Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

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School of Business EXAMINATION

Semester One, End of Semester Examination, 2024

MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

This paper is for all students.
For Examiner Use Only
Examination Duration: 120 minutes
Question Mark
Reading Time: 10 minutes

Exam Conditions:

This is an Online Open Book examination

File upload to Examination folder on Blackboard.

Please upload your answer document as a Word document or, if this is not
possible, as a PDF file.

Be sure to upload your answer document before the end of the exam, as there
will be severe penalties for late submissions.

Instructions to Students:

See detailed instructions on the exam itself.

Include your name and student ID at the top of the first page of your submitted
document.

Please also title your document in this format:

"chosen business, student's full name, student ID”

(e.g., Company name, your name, ID 1234567).

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Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

Total ________
MKTG7512 End-of-semester Exam

YOUR TASK

This is the year 2024. You have just been hired as Marketing Department Head.
Your task is to conduct a strategic marketing analysis of this business.

Even though you are new to the company and don't have detailed knowledge yet,
the CEO wants you to demonstrate your understanding of strategic marketing
management.

Your analysis should be coherent and well-argued by applying the MKTG7512

course concepts.

QUESTIONS

Conduct a strategic marketing analysis of one of the following two companies:

Qantas Airways Limited or The a2 Milk Company.

Either company is fine. For this report, both companies’ primary markets are
considered in Australia, so your answers should focus on the Australian domestic
market. Additional information on the two companies is available after the exam
questions and at the end of the exam paper, which is attached as Appendices.

First, take a look at the brief description of the two companies in the Appendices
and pick one for your analysis.

You are required to address the following questions in your report.

1. An introduction to your analysis report; briefly state your report's goal and
general structure.

2. Conduct a SWOT analysis of the company, addressing the following two

aspects:

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Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

2.1 Identify opportunities the company faces in light of what's happening

in today's external environment (PESTLE) that are relevant and
important to this company.

2.2 Identify the company's weaknesses in light of what's happening inside

the company.

Note:

• The Threats and Strengths aspects can be omitted from this analysis.

3. Industry competition: analyse the degree of competition in the industry

using Porter's Five Forces model.

Note:

• To conduct this analysis, first identify what industry the company is in.
• Be sure to provide (1) an assessment summary for each force and (2)
an assessment summary for the entire industry.

4. Customer segmentation: What are the segments (or different groups of

consumers) the company is currently targeting and serving?

5. Product, service, and sustainable competitive advantage:

5.1 What are the augmented offer and the potential offer of the
company? List and briefly explain them. (List at least one, but no more
than three, options for each offer.)
5.2 What are the company's current sustainable competitive advantages?
That is, what does the company have that is creating value for customers,
and/or new or unique for the company at the moment, and/or hard to
imitate by the competing companies? List and briefly explain them.

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Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

6. Recommendation (part 1):

The innovation strategies comprise the following: 1) cost reduction, 2)
repositioning existing products, 3) modification to existing products, 4)
extensions to existing product line(s), 5) new product line(s), and 6) new to
the world products.

Identify two innovation strategies out of the above six for the company. List
and briefly explain them. Your recommendation should be meaningful and
actionable; you can use examples to illustrate your ideas.

7. Recommendation (part 2):

7.1 What solutions or changes would you recommend to the company in

light of its opportunities, as identified in your answers to Question 2.1?
7.2 What solutions or changes would you recommend to the company in
light of its weaknesses, as identified in your answers to Question 2.2?

Your recommendations should be meaningful, actionable, and based on

addressing two of the four issues concerning the company’s current
practice: 1) advertising/promotion/communication, 2) distribution
channels, 3) non-equity strategic alliance, and 4) corporate social
responsibility. You can use examples to illustrate your ideas.

Note:

• It is up to you to decide which two issues to discuss.

• If you discuss three or more issues, only the first two will be marked.

(Turn to the next page for exam instructions, advice, and suggestions)

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Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

Exam instructions

There is NO NEED for a reference list. Just use in-text citations when you need to acknowledge
the source of information. For example, "the sales of this company have increased from xxx in
2015 to xxx in 2023 (John, 2022)"; this will be sufficient for the exam. Your mark will not be
affected whether or not you include a reference list at the end of your report.

Ensure you are familiar with and have appropriately used the APA in-text citation styles.

Upload your answer in Microsoft Word or PDF before the end of the exam. Severe late penalties
will apply for late submission of your answer. If you have technical problems, document them,
such as by screenshot.

The maximum word length is 2000 words — after 2000 words, the marker will stop reading the
exam.

A vital goal of the exam is to demonstrate your understanding of course concepts by using and
explaining them in the context of applying them. Show what you've learned.

Appended at the end of the exam questions is some basic background information about the two
companies, which provides a convenient summary and reminder about the businesses (brief
introduction, vision, purpose, slogan).

EXAM ADVICE

To save time, focus on the big picture and the main points, then fill in the details as soon as you
have time.

