business Administration

C o n s u m e r B e h a v io u r
Consumer Behaviour in the Consumer Electronics Market Report 4,000 (+/- 10%) 50% Intake 7 Monday 6 June 2011 Monday 4July 2011 WC 15 August 2011 Gunveen Bachher Kulbir Basra When submitting work for assessment, students should be aware of the LSBF guidance and regulations in concerning plagiarism. All submissions should be your own, original work. You must submit an electronic copy of your work. Your submission will be electronically checked.

Harvard Referencing Learning Outcomes

The Harvard Referencing System must be used. The Wikipedia website must not be referenced in your work. On successful completion of this assignment you will be able to: Develop and demonstrate a critical appreciation of current consumer behaviour concepts. Develop and apply an in-depth understanding of the complexity of consumer psychology and its applications on decision-making processes. Integrate and critically apply consumer insights to practical situations in a specific type of consumer organisation. Assess and demonstrate understanding of current developments inconsumer behaviour, market environment and culture. Critically evaluate and apply consumer and customer management practices in organisations in different consumer external environments. Critically analyse and apply management theory around external influencing factors on consumer behaviour.

Scenario

Given the business challenges of the last few years, companies must always look for new ways to retain customers and enhance the value experience brought to them. One company that has specialized in this art is Cox and Kings Holidays. It is a UK based firm. You might like to refer to the company website http://www.coxandkings.co.uk/ Cox and Kings Holidays has learned how to target potential customers, provide fun and excitement for current customers, and bring loyal customers back again and again. Personal attention, e-mail reminders, and a Web site in the past have aided the company in building and maintaining relationships with customers.

You have recently been appointed as the Marketing Head of Cox and Kings Holidays. You have been asked to conduct research in two stages and subsequently, present your analysis and recommendations in a report format.

Your Task

You have been asked to carry out the following two tasks by the Company Chief Executive Officer.

Task I- Segmentation Analysis in the Travel Industry (3,000 words - 70% of total coursework mark)
Your assignment is to construct a segmentation profile of Cox and Kings first time customers and current customers. You could begin by defining who your Customers are-Individuals, Families or Institutions, largely speaking. Your profiles should consider the following variables: Age and Gender: Identify, if possible, new cohorts based on age and gender and suggest new perceived opportunities amongst these new cohorts in the UK. Income & Social Class: Identify role of income and social class while buying holidays and suggest new perceived opportunities to influence new income and social classes in the UK. Cultural Differences and Subcultures: Identify ways in which culture can be used as a segmentation variable in consumption and suggest new perceived opportunities amongst existing cultures in the UK. Perceptions: Suggest new perceived opportunities to influence UK consumer perceptions around Cox and Kings Holidays in order to make the company a success in the UK; Attitudes: Suggest new perceived opportunities amongst existing UK consumer attitudes. Motivation: Suggest new perceived opportunities for motivating UK consumers to want to purchase holidays. Individual and/or Household Decision Making: Suggest new perceived opportunities amongst UK individual and/or family decision makers. Discuss new perceived opportunities for each of the variables listed above based on your segmentation work. Be creative. Present your profile in a neat, written format of not more than 3,000 words. You should ensure that you discuss and apply a range of relevant models, concepts and theories in formulating new perceived opportunities under each of the above areas, as outlined in the course material around individual/household consumer behaviour. You should also ensure that you make your report relevant to the UK market for consumer travel sector, by carrying out independent research in this area as part of your assignment, using online library academic sources as well as reliable Internet sources. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO7)

Task 2: Renovation of Website

(1,000 words - 30% of total coursework mark)

As part of Organisational Restructuring and increasing sales revenue, the website of Cox and Kings Holidays has been asked to be refurbished and updated. The task once again lies with you. You are expected to present a formal report to the CEO of the company. How would you like to reconstruct the website? What changes would you like to make to the existing website? Would you like to have the website to be largely a visualiser or a verbaliser? Suggest ways to improve the quality of the Website to convert online visits into sales thereby leading to increase in companys revenue. Present your recommendations in a short report, not more than 1000 words. You must refer to the existing website of Cox and Kings at http://www.coxandkings.co.uk/

Guidelines

All assignment content must be properly referenced using correct Harvard referencing format, both in-text and in the bibliography. References should mainly consist of academic sources from the online library and textbooks, with limited reference to Internet articles. Unreliable Internet sources such as Wikipedia must not be used. Assignment content must not be directly plagiarised from any sources all content must be discussed in the candidates own words and correctly referenced. Any part of the assignment where plagiarism is detected will automatically received 0%. Word count should be shown at the end of each of the two tasks in the assignment. Word count required is advised above. Both Tasks 1 and 2 should be written in report format, i.e. in a concise and professional style, which is well focused and clear in the points being made, with a table of contents, page numbers and numbered section headings throughout. Originality, quality of argument and structure are required for this assignment. Candidates should demonstrate that they can understand, discuss and apply relevant consumer behaviour course theory in a mature and critical manner. Submissions will be expected to demonstrate the following qualities: Answering the central focus of the assignment topics. A critical appreciation of relevant literature and its use to support arguments, substantiate model(s) and other aspects of the assignment. Taking ownership of the content, being prepared to debate and argue a personal viewpoint. Position, evidence of evaluative skills. A submission made up of extracts from Published sources which are descriptive or just theoretical are not acceptable.

