MS60007E CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Level 6

FINAL ASSESSMENT 2013-14

Assignment Individual Essay.2000 word limit. (Excluding bibliography and relevant

appendices)

Weighting 60% Date due 16th May 2014

Assessor: Module Tutor (with second marking and external review)

Individual essay
This Final Assignment aims to evaluate your overall consumer behaviour knowledge and
understanding and also critically your ability to apply consumer behaviour concepts
to real-world marketing challenges. You are encouraged to consult your tutor if you are
unclear about the brief and for formative feedback.

Final Assignment Essay Brief

You are a new employee in a marketing consultancy that works with a number of clients
including: Asda and Waitrose, VW Golf and Skoda Octavia, Hermes and H&M, Old
Spice and Chanels Coco Mademoiselle, Compare the Market and Tesco Home
Insurance, Argos and Amazon, Lush and Dove, Innocent and Twinings, Adidas and
Converse). During your interview they were impressed by your theoretical knowledge
and practical understanding of consumer behaviour. They are creating a series of
informative papers for their clients. You have been asked to write two of these.

Since your audience will be hands on marketing managers you need to provide
practical examples to illustrate key points of interest.

It is important that your essay papers apply the theoretical consumer behaviour
concepts to the real world to improve the clients marketing. e.g. through the creation of
value, improved product / service design, better communication, pricing, distribution,
customer service, processes etc.

It is important to ensure your work is well-presented and well-referenced. Please use

Harvard Referencing. http://library.uwl.ac.uk/find/recording_your_references.html

Make any realistic assumptions that will help you to complete your answers, but make
clear any assumptions that you are making.
Choose two of the following paper topics to write about. Please note each paper
topic has equal weighting:
Discuss how consumers may select, organise and interpret specific stimuli and
messages created by one (or more) of the clients by applying relevant theory you have
learnt regarding the perceptual process. Make recommendations based on your
analysis and understanding of perception that will help improve clients marketing.

Talk through the ways in which one (or more) clients could improve customer loyalty
by making use of learning theory. Identify any opportunities or limitations regarding
behavioural learning or cognitive learning and make specific marketing
recommendations for one of our clients.

The rise in social media has reinforced the power of reference groups. Examine how
and why reference groups are influential for one (or more) of our clients. Consider
any limitations or downsides of opinion leaders / opinion formers before making
specific recommendations for one of our clients regarding marketing applications.

Compare and contrast the motivations of different customer segments for one (or
more) of our clients. Having identified core motivations consider what are the
associated benefits that consumers seek and recommend how our client can make
use of these to motivate consumers to choose their product or service

For one (or more) of our clients evaluate how consumers might form attitudes
towards their product /service. Identify any relevant attitude trends and / or specific
attitudes held by consumer in this sector and make recommendations of ways in which
negative attitudes might be changed and positive attitudes reinforced.

Assessment Guidelines
Please see Final assignment Marking Grid for details. The emphasis is on the
analysis and application of the knowledge and understanding you have assimilated from
this module, including: reading the core text, your lecture material, wider reading and
other learning activities. Reading academic journals, industry / trade reports (Mintel,
Keynote, Euromonitor) and relevant business and marketing press will provide useful
stimulus. http://lrs.uwl.ac.uk Please see your Consumer Behaviour Module Study
Guide for further details.

Plagiarism (of any sort) is against University regulations, penalties are severe.
Please see Module Study Guide for further details.

In line with recommendations, please use the Harvard Referencing System accurately.
We expect to see both in text citations and references fully listed in a bibliography.
Accurate referencing will help you to demonstrate your wider reading and help you avoid
plagiarism even if unintentional.

