MKT11123 Marketing Strategy for Business Leaders Assessment One Brief 2026/27 | ENU

Module Title and Number

MKT11123 Marketing Strategy for Business Leaders

Module Leader

Dr Mavis Gutu

Email: m.gutu@napier.ac.uk

Contact for Assessment

As above

Assessment Method

You are required to write an individual marketing plan report for the launch of a new product/service for one of the companies from the list of organisations provided below.

You should introduce the company and the new product/service, outline the company’s marketing environment (internal and external).

Weighting

Assessment one has a 65% weighting

Size and/or Time Limits for Assessment

2500 words (+/- 10%) – submission deadline Wednesday 21st October 2026, 3pm.

Assessment one enables you to learn how to analyse a marketing environment of an organisation within the context of its industry sector. This provides you with an exposure on how key marketing environmental factors impact on companies marketing decisions when launching a new product/service. The report structure enables you to evaluate the role and function of marketing within for ‘profit’ or ‘not-for-profit’ organisation (LO1), analyse the internal and external environments (LO2), including the engagement with theories and relevant frameworks within business contexts

(LO3).

This is an individual report.

Acting as a Marketing Consultant, Assessment One requires you to choose an organisation from the list below and launch a new product or service onto the domestic market where the organisation operates from, in 2027/28; 2028/29. You are only required to conduct a ‘situational analysis’.

Choice of Companies (home market indicated):

1. Harmonic Osteopathy: https://www.harmonicosteopathy.com/  (allied health industry sector), Scotland, UK
   
   
2. William Lennon & Co: https://williamlennon.co.uk/  (Consumer Discretionary - Footwear industry; Apparel, Fashion, and Luxury Goods industry sector) England, UK
   
   
3. GharPar.co, Beauty Salon Services at Home in Pakistan | GharPar.co, Pakistan
   
   
4. Ecash2Trash: About - eTrash2Cash (Nigerian based social enterprise), Nigeria
   
   
5. Huel, https://www.huel.com , Food & nutrition products, UK

To do well in this assignment, you need to provide a thorough and evidenced analysis of the marketing environment (internal and external) of the domestic market of your chosen company. You should apply appropriate frameworks to enable this.

You must not choose a product or service that is already on the market, UNLESS you are planning a substantial repositioning and rebranding of that product or service.

Ideally, you will consider one of the following:

• a particular product or service
• a product or service range
• an event
• another aspect which requires communication to a user / customer

You should follow the SOSTAC structure for the assessments as outlined in lecture 1. Assessment one should apply (S).

Suggested content/structure for Assessment One

Introduction: Brief company introduction and proposed new product/service idea.

A situational analysis demonstrating key issues (internal and external) facing your chosen organisation which might impact on the launch of your new product or service. Apply relevant theories and frameworks to support your analysis. In exploring the external analysis consider the macro trends within the home market. Evaluate the company’s specific industry sector using appropriate theoretical frameworks.

SWOT/TOWS can be used and should be placed after the internal and external analysis to summarise the internal and external (strengths and weaknesses – internal); (opportunities and threats – external) and should clearly emerge from the preceding analysis.

**For the external analysis, use the relevant country outlook report on Moodle as your starting point.
The situation analysis should be based on the company’s country of origin (domestic market) and within the context of the new product/service launch.

Conclusion which identifies the key implications of the situational analysis for the success of the proposed product/service launch.

Reference list which shows all the citations used in the main report. Use credible academic sources.

Your report should be in a word document and should be 2,500 (+/-10%) (excluding list of references and appendices). The American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition referencing style must be used throughout your report.

Recommended font type/size and line spacing:

• Font type: Arial
• Font size: 12
• Line spacing: 1.5

Available - Drop-in Formative feedback – Monday 19th October 2 - 4 pm (online)

You are required to upload a digital copy of the situational analysis as part of the marketing plan to the assessment link on Moodle by the due date.

Please note that you are not expected to conduct any primary research.

Support for academic skills and additional guidance is available on My Napier: https://my.napier.ac.uk/your-studies/improve-your-academic-and-study-skills

AMBER use of Generative AI is permitted on this Assessment meaning should you use AI, do this with caution.

AMBER – use of Gen AI is permitted with caution. See below for details:

You are only permitted to use AI for this assessment to improve the communication of your own ideas and presentation of your analysis. If you wish to use AI for this reason, please follow these instructions:

• First, always start with your own writing to get your ideas, general discussion and description of literature/data and analysis on word and make any edits.
  
  
• To check your communication and grammar, then use AI to give feedback on your writing style and approach.
• Do NOT use it to generate your entire report. You should only use AI as an assistant to advise on your communication, such as writing style, grammar and spelling etc.

You cannot use AI in this assessment to generate ideas, collect or analyse data as this can breach the University’s Ethics Guidelines.

You are required to declare any use of Gen AI tools on the AI Coversheet

Deadline for Submission

Submission deadline: Wednesday 21st October 2026, 3pm.

Please Note:

Your attention is drawn to the penalties for late submissions –:

All coursework, both at first attempt and reassessment, submitted after the agreed deadline will be marked at a maximum of 50 per cent (TPG).

Coursework submitted over five working days after the agreed deadline will be given a mark of zero per cent, although formative feedback will be offered to the student where requested, as per Academic Regulations Sections B and C.

Submission Method

Assessment One:

You should upload a digital copy of your situational analysis marketing plan report to the Assessment One Submission link on Moodle by Wednesday 21st October 2026, 3pm.

