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Assessment Task Information (In-College & Remote delivery) Key details: Assessment title: Final Research Artefact Module Name: Research Project Module Code: PM600 Tutor’s Name: Ruth-Anna farragher Assessment will be set on: 18/01/21 Feedback opportunities: Assessment is due on: Assessment weighting: Before deadline: Peer feedback in class, tutor feedback in class 1:1 After deadline: Written feedback available on Turnitin two weeks after submission. Written Report Due: Tuesday 5th July @12.00 Presentation Due: Tuesday 19th July @12.00 Written Report (50%) Research Presentation (20%) Assessment Instructions What do you need to do for this assessment? Task: Previously you have produced a research project proposal and completed a literature review relating to the topic you have chosen for the research project. In this current assignment you have to: 1. conduct your proposed research project, after which you will 2. produce a Written Report and 3. prepare a Research Presentation about the findings in your research project. You will write your report and prepare your presentation for an academic audience, so a formal, academic style should be maintained throughout. The aim of this task is to give you practical experience in conducting research, collecting and analysing data, and reporting research findings. Guidance: Your tutor will also provide written and verbal feedback and guidance on draft versions of your report throughout the term before the submission deadline. 1:1 discussions with your tutor can be very useful to enhance your final submission. Before you submit this assessment, you will have an opportunity to receive feedback from your peers (other students in the class). Your tutor will arrange a time for you to share and discuss your progress with your classmates. You do not have to act on their feedback, but you may find it useful to enhance your final submission. | Kaplan International Pathways | 1 | kaplanpathways.com Please note: This is an individual assessment so you should complete it by yourself. Before you submit this assessment, you will have an opportunity to receive feedback from your peers (other students in the class). You will also be expected to give feedback to your peers on their presentations. Your tutor will arrange a time for you to share and discuss your progress with your classmates. Please make sure you consider your peer feedback carefully as you may find that suggestions made by your fellow students will help you make your final submission more effective. Please also be considerate and careful when you are providing feedback to your peers – try to be constructive, not just critical. The presentation will take place online, and your teacher will send you a link to an online call (on either Zoom or Teams) three days prior to the assessment. Please make sure you check your email and if you have not received the link, please inform your teacher immediately. The invitation will include information about the specific time when you must join the call. Please make sure you have checked the microphone and video camera on the device you will use to take the assessment prior to the assessment. We recommend you use a laptop, not a phone or a tablet for this assessment. As far as possible please make sure you have a reliable internet connection for the duration of this assessment. On the day of the assessment, at a time specified in the invitation to the call, your teacher will open the call, and after all students have joined in, the assessment will begin. Please note that the presentation will be recorded. The recording will only be used for marking purposes and quality assurance reviews. In the event that a live presentation is not possible or is heavily impaired, an Exception Extenuating Circumstances (EEC) form should be submitted, and your project tutor should be informed. An audio or screencast recording of your presentation may be accepted in this circumstance. Structure: Structure of the Written Report: (4000 words ± 20%) The Written Report should include the following sections: Project Title: Give your project a working title (10-20 words). Abstract: In less than 200 words, summarise the key contents of your completed research project (not included in word count). Section 1: Introduction (~500 words): In this section you should provide some contextual information about your chosen topic and explain why this topic is worth studying. This should be a developed from your original research proposal based on feedback and your own reflection. This section should contain the aims and objectives of this research project and a description of the key questions (maximum three) that it aims to answer. Section 2: Literature Review (~1500 words) In this section, you will act on previous feedback to improve and possibly extend your previous literature review. You should critically review the available academic literature on your chosen topic. You should compare and contrast existing research findings in order to identify gaps which your research aims to fill, and critically evaluate the quality of existing literature on your chosen topic. Section 3: Methodology (~500 – 600 words) This section should describe and justify your overall methodology. This can be developed from your research proposal but must describe and justify what has been done. In addition, you are required to discuss a range of methodological issues, such as: 1. If you choose primary research methodology you should consider: • • • • • The research perspective and strategy (Did you apply a quantitative or qualitative approach? Why?); Your data collection methods (Did you use questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, etc? Why?); Your sample size and sampling technique. Your research approach for data analysis. A reflection on the limitations of your methods | Kaplan International Pathways | 2 | kaplanpathways.com 2. If you choose secondary research methodology, you should consider: • • • • • • Why secondary research is suitable for answering your research questions; The general strengths and weaknesses of using secondary data; The datasets you intend to use and the strengths and weaknesses of these; How and why you have selected this data. Your research approach for data analysis In this section you should also consider the ethical issues which are relevant for your project and also provide concrete solutions of how these will be solved. Section 4: Research Findings (~500-600 words) This section should present and describe your key research findings and include, as appropriate, graphics to support and aid the reader. Section 5: Discussion (~600 – 800 words) This section should analyse your key research findings and link these to the existing body of literature on your chosen topic. You should also consider how the research data you have collected helped you answer your research questions. Note: it is possible to combine sections 4 and 5 into one section approx. 1200-1500 words Section 6: Conclusion/Recommendations (~500 words) This section should summarise the key findings for your project and reflect on how these could be useful in your chosen field and also recommend how this topic can be further in the future. Section 7: Reference List (excluded from the word count) In this section you should include a list of all sources you have referred to in the report, in accordance with the APA or Harvard referencing conventions. Section 8: Appendices (excluded from the word count) This section may include a copy of a reflective diary about your research process and also other documents such as a copy of your research instrument(s), a copy of your informed consent (if applicable), etc. Note: Word lengths indicated are recommendations. Exact word lengths of sections can vary across projects to best meet the project objectives. Structure of the Research Presentation / Poster: (max.1000 words) Your presentation should last between 10 to 15 minutes, including questions from the audience. You should organise your presentation to include the following information: Your poster should include the following sections: Section 1: Introduction & Background This section should introduce your project aims and research questions, as well as some key background information to support and justify your project area. Section 2: Research Method This section should briefly summarise your research approach to indicate how you tried to answer your research questions. Section 3: Findings & Discussion This section should be the main focus of the presentation, and should include: - Visual presentation of your main findings (using appropriate graphs, charts, or other visuals) Commentary on your findings with reference to your research question(s), hypotheses and the relevant literature. - Your interpretation of the findings and the conclusions you draw from them. Section 4: Conclusion & Reflection | Kaplan International Pathways | 3 | kaplanpathways.com This section should provide a conclusion to your research and make any recommendations for future research. This section should also include reflection on the limitations of your research study and research design, identifying what you would do differently if you were to do your project again. Additional sub-sections can be added that are relevant to the project. Theory and/or task resources required for the assessment: Both primary and secondary research approaches must include some secondary research and you must find and use relevant sources independently. You should aim to refer to a minimum of 15 sources specific to your topic in your research project. You may wish to use some informal sources for background research on your topic e.g. newspapers, reputable websites, in addition to a diverse range of academic sources available to you through your college and the internet, including journals, textbooks and chapters in edited volumes, as well as databases. Referencing style: You should refer to a minimum of 15 relevant sources for your report. Please refer to your module VLE and module VLE page and module handbook for a list of useful resources. You must include citations as required throughout your report and include a reference list at the end of your report. APA is the preferred style, although Harvard or APA styles may be used. A full bibliography is NOT required. Expected word count: Your Written Report should be 4000 words (+ 20%) in total. The project title, front cover page, table of contents, headings, citations, references and appendices are excluded from the word count. Approximate section lengths are indicated above. Your Research Poster