Do not spend too much time on Internet research. Generally, you're expected to spend no more
than 10% of exam time on online searches. When you need to make reasonable assumptions
about the business, indicate such as "I believe the company culture is [like this]." This is not a test
of how detailed your understanding of the business is or your online searching. The business
merely serves as a template and provides a context for the more important task of showing your
understanding and application of course concepts in a knowledgeable way.

Don't feel a need to suggest revolutionary changes for the business. Suppose you perceive the
business to be already successful. In that case, it's okay to show you understand why it is
successful in strategic marketing terms and perhaps make minor suggestions.

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Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

1) Clear and persuasive writing matters. It is your responsibility to explain the points you
wish to make in the exam answer. Exam markers are not responsible for figuring out what you
intend to say. You may want to edit your answer for clarity before turning it in. It is a good idea to
use an outline structure with headings and sub-headings to help organise your answer.

2) Try to go beyond the basic answer. While your answer must cover key points according to
the theory taught in this course, show a deeper understanding and original thinking beyond the
basic points.

3) Fully answer the question. Points cannot be given for parts of the question that were not
answered. Be sure to write something for each part of the question.

4) Name and apply concepts from our course. Assume all strategic marketing management
concepts mentioned refer to the definitions as discussed in our course. It is a good idea to
highlight in bold or italics when first mentioning a course concept.

5) The more specific your point, the better. General points, such as "I feel the current slogan
is fine, and the company can keep it [end of the answer]", are vague. You should elaborate on
your assessment, and you are encouraged to use examples to illustrate your point.

6) Exam answers will be scanned by Turnitin anti-cheating software to check for using
text from other sources. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software and/or extensive
use of the exact text from other students, Internet sources, or articles from elsewhere will
be evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism. To avoid this, don’t use AI to help answer the
exam, and be sure to acknowledge the source (i.e., citation) when you use it.

Don't stress it and do your best. Good luck!

Appendices begin on the next page.

END OF EXAMINATION

(Turn to the next two pages for Appendices)

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Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

Appendix 1: Qantas Airways Limited

Company website: https://www.qantas.com/au/en.html

About Qantas (from wiki; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas)

Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. It is the largest airline by fleet size,
international flights, and international destinations in Australia and Oceania. Qantas is the
world's third-oldest airline by foundation date and the oldest airline in the English-speaking
world — being founded in November 1920. Qantas is a founding member of the Oneworld
airline alliance.
Qantas is based in the Sydney suburb of Mascot, adjacent to its main hub at Sydney Airport. As
of March 2023, Qantas Group had a 60.8% share of the Australian domestic market. Various
subsidiary airlines operate at regional centres and on some trunk routes within Australia, as well
as some short-haul international flights under the QantasLink banner. Qantas owns Jetstar, a low-
cost airline that operates both international services from Australia and domestic services within
Australia and New Zealand. It holds stakes in a number of other Jetstar-branded airlines in Asia,
including Fiji Airways.

Vision and purpose

• Vision: “to be a great airline that champions the Spirit of Australia”, including being:
− Together;
− Genuine;
− Inventive;
− Optimistic;
− Experienced.
• Purpose: to maximise shareholder value through a systematic, disciplined, reliable,
ethical, and ongoing process of supply of goods or services; provide the full value of
money for customers through reduced cost and enhanced level of quality.

Slogan: “Fly with the spirit of Australia”

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Semester 1, End of Semester Examination, 2024 MKTG7512 Strategic Marketing Management

Appendix 2: The a2 Milk Company

Company website: https://thea2milkcompany.com/

About The a2 Milk Company (from wiki;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_a2_Milk_Company)

The a2 Milk Company is the successor of A2 Corporation Limited, a New Zealand company
founded in 2000 by Dr Corran McLachlan, who was researching the health effects of A1
beta-casein, and Howard Paterson, who was one of New Zealand's richest men, a significant
dairy farmer, and a stakeholder in Fonterra, a dairy cooperative. The company
commercialised a genetic test to determine whether a cow will produce milk without the A1
protein and to market A1 protein-free milk.

……
[A2 Milk]

The a2 Corporation claims that milk containing A1 proteins is harmful, but a 2009 European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA) review of scientific literature found there was insufficient
evidence to prove that bioactive peptides in standard milk have a negative effect on health.
A1 and A2 beta-casein are genetic variants of the beta-casein milk protein that differ by one
amino acid. The A1 beta-casein type is the most common type found in cow's milk in
Europe (excluding France), the US, Australia and New Zealand. A genetic test developed by
the A2 Milk Company determines whether a cow produces the A2 or A1 type protein in its
milk. The test allows the a2 Milk Company to license milk producers once it is proven their
cows produce only A2 beta-casein protein in their milk, to the exclusion of the A1 beta-
casein protein type.

Vision and purpose

• Vision: “An A1-free world where Dairy nourishes all people and our planet.”
• Purpose: “We pioneer the future of Dairy for good.”

Slogan: "Feel the difference"

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