Assignment 1: Marketing Article Analysis
This assignment gives students the opportunity to explore contemporary marketing issues, and to gain an appreciation of contemporary marketing theories and concepts.
The list of topics which you may select from corresponds to the material presented in the sessions and in the corresponding chapters in the prescribed textbook, in Weeks 1-5 of the unit. It is suggested that in the first instance you select the topics which most reflects your personal interests, and which you would like to know more about. The titles of the topics (as they appear in the Study Schedule in the Unit Outline) should be fairly self-evident e.g. they indicate the areas of coverage. Having selected a topic there are two approaches that you could take:
1). if you have a fairly clear idea about an area that you would like to focus on, then select some ‘search terms’ and proceed to search the journals through using one or more academic databases (e.g. Ebsco, Emerald, Proquest). If your search terms do not initially identify any articles that initially interest you, then either widen your search terms (make them more general), or make them more specific (if your initial search identifies too many articles that were not directly within your area of interest). 2). If you have less of a clear idea then proceed directly to one or more journals that is likely to fit with your chosen topic (e.g. the Buyer Behaviour topic fits nicely with the Journal of Consumer Research, the Managing Marketing Information topic fits nicely with The Journal of Marketing Research) and simply search through issues of the chosen journal (within the specified years) to find an article that you find interesting. Look at the Abstract at the start of each article to save time in finding one that you find interesting.
Only recent articles (which reflect the latest research) may be selected, since we want you to be exposed to, and to understand, the latest research. So restrict your source to the last five years (i.e. 2014-2018). If you are having difficultly accessing the databases please consult one of the ACU library staff members.
Provide a link to the article in the assignment. Use a search engine such as Google Scholar, or EBSCO or Emerald to find an article. For example, the following article examines the key dimensions of luxury from a UK consumers’ perspective (i.e.
Consumer behaviour):
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/MIP-09-2012-0092. Don’t be concerned if the article includes complex mathematical analysis.
Well known refereed academic marketing journals include the following:

• European Journal of Marketing
• International Journal of Research in Marketing
• Journal of Consumer Research
• Journal of Marketing
• Journal of Marketing Research
• Journal of Retailing
• Journal of Service Research
• Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
• International Journal of Consumer Studies
• International Marketing Review
• Journal of Advertising Journal of Advertising Research
• Journal of Brand Management
• Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing • Journal of Business Research,
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• Journal of Macro Marketing
• Journal of Marketing Management
• Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
• Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
• Journal of Services Marketing
Once you have selected the article that you wish to analyse, the approach that you should take is set out below.
You need to systematically work your way through each of the following, using a Report-style format (and including a Cover page, a Table of Contents section, a brief Introduction, and a Bibliography). Note that the above sections do not count within the prescribed word count for the main body of the Report.
A. Summary of the Article (200 words) – what are the main points it is making?
B. The Theoretical Foundations (200 words) – what are the underlining theories and concepts being drawn on?
C. Nature of the Research (100 words) – qualitative or quantitative primary research? data collection methods? data analysis methods?
D. Sample Size Considerations (50 words) – probability or non-probability sampling, sample size? sample size considerations?
E. Key Findings from the Research (250 words) – what are the main points emerging from the research undertaken?
F. ‘New’ Findings that Advance Knowledge (200 words) – do the findings challenge existing knowledge? (practical and theoretical knowledge)
G. Personal Opinion on the Findings (200 words) – were they surprising to you (and why?) or did they reinforce what you intuitively knew?
H. What Practitioners Can Learn & Apply (200 words) – what might a marketing manager be able to take away and apply with his/her brands? For Learning Outcomes, word count, assignment worth, submission place, time and date please see the Unit Outline and/or the LEO site. Dr Al Marshall
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