Students should upload their assignments via Turnitin which will be set up on
BlackBoard. It will be possible upload your assignment multiple times to check your work
before the due date. At the deadline the latest submission will be the final one. Please
contact student IT helpdesk if there is any technical issue.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND LEVEL 6 MARKING GRID
ORGANISATION
AND COHERENCE 15
The study must be clearly
structured and presented.
The work must explicitly
identify the relevant
arguments and areas to be
addressed,
These areas, once
identified must be followed
up logically in the main body
of the study.
There must be a firm
conclusion of the areas
discussed.
CONTENT 30
The contents must clearly
relate to the area of study,
and the learning outcomes
being tested, and ideally
demonstrate some originality
and creativity.
Knowledge and
understanding should be
applied to practice.
CLARITY OF 10
EXPRESSION
Areas must be clearly
expressed, articulate and
fluent
Accurate spelling and
grammar.
LEVEL OF 20
ANALYSIS /
SYNTHESIS
There should be a clear
and detailed analysis of key
issues
Analysis should be
supported by relevant
concepts , data and
examples
Discussion and
recommendations should be
well integrated and
evaluated, as appropriate.
0-6
Poor organisation and
structure.
Limited discussion.
The flow of argument does
not build logically
Inconclusive
0-12
Limited relevance to the
area of study and practice.
Does not meet the
theoretical learning
outcomes.
0-4
Vague, over simplistic,
does not get to the point.
Poor spelling and
grammar.
0-8
Wholly or mainly
descriptive.
Insufficient analysis and or
justification
Few recommendations
7-10
Fair to good attention paid
to the structure and
organisation
Evidence of discussion.
Clear logical flow of
argument
Conclusion mostly
coherent / relevant.
13-20
Addressed the aims of the
areas of study with some
originality and / or creativity.
Applied to practice.
Meets most of the
theoretical learning
outcomes
5-6
Meaning clear.
Spelling and/or grammar
mostly accurate - minor
slips.
9-13
Shows some analytical
thinking
Fair to good justification
and evaluation.
Some fair to good
recommendations
11-15
Very good structure, and
presentation
Coherently expressed.
Clear argument. Widely
discussed
Well-reasoned conclusion.
21-30
Clearly relevant.
Original and creative.
Application and integration
of knowledge to practice.
Fully meets all the
theoretical learning
outcomes.
7-10
Articulate and fluent.
Excellent spelling and
grammar.
14-20
Comprehensive well-
integrated study clear
evidence of thorough
analysis
Recommendations and
evaluation all relevant to
area of study.
USE OF 15 0-6 7-10 11-15
LITERATURE
SHOWING
KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING

The study must
demonstrate appropriate use
of academic
literature/research, which is
relevant to the study.
Limited use of academic Moderate to good range Extensive range, depth
literature/research evidence. with depth and complexity and complexity, which is
appropriate to area of study. appropriate to the area of
study.

QUALITY OF 10 0-4 5-6 7-10

REFERENCING

All key sources must be
cited, and a consistent and
accurate use of Harvard
referencing system must be
maintained.
Main key sources not cited. Most sources cited using All key sources cited.
Limited or no use of an an accepted referencing Consistent and accurate
accepted referencing system. use of an accepted
system. referencing system.

If work is over 10% more than the word limit, the mark may be reduced by 10%.
Assessment Guidelines
Students are being tested on their knowledge of consumer behaviour and marketing
theory and their ability to apply it.

Some characteristics of answers at each grade:

0% - 19%
Has not understood the question and/or has selected the completely incorrect analytic
concepts

20%-29%
Some evidence of understanding question and accessing marketing concepts, but not a
lot of understanding of marketing in general and relevant theory in particular

30% - 39%
Indicates some insight into marketing and/or relevant theory, but does not have enough
knowledge and analytic skill to provide a coherent answer to the question asked.

40% - 49%
Mainly descriptive of relevant theory at an adequate level, some application; good
description and/or overview of theory with no application; good application with no
evidence of theory

50% - 59%
Adequate grasp of relevant theory and some analytic skills exhibited in application to the
problem set.

60% - 69%
Good grasp of relevant theory with application synthesised through a marketing
orientation; adequate grasp of theory with excellent application: answer show an
organised progression of argument/explanation; evidence of individual study.

70% +
Excellent grasp of relevant theory, well structured into excellent marketing led
application, evidence of individual study

We are very keen that students answer the questions asked. Thus if the question asks
for the factors affecting consumer behaviour and the student gives an answer including
other brand / marketing theory (branding strategies for example) no credit is given for
this.

Please refer to the specific marking grid, which indicates how your tutor will
assess your assessment.