should contain no more than 1000 words total. The project title, module details and references are excluded from the word count. The Research Presentation should be no more than 15 minutes, including questions from the audience. Learning Outcomes Assessed: The following learning outcomes are assessed in this task: • • • • Implement appropriate qualitative or quantitative research methods and critically appraise methodology Conduct and produce a critically evaluative academic literature review appropriate to the proposed research question(s) following accepted conventions. Critically reflect on academic skills & performance, responding appropriately to feedback to improve aspects of academic work. Produce a research report or other artefact which follows accepted academic conventions, in which research findings are presented and analysed Submission Requirements: You must include the following paragraph on your title page: “I confirm that this assignment is my/our own work. Where I have referred to academic sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final reference list.” You must type your assessment in an academically suitable font (e.g. Arial), font size 11, with 1.5 spacing. Sections and sub-section headings can be font size 14/16. You must submit the assessment electronically via the VLE module page. Please ensure you submit it via the Turnitin VLE plug-in. The Written Report should be submitted as a word document or pdf (must contain recognised text). The Research Presentation / Poster should be submitted as a PowerPoint (ppt) or pdf files. Note: Apple file-types such as Pages documents are not accepted by Turnitin. Similarly, image-only pdf files are not accepted. Please ensure you have checked which file types are accepted by Turnitin. | Kaplan International Pathways | 4 | kaplanpathways.com When you submit a copy of your Proposal to Turnitin, you must include a title page with the following information: ✓ Module Code (PM600) ✓ Class/Group (e.g. Group A) ✓ Module Title (Research Project) ✓ Assessment Type (Written Report) ✓ Module Tutor Name ✓ Student Name ✓ Student ID Number ✓ Date of Submission When you submit your proposal on Turnitin, the submission title should include: Your student ID number_ module code and group_ tutor initials e.g. 2999999_PM600F_JB NB – If you experience problems submitting your assessment to Turnitin: 1. Email Academic Services (gic.academicservices@kaplan.com) your work before the deadline 2. Take a picture or screenshot of the warning message if possible. 3. Email the screenshot and work to Academic Services. Assessments submitted after the submission deadline may incur penalties or may not be accepted Academic Integrity & Misconduct Information: Please use this link to access more information on academic integrity and misconduct: https://pathways.kaplaninternational.com/course/view.php?id=1940 Addition submission information – check you have done the following: Formatting Consistent font, spacing, page numbers, formatting and subheadings Citations Correct format and location throughout the report Referencing Harvard referencing system used correctly in the reference list Summarising Summarising the results of research Paraphrasing Paraphrasing the contents of research findings Spell check Spell check the report Proof-reading Proof-reading completed Grammar Grammarly has been used to check the report How will this assessment be marked? The Written Report will be marked using the following areas and weightings: - Introduction and literature review • How well you presented the background to your research project • How well you conducted your literature review. • How well you explained and justified your project aims and research questions. - Methodology* • How effectively you explained and justified your choice of research design. | Kaplan International Pathways | 5 | kaplanpathways.com • How effectively you explained your research method - Findings & Discussion • How effectively you presented and discussed the results and findings of your research project, visually and textually. • How effectively you connect your project findings to existing literature and research. • How effectively you summarise the key findings of project and conclude your project. - Organisation & Structure • How clearly you structured the sections of your report. • How effectively you developed your paragraphs and your ability to maintain a logical flow of argumentation and presentation of ideas. • How well you use cohesive devices and linking expressions to organically connect ideas and sections. - Use of Sources and Referencing • How wide a range of sources specific to your topic you used. • How appropriate your choice of sources for your research area were. • How effective and accurate your use of citations and references was. - Presentation of the report • How well you formatted and presented your report, overall • How well you adhered to submission requirements. • How well you visually presented relevant data and information, in terms of visual clarity, communication and labelling. *There are separate marking criteria for the Methodology section for primary and secondary research. You will receive a (%) grade for each criterion, which will be grouped in bands of five (50, 55, 60, 65 etc.). The overall assessment grade will be averaged from the six criteria, and the overall mark will be a percentage. The Research Presentation / Poster will be marked using the following areas and weightings: - - - - Selected Findings & Discussion (25%) • How clearly you present and discuss your research findings • How effectively you connect your findings to both previous research and your research objectives. Structure and Quality of Materials (25%) • How effectively you organise and signpost the sections on your poster. • How well sections and arguments are structured. • How well visuals and graphics are used to communicate project content. Reflections on Project (RP) (25%) • How well you used academic language and topic terminology. • How effectively you comment on the successes, challenges and limitations of your research project. Delivery (25%) • How effectively you verbally present your project in terms of clarity, fluency, tone and pace. | Kaplan International Pathways | 6 | kaplanpathways.com • How well you verbally refer to your poster and integrate your poster into your spoken delivery. • How well you respond to questions. You will receive a (%) grade for each criterion, which will be grouped in bands of five (50, 55, 60, 65 etc.). The overall assessment grade will be averaged from the four criteria, and the overall mark will be a percentage. You must achieve a minimum 40% to pass both assessments. How will you get feedback? Your tutor will grade the assessment and provide feedback for each criteria area. Students will usually receive assessment feedback on the VLE Turnitin plug-in up to four weeks (20 working days) after the assessment submission deadline, unless affected by holidays, term breaks and other circumstances. Exact submission deadlines w be set by Kaplan Pathway college. | Kaplan International Pathways | 7 | kaplanpathways.com Assessment Task Information (In-College & Remote delivery) Key details: Assessment title: Literature Review & Research Questions (submitted to Turn-it-in via Pathways VLE) Module Name: Research Project Module Code: PM600 Tutor’s Name: Ruth-Anna Farragher Assessment will be set on: 08/03/21 Before deadline: Peer feedback in class, tutor feedback in class 1:1 Feedback opportunities: After deadline: Written feedback available on Turnitin two weeks after submission. Assessment is due on: Friday 16/04/21 12.00 Assessment weighting: 30% Assessment Instructions What do you need to do for this assessment? In your previous assessment you produced a research project proposal on which you have received feedback from your tutor. Use this feedback to improve your proposal by re-writing two sections of the proposal: 1. Literature Review 2. Research Questions for resubmission to a potential research supervisor. The aim of these two sections is to provide appropriate focus of your research project and literature-based evidence which can help persuade your research supervisor about the importance and need for this research project. Guidance: For this assessment you should make use of the following formative activities that you have already completed. These activities have been designed to support this assessment: • Week 7: Research Proposal assessment feedback • Week 9: Peer Review Literature Review Worksheet • Week 10: Literature Review 1:1s with class tutor Please note: Both parts of this assessments are individual tasks which means that you are expected to complete them by yourself. Before you submit your written project, you will have an opportunity to receive feedback from your peers (other students in the class). You will also be expected to give feedback to your peers on their written projects. Your tutor will arrange a time for you to share and discuss your progress with your classmates. Please make sure you consider your peer feedback carefully as you may find that suggestions made by your fellow students will help you make your final submission more | Kaplan International Pathways | 1 | kaplanpathways.com effective. Please also be considerate and careful when you are providing feedback to your peers – try to be constructive, not just critical. Structure: Project Title: Give your project a working title (15-20 words). Section 1: Literature Review (1200 – 1500 words) In this section, you are to review the available academic literature on your chosen topic. You should compare and contrast existing research findings in order to identify gaps which your research aims to fill, and critically evaluate the quality of existing literature on your chosen topic. You can organise this section into further sub-sections, such as an introduction and sub-sections dedicated to specific research themes. Sub-section headings should reflect the relevant content of that section. Section 2: Reflection on Research Questions (200-300 words) This section should include your Research Questions (maximum three). You should provide a justification of these questions and relate these to the existing literature on your chosen topic. You can also discuss your hypotheses for your project, highlighting the kinds of results you expect to find based on your reading. Reference List (excluded from the word count) In this section you should include a list of all sources you have used to complete this assignment following the HARVARD referencing style. Theory and/or task resources required for the assessment: