MNG91002 – Entrepreneurship and Marketing
Session 1, 2015
Assignment 2: Case Analysis – Google
Core Information:
Due: Before 11:00 pm, Friday 8th May 2015
Weighting: 40%
Individual/Group Individual Assignment
Word limit: 2000 words in total (plus or minus 10%)
Aim
The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to apply knowledge, theory, frameworks and tools from the early part of the unit to an analysis of the marketing practices of a real organisation. You will work in analysing the strategies pursued by Google since its creation. You will evaluate the strategies and their effectiveness and relate those real-life experiences to relevant research and theory. The aim is to provide experience of marketing analysis and practice and to determine your ability to relate real marketing strategy to theory and research.
The Overall Task
It was mid 1998. The dot com bubble had started to burst, and with it the demise of some of the
Web’s earliest search tools and browser platforms. Yet despite such chaos, two Stanford University PhD students set about ‘organising the world's information and mak[ing] it universally accessible and useful’ (Google Mission Statement). From those initial plans grew a multinational firm, now with 53,000 employees, and a market capitalisation of $USD360 billion.
A great documentary on Google can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnabJegAtMY
Your task in this case analysis is to answer three questions by critically analysing Google’s history, resources and market situation. Please do not just describe events, although you should read Google’s history to understand the background to your analysis. You should use the principles and concepts that you have learned in marketing-related modules to answer the following two questions:
1. What marketing strategy or strategies has Google adopted since it was created? Answer this question by applying one or more of the theoretical marketing approaches and/or models discussed in the literature.
2. What strategic marketing options can you describe for Google if it wishes to remain a successful organisation throughout the next decade? Answer this question based on a SWOT analysis of the circumstances that exist in 2014/15 and your best forecasts of relevant future industry factors.
These are wide-ranging questions and you should undertake extensive independent research into Google and its industry – we might define it as the search industry. You should explore different aspects of these issues and incorporate them into your paper. This is a practical assessment of a real company, but you need to show an understanding of theory and research in your evaluation and suggestions.
Process
1. Begin to gather information about Google and its strategies. There are a range of sources you can make use including the companies own corporate website and related publications, academic journals, business press and media, blogs and so on. The quality business press such as Forbes or Business Week or the Economist are in some ways good places to start.
2. However, you need to begin to study relevant course materials as the task requires you to analyse and evaluate Google’s marketing strategy in relation to theory, frameworks and research.
3. Consider each of the two questions carefully and begin to relate practice to theory in an attempt to answer each of them.
4. The first question asks to you identify the marketing strategy and/or strategies pursued by Google. For example, you might consider this in relation to the 4Ps model, or even an extended Ps model which are often found within the marketing literature. Or you might try and determine if Google pursued a clear plan, with respect to their marketing function, or whether you can discern emergent aspects of their marketing strategy. There is latitude here for you to explore things and provide an analysis that you think makes sense. Your analysis should include an assessment of why you think Google developed the strategies that they did
5. The second question is difficult since it asks you to look forward and to suggest the type of marketing strategy and strategising that Google might fruitfully pursue going forward through the rest of this decade. One explicit suggestion is that you use the well known SWOT tool to analyse the situation confronting the company now and as part of the input into determining strategy going forward. However, that does not preclude you using other tools and frameworks to do an analysis and suggest a strategic marketing path for Google.
6. It should be clear that there is no definitive right answer here. This also mirrors reality, companies are not able to find a single solution or pathway; they have to make difficult choices from alternatives. In the light of that try to explore different aspects of the three questions – there are no ‘correct’ answers and lots of valid arguments for and against all kinds of alternatives. The merits of your argument will depend to a large extent on how much evidence you can cite to support your point of view; that is why this is called a research project.
7. Write up your analysis. This should be in a report format. Here is a suggested structure:
a. Executive Summary
b. Introduction
c. Background to the Company
d. Marketing Analysis
i. The Nature of Google’s Marketing Strategy or Strategies since it began.
ii. Strategic Marketing Options for Google moving forward
e. Conclusion
f. References
g. Appendix
Ensure that you have related the real conditions of the company to theory and research and that you have read, cited and referenced appropriate academic material as well as more popular sources
(which also need to be properly referenced.)
8. Submit the report via the Turnitin Submission Link (under Assessment Details on the Blackboard site)…be fully aware of the plagiarism rules in the School; plagiarism will not be tolerated.
The marking criteria for the assignment can be found on the following page. They are published to give you detailed guidelines about the way in which your mark will be calculated. Please read them carefully. Note that they are a guide, not a definitive formula for allocating marks, and no set of criteria can accurately describe every possible assignment. Your final mark will reflect the application of academic judgement by your marker to your whole assignment.

