Prof. Gilbart - MKT101 Marketing Strategy Term Paper - Fall 2025: Your Assignment

Complete project instructions are available in your course shell in BrightSpace

“Keys to Longevity”

MARKETING STRATEGY TERM PAPER 

Assignment

Objective:
This assignment gives you the chance to study the long-term success of an iconic brand (100+ years old). You will analyze why it has endured, evaluate its current marketing strategy, and propose a forward-looking idea (such as a brand extension, partnership, or campaign) to help it remain relevant in the future.

Length: 5 pages (double-spaced, 12 pt. font, approx. 1,250–1,500 words)
Sources: At least 3 credible sources (company reports, news articles, marketing/branding analyses, etc.). Use APA format for citations.

Assignment Outline

1. Introduction (½ page)

• Introduce your assigned brand/product.
• Briefly state its significance as an iconic brand with 100+ years of history.
• Preview what your paper will cover (history, current strategy, future ideas).

2. Brand History, Mission, & Longevity (1 page)

• Summarize how the brand was founded and key milestones.
• Identify and include the brand’s Mission Statement (quote directly and cite source).
• Explain why it has been successful for so long (e.g., innovation, trust, consistent quality, strong brand identity).
• Highlight any major shifts the brand has made over time to adapt.

3. Current Marketing Strategy Analysis (2 pages)

Use the following concepts to evaluate how the brand is marketed today:

• Target Market: Who are they aiming at today? Are they focused on one group or several?
• STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning): How do they segment the market, which segments do they target, and how do they position themselves against competitors?
• 4 Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion): Analyze each element of their marketing mix.
• Creating Customer Value: How does the brand create value for its customers (e.g., quality, convenience, emotional connection)?
• Branding and Messaging: What is the brand image, tone, and personality? Is it consistent across platforms?
• Marketing Channels: Which channels are most important (retail, e-commerce, social media, advertising, partnerships)? Are they using them effectively?

Provide examples and evidence wherever possible.

4. Strategic Recommendation for the Future (1-1½ pages)

• Propose a new strategy to keep the brand relevant. Options include:
  • A brand extension (new product line)
  • A co-branding/partnership idea
  • A campaign targeting a new generation or cultural trend
  • A new channel strategy (e.g., stronger digital presence, influencer collaborations)
• Justify your idea using course concepts. Explain how it builds on the brand’s strengths, meets customer needs and provides customer value.

5. Conclusion (½ page)

• Summarize the brand’s past strengths, present strategy, and your future recommendation.
• End with a short reflection on what makes this brand a good example of marketing strategy in action.

Formatting & Grading

Formatting:

• 5 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman or Arial
• Title page with your name, course, brand assigned, and date
• Proper APA in-text citations and bibliography

You can find information about APA format under the Citing and Plagiarism tab on this guide.

To get help with research from a librarian either in person, by phone, email, text, or chat. Look under the Get Help tab to see how to contact the librarian who taught your library session and get information on library hours.

If you need additional information on your assignment and specific due dates, check BrightSpace first, THEN ask your professor.

Section 2: 

Company Origins and Mission Statements can be found on the company website. Look for an About Us or Who We Are page. Mission Statements may be supplanted by Vision and Values statements. 

*Note e.g. Coca-Cola, the beverage, has it's own website separate from The Coca-Cola Company, it's parent company. 

Section 3:

Look for a News, Media or PR (Public Relations) section on the Company Website for the latest news on markets and marketing strategies, branding, customers etc.  The company's social media can help with branding, target market, and messaging.  Annual Report (under information for Investors - if they are publicly traded) may provide information on target markets. 

See the Search Strategy tab for how to use the Business databases to find additional information for this assignment.

APA Citation information for company websites

Creator. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage in italics. Website name. URL

*If the website name is similar to the creator, you do not have to repeat them. For information from a company website, if there is no specific author mentioned, cite the company name as the creator/author.

The Coca-Cola Company. (2025). The birth of a refreshing idea. https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/history/the-birth-of-a-refreshing-idea

In-Text citation (The Coca-Cola Company, 2025)

*If you are citing word for word from a website, include the paragraph number including para. (count from the top down).

Founding partner Frank M. Robinson thought that "the two Cs would look well in advertising" (The Coca-Cola Company, 2025, para. 2).

*IF you are citing multiple sections of the same website, you will need to differentiate your citations. Add a letter (starting with lower case a) to the end of each in-text citation - in the order they are cited in your paper, not the order they appear in your References page, and it's full References page citation.

In Text Citation: (The Coca-Cola Company, 2025a)

References Page Citation: The Coca-Cola Company. (2025a). Purpose and vision. https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/purpose-and-vision

Be sure to use the full proper name of the company in your paper:

Not Coca Cola, or Coca-Cola Co., but The Coca-Cola Company. Levi Strauss & Co. not Levi's or Levi Strauss or Levi Strauss and Company.

BUT:

For your in-text citations, when citing from a company directly, use the full name of the company in the first citation, then add an abbreviation in square brackets. In all following citations, use the abbreviation. E.g.: first citation: (The Coca-Cola Company [Coca-Cola], 2023); all other citations: (Coca-Cola, 2025) etc.