Erie Community College

ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TITLE III English Composition Assignment Interdisciplinary Course Materials Business Administration

Course: English 020/ 021/023 Developmental English Topic: Persuasive Writing Project Title: Market Research Project

Course Outline Topic: Students will compose a unified, coherent composition that evaluates the business environment of a product or service of their own invention, and speculates on the future possibilities for marketing this product. Through this assignment students will gain a deeper understanding of marketing strategies, the factors that make up a business environment and persuasion in general. Students will extend their skills in evaluation, persuasion and inference-making.

Project description: This project will unfold in three basic phases: (1) Students will be asked to evaluate the marketing strategies of a number of products and services. (2) Students will conduct market research in regards to products or service similar to the one that they will be creating. (3) Once students have conducted research into products similar to their own, they will devise a marketing campaign of their own using what they’ve already learned.

Author: Peter C Fernbach

Curriculum Expert: Gus Brennan, Business Administration

Semester Created: Spring 2008

A. Essential Question: How are products and services successfully marketed? It is a bit of a cliché, and, some say, a sad state of affairs, but we all these days need to know how to market ourselves. This is what we will be focusing during this project: how do we create something that others want, and then, how do we get it to them at a profit. Also, how do we make evaluations and predictions about the business environment, and therefore future of our product or service. This skill carries over into almost any lucrative endeavor any of us will partake in these days. Essentially, we all provide some kind of product or service and we must convince others that it is worth their time and money. As a class we’ll look at a number of marketing campaigns, and different examples of market research. We’ll learn how to conduct market research ourselves. Once we have an idea of what has worked for others and why, we will go out on a limb and create our own ad campaign, designed around the strategies that we have found to work well. The final written composition will be in the form of a proposal to the CEO of your company, or perhaps a bank about why your product will be successful and why

1 Erie Community College Title III Grant they (CEO or bank) should give you the financial backing you need to go ahead with the marketing of your product or service.

B. Introduction: We’ve all, at one time or another looked at a product or service and thought “I can do better.” We will all, also, at some point have to provide some kind of product or service, whether this comes in the form of a business proposal, marketing campaign or simply a resume. Perhaps, at some point, you will quit your job to start your own business. Perhaps you already have a brilliant idea for a new product that people will need or want. Either way, this project gives you a chance to jump in and figure out what it would take to really take to get your plan up and rolling. First, we will look at marketing strategies (both good and bad) as a class, and get used to how to conduct research in marketing. Second, everyone will do a market evaluation of an existing product or service of their choice, using the appropriate type(s) of market research. And, last, everyone will come up with an original product or service and a proposal for its marketing. Through this three step process we will learn to evaluate business environments, market ourselves, and make inferences about our own economic future.

C. Basic Directions: This project will unfold in three basic phases: (1) We will first evaluate the marketing strategies of a number of products and services. We will look at these in class and then write an evaluative paragraph describing the effectiveness of one of the marketing strategies. (2) We will conduct market research in regards to products or service similar to the one that they will be inventing. For example, if you want to market a new kind of cola product they would look at the marketing strategies of, say, Pepsi or Coke. You will be free to conduct field research of your own or find studies that have already been conducted to add to your own work. The scope of this project will only be limited only by your imagination, and this research will likely include a number of aspects: The aspects likely to be included are, but aren’t limited to, ad tracking, advertising research, brand name testing, buyer decision process research and mystery shopping. Phase two will also culminate in an evaluative paragraph. (3) Once you have conducted research into products similar to your own, you will devise a marketing campaign of your own using what you’ve already learned. This full-sized composition will be in the form of a persuasive piece, or business proposal, aimed at persuading either a high-level company administrator or a bank into the backing of this product or service.

D. Things to Learn or Consider before Starting the Project: Our first phase in this project will have the entire class working as a focus group for different products and services. We will look at market research first from the perspective of a consumer, and then, gradually we will shift our focus to that of a marketer.

E. The Project Assignment: This project will unfold in three basic phases as mentioned before:

2 Erie Community College Title III Grant 1) Introduction: Our introduction to market research will be from the perspective of a consumer. This should be the easiest considering that we are all consumers already, and that we evaluate ads ubiquitously. How do ads target certain demographics? Which ads do their work successfully, which don’t, why? We’ll look at the attached “Market Research packet and also become acquainted with the “How Stuff Works – Market Research” website.

2) Field Study: For phase II students will be asked to make a decision as to what kind of product they would like to market, and then do market research into similar products. As mentioned before, this research will be at the discretion of the students. They can send emails, conduct interviews, assemble their own focus groups, call people, or anything else they can think of in order to gain information on particular brand name products.

3) Persuasive Essay - The final composition will be a persuasive essay geared at persuading the audience (Bank or Company Administrator) into supporting a marketing strategy for a new created brand-name product. Steps I and II in the project should lend themselves as research for this final essay. Students should use the knowledge accrued about other similar brands in order to justify the strategy that they have devised.

F. Student Resources:

1) Your textbook will provide examples of “argument essays.” While these may not provide arguments about marketing strategies, they will give you a general idea of the rhetorical, organizational, and formatting strategies you will want to employ in your own writing. 2) A part of our introduction into market research will come from the “How Stuff Works” website at http://money.howstuffworks.com/market- research.htm 3) The included materials will help students understand market research. 4) When considering the final written product students may want to consult the Online Writing Lab from Purdue University (http://owl.english.purdue.edu). This website offers a plethora of valuable information on all sorts of issues in writing.

G. Faculty Resources:

1) Most developmental composition textbooks provide valuable information about, and examples of argumentative writing. These will help guide students in their writing process. 2) Give students examples of market research such as surveys, internet strategic intelligence, etc. 3) For phase I of this project any media outlet including television or magazines will be a good resource.

3 Erie Community College Title III Grant H. Grading Rubric:

1) Paragraph #1 10 % 2) Paragraph #2 10% 3) Rough Draft 10% Done or not done 4) Final product 70%

For each grading category (represented in rows) students will be given a grade 0-20, each of which will be added up for a final score out of a possible 100.

Excellent Adequate Not Adequate Ideas (0-20) Ideas are clear and Ideas are clear, but Ideas are unclear Topic, thesis, focus, insightful, conventional or and demonstrate a purpose, audience consistently general and support lack of focus. supporting a the overall purpose thought-provoking of the paper. thesis. Development(0-20) Abundant details Development is Development is Details, evidence, and examples that sufficient, but insufficient, support, logic arouse audience general, providing providing scarce or interest and provide adequate, but not inappropriate relevant and riveting support evidence and adequate support. support Organization(0-20) Organization is Organization is Organization is Structure, coherent and coherent, but weak incoherent and coherence, unity, effective in at times, perhaps fragmentary, lacking transitions supporting the exhibiting abrupt details, evidence, overall purpose of transitions between and examples. the paper. paragraphs or ideas. Style & Mechanics Style is rhetorically Readable, but Style is incoherent (0-20) effective and unremarkable in and inappropriate, Sentence structure, exhibits varied tone, sometimes and exhibits serious word choice, tone, sentence structure, including errors in grammar or grammar, spelling, precise word choice distracting, but not word choice. punctuation and correct serious errors. grammar. Format (0-20) Format is correct Format is mostly Format is faulty and Presentation, and all guidelines correct and most guidelines are not sources, MLA have been followed. guidelines are met met. format Final

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