This is a secondary research task, requiring you to draw on sources to evaluate your research design and the topic you wish to research. Note – this does not mean your final research project must follow a secondary research approach. This is solely for the Literature Review & Research Questions assessment. You should draw on knowledge and information provided in lectures and seminars. A range of sources relevant to your topic area is required for this assignment: you may wish to use less-formal sources for background research on your topic e.g. newspapers, reputable websites in addition to a diverse range of academic sources available to you through your college, including journals, textbooks and chapters in edited volumes. Databases are a rich source for datasets. A minimum of 10 sources is required for this assignment. Referencing style: All sources cited within the literature review should appear in the final reference list. The preferred reference style is HARVARD APA. Expected word count: You are expected to write approximately 1,500 – 1800 words to complete this assignment, following the structure outlined above. References and project title are excluded from the word count. Learning Outcomes Assessed: • • Conduct and produce a critically evaluative academic literature review appropriate to the proposed research question(s) following accepted conventions. Critically reflect on academic skills & performance, responding appropriately to feedback to improve aspects of academic work. • | Kaplan International Pathways | 2 | kaplanpathways.com Submission Requirements: You must include the following paragraph on your title page: “I confirm that this assignment is my own work. Where I have referred to academic sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final reference list.” You must type your assessment in an academically suitable font (e.g. Arial), font size 12, with 1.5 spacing. Sections and sub-section headings can be font size 14. You must submit the assessment electronically via the VLE module page. Please ensure you submit it via the Turnitin VLE plug-in. When you submit a copy of your Proposal to Turnitin, you must include a title page with the following information: ✓ Module Code (PM600) ✓ Class/Group (e.g. M19 ✓ Module Title (Research Project) ✓ Assessment Type (Literature Review & Research Questions) ✓ Module Tutor Name ✓ Student Name ✓ Student ID Number ✓ Date of Submission When you submit your proposal to Turnitin via the VLE, the submission title should include: Your student ID number_group number_tutor name e.g. P123456_JD10_Ruth-AnnaFarragher NB – If you experience problems submitting your assessment to Turnitin: 1. Email your work to your Tutor before the deadline 2. Take a picture or screenshot of the warning message if possible. 3. Email the screenshot and work to your Tutor. Assessments submitted after the submission deadline may incur penalties or may not be accepted Academic Integrity & Misconduct Information: Please use this link to access more information on academic integrity and misconduct: https://pathways.kaplaninternational.com/course/view.php?id=1940 Addition submission information – check you have done the following: Formatting Consistent font, spacing, page numbers, formatting and subheadings Citations Correct format and location throughout the report Referencing Harvard referencing system used correctly in the reference list Summarising Summarising the results of research Paraphrasing Paraphrasing the contents of research findings Spell check Spell check the report Proof-reading Proof-reading completed | Kaplan International Pathways | 3 | kaplanpathways.com Grammar The report has been checked for grammatical accuracy How will this assessment be marked? The following criteria will be used to evaluate your performance in this assessment: - Coverage and content (25%) How well you cover available sources and identify key content that is relevant to your research area. How suitable and persuasive your research objectives and research questions are. - Critical Appraisal (25%) How well you evaluate and comment on the literature in your research area. This includes identifying logical connections between sources and your own research project. - Organisation of ideas (25%) How well you organise your ideas to address your key research themes and assessment objectives. How well you structure your ideas using linking expressions, cohesive devices and narrative synthesis, as well as section headings and order. - Academic Expression (25%) How well your present your ideas in academic English and use relevant terminology for your research area. How well you follow academic conventions relating to appropriate register, paraphrasing and referencing. You will receive a (%) grade for each criterion. The overall assessment grade will be averaged from the four criteria, and the overall mark will be a percentage. You must achieve a minimum 40% to pass this assessment. How will you get feedback? Your tutor will grade the assessment and provide feedback for each criteria area. Students will usually receive assessment feedback on Turnitin two weeks after the assessment submission deadline, unless affected by holidays, term breaks and other circumstances. | Kaplan International Pathways | 4 | kaplanpathways.com 1 Chapter 3: Research Methodology Name Institutional Affiliation Date 2 3. Research Methodology 3.1. Introduction This research intends to use the datasets from existing studies to explore and analyze how sales promotions and marketing strategies influence customers' attitudes and behaviors. In this section, the research design will be outlined in detail. The method used in this study will be described, including its strengths and limitations. 3.2. Research Design 3.2.1 Research Approach This research will use the deductive research approach. This is because the type of investigation of this study involves correlation and involves hypothesis testing. Moreover, there is a vast volume of literature and theories on the area of concern and a short time available to complete this study; thus, the deductive approach is the best choice (Pandey, 2019). The research hypotheses were initially formulated and then additionally tested using the datasets. Some of the inherent advantages of deductive approach design include the capacity to outline, collaborate, and compare findings and enable the deriving of logical deductions from actual findings. The limitation of the deductive approach in this research is that if the premises of this study turns out to be false, for instance, that sales promotion efforts do not impact consumer attitudes, then the conclusion that sales promotions can influence consumer behavior and attitudes cannot be relied on (Pandey, 2019). This study was carried out by collecting secondary datasets from peer-reviewed academic journals, where qualitative and quantitative data were taken. It is practical to utilize secondary 3 research considering the time and cost limitations (Kalu et al., 2019). Moreover, since the research aims to tackle the research questions from a global perspective, secondary research is applicable whereby evaluation and coupling of the existing datasets will offer some novel understandings for the sales and marketing fields. On the downside, using datasets from a broad array of sources is challenging, particularly in acquiring the applicable information for the research. 3.2.2. Data Collection Twelve articles, both international and local, were used to accomplish this research. These journals were obtained from the University of Liverpool library. The table below outlines the search keys and terms used during data collection. Research topic 1. “What are the main reasons for business and salesman’s rejection and the main concerns of customers?” "Marketing" AND "Customer perception." “Advertising” And “ Consumer purchasing Behavior” AND “Attitude." “Traditional corporate marketing “AND “Consumer perception” Research topic 2: “How can enterprises promote to people of different ages and persuade them to buy goods?” “Marketing” AND “ Demographics” AND “Perception” “Sales strategies" AND " Age." Research topic 3: “What should enterprises do to make them think that marketing is not cheating, and then make them accept or even like marketing?” “Marketing strategy” AND “Consumer resistance” “Sales promotions” AND “Positive consumer attitude” AND “Negative consumer attitude” “Marketing” AND “ Novel approaches." Year of publication: 2016-2022 Table 1. search keys and filters 4 Research titles and synopsis were used to filter the journals. Research articles that were included peer-reviewed past studies that were performed on the topic of sales promotion and marketing and its interrelationship with customer attitudes and behaviors in the last six years. This was to increase the trustworthiness of the data obtained, making the data more credible and applicable (Kalu et al., 2019). On the downside, the key interest in this research is not mentioned or discussed in detail in all the selected articles. Therefore, the data might not respond to my specific research questions; thereby, a lack of pertinent information to the original context may occur. 3.2.3 Data Analysis Descriptive data analysis was used. After extracting qualitative and quantitative datasets from the reviewed articles, manipulation of datasets was carried out for additional comparison. Descriptive statistics such as means and mediums were used to formulate charts, used to describe the interrelationships between different sales promotional approaches and their impacts on consumer behavior and attitude (George & Mallery, 2018). This method offers visual representations of collected data, which is simpler to read and understand. Nonetheless, when not cautious enough, errors are prone to occur when using descriptive statistics in data manipulations. 