Week 6 Assignment 2 – Submit HereInstructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.Assignment 2: Marketing PlanDue Week 6 and worth 100 pointsThis assignment consists of two (2) sections: a marketing plan and sales strategy, and a marketing budget.Note:You must submit both sections as separate files for the completion of this assignment.For the first six (6) months your company is in businessto give you time to perfect your product and to learn from actual customersyou will start marketing and selling in your own community, a radius of twenty-five (25) miles from where you live.For most non-alcoholic beverages, marketing (as opposed to the actual product itself) is key to success. Cola drinks, for example, are fairly undifferentiated, as are many energy drinks, juices, bottled water, and the like. Companies producing these types of beverages differentiate themselves and attract market share through marketing and brand awarenessboth of which are critical to success.Section 1: Marketing Plan & Sales Strategy (MS Word or equivalent)Write the three to five (3-5) page Marketing Plan & Sales Strategy section of your business plan, in which you:Define your companys target market.Analyze the types of consumers who will be drinking your beverage in demographic terms (i.e., age, education level, income, gender, ethnic group, etc.). Support your analysis with actual data on the size of the demographic groups in your local community (nearby zip codes).Outline the demographic information for your company specified on the worksheet in the course text (p. 107 |Demographic Description).Click here for help accessing a specific page number in your eBook.Hints:At American FactFinder (http://census.gov), you will find demographic information on potential consumers in your area. If you are selling through other businesses (such as grocery stores), indicate the number of those businesses in your local area. You will find information about such businesses in your local area at County Business Patterns (http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/). Check Chapter 2 ofSuccessful Business Planfor more research sources.Assess your companys market competition.Use the factors listed in the course text graphic (p. 123 |Assess the Competition) to assess your companys market competition.Defend your strategy to successfully compete against market leaders in your segment.Hints:For example, in the soft drink market, it is intimidating to try to compete against Coke and Pepsi. Newcomers in mature markets typically must pursue niche markets or even create new market categories, as Red Bull did with energy drinks.Defend your plan to differentiate yourself from the competition using the information detailed on the worksheet in the text (p. 131 |Market Share Distribution).Hints:Every business faces competition and the non-alcoholic beverage market is an especially crowded market.Clarify your companys message using the information provided on the worksheet in the text (p. 160 |The Five Fs).Hints:Before you choose your marketing vehicles, you must determine the message you want to convey through those vehicles.Identify the marketing vehicles you plan to use to build your companys brand. Justify the key reasons why they will be effective. Provide examples of other non-alcoholic beverage companies that use these tactics effectively.Hints:If you plan to use online marketing tactics, refer to the worksheet in the text (p.171 |Online Marketing Tactics) to aid your response. Remember that even if youre selling through grocery stores you need to build your brand and social media is a major part of that in regard to beverages. Some of the marketing tactics that beverage companies use include: sampling in grocery stores, building a following on social media, sponsoring events, exhibiting at trade shows attended by retailers, and so on. You will use a combination of these tactics. For example, if you decide to give out samples in grocery stores, promote your sampling on your social media networks and those of the grocery store.Hints:If you are planning to distribute through resellers, describe how you plan to reach them, for example, through industry trade shows or by establishing your own sales force. For information on trade shows, visit the Trade Show News Network (http://www.tsnn.com). You can exhibit or network at these shows.Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise.Note:There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the exercise.Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the students name, the professors name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.Section 2: Marketing Budget (MS Excel worksheets template)Section 2 uses the Business Plan Financials MS Excel template (see: Course Required Files in Week 1). Use the Business Plan Financials Guide (see: Course Required Files in Week 1) to support your development of the Marketing Budget.Complete the Marketing Budget worksheet for your company.Hints:The goal of the marketing budget is to help you determine how much it will cost you to reach your market and achieve your sales goals.Hints: When filling out the Marketing Budget worksheet in the Excel spreadsheet:Begin in the current year and complete a marketing budget for the first year of your business. The information you enter in the marketing budget spreadsheet will flow through to your Income Statement in the Business Plan Financials.Leave the number at zero (0) for any marketing vehicles you do not intend to use.Remember that all marketing activities involve costs. If social media represents a significant portion of your marketing, assume you will have cost of advertising and that should be reflected on your budget. Even if a social media site charges nothing to use it, you will need to use company resources to manage the site, pay someone to execute your social media marketing campaigns, and will most likely pay for ads on that site.Do NOT leave the Marketing Budget blank, assuming you will not have any marketing costs.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:Recommend effective business strategies based on an analysis of domestic and global operating environments, market dynamics, and internal capabilities.Analyze competitive positions including foreign market entry and the resulting impact on business strategy.Use technology and information resources to research issues in strategic management.Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using proper writing mechanics.Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.Assignment Help

Week 6

Order Description
Lost Vacation Days (Case Scenario)

Gulf Port Ships, Inc. is a large shipbuilding company located in the Gulf Coast. One afternoon the firm made the decision to shut down operations due to an approaching hurricane and forecasted arrival of tropical storm force winds to the local area as early as Wednesday of that week. The decision was to shutdown beginning Wednesday AM. They were told that time lost would be excused with pay.