 Submissions must include interpretation and consideration of the key issues discussed. Ability to analyse and evaluate relevant theoretical concepts in a critical manner. Evidence of personal academic research, and the ability to analyse material from a variety of appropriate relevant perspectives. Clear listing of references and bibliography in correct Harvard referencing format, both in-text and in the bibliography.

Appendices

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES TESTED: Learning Outcome Description Knowledge and Understanding LO1 LO2 Develop a critical appreciation of current consumer behaviour concepts Develop an in-depth understanding of the complexity of the consumer psychology and its applications on decision-making processes Integrate and apply consumer insights to practical situations in various types of organisations Assess current developments in consumer behaviour, market environment and culture by using case studies Critically analyse and evaluate consumer and customer management practices in organisations in different consumer external environments Critically analyse and evaluate management theory around external influencing factors on consumer behaviour Resolve complex management problems in the area of consumer behaviour by critically evaluating alternative outcomes

LO3 LO4 LO5

LO6 LO7

London School of Business & Finance (LSBF)

Module

MSc in Marketing

Consumer Behaviour

Assignment Title

Segmentation Analysis of Cox and Kings Holidays

Grade

Description of Achievement

70%+

60%-69%

Overall very good thorough account of the segmentation process, identification of current and future customers and ways to influence them both. New opportunities seen consequences of adopting these recommendations and implications for the current environment of the firm in context to behavioural variables in the assignment brief has been suitably discussed. Very good appreciation /analysis of need for renovation of company website, good application of theoretical and analytical tools wherever possible, clear synopsis of the strength or vulnerability of the current situation of the firm with explanation of implications for future recommendations. There is a good continuity between the two sections of the report with a clear relationship between the current and future customers of the firm. Clear choices for the future and choice arguments have been fully supported from the current environment of the firm. The Harvard Referencing System has been both used and applied correctly. The student has used a comprehensive list of valid academic books, articles and academic journals. Excellent amount of research undertaken, excellent reporting of factual information and plenty of evidence of creativity. Strong factually sound narrative and good appreciation of the segmentation process and consumer behavioural theories and models. Recommendations are made but more depth needed and evidence of the understanding of the causal processes leading to the outcomes of suggestions has been discussed. Good understanding and articulation of need for renovation of company website, good application of theoretical and analytical tools but needs clearer synopsis of the implications of recommendations made. There is a good continuity between the 2 sections of the report with a clear relationship between the need to understand current and future consumer behavioural trends. A few good choices for the future. Choice arguments have been not been fully supported from the current environment of the firm. The Harvard Referencing System has been used and applied, but with minor errors. An extensive range of valid academic resources have been used, including some academic journals. Good research, reporting of factual information and a good amount of creativity used.

50%-59%

40%-49%

Below 39%

Good factual narrative with some appreciation of segmentation process strategies and consumer behavioural theories and models but lacks analytical depth or articulation of the consequences of the recommendations made. Some good analytical content, but threads need drawing together into a better synopsis of the strength or vulnerability of the current and future consumer behavioural trends with implications for future consumers. Some good ideas and expression of need for a new website but needs and strategies are inadequately evaluated. Less use of models and theories to support arguments. There is some relationship between the two sections of the report although there is not always a progression of logic and reasoning leading from one section to the next. The sections need to relate to and inform each other so the segmentation analysis of current customers that would help determines behaviour of future customers. The Harvard Referencing System has been used and applied but some mistakes have been made. A wide range of valid academic sources have been used but the majority of sources are text books. Fair amount of research undertaken, reporting of factual information and little evidence of creativity. Factual narrative with little or no appreciation of segmentation process strategies and consumer behavioural theories and models. Lacks complete analytical depth or articulation of the consequences of the recommendations made. Mention of a few incomplete theoretical models, scanty or no analytical content, no threads drawn together, little or no synopsis of the strength or vulnerability of studying current and first time consumers and implications for future consumers. There is little or no relationship between the two sections of the report although there is not always a progression of logic and reasoning leading from one section to the next. The sections need to relate to and inform each other so the segmentation analysis of current and first time customers that would help determine behaviour of future customers. The Harvard Referencing System has been used and applied but major mistakes have been made. In addition the number of valid academic sources is limited. Little or no evidence of research, no signs of creativity. Inadequate historical content lacks relevance to assignment, no signs of segmentation analysis of first time and current customers. Therefore, need to study behavioural trends of future customers have been completely omitted. Lacks relevance to assignment, depth of analysis or theoretical content. Poor or absent range of recommendations. No attempt made at either articulating your choice of suggestions or evaluating these There is absence of relationship between the 2 sections of the report. The first section must lead into the following section of the report. Little or no Harvard Referencing System has been used. In addition the number of valid academic sources is limited and not all are relevant. No research undertaken with no signs of creativity. Student has seriously misunderstood the requirements of the academic question.