3.3. Critical Analysis of a Methodology This subsection analyzes the research methodology adopted by Arditto et al. (2020). Their research is investigational research where, using Peru as context, primary data was gathered to explore how long-term ties or relations with consumers are impacted by how consumers perceive salespeople (trust, interaction, expertise) from a developing economy 5 perspective. Data was collected from 415 participants, where the researchers gave a detailed outline of strategies adopted to guarantee data legitimacy and diminish possible bias. This includes training participants and explaining survey guidelines (Arditto et al., 2020). Moreover, sampling was ideally done, where the sample unit was representative of the population under investigation. Thereby, because the sampling and data collection techniques are ideal, the findings of the direct and significant interrelationship between salespeople and consumer perception recorded in this research are reliable. Nonetheless, the data collected was restricted to one particular setting: Peru. Moreover, the study's findings are centered on consumer surveys, not on actual behavior data. As such, general conclusions cannot be made. 3.4. Conclusions In conclusion, this chapter presents a detailed description of the methodology design of the current study. Data collection and analysis procedures are also discussed in detail to enable further research. Novel understandings could thereby be obtained and potentially present answers to the current research questions on the impacts of sales promotion and marketing on consumer behavior and attitude by extracting secondary data from peer-reviewed articles. The significant findings will be outlined in the next chapter. 6 References Pandey, J. (2019). Deductive approach to content analysis. In Qualitative techniques for workplace data analysis (pp. 145-169). IGI Global. George, D., & Mallery, P. (2018). Descriptive statistics. In IBM SPSS Statistics 25 Step by Step (pp. 126-134). Routledge. Arditto, L., Cambra-Fierro, J. J., Fuentes-Blasco, M., Jaraba, A. O., & Vázquez-Carrasco, R. (2020). How does customer perception of salespeople influence the relationship? A study in an emerging economy. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 54, 101952. Kalu, A. O. U., Unachukwu, L. C., & Ibiam, O. (2019). Accessing secondary data: A literature review. Research Topic: The research of marketing strategies of German cars companies in China Module Code:PM600 Group: MD17 Module Title: Research Project Assessment Type: Written Report Module Tutor Name: Andrew Upton Student ID Number: P298197 Date of Submission: 12 April 2022 I confirm that this assignment is my own work. Where I have referred to academic sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final reference list. Abstract The research has described various marketing strategies used by three German car companies operating in the Chinese market including Mercedes, Volkswagen, and BMW. It has also discussed the impact of Covid-19 on car sales in the US and currently China is described as largest car sales in comparison with the developed country in the world as well. Further, the research has utilised a secondary method of data collection as it is easier and more convenient to use. The project has also included qualitative data in concern with this topic. The secondary data has been collected from different sources to optimise the reliability of the research paper. Based on the research, it is found that China is the biggest market for German cars as compared to big economies like the US. Moreover, It is also found that Volkswagen has a high dependency on the Chinese market which can affect the performance of the brand. Moreover, it is found that Mercedes Benz is having high growth than other car markers in China. Hence, the research has critically discussed the way marketing strategies have helped the companies in achieving success and growth in the Chinese market. Keywords: marketing strategies, German Car, Covid-19,Mercedes, Volkswagen, BMW, China and US, Chinese market, Automobile industry, Electric vehicle, Growth, Sales of German car Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Section 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope .................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Research Question .............................................................................................................................. 1 Section 2: Literature Review......................................................................................................................... 2 Section 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 7 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 7 3.2 Data Collection method ...................................................................................................................... 7 3.3 Methodology of one previous research from resources ...................................................................... 8 3.4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Section 4: Findings ....................................................................................................................................... 9 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 9 4.2 China as a biggest German car market ............................................................................................... 9 4.3 Volkswagen too much dependency on China Market ...................................................................... 10 4.4 Slow growth of Mercedes as compared to other German cars in China ........................................... 12 4.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Section 5: Discussion .................................................................................................................................. 14 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 14 5.2 China as the biggest German car market. ......................................................................................... 14 5.3 Volkswagen too much dependency on China Market ...................................................................... 14 5.4 Slow growth of Mercedes as compared to other German cars in China ........................................... 15 5.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 15 6: Conclusion/Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 17 References ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Section 1: Introduction The automobile sector in China has seen persistent growth and it is supported by the economic growth of the country which is increasing year by year. Further, the Chinese market offers diverse attractions as the consumer demands are increasing and offer diverse growth opportunities to the companies (Williamson et. al. 2021). For this purpose, the research will focus on describing the marketing strategies of Volkswagen, Mercedes, and BMW in the Chinese market. The demand of e-vehicles is also increasing in Chinese market to address the increased environmental concern. 1.1 Background The automobile industry in the Chinese market is growing rapidly and China is known as the world’s largest vehicles market. Along with that, the Chinese government also expects that the automobile output will reach around 35 million by 2025. It also enhances the competitiveness among German car companies in the Chinese market. Due to this increased competitiveness and availability of substitutes, planning of marketing strategy is must achieve success and growth (Williams-Franklin and Franklin, 2022). 1.2 Scope The primary scope of the research is to identify the marketing strategies used by the automobile sector in the Chinese market. The research will also highlight the marketing strategies used by some of the German car companies in the Chinese market. Companies have also taken advantage of marketing campaigns, advertising, and promotion techniques to achieve significant growth in the Chinese market (Fan et. al. 2020). The scope is to understand the importance of marketing strategies and different strategies that could help German car companies in achieving success in today’s Chinese market. Further, the market and demands of consumer is changing frequently, for example, the demands during the Covid-19 have affected the market. These changes are responsible for bringing changes in marketing strategies as well. 1.3 Research Question 1. Why China market is considers as the biggest market for the German cars? 1 2. Volkswagen's too much dependence on the China market would lead to a financial problem for the company in the future? 3. Why there is slow growth of Mercedes's compared with other German car makers in the China market? The first question aims to analyze the importance of the China market in the global cars market and changes in the environment that have impacted the companies in the short and long run. The reason why the China market is more important to German car makers than any other market in the world. The second question is about Volkswagen and its dependence on the sale or in the China market. Company major growth lies in the China market which might bring difficulties for the company in near future financially. Change in the policy of China government like Made in China by 2025 campaign would reduce the growth of the company or not. The third question is regarding the low growth of Mercedes in the China market than other German companies. This is due to late Enter or change in the policies of the China government or lack of proper strategic by the company in the China market. Section 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The Chinese market is considered one of the most attractive consumer markets with its increasing consumer demands and high growth opportunities for the company. As per the report of Sha et al. (2014) during the time of the global recession of 2008-10, China was the only country to recover quickly and headed in an upward swing. According to Barton (2013), head of CAR (Center Automotive Research)'s Automotive Research Center, said, "In the Chinese market, German cars shares are increasing and would be more in future also. In 1988, Volkswagen entered China with their new brand Audi, and slowly became the leader of premium cars in the Chinese market. 2 According to Hu & Yuan (2018) in their report on China NEV market development for the premium cars, Mercedes and BMW also enter the market in 21 centuries in the Chinese market. As per Bartikowski & Cleveland (2017) study, Around 5.4 million vehicles were sold by these companies in the Chinese market in 2020 which is around 38% of the total sale of a car in China. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to analyze China's market influence in the global car industry and how German car companies are using different marketing strategies to capture the China market. The main content of this discussion consists of the following four parts: China is influencing the global car industry, Volkswagen marketing strategy in China, BMW strategy in China, and Mercedes marketing strategy in the China market. 