Advanced Marketing

Advanced Marketing
Advanced Marketing Spring Coursework: Individual essay (max 2000 words)(40% of final mark)
Please answer one of the three options below.
1. ‘The marketing concept is presented as discontinuous with previous managerial orientations but consistent with economic doctrine by being the modern embodiment of the sacred notion of consumer sovereignty’
(Benton 1987, p.427)
Critically evaluate this statement and in doing so address the following questions:
What is the marketing concept and why has it been enshrined as the best marketing management philosophy? Explain the notion of consumer sovereignty and outline why it is central to the marketing concept. From your own analysis, are consumers really sovereign?

2. According to Ellis et al. (2011, p.213) ‘marketing is an activity centrally concerned with the production of ‘signs’. Marketing is a sign industry, and its various outputs – be they fashion or clothing, perfumes and movies, advertising copy or visual imagery – can be considered a system of signs’.
Use either a semiological (de Saussure) or semiotic (Sanders Pierce) approach to analyse a recent print advertisement of your choice (see Chapter 10 Ellis et al. 2011). In doing so, also evaluate the above statement paying particular attention to the idea that ‘marketing is an activity centrally concerned with the production of signs’. Please include an image of your chosen print ad on your answer sheet.

3. ‘The cost of acquiring customers [is] generally much higher than the cost of retaining customers. It is argued that a focus on relationship dramatically reduced marketing cost, particularly those relating to mass communication (Palmer 1996), while marketing’s effectiveness could be enhanced through an increase in customer loyalty.’
(O’Malley et al. 2008 p.178)
Critically evaluate this statement and in doing so address the following questions:
What is relationship marketing? How is relationship marketing shaped by the ‘interpersonal relationship’ metaphor? How do B2B relationships differ from B2C relationships? Moving beyond relationship marketing, how are companies building a better sense of connectedness with their consumers?
Notes and Advice
– You will be expected to draw upon library readings (e.g. academic and trade journals or databases) beyond your core text to support your answer.

– This means that if you make a point about something it should be backed up with a citation from a good reference that shows how prior research or some other secondary source suggests that your point is a valid one.

– Students who do this intelligently, and from a broad a range of (ideally academic) sources as possible, will have the opportunity to gain a high mark, rather than just passing the module.

– Make sure you read your Undergraduate Handbook carefully on issues of submission, deadlines, extensions, essay writing, referencing and plagiarism.
– By ‘structured essay’ we mean a discursive essay rather than a report, with a brief introduction, and then the main part (broken down into sub-sections), and conclusion.

– In the introduction, you should set out your main themes and intentions, i.e. tell us briefly what your essay will be doing.

– Break down your arguments into smaller parts with sub-headings in order to focus your writing, as well as the concentration of the reader.

– In the short conclusion, briefly summarise your main points and the essence of your essay.

– Always try to put yourself in the position of a critical reader, ask yourself how s/he would react to your essay, how s/he would understand it, be persuaded by it.
– ALL material used should be referenced appropriately. This includes material derived from websites or corporate brochures. Information on referencing is available in your Handbook; arguments need to be supported with relevant evidence. Avoid over-generalizations that can ignore complex and detailed debates.

Prevention of Academic Offences:
1. Students are reminded that every piece of work submitted will be subject to plagiarism detection software.
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