By Tuesday it was clear the hurricane would not hit until Thursday at the earliest. Nonetheless the shipyard decided to maintain the decision to shut down on Wednesday. Emergency hotline for the shipyard confirmed this information but also said that missed time for salaried personnel would be charged against each employee’s vacation bank. It was a liberal leave policy enacted.

Wednesday the message was updated to state that the shutdown would continue through first shift on Thursday with normal operations commencing on the second shift. The hurricane then hit the area on Thursday PM (during the second shift) leaving many roads littered with branches and debris.

Friday morning when all personnel reported for work (many were without power at home) they were informed that they had lost two days of vacation. Hourly personnel had the option of charging the two days off to vacation or taking time off without pay. Salaried personnel did not have a choice; they were required to charge the time to vacation. This action was in line with the company’s policy for complete shutdowns despite what some personnel were told prior to the shutdown.

Needless to say within a few days employees became very upset with the handling of this situation and based on the fact that they just lost two vacation days for no good reason. The company’s vacation policy states that salaried employees accrue vacation time based upon length of service. Employees with less than five years seniority receive one day per month, those with five to ten years experience earn one and one half days per month, and those with more than ten years earn two days per month. Employees have the right to carry over vacation time to the next year. The policy also states that, if the shipyard is shut down for any reasons, the time lost by salaried employees will be charged to each person’s vacation bank. Additionally, the policy states that in the event of a partial shutdown, salaried employees who report to work and are then sent home will be paid for any time missed and will not be required to charge lost time to their vacation funds. You will write a short paper in APA format addressing the following:

1. Imagine you are an HR consultant to the organization involved in this situation. The organization wants to be responsive and fair. How would you handle the staff who is now upset and what would you recommend to senior leaders?

2. Why is it important to have a policy outlining the organization?s procedures regarding time off?

3. Identify any laws, which regulate discrimination in the workplace or legal issues pertinent to the case.

4. Write a policy statement you would submit to the organization to be included in their employee handbook.

5. What are the risks and challenges the organization faces by implementing the policy you recommend?

6. Provide an example of ways in which it is effectively or ineffectively implemented. Elaborate upon and assess this situation.

7. There are many policies available online that are pertinent. If you use a policy from an online source or from your current organization, you must cite within the text and provide the reference.

8. Be certain to integrate the readings, personal experience, and research from the online library to support your opinions.

9. You must cite within the text and include multiple references in addition to the text.

Week 6

Order Description
Lost Vacation Days (Case Scenario)

Gulf Port Ships, Inc. is a large shipbuilding company located in the Gulf Coast. One afternoon the firm made the decision to shut down operations due to an approaching hurricane and forecasted arrival of tropical storm force winds to the local area as early as Wednesday of that week. The decision was to shutdown beginning Wednesday AM. They were told that time lost would be excused with pay.

By Tuesday it was clear the hurricane would not hit until Thursday at the earliest. Nonetheless the shipyard decided to maintain the decision to shut down on Wednesday. Emergency hotline for the shipyard confirmed this information but also said that missed time for salaried personnel would be charged against each employee’s vacation bank. It was a liberal leave policy enacted.

Wednesday the message was updated to state that the shutdown would continue through first shift on Thursday with normal operations commencing on the second shift. The hurricane then hit the area on Thursday PM (during the second shift) leaving many roads littered with branches and debris.

Friday morning when all personnel reported for work (many were without power at home) they were informed that they had lost two days of vacation. Hourly personnel had the option of charging the two days off to vacation or taking time off without pay. Salaried personnel did not have a choice; they were required to charge the time to vacation. This action was in line with the company’s policy for complete shutdowns despite what some personnel were told prior to the shutdown.

Needless to say within a few days employees became very upset with the handling of this situation and based on the fact that they just lost two vacation days for no good reason. The company’s vacation policy states that salaried employees accrue vacation time based upon length of service. Employees with less than five years seniority receive one day per month, those with five to ten years experience earn one and one half days per month, and those with more than ten years earn two days per month. Employees have the right to carry over vacation time to the next year. The policy also states that, if the shipyard is shut down for any reasons, the time lost by salaried employees will be charged to each person’s vacation bank. Additionally, the policy states that in the event of a partial shutdown, salaried employees who report to work and are then sent home will be paid for any time missed and will not be required to charge lost time to their vacation funds. You will write a short paper in APA format addressing the following:

1. Imagine you are an HR consultant to the organization involved in this situation. The organization wants to be responsive and fair. How would you handle the staff who is now upset and what would you recommend to senior leaders?

2. Why is it important to have a policy outlining the organization?s procedures regarding time off?

3. Identify any laws, which regulate discrimination in the workplace or legal issues pertinent to the case.

4. Write a policy statement you would submit to the organization to be included in their employee handbook.

5. What are the risks and challenges the organization faces by implementing the policy you recommend?

6. Provide an example of ways in which it is effectively or ineffectively implemented. Elaborate upon and assess this situation.

7. There are many policies available online that are pertinent. If you use a policy from an online source or from your current organization, you must cite within the text and provide the reference.

8. Be certain to integrate the readings, personal experience, and research from the online library to support your opinions.

9. You must cite within the text and include multiple references in addition to the text.