Assessment AI Declaration Cover Sheet:
For every assessment, you must submit an AI Assessment Declaration Cover Sheet which must confirm that the submission is your own and has not been submitted for another assessment. Please include this as the front page within your word document.

You are advised to keep your own copy of the submitted assessments.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assessment

Edinburgh Napier University’s Academic Integrity Regulations 2024-25 AI3.2 state that students’ inappropriate use of Generative AI, such as the direct use of generated content presented in an assessment submission as their own work, constitutes a form of cheating and a breach of the Academic Integrity Regulations. The Student Community Code makes clear to students that they must follow university guidance on appropriate use of Artificial intelligence tools.

The University encourages colleagues to incorporate Generative AI into their teaching and learning activities and assessments where appropriate, as per Principle 5 (2.5) and the University’s Position Statement on Generative AI (3.1 & 3.2).

Written Feedback and marks on coursework will be available within three weeks from date of submission:

• Assessment One – by Friday 13th November 2026.

Please Note:

All marks are provisional subject to ratification by the Programme Assessment Boards. Final and confirmed marks will be available in your e-Student record at least six weeks after provisional marks.

All assessments at Edinburgh Napier University are subject to the University’s Academic Regulations, Academic Integrity Regulations, Student Community Code. Students are expected to adhere to the Student Community Code and maintain acceptable standards of academic practice, as set out in the Academic Integrity Regulations.

Reassessment information will be posted on Moodle. Should you require to be reassessed, this becomes available on your e-Student record after the ratification of marks by the Assessment Programme Boards. It is the student’s responsibility to check reassessment information on Moodle i.e. task and submission deadlines.

For detailed Assessment One marking criteria refer to Table 1.

Marking will also be based on the accuracy of spelling, grammar, and adherence to citation style.

As you will see from this marking criteria, you will be marked on the extent to which you have demonstrated the learning outcomes of this module. As per the values outlined in our Community Code, you should make every effort to ensure your work is prepared for and communicated professionally in terms of spelling, style and grammar. Referencing is also marked in this assessment and you are expected to demonstrate your Academic Integrity by acknowledging all sources which have informed, directed or shaped your work, and that your submission is representative of your own work and learning. As accurate referencing is good academic practice, supporting your academic development and preparing you for future assessments, you may receive feedback on referencing to help you with this.

You are expected to complete and submit the AI Assessment Declaration Cover Sheet.

Fail (1-49%) D

A succinct, effective introduction.

Excellent analysis of the internal environment showing a critical perspective of the internal capabilities of the firm, and nature of industry competition.

Theory concepts are applied, and the discussion is analytical, focused and not descriptive. Strong evidence of use of a wide range of authors and sources to support the report

Succinct, effective introduction.

The internal environment covering an analysis of internal capabilities of the company, and nature of industry competition are critically evaluated using appropriate theoretical concepts. Citations from journal articles, textbooks are used as justification.

The introduction is presented but is a bit winding and lacks clarity and purpose.

The internal environment including an analysis of the internal capabilities of the firm, and nature of industry competition is not quite well explained and perhaps rationale is not as strong as could be.

Use of citations is limited. Supportive evidence is weak.

The introduction is not clear.

The internal and external environment is there but perhaps more descriptive, rather than rational for its analysis. May provide very little or no sources to support.

Whilst some evidence that the analysis has been extended beyond AI/pre-sourced analysis, with additional sources, application is quite limited

Poor introduction.

Information on the internal and external environment is vague and hard to understand. Lacks any supporting evidence / rationale.

Does little to move beyond what could be generated from AI

Clear and critical analysis of the external environment showing implications on launch of the new product/service.

Critical application of theory concepts and the discussion is more analytical and focused. Strong evidence of use of a wide range of authors and sources to support the report.

The external analysis is clear and showing implications on launch of new product/service.

Theory concepts are applied. Citations from journal articles, textbooks are used as justification.

The external environment is not quite analysed.

Perhaps rationale is not as strong as could be. Use of citations is limited. Supportive evidence is weak.

The external environment is there but more descriptive and limited in scope.

The interpretation and application remains limited, with supporting evidence sometimes absent, and potential use of less credible sources.

The external environment presentation is vague and hard to understand. Lacks any supporting evidence / rationale.

Does little to move beyond what could be generated from AI

Recommended word count is observed. 

Well-presented and structured critically written report with good identification of key sections typically using appropriate themes to guide the discussion. The report is easy to read and follow. Excellent use of theoretical models.
An excellent range of references and well cited report, consistently using APA 7th style – all references that are cited are alphabetically presented in
the reference list.

Recommended word count is observed. A well-structured report with good identification of key sections, typically using theoretical models to guide the report where appropriate.
APA 7th style is consistently applied in citations and reference list.
A reference list is in alphabetic order and includes all citations in the report.

Report remains within recommended word

count. Good presentation, using appropriate headings and good structure. Care and attention to detail are evident.
APA 7th style is inconsistently applied. Reference list partially conforms to recommended style. Quality of some sources used may not be strong (i.e. non-academic literature sources)

Report may be over word count. The overall

structure of the report is generally clear, but it lacks clarity in several places. There may be noticeable spelling errors/typos and formatting inconsistencies.
The references rely heavily on online sources of mixed quality, with limited academic support. APA 7th style may not have been applied consistently.

Report is over the word limit. Presentation is poor, with little effort made. 

There are noticeable errors/typos.
The analysis and critique feel disconnected and are often unclear and difficult to follow, with minimal supporting evidence.
Referencing also does not consistently follow APA 7th style. Reference list is not in alphabetic order.
Citations are rarely used and the reference list does not exist or partly shows some of the citations.