MNG91002 – Entrepreneurship & Marketing (Session 1, 2015) Assignment 2: Case Analysis Marking Criteria
Ratings and Comments According to Criteria Mark
Executive Summary Provides a properly constructed and correct length executive summary: /5
Excellent
The exec its conten
Excellent
Further C

Very Good ve summary pr
Very Good mments as nece Good des a brief
Good ary: Satisfactory erview of the p
Satisfactory Needs Development ose of the report and an
Needs Development Poor fective s
Poor
mary of
uti t: ovi ov urp ef um
o ss
Introduction.
Properly describes the task a nd sets up the report content that follows:
/5
Excellent
Places th and its rel Excellent
Further C

Very Good
ssignment in c
on to the succe
Very Good mments as nece Good
ext in term
(or otherw
Good ary: Satisfactory
of discussing th
e) of companies
Satisfactory Needs Development
ature and importance of ch as Google:
Needs Development Poor arketing
Poor NA ategy
e a ati ont
ss s is e n
su m str
o ss
Background to the
Company Provides a clear, sufficientl y detailed and properly referenc ed account of Google’s e mergence a nd developm ent as a company :
/10
Excellent
Provides example,
Excellent
Further C

Very Good
lear, sufficientl
pe of company,
Very Good mments as nece Good
etailed an
ze, industry
Good ary: Satisfactory
roperly referenc asic performan
Satisfactory Needs Development
account of Google as a data etc:
Needs Development Poor ompany, f
Poor
a c
ty y d si d p
, b ed ce c or
o ss
Strategic Analysis
The Nature of
Google’s Strategy or Strategies since it began.
Identifies and discusses the marketing stra tegy or strategie s pursued by Google:
/30
Excellent Relates t
Excellent Very Good strategy/strateg
Very Good
Further Comments as necessary: Good s pursued
Good Satisfactory
Google to theor
Satisfactory Needs Development s, models and research:
Needs Development Poor
Poor
he ie by ie
Strategic Options for Google moving forward
Provides an analysis of Google’s current situation from a strategic marketing standpoint: /30
Excellent
Demonstr
Excellent
Provides
Excellent
Further C

Very Good es capability in
Very Good usible recomm
Very Good mments as nece Good plying anal
Good dations for
Good ary: Satisfactory cal tools such a
Satisfactory market strategy
Satisfactory Needs Development SWOT:
Needs Development at promises to move it fo
Needs Development Poor
Poor ard succ
Poor
sfully:
at ap yti s
pla en a th rw es
o ss
Conclusions:
Draws se nsible conclusions b ased on the analysis and dis cussion: /10
Excellent
Conclusio
Excellent
Further C
Very Good reveal key lear
Very Good mments as nece Good ng to be ta
Good ary: Satisfactory n from the analy
Satisfactory Needs Development
s:
Needs Development Poor
Poor
ns ni ke si
o ss
Technical and
Professionalism
Aspects of the Report
In-text cit ations and proper referencing ( note: an absence of in-text citations and refer encing ma y lead to penalties beyond the marks al located for this criteria point) : /10
Excellent
Appropria
Excellent
Presente
Excellent
Style, spe
Excellent
Very Good sources used a
Very Good n well-thought o
Very Good ng, grammar an
Very Good
Further Comments as necessary: Good reference
Good consistent
Good syntax
Good Satisfactory
Satisfactory eadable form/a
Satisfactory
Satisfactory Needs Development
Needs Development opriate length:
Needs Development
Needs Development Poor
Poor
Poor
Poor
te nd d:
d i ut, , r ppr
lli d
Summary Comments as Necessary:
School extension policy
Students wanting an extension must make a request at least 24 hours before the assessment item is due and the request must be received in writing by the unit assessor or designated academic.
Extensions within 24 hours of submission or following the submission deadline will not be granted (unless supported by a doctor’s certificate or where there are exceptional circumstances – this will be at unit assessor’s discretion and will be considered on a case by case basis). Extensions will be for a maximum of 48 hours (longer extensions supported by a doctor’s certificate or exceptional circumstances to be considered on a case by case basis).
A penalty of 10% of the total available grade will accrue for each 24 hour period that an assessment item is submitted late. Therefore an assessment item worth 20 marks will have 2 marks deducted for every 24 hour period and at the end of 10 days will receive 0 marks.
Extensions will NOT be approved because of problems with personal computers or storage devices. Back up your work every day to a secure location.