2.2 China is influencing the global car industry: China is one of the biggest markets for the car in the world. The demand for car is increasing day by day in the market. As per the study by Barton (2013), China alone accounts for 50% of Volkswagen’s world sales, 37% of Audi, and 30% of BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz. As per the report of Bartikowski & Cleveland (2017) on the environment of China for premium, cars states that the current trends of SUVs, electrified car, and connected cars are having demand in the market. Chinese buyers and especially the youth population are attracted towards SUVs more to have the prestige of having bigger cars. According to the study of Dewalska-Opitek (2020), The growth of SUVs in China is about 65% in the youth who are buying for the first time with an average age around 34. Currently, demand for connected cars and electrified cars are increasing in the market. The demand for the electrified car is more than the demand in the US. As per study by Jiang (2018), in 2013 China has surpassed the US in the consumption of the highest automobiles demand in the world. According to Sha et al. (2014) study states that the huge population of China makes the demand for the products more than the other countries with less population. The main limitation of these two reports is that these reports consider before covid situation and not after situation which is changed around the world drastically even, it had impacted the behavior of consumers differently. 2.3 Volkswagen Marketing Strategy in the China: 3 According to the study of Heq (2015), Volkswagen entered the Chinese car market in 1988 through three different approaches for three different areas of the car market. It came up with the joint venture with shanghai based SAIC Volkswagen, in the northeastern city of Changchun the second venture FAW-Volkswagen and three in Beijing Volkswagen import. It focused more on the requirement of the Chinese with a unique model for the Chinese market were launched in SUVs to capture the market. The report concludes that with the use of this strategy currently, Volkswagen has the highest market share in the car market of China which is not the only reason for Volkswagen's success in China. As per the report of Lee et al. (2021) company’s next strategy is to strengthen the company by electrification of the car which is demanded by the youth in the market. JAC Volkswagen's joint venture for electrification cars is strengthening with the increase in the capital and research and development of the venture for the best production of the electrified car. Before covid, the launch of 10 electrified models in 2020 was the target, but due to covid things have changed in the market and country. According to Cheng (2018), Volkswagen has come up with a new strategy to secure future demand for batteries in the Chinese e- models. According to the agreement Volkswagen Investment co. (China) would become the largest shareholder of Gotion with 26% of shares by buying at 1.1 billion euros. With this partnership, the company would get to know how in the battery industry and the recycling of battery process by Going. With that Gotion would become a certified supplier of local MEB vehicles for the company. As per report by Lee et al. (2021), Volkswagen growth is directly proportional with the China market which means change in the China market or downturn in China market would lead to low growth in the company. 2.4 BMW Marketing Strategy in China: As per the study of Jiang (2018), BMW entered China market in 1994 by a joint venture with the Shenyang-based Brilliance company that was later called BMW Brilliance. Rapid growth was seen by the company from the start, as China is considered the second-best market for luxury cars in the world after the US. As per the report by Mckisney China luxury car market would reach around 3 million units by 2021 and would surpass the US and become the largest market 4 for the luxury car by 2023. This report has considered the growth in luxury cars in China but has ignored growth and new entries in the auto sector in China. According to Gao & Krogstie (2015), Various strategies were used by the BMW company to increase the growth in China by localizing global popular campaigns like “Joy of BMW” and connecting with the people of the chin by increasing brand reputation. It also used Chinese culture, painting, opera masks, and calligraphy in order to customize the brand in the local market. As stated by Dewalska-Opitek (2020), a Joint venture with the brilliance group have helped the company in bringing a new model with advanced technology in the market which also helps in the growth of the company. In 2018, BMW Brilliance have built the first high-voltage power battery center for luxury car companies in China, which would help BMW to expand in the electrified car market with new technology. The BMW Brilliance R&D Center has advanced R&D equipment which can perform a variety of vehicle testing, laboratories, a variety of test workshops, and 56 benches like noise testing, climate simulation, complete road test in real climate, and vibration. BMW Brilliance contributed to the development of local suppliers related technologies by establishing quality standards which help in promoting the local presence of international suppliers. The report does not state other companies which Brilliance group consider or make a battery for them which are indirect competitors of the BMW in the China market. 2.5 Mercedes Marketing Strategy in China: According to the report of Chevalier &Lu (2015), Mercedes entered China in 2005 with new models for the China market in the luxury cars segment. Entering the market where already two big companies are their in-luxury segment made it difficult for Mercedes to stable its position in the market. Innovation and development in the models of the car helped the company to increase the demand for their product in the growing economy of China. If we compare the growth of Mercedes with Volkswagen then it would be very less, as Mercedes growth is around 5% only in the market (Hu & Yuan, 2018). The report considers late entry of Mercedes has affected the growth of the company in China which is true up to a certain level but there are other reasons also. 5 As per the report of Bartikowski et al. (2019) on luxury cars: Made in China states that China government is now concerned about the market captured by the German car company in their country. These would affect the car market of China in the future with the continuous intervention of the government. Whether it is due to late entry in the China market or due to change in the policies of China government towards automobiles sector or international companies growth in the China market or due to company objective and bad strategic plan in the China market. 2.6 Conclusion: As mentioned in the literature review, the benefits and the problems are due to China's influence on the global car market. With that analysis of the different marketing strategies used by the companies i.e., Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes to increase their market share in China and all overgrowth of the company in the global market. For luxury cars, China is the biggest market, and analysis on how this has impacted the company with the change in the situations. At some point, changes in the environment due to the covid pandemic are also considered. Qualitative and quantitative research methods can be found in the literature. As discussed in the literature above, too much dependence on the China market might affect the companies, and change in the government policy like motivating made in China campaign may affect the companies and their growth cycle in the luxury car segment of China. 6 Section 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction A research methodology is a systematic selection of the methodological choices which are being made by the researcher while doing the research. The major purpose of this methodology chapter is to offer the specific details related to the methodology used by the researcher for data collection, interpretation, and analysis for systematically conducting high-quality research. The major aim of this research report is to research the marketing strategies of the German car companies in China. For this, the researcher has made the appropriate choice of methodology which is being explained in this section of the report. 3.2 Data Collection method Selecting the data collection method is the most important task for the research. This research study is being conducted by using the secondary data collection method. One of the important reasons behind using this method for data collection is that it is easy and more convenient to use(Johnston,2017). This project has included qualitative data related to the research topic. For gathering the information through the secondary data collection sources different sources are being used(Hammarberget al.2016). The academic resources which are available in the University library in the form of hard copies of books have been used. Along with these different online academic sources such as journals, articles, Google scholar and the electric library has been used for this project. Moreover, the report will be investigating the different academic sources in the finding and discuss section. Gathering the information from the secondary data collection method is very effective for this research(Martinset al.2018). This had allowed in gathering the data from different sources which had made the research more valid and reliable. The secondary resources have helped in understanding the background information related to the research study. However, doing the primary research is quite costly and requires alot of resources and time. Also, it is not easy to conduct the primary research on the German Car companies due to ethical considerations which can create major obstacles in doing the research. But in secondary research, these issues are less and ethical considerations are also less. Also for instance, if the managers of the different 7 marketing departments of the German cars would have been interviewed then it would be more complex to interpret and analyse the data. 3.3 Methodology of one previous research from resources One of the previous resources has focused on investigating the marketing strategies of luxury car firms in China. The name of the source “Analysis of the Marketing Strategies of Luxury Cars in China—Porsche as an Example”is and is done by GuoJingchunin 2021. In this research, the researcher had gathered information related to the trends of the Chinese market through the secondary data collection method (Guo, 2021). In this study the researcher had gathered data for marketing strategies of Porsche car in china is being studied for understanding how the car market of China is affecting the firm's operating in it. The researcher had focused on investigating how Porsche is operating in the Chinese market and getting knowledge for the market. One of the important advantages of using this method is that it makes it easier for the researcher to do the research. Also, the researcher has utilised the qualitative data as this has allowed them in understanding the market and making appropriate recommendations for the company (Kozleski, 2017). Moreover, the researcher has used the quantitative data in the resource to show the sales figure of Porsche cars in the Chinese market because quantitative data shows numerical data which is easy to understand. Thus, using quantitative data for this research is relevant because the understanding of the automotive industry is easier through the use of quantitative data which include sales figure, profit, and market share. The alternative source which could have been used by the researcher was primary research but it is a time-consuming process to conduct the survey and interviews and thus secondary sources for the data collection are used where the use of authentic publications are used for the research. 