mkt403 module 1 case slp 0

Module 1 – Case

DETERMINE THE RESEARCH PURPOSE

Case Assignment

 

Respond to an RFP (Request For Proposals) to analyze the market opportunity for a ‘Port of Subs’ in the city of your choice.

 

Answer the question and defend the positions you take in each of your answers.

 

Ensure that you repeat the assignment question (in bold above) in full and verbatim on the title sheet of your paper.

 

Note that even though the background information describes a contest, you are NOT to do the research. You are to propose (e.g. outline) how you would do the research. Note also that you are to analyze the market opportunity and, even though the instructions in the contest call for a business plan, you are NOT expected to develop a business plan.

 

The Situation – Port-Of-Subs Inc

 

Entrepreneur Magazines “Franchise 500” and Restaurants and Institutions “Top 400” have recognized Port of Subs as one of the top franchising opportunities in the US today. Its headquarters is located in Reno, Nevada. Port of Subs operates and franchises about 150 submarine sandwich shops in 6 Western states and is positioned to grow to over 200 units in the next two years. The quick-service eateries feature several styles of fresh sandwiches, as well as hot and wrap style sandwiches, salads and soups. Each store makes their sandwiches fresh-to-order by slicing top quality meats and cheeses for each order while the customer looks on. This unique operating system has enabled Port of Subs to be voted Reno’s Best

 

Sub-sandwich restaurant 18 years in a row.

 

Submit your 3-4 page paper by the module deadline.

Assignment Expectations

 

In preparing CASE1, that is, in preparing your proposal to estimate sales for a store that you will place in a location that you are to choose, ensure that you demonstrate your learning of the marketing research concepts and frameworks for analysis outlined as follows:

 

Explain the following fundamental marketing concepts: “marketing research,” “market,” and “opportunity”.

 

Define a market.

 

Explain the analyses that must be undertaken in order to measure market opportunity.

 

Note also that this assignment does NOT require you to prepare a detailed essay. Instead use section headings for each of the topics you address in your paper followed by a discussion of that topic.

Case Resources

 

Port-Of-Subs homepage (2012) . Available March 7, 2013 at www.portofsubs.com

 

Spitz, A. Edward & Flaschner, Alan B. (1980). Retailing. Winthrop Publishers, Inc.

 

Chapter 8. Location Analysis, Planning, and Control, Available March 7, 2013 at

SF-Ch08-pages 128-137.

 

 

Module 1 – SLP

DETERMINE THE RESEARCH PURPOSE

 

Over the session you will conduct a marketing research study.

 

In each module you will complete a section of the marketing analysis, building on the sections previously completed in prior modules.

 

Excluding your title page each of the parts of your SLP will be approximately 3-4 pages. Thus the entire analysis when completed will be about 15-20 pages long.

 

Start with SLP 5. SLP 5 is an overview of the paper you will write this session. In effect, as the culmination of the SLP, SLP 5 summarizes the marketing research you will conduct this session.

 

SLP Questions/Tasks

 

State the purpose of your research.

 

For example: I am going to examine the relative importance of the attributes used in choosing a Cola.

 

Cola:

 

Brand: Coca Cola or Sam’s Cola

 

Price if can: $0.25 pr $0.50

 

Price if 12-pack $2.00 or $4.00

 

Temperature: cold or room

 

I chose these factors and levels for each factor based on Byron (2008). The full reference for Byron (2008) is in Optional Resources.

 

I am also going to examine if amount purchased affects the relative importance of the attributes used in choosing a Cola. The amount purchased will either be a can or a 12-pack.

 

I will also examine if being thirsty affects the relative importance of the attributes used in choosing a Cola.

 

Explain what you mean by attributes and relative importance of attributes.

 

Rephrase the purpose of your research as research questions.

 

For example:

 

Do the attributes used to evaluate Colas vary in relative importance?

 

Do the attributes used to evaluate Colas vary between respondents?

 

Does amount purchased affect the relative importance of the attributes used in choosing a Cola?

 

Does being thirsty affect the relative importance of the attributes used in choosing a Cola?

 

Rephrase your research questions as hypotheses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis).

 

For example:

 

The attributes used to evaluate Colas vary in relative importance.

 

The attributes used to evaluate Colas vary between respondents.

 

The amount purchased affects the relative importance of the attributes used in choosing a Cola?

 

Being thirsty affects the relative importance of the attributes used in choosing a Cola?

 

Click here for some hints on rephrasing your research questions as hypotheses. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis_formation)

 

Submit your 2-3 page paper by the module deadline.

SLP Assignment Expectations

 

In preparing your SLP 1, demonstrate your learning of the concepts and frameworks for analysis outlined in the modular learning outcomes. In particular, are expected to:

Identify and explain the purposes of your marketing research.

 

For Module 1, you will describe the purpose of your research.

In terms of that purpose, as is shown in the above ‘e.g.,’ I have stated that I will am interested in learning the relative importance people place on attributes used to choose a product that I specified (e.g. Cola).

 

You are to conduct research that parallels my research. Thus, you adopt the research project that I will describe in the SLPs as your research project or create a parallel project in which you will learn the weights people place on attributes used to choose a product (those attributes and/or product being different from the product I specified as the one in which I am interested).

 

In terms of the describing the purpose of your research, you need to choose a product and specify what you mean by product attributes and the relative importance of those attributes. To help you define how attributes are weighted in terms of their relative importance, examine Fishbein.doc which not only describes the Fishbein model and provides references to exercises similar to the one in which you will be engaged this session.

 

Review the product and its attributes described in the SLPs and choose one in which you are interested and where you can support your choice of determinant attributes (that is, attributes that determine choice) by citing articles that support using those attributes. If you follow that route, make sure that you use no more than 4 dichotomous attributes. If you used 4 attributes with 2 levels per attribute, you will have 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 or 16 products. With ((n)*(n-1))/2 or 16/2*15 or 8*15 or 120 paired comparisons, you will stretch the patience of your respondents.

 

For example:

 

Colas:

 

Type of sweetener (sugar or sugar substitute),

 

Level of sweetness (sweet or not sweet), and

 

Level of carbonation (carbonated or not carbonated).

 

Smart Cell Phones:

 

Brand: Motorola or LG,

 

Network: VERIZON or AT&T

 

Keyboard: touch screen or keys,

 

Keyboard: QWERTY or 12 key,

 

Webpage access: yes or no, and

 

Email access: yes or no

 

Netbooks:

 

Brand: Dell or Acer,

 

8” screen or 10 “ screen

 

Battery life: long or short

 

Keyboard use: easy or hard

 

Track pad: small or large

 

Memory: hard disk or flash memory

 

Price: $300 or $500

 

I chose these factors and levels for each factor based on Chang (2008), Boehret (2008), Mossberg (2008), and Silver (2008), full references are in Optional Resources. References to the factors used to evaluate other products are also included in Optional Resources.

 

Note that this assignment does NOT require you to prepare a detailed essay. Instead use section headings for each of the topics you address in your paper followed by a discussion of that topic.