7BUS2040 Strategic Marketing & Entrepreneurship Individual Report: Assignment 1 Brief 2025/26

7BUS2040 Assessment Criteria

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding assessed in this assignment:

• KU1: Develop a critical understanding of the role and processes of strategic marketing planning in the creation of value and/or competitive advantage for an organisation.
  (Covered in Executive Summary + Activities 1–5: BMC, PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, Value
  Proposition)
• KU2: Evaluate how marketing tactics should be adjusted depending on context of the organisation, factors in the environment, segmentation, customer personas and consumer behaviour.
  (Covered in Activities 3–5: PESTEL, Competitor Analysis, Value Proposition)
• KU3: Examine the role and processes of innovation and business model development to create new ventures, products and services in response to growth opportunities.
  (Covered in Activity 1: Business Idea, Activity 2: BMC)
• KU4: Assess the market environment in the context of contemporary issues including digital transformation, marketing ethics and sustainability.
  (Covered in Activity 3: PESTEL Analysis)

Learning Outcomes: Skills and Attributes assessed in this assignment:

• IPT1: Propose strategic marketing plans backed by secondary research and application of academic concepts and literature.
  (Covered in all Activities)
• IPT2: Develop a range of entrepreneurial skills through a new venture or new product/service development project including team working, ideation, innovation, evaluation, communication and persuasion.
  (Covered in all Activities)
• IPT3: Recommend financially viable business models, launch plans and roadmaps that will deliver sustained growth in response to clearly identified market opportunities.
  (Covered in Activity 2: BMC, Activity 5: Value Proposition)
• IPT4: Critically evaluate key issues using academic concepts and literature.
  (Covered in Activities 3 & 4: PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces)

Transformational Opportunities:

• Enhance strategic thinking and business planning by applying key analytical frameworks to a practical business idea (Activities 1–5).
• Build independent research and critical thinking skills, using credible evidence to support recommendations.
• Improve professional communication by preparing structured, logically organised, and well- presented reports.

Feedback /Marking criteria for this Assignment

• Performance will be assessed using the HBS Grading Criteria (Rubric) provided in this brief.
• Feedback for improvement will be provided in writing via your Canvas module site within 4 weeks of submission.
• Lateness Penalty: For each day or part day up to five days after the published deadline, coursework relating to modules submitted late will have the numeric grade reduced by 10 grade points until or unless the numeric grade reaches the minimum pass mark (UG 40/PG 50). Where the numeric grade awarded for the assessment is less than the minimum pass mark no lateness penalty will be applied. If the coursework is submitted more than 5 days after the published deadline, it will not be marked and a grade of zero will be awarded. Please note: Referred coursework submitted after the published deadline will be awarded a grade of zero (0).
• Extensions: Requests for extensions must be made before the deadline with a valid reason; extensions are not automatic.
• Retrievable Assessment: Students who fail a retrievable assignment have the opportunity to act on the feedback in a timely manner and to resubmit the same assignment within a specified deadline set by the Module Leader. Marks for resubmitted work will be capped at 50% for PG. Students who resubmit work and go on to Fail the module will still be able to do the referred coursework (capped at 50%).

7BUS2040 Detailed Brief for Individual Assignment

Assignment Title: Individual Report – Ideation and Market Analysis

Description of the Assignment, Task, Content, and Structure:

This assignment requires you to apply strategic marketing and entrepreneurship concepts learned during tutorials to develop and analyse a new business idea. You will individually produce a structured report that evaluates your business idea, the industry and market in which it operates, competitive forces, and your value proposition.

The report integrates academic theory with practical application and demonstrates your ability to conduct structured analysis using key frameworks such as the Business Model Canvas, PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and the Value Proposition Canvas. Use professional formatting and support your analysis with credible academic and industry references.

Main Structure

The assignment consists of five key activities, each building towards a clear and strategic understanding of your business idea and its market environment:

Activity 1: Create a Business Idea

• Activity: Develop a clear business idea by identifying a specific problem or gap in the market. Define the target audience, explain why solving this problem is important, and outline how your idea addresses the need.
• Output: A concise description of your business idea, supported with evidence or references where appropriate.

Activity 2: Business Model Canvas (BMC)

• Activity: Use the Business Model Canvas to map the key components of your business model, including customer segments, value propositions, channels, relationships, revenue streams, resources, activities, partnerships, and cost structure.
• Output: A completed Business Model Canvas that clearly illustrates how your idea creates and delivers value.

Activity 3: Industry Trends and Growth (PESTEL)

• Activity: Conduct a PESTEL analysis to examine the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors influencing your industry. Identify and discuss at least three key trends, along with the industry size, growth rate, and market potential.
• Output: A structured PESTEL summary with clear trends, supporting references, and a brief discussion of the opportunities or threats they create for your business.

Activity 4: Competitor Analysis (Porter’s Five Forces)

• Activity: Analyse the competitive environment using Porter’s Five Forces framework. Evaluate the intensity of each force — Competitive Rivalry, Threat of New Entrants, Threat of Substitutes, Bargaining Power of Suppliers, and Bargaining Power of Buyers — and explain the strategic implications for your idea.
• Output: A structured analysis table showing the intensity (High/Medium/Low) of each force, supported by credible data and clear strategic insights.

Activity 5: Value Proposition

• Activity: Use the Value Proposition Canvas to demonstrate how your product or service meets customer needs, addresses their pain points, and creates unique value. Clearly highlight differentiation and potential advantages over existing solutions.
• Output: A completed Value Proposition Canvas, showing a clear alignment between customer needs and your business offering.

Pages and Words Limits

Your report must be no more than 1550 words (±10%) & must not exceed 10 pages in total, excluding the cover page and references. Exceeding the word or page limits will result in a deduction of marks.

7BUS2040 Marking Scheme (See detailed Rubric at the end of this brief.)

HBS Grading Criteria (Rubric)

Refer to the detailed HBS Grading Criteria (Rubric) below for performance standards.