Assessment: 02- Activity Based Tasks
ACTIVITY 1
1. Explain why business organisations use statistical analysis of market data. (50-100 words)
2. What is a fad and how does a fad differ from a trend? (100-150 words) Give five examples of current fads and five examples of current trends to illustrate your understanding of the difference.
ACTIVITY 2
1. Explain what measures of central tendency and dispersion figures are. (280-300 words)
2. To what sort of data can measures of central tendency and dispersion be applied?
3. What are data correlations and why is it important to identify correlations? (150 words}
ACTIVITY 3
1. What is quantitative data, when is it helpful and under what circumstances might you choose to conduct qualitative rather than quantitative research? (250 words)
2. How does qualitative analysis of comparative market information assist a business? {80- 100 words)
ACTIVITY 4
1. In a sentence explain how you could collect information about a competitor's products or services.
2. Why is it necessary to collect data that will enable analysis of the market performance of existing and potential competitors and their products or services? (100-150 words)
3. What tools, apart from a SWOT analysis might be useful when conducting competitor analysis? Conduct independent research to identify at least two tools that are not included in the text of this unit and describe the function in detail. {550 words)
ACTIVITY 5
1. Why is performance measurement necessary? (250 words)
ACTIVITY 6
1. Explain why it is necessary to constantly collect and analyse data that supports identification of over-performing and under-performing products and services. {500 words)
2. Make a list of at least 10 things that might be considered when identifying under or over performing products/ services.
ACTIVITY 7
There are numerous forecasting techniques that can be used for a variety of purposes. These could include:
• Top down/ bottom up forecasting
• Scenario building techniques
• The Delphi method
• Situational analysis
• Statistic survey Panel consensus Historical analogy
• Econometric models
• Time series analysis Exponential smoothing Trend projections
• Moving Averages
This is not a definitive list, there are other methods too.
1. Select, from the .list at least four techniques. For each, describe the forecasting process, indicate the data that might be accessed (e.g. quantitative or qualitative) and the purpose for which the particular forecasting technique would be used. (100-200 words for each)
You will need to conduct independent research.
2. Why is it necessary to forecast? (150-200 words)
3. When identifying new marketing opportunities and possibilities for introducing new products/ services to add value to the organisation, it is necessary to take the organisation's capabilities and process capacity into consideration. These must be measured against both current and forecast demand. In 150-200 words explain why.
ACTIVITY 8
1. Explain why visual presentations are so useful. (Offer at least three reasons)
2. List at least eight methods of visual presentation.
3. In a sentence explain why it is necessary to assess visual presentations for potential problems and to make corrections if needed.
4. Make a list of at least eight things that should be taken into consideration when preparing and plotting good quality, useful visual presentations; and when making suitable adjustments/ corrections.
5. What is the best way for the following data to be charted?
a. Market segmentation, according to age, of MP3 buyers in 2017.
Age cohorts Sales figures
Under 20 years of age 33%
20-29 years 23%
30-39 years 17%
40-49 years 19%
50-59 years 28%
Over 60 years 10%
b. Number of total customers over the life of a product.
Year of sales Number of customers
2007 235;000
2008 245,000
2009 180,000
2010 210,000
2012 280,000
2013 320,000
2014 265,000
c. Sales revenue for:
2015-2016: rentals 6% of $683,456 worth of total sales, services 6%, maintenance 10%,
software 14%, sales 64%.
2016-2017: rentals 7% of $635,600 worth of total sales, services 9%, maintenance 11%,
software 16%, sales 57%.
2017-2018: rentals 7% of $640,876 worth of total sales, services 12%, maintenance 12%,
software 17%, sales 52%.
6. The marketing manager has asked you to make a presentation to the marketing department about research findings you have made. The graphic design department has come back with some options shown below-answer each question.
a. Why is the bar graph on the right more accurate and easy to comprehend? How could it be improved even more?

b. Which chart would you use, and why, in a presentation?
c. Which table is easier to follow and why?
State Attendees State Attendees
Idaho 71 Arizona 37
Washington 65 California 42
Oregon 57 Idaho 71
California 42 Nevada 17
Arizona 37 Oregon 57
Utah 23 Utah 23
Nevada 17 Washington 65
ACTIVITY 9
1. To whom might you need to report on the analysis of market data? List four people or bodies to whom you would report.
2. Each organisation will have specific requirements regarding reporting procedures: content, format, level of detail and scheduling; however, there are some basic rules that apply to all reports. List six.
3. Name three common problems that might apply to a research report.