3.4 Conclusion This chapter had provided the overall information about the way the data is being gathered and the research is being produced. This section of the report had also evaluated the methodology of one of the previous research on the related topic. This assisted in understanding why the methodological choices made for this project are appropriate. From this section, it is clear that the secondary data collection method is more useful for this project and therefore the researcher had used it. 8 Section 4: Findings 4.1 Introduction This chapter focuses on finding and analysis of the data which is gathered from secondary sources to answer the research question. Moreover, the findings will be also be connected with the existing literature to determine if the findings are in support or against the existing literature. 4.2 China as a biggest German car market The China market is known as the biggest German car market because of the high population and youth craze for German car due to which the sales of German cars is higher in China as compared to other countries (Notar, 2016). Figure 1: Germany Car sales in China (Source: Car Sales Statistics, 2020) Based on the above secondary research data, There has been a growth in the sales of the German car companies in china such as Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes Benz except Volkswagen, other shows a high change in growth in 2020 as compared to 2019. 9 Figure 2: German car sales in the USA (Source: Car Sales Statistics, 2020) It is analysed that China is a bigger market as compared to the US as every brand has faced a decrease in sales in the year 2020 as compared to 2019. These findings can be supported with the existing literature of Barton(2013), which found that China accounted for 50% of the sales of Volkwagen total sales in the world, 37% of Audi, and 30% of Mercedes Benz, BMW and Porsche 4.3 Volkswagen too much dependency on China Market As per the recent data, Volkwagen's 40% sales comes from the Chinese market which means china account for the biggest market share for the growth of Volkwagen in the Future. 10 Figure 3: Volkswagen higher deliveries to China (Source: Mikhailova. V.,2020) Based on the above data which shows the volume of deliveries done by Volkwagen in different markets and shows that the deliveries are higher in China which states that Volkwagen's sales account mostly from the Chinese market which can create a problem for the brand in the future. 11 Figure 4: Volkswagen sales in different markets (Source: Car sales statistics, 2020) It is analysed that there is a decrease in sales by 10% which account for higher sales volume in China than in other markets. Thus, It is found that Volkswagen is highly dependent on the China market and it can affect the brand performance due to high dependency on one market for sales. This finding can be supported by the study of Lee et al (2021) which found that the growth of Volkswagen is directly propositional with the china market and any changes in the China market will have a significant impact on the brand performance financially as its sales largely come from this market. 4.4 Slow growth of Mercedes as compared to other German cars in China 12 Figure 5 Higher Sales growth of Mercedes in China Luxury market (Source: Car sales statistics, 2020) In 2020, Mercedes Benz recorded the highest growth in their sales as compared to any other brand. Mercedes is making development in their product as per the changing demands of customers and despite the pandemic hit Mercedes accounted for 11.7% sales growth in 2020. 4.5 Conclusion Thus, it can be summarized based on the findings that China is the biggest market for German cars as compared to big economies like the US. Moreover, It is also found that Volkswagen has a high dependency on the Chinese market which can affect the performance of the brand. Furthermore, based on analysis, it is found that Mercedes Benz is having high growth than other car markers in China. 13 Section 5: Discussion 5.1 Introduction The marketing strategies used by German automobile companies in China will be discussed in further depth in this section of the study. This section will provide the discussion based on the findings and link the findings with the existing research to make evaluations. The section will also include the research questions: China as the biggest German car market, Volkswagen too much dependence on China market and the slow growth of Mercedes in China as compared to other brands. Based on evaluation it provide answering the research questions. Thus, the recommendation will be provided based on findings. 5.2 China as the biggest German car market. Based on the findings, it is analysed that German car market in China has largest sales in comparison with its sales in the US automobile industry. The findings show that the sales of the brands Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes Benz except for Volkswagen, have grown amid the pandemic whereas the sales of these brands have decreased in the United States which shows that China is a big market as compared to the most developed country in the world. The findings can be supported with the existing literature, as per the CAR (Center Automotive Research), Automotive Research Center chief said, "German automobiles share in the Chinese market is expanding and would be higher in the future as well," according to Barton (2013). Volkswagen's new brand entered the Chinese market in 1988, as well as the company has since steadily risen to the top of the luxury automobile market in China. The literature as per Barton(2013), support the findings as its showed that China account for Volkswagen 50% sales, 37%Audi and 30% for BMW, Mercedes and other. Thus, it can be said that China is the biggest car market for German automobiles. 5.3 Volkswagen too much dependency on China Market Based on the findings, It is analysed that Volkwagen is too much dependent on the China market as it accounts for 40% of the brand market share and thus the company can have significant financial problems due to its too much dependence on China market. The findings are also supported as per Lee et al (2021) which state that if there are any market changes in china economy there will be a significant impact on the brand performance. Furthermore, It is analysed 14 that the Chinese government is supporting Chinese brands to develop a car manufacturing market and increase the demand of the domestic car market as compared to German cars such as BYD company is Chinese brand specialized in electric cars which will have a negative impact on the sales of Volkswagen. These findings assisted in answering the question of whether Volkwagen is too much dependent on China market, the answer is yes as seen from the findings and existing literature. The company is using the marketing strategies as per the changing demands of the customer such as now the company is working on electrification through joint venture and partnership to meet the changing demands in China market. 5.4 Slow growth of Mercedes as compared to other German cars in China Automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is yet another well-known name in the world of highend vehicles. The comfort and reliability of their high-end variants are well-known among consumers. Mercedes-Benz uses a different approach in the Chinese market. To fulfil the needs of its customers, the company has had to alter its marketing strategy to emphasise the delivery of high-quality products as well as the delivery of a premium brand experience. At the moment, the Chinese luxury automotive business is thriving. Based on the findings, It is analysed that Mercedes is showing a high growth of sales in the Chinese market as it is the only brand that showed the high sales growth during the pandemic. However, According to Chevalier and Lu (2015), literature showed that there is a slow growth of Mercedes due to its late entry into the market. Mercedes had a difficult time gaining traction in the luxury market since it joined a segment that was already controlled by BMW as well as Audi (Yingze, 2020). The findings assisted in answering the research question of the slow growth of Mercedes in China market which is No as with time the company has changed its strategy which assisted in increasing its growth of sales in the market. 5.5 Conclusion To summarise from the above discussion. it is noticed that China is the biggest car market for large car manufacturers like Audi, VW, and many more compared to other developed and developing economies. The success of the car market has been shown by the likes of BMW and VW. Results examine the role of China's automobile sector in the global automotive industry as well as environmental developments that have affected enterprises in the short term as well as long term. For German carmakers, China represents the most significant economy in the 15 country. Further, the next section will frame the conclusive statement from the findings and will then help in proposing recommendations based on the findings and discussions. 