RBP020L047A Strategic Marketing Communication Assessment Brief 2026/27 | URL

Strategic Marketing Communication (RBP020L047A, RBP020L047N, RBP020L047S, RBP020L047H)

Instructions for Assessment

Summative Assessment Components Overview

To pass this module, students need an overall 50% mark independent of whether all tasks listed have been started and completed. 

Individual Written Report - 100% of the module mark 

• 3500-word count maximum
• Word document 
• Submission by 24th September 2026, 11:59 am UK time.

Brief  

A written report on the design of a marketing strategy and implementation plan for a new or improved sustainable product or a service of your choice underpinned by academic and professional literature. An existing, well-known company must market the proposed product and should benefit the environment, society, and the economy throughout its lifecycle.

• What % of marks (if any) are awarded for presentation of work and references: 10%
• Word limit: 3500 max, excluding references and appendices 

Instructions for assessment

Your final report should include the following sections: 
 
Part 1: Introduction and Product/Service Description (10%)

A brief description and rationale for introducing the new or improved sustainable product or service that is the focus of your report. Agree your choice with your tutor by week 3.  

Explain how your proposed product or service aligns with sustainability goals and contributes to a more sustainable future.

Part 2: A Critical Analysis of the Market Context (20%) Include a brief analysis of the market:

• Key market trends (e.g. growth trends)
• Who are the key competitors, and how are they positioned?
• Summarise the current customer attitudes/behaviours in this market
• Identify the main issues/opportunities you think are relevant, including social and/or ethical issues (if relevant)  

Part 3: Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) (20%)

• What base(s) of segmentation you have used and why?  
• Include size, geographic, demographic, psychographic, etc.  
• Summarise the profile and persona of your target market and, if not an entirely new sustainable product, how is the target market different from the segment(s) targeted in the past?
• Include a statement identifying why your target market should buy your improved sustainable product or service– i.e. what sustainability benefits it now offers and what problems it solves.  

Part 4: Your Recommended Extended Marketing Mix (given your analysis above) (30%) Traditional marketing mix elements:

• Product (include, for example, branding and packaging and service quality)  
• Pricing Strategy
• Promotional Strategy, including Digital Media
• Channel or Distribution Strategy 
  Services marketing mix elements (where appropriate):
• Process  
• Physical evidence (e.g. essential and peripheral evidence, servicescap,e etc.)  
• People (including the role of the customer in the value creation process as well as employees and/or relationship marketing challenges)
• Integrate sustainability into each element of the marketing mix, ensuring that your strategy aligns with environmental and social responsibility goals. 
   

Part 5: A discussion of Implementation Issues (10%)

This section should discuss issues related to implementation, such as co-ordination between different departments and the role of internal marketing, as well as resources and capabilities required to implement your chosen marketing strategy. 
Consider how your chosen marketing strategy can be implemented sustainably and minimise negative environmental and social impacts.

A further 10% of your mark is allocated to presentation and referencing (10%).

Please refer to the marking grid in the Appendix for a detailed breakdown of the assessment criteria, including the weighting of each criterion and expectations for different mark bands.

Formative Feedback  

You are welcome to seek oral feedback on your work in progress. 
 
Note: we will not provide any written or marks indicative feedback on drafts for summative assessment at any time. If you perceive any formative feedback in such a way, please note that it is not binding for your marking. Markers can also always change, and you have no entitlement to be marked by the module convener or tutors.

Additional Instructions for Re-sit The re-sit is subject to a duplicate assessment task for the main assignment period; for further instructions, see below. 
 
Re-sit deadlines will be published via Canvas. Visit the module’s Canvas site and check your Roehampton email account regularly. The school is not obliged to check whether you have noticed re-sit deadlines.

You are required to improve and resubmit your original work using the specific re-sit Turnitin link on Canvas.  

The original marking criteria will still apply; please refer to the marking grid in the Appendix.  

Structure and Presentation 

• Any written work should be spell-checked, and a contents page should be included.  
• Do not use various font sizes and colours.  
• Black ink, Arial, size 11, and 1.5-line spacing are recommended.  
• Use DIN A4 format and page margins of 2.5 cm or 1 inch.

How will your work be assessed?

Your work will be assessed by a subject expert who will use either the marking criteria provided in the section “Instructions for assessment” or the Marking rubric enclosed in the Appendix, as appropriate for this module. When you access your marked work, it is important that you reflect on the feedback so that you can use it to improve future assignments.

Referencing and Submission

You must use the Harvard System. 
The Business School requires a digital version of all assignment submissions. These must be submitted via Turnitin on the module’s Canvas site as a Word file (not as a PDF) and must not include scanned text or text boxes.  

Use of AI

You may use generative AI to help generate ideas and brainstorm.  However, be aware that the material generated by these AI tools may be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic.   
 
If you include material generated by generative AI, in most cases, it should be cited in the same way you would cite other references. Your tutors will advise you on how to do this.  
 
Any plagiarism or other cheating will be handled under the University of Roehampton academic misconduct policy. 
 
Citing use of generative AI: (If this generative AI material is available online, you can cite it as an electronic version of a source (such as an artwork or article).  

Citation order:

• Creator (name of AI)
• Year (in round brackets)
• Title of work (in italics) 
• [Medium]
• Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date) 

Personal communications  

If the AI’s end product (for example, use of ChatGPT in conversation) is only available to you, cite this as a personal communication and include a description of the AI-generated material in your in-text citation. Consult your tutor if they require you to provide a copy of the AI work as an appendix.

Citation order:

Name of AI 
Year of communication (in round brackets) 
Medium of communication 
Receiver of communication 
Day/month of communication

Mitigating Circumstances 

What do you do if you cannot submit a work or attend your presentation? 
The University Mitigating Circumstances Policy can be found on the University website using this link. 
Marking and Feedback Process 
Between handing in your work and receiving your feedback and provisional marks within 30 working days, we go through several quality assurance processes to ensure that students receive marks that reflect their work. A summary is provided below:

1.    Step One – The module marking team meet to agree on standards, expectations and how feedback will be provided. 
2.    Step Two – A subject expert will mark your work using the criteria provided in the assessment brief. 
3.    Step Three – A moderation takes place where all members of the teaching and marking team will review the marking of others to confirm whether they agree with the mark and feedback  
4.    Step Four – Work then goes to the University for moderation and external examination who will review a sample of work to confirm that the marking between different staff is consistent and fair  
5.    Step Five – Your provisional mark and feedback are processed by the Office and made available to you. 

Appendix: Marking Rubric for Summative Assessment