16 6: Conclusion/Recommendations In conclusion, this research has analysed the marketing strategy of German automobile companies in China. This investigation started with a review of the historical backdrop of the Chinese automobile industry to emphasise the importance of the sector's continued expansion. Based on the findings, It is recommended to companies adopt marketing strategies as per the changing demands of customers such as the increasing craze for electric cars will assist firms to make those changes to be competitive in the Chinese market. Moreover, the brands can use sustainable ways to improve their manufacturing which will assist in gaining government support towards the brands. Volkswagen can increase its awareness in other countries as well to reduce its too much dependence on one market which is not good for the organisation. From the findings to further improve the corporation, Mercedes plans to electrify the automobile that the market's young want. To increase their market share in China, German manufacturers will need to adapt their marketing strategies to better satisfy the needs of Chinese customers. This may be accomplished by using cultural references to Chinese culture in their advertisements. Since Mercedes' expansion in China has been gradual, a joint project with the brilliant group has assisted in the introduction of a new model with revolutionary technology into the marketplace, which has also aided the company's growth. Thus, the company can partner with well-known individuals and organisation to increase product awareness and reach in the China market. It is necessary for the German automobile sector to be more inventive in China, because purchasers put more emphasis on brand awareness and a pleasurable car experience. It is possible for German automobile manufacturers to stay up with its competitors in China by strengthening their marketing approach. A particular brand experience is sought for by Chinese consumers when they purchase a car. The major limitation of the research was the impact of Covid-19 since it was not easy to collect information physically and that has been negative for business growth since the impact of Covid19 changed the consumers behaviour. According to a research, China is a bigger market than the United States, despite the fact that sales for every brand are expected to decline in 2020. According to the results data, Volkswagen's Chinese sales will account for 40 percent of the 17 firm's revenue growth, necessitating cooperation with local recognised brands as well as greater marketing and investment in the electronic vehicle sector in order to improve sales. 18 References Bartikowski, B. and Cleveland, M., 2017. “Seeing is being”: Consumer culture and the positioning of premium cars in China. Journal of Business Research, 77, pp.195-202. Bartikowski, B., Fastoso, F. and Gierl, H., 2019. Luxury cars Made-in-China: Consequences for brand positioning. Journal of Business Research, 102, pp.288-297. Barton, D., 2013. The rise of the middle class in China and its impact on the Chinese and world economies. US-China Economic Relations in the Next 10 Years: Towards Deeper Engagement and Mutual Benefit, pp.138-148. ( Barton, 2013) Barton, D., 2013. The rise of the middle class in China and its impact on the Chinese and world economies. US-China Economic Relations in the Next 10 Years: Towards Deeper Engagement and Mutual Benefit, pp.138-148. Blackwelder, B., Coleman, K., Colunga-Santoyo, S., Harrison, J.S. and Wozniak, D., 2016. The volkswagen scandal. Car Sales Statistics, 2020. Global: German Luxury Car Sales Worldwide, USA and China Accessed on 13th March 2022, Available at https://www.best-selling-cars.com/global/2020-fullyear-global-mercedes-benz-and-smart-sales-worldwide/ Car sales statistics, 2020. Global: Volkswagen Brand Worldwide Car Sales by Model and Country. Accessed on 13th March 2022, Available at https://www.best-selling- cars.com/brands/2021-full-year-global-volkswagen-brand-worldwide-car-sales-by-model-andcountry/ Chen, Q., 2018. Research on Marketing Strategy of Self-owned Brand Automobiles. (Cheng,2018) Chevalier, M. and Lu, P.X., 2015. Luxury China: Market opportunities and potential. John Wiley & Sons. Chevalier, M. and Lu, P.X., 2015. Luxury China: Market opportunities and potential. John Wiley & Sons. Dewalska-Opitek, A., 2020, October. Customers’ value co-creation in automotive 19 sector–the case studies of BMW Co-creation Lab and Volkswagen’s People’s Car Project in China. In International Conference on Transport Systems Telematics (pp. 231-245). Springer, Cham. Dewalska-Opitek, A., 2020, October. Customers’ value co-creation in automotive sector–the case studies of BMW Co-creation Lab and Volkswagen’s People’s Car Project in China. In International Conference on Transport Systems Telematics (pp. 231-245). Springer, Cham. Gao, S. and Krogstie, J., 2015, October. Understanding business models of mobile ecosystems in China: a case study. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Management of computational and collective intElligence in Digital EcoSystems (pp. 64-71). Guo, J., 2021, December. Analysis of the Marketing Strategies of Luxury Cars in China— Porsche as an Example.In 2021 3rd International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2021) (pp. 953-956).Atlantis Press. Hammarberg, K., Kirkman, M. and de Lacey, S., 2016. Qualitative research methods: when to use them and how to judge them. Human reproduction, 31(3), pp.498-501. He, Q., 2015. The Chinese Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Research Based on Volkswagen, China. (Heq,2015) Hu, Z. and Yuan, J., 2018. China’s NEV market development and its capability of enabling premium NEV: Referencing from the NEV market performance of BMW and Mercedes in China. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 118, pp.545-555.( Hu&Yuan, 2018) Hu, Z. and Yuan, J., 2018. China’s NEV market development and its capability of enabling premium NEV: Referencing from the NEV market performance of BMW and Mercedes in China. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 118, pp.545-555. Jiang, X., 2018. Improving the Cross-Cultural Marketing Strategy of Chinese Atomobile Industry: Case Company: BMW. Johnston, M.P., 2017. Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has come. Qualitative and quantitative methods in libraries, 3(3), pp.619-626. 20 Kozleski, E.B., 2017. The uses of qualitative research: Powerful methods to inform evidencebased practice in education. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 42(1), pp.19-32. Lee, J., Kim, J., Kim, J. and Choi, S., 2021. Why Localization Is Necessary as a Business Strategy in Emerging Markets: The Case Comparison of Hyundai and Volkswagen. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(3), p.190. Lee, J., Kim, J., Kim, J. and Choi, S., 2021. Why Localization Is Necessary as a Business Strategy in Emerging Markets: The Case Comparison of Hyundai and Volkswagen. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(3), p.190. Li, L., 2018. China's manufacturing locus in 2025: With a comparison of “Made-in-China 2025” and “Industry 4.0”. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 135, pp.66-74. Martins, F.S., da Cunha, J.A.C. and Serra, F.A.R., 2018.Secondary data in research–uses and opportunities. PODIUM sport, leisure and tourism review, 7(3). Mikhailova. V.,2020. Volkswagen in China: Market analysis of the nation’s #1 car brand. Daxue consulting. Accessed on 13th March 2022, Available at https://daxueconsulting.com/volkswagenin-china/ Notar, B. E. 2016. Car crazy: The rise of car culture in China. In Cars, Automobility and Development in Asia (pp. 162-180). Routledge. Sha, S., Huang, T. and Gabardi, E., 2014. Upward Mobility: The future of Chinas Premium Car Market. McKinsey Automotive & Assembly Practice in Greater China, available online at http://www. mckinseychina. com/2013/03/07/upward-mobility-the-future-of-chinas-premium-carmarket/, accessed, 10(6), p.2013.( Sha, Huang &Gabardi,2014) YINGZE, Z., 2020, November. Analysis on Audi’s Marketing Strategy in China. In 2020 5th International Conference on Modern Management and Education Technology (MMET 2020) (pp. 119-125). Atlantis Press. (YINGZE,2020) 21 Yingze, Z., 2020, November. Analysis on Audi's Marketing Strategy in China. In 2020 5th International Conference on Modern Management and Education Technology (MMET 2020) (pp. 119-125). Atlantis Press. 22 PM600 Research Project Theme: 13 The Final Report Recap of last week In today's lesson we'll look at... ✓Compiling all the sections of your report ✓The marking criteria (band 60 and 70) ✓Peer review of Abstract, Introduction and conclusion. Compiling the final report These slides will help you to compile and present your report according to academic convention. - Order of sections and chapters - The contents page - Tables and figures - Appendices - Tips Report order • Cover page • Abstract • Contents page • List of tables and figures • Section 1: Introduction • Section 2: Literature Review • Section 3: Methodology • Section 4: Research findings and Discussion • Section 5: Conclusion • References • Appendices Cover page The following information should be included on the cover page: Module Code: PM600 Module Title: Research Project Assessment Title: Final Research Report Group: JD10 Title: **** Tutor’s Name: Ruth-Anna Farragher Student ID Number: Pxxxxxx Date of Submission: 5/7/2022 Word count:***** Word count: 4,000 words ( + / - 10%) Remember: Words within tables and figures should not be included in the word count; however, citations and labels should be “I certify that this submission is the result of my own work and does not contravene UoLIC regulations on academic misconduct.” Contents page Here is an example of a well-prepared contents page List of Tables and Figures On a new page, present a list of all the tables and figures presented in the report. Appendices (optional) What you include as an appendix will depend on the type of research you have conducted. These are some of the items you may need to include: • Results (not presented in Chapter 4) Tips ✓ Follow the guidelines on the assessment instructions carefully ✓ Use Arial size 12 for all text and 14 for headings. ✓ Put main headings in bold and subheadings in italics. ✓ Use 1.5 line spacing ✓ Start each chapter on a new page ✓ Start the References on a new page. Leave a space between each reference. ✓ Use the Harvard APA referencing guide to prepare your list of references ✓ Follow the college’s guidelines to ensure tables, images and figures are labelled correctly. Useful links /documents • Click here for documents which outline what you need to include in each section. • Examples of reports • Report Marking Criteria
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The impact of sales promotion and marketing on customers' attitudes and
behavior
Module Code:PM600
Group:
Module Title: Research Project
Assessment Type: Written Report
Module Tutor Name:
Student ID Number:
Date of Submission:

I confirm that this assignment is my own work. Where I have referred to academic
sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final
reference list.

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Table of Contents
Abstract

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Section 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Scope
1.3 Research Questions

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Section 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Sales Promotion and Marketing techniques
2.3 Impact on Customers' Purchasing Attitudes and Behaviour
2.4 Conclusion

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Section 3: Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.2.1. Research Approach
3.2.2. Data Collection
3.2.3 Data Analysis
3.3 Methodology of one previous research from resources
3.4 Conclusion

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Section 4: Research findings and Discussion
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Findings
4.3 Discussion

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Section 5: Conclusion
5.1 Conclusions
5.2 Recommendations
5.2.1 Increase discount offers
5.2.2 Offer combinations of buy-and-get-free and coupon promotions
5.2.3 Online marketing

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References

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Abstract
Differentiating between sales promotion and marketing can be tasking for
individuals and businesses. Sales promotions are seen as old school techniques, yet
seem to continually deliver positive outcomes for businesses. These two concepts have
overlaps and function together to enable businesses achieve various goals including
new lead generation, advertising the organization’s offerings and increasing financial
benefits. Marketing and sales promotion work most efficiently when they cause
customer behavior changes and impact their purchasing decisions in both negative and
positive ways. Customers have different feelings, behaviors and attitudes towards
products and companies that stem from broader influences such as situational, social,
marketing and psychological factors. Companies must evaluate these factors when
developing sales promotion and marketing strategies to increase customers and
revenue.

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Section 1: Introduction
The heightened competitive business environment has necessitated the
implementation of bold new ways of acquiring and maintaining customers. The two main
strategies that organizations employ globally are marketing and sales promotion.
Companies seek to achieve various goals to ensure consistent growth, including
expanding into new overseas markets, aggressively fighting for market share, and
reliably exploiting small but expanding market segments. Through sales promotions and
marketing techniques, companies have the opportunity to accelerate the attainment of
some of these objectives. These sales promotions and marketing strategies are
essential in building customer loyalty, reducing overstock, profit-maximizing, and
promoting repeat buying (Forsey, 2021). However, while both techniques confer the
noted advantages, they also adversely impact companies' revenues due to the
enormous costs associated with their implementation. Still, sales promotion and
marketing are essential drivers in customer decision-making, attitudes, and behaviors.

1.1 Background
Sales promotion denotes the promotional techniques employed to boost a
service or product’s demand and stimulate short and long-term purchases (Ibrar, 2015).
These techniques can be based on price or not and usually work to stimulate market
responses using short-term incentives and can be used in conjunction with personal
selling and advertising methods. Marketing comprises the various actions to attract
customers to the business's products and services through content, high-quality
messaging, and marketing research. It involves mapping and understanding the ideal

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customer's needs, interests and preferences. Marketing covers all business aspects,
including product development processes, distribution, sales, and advertisements.
Companies spend a large chunk of their total budget and revenue on marketing
and sales promotions, with the average company spending an estimated 7.5 percent of
their total revenue on marketing in 2017 (Moorman & Finch, 2017). In 2021, companies
reduced their marketing budget to the lowest levels in history, given that the average
company spends 6.4 percent of its revenue on marketing, with some companies
spending just 5.7 percent (Blum & Omale, 2021). Ironically, the most prominent
enterprises earning more than $2 billion in revenue spent the lowest amounts, while
those under $500 million spent the highest marketing budget allocations of up to 8.6
percent (Blum & Omale, 2021). On the other hand, the total spending attributable to
sales promotion hit $244.7 billion, representing the largest share of revenue dedicated
to marketing and sales activities in 2020. These statistics demonstrate the importance
of sales promotion and marketing activities to businesses worldwide. Therefore, it is
crucial to investigate whether these large amounts of spending affect customers’
attitudes and behaviors regarding purchasing decisions.

1.2 Scope
This research project's scope broadly covers various aspects meant to explore
the positive and negative effects of sales promotion and marketing on the business and
its customers purchasing attitudes and behaviors. It utilizes credible secondary sources,
including industry reports, scholarly journals, expert opinions, and other literature, to
demonstrate the power of sales promotion and marketing techniques on customer
behavior and decision making.

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1.3 Research Questions
The dominant research question for this research is: what are the impacts of
sales promotion and marketing strategies on customers' attitudes and behavior?
Another research question would be: How do marketing and sales promotion
techniques affect customer decision-making? These questions establish the necessity
of enacting sales promotion and marketing strategies in businesses regarding their
impacts on customers' purchasing behaviors and decisions. Specifically, these research
questions examine whether marketing and sales promotion affect customers’
psychological predispositions to make purchases.

Section 2: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction
The various available research on the topics of marketing and sales promotion
primarily seek to evaluate their impacts on business performance and success. Studies
on the marketing mix abound and examine its role in the competitive advantage of
small, medium, and large enterprises. The value of marketing and sales can only be
viewed in their contribution to positive financial results that generate earnings and future
opportunities for stakeholder investment ambitions (Prinka et al., 2019; Pembi et al.,
2017). However, it must also begin with the customer in mind and seek to provide value
to them ...


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Just what I was looking for! Super helpful.

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