Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign. BTEC Level 3 Business Studies

What is the rationale for a marketing campaign?

A rationale for a marketing campaign is a document that outlines the reasons behind the choices made in terms of the campaign’s objectives and strategies. This may include the aims and objectives of the campaign, an analysis of the market research data and an analysis of the internal and external factors affecting the business through tools such as SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis.

Exam tip: marks are awarded for structure of the rationale. This includes good sentence structure, a logical flow to the report, structure through headings and subheadings and good use of marketing terminology. A suggested structure is outlined below:

Rationale for a Marketing Campaign for Company X

Introduction

Briefly introduce the business, its products, recent developments and the focus of this report.

Market Research Data

Market Size, Growth, Share and Structure

Target Market

Competitors

Trends

Note: The data in the case study should be summarised under each of the headings and used to justify marketing decisions. Comments should be made on the validity and reliability of the research used, Aim to make one positive and one negative comment about the source of data under each heading. The CRAAP Test may be helpful in considering questions to ask about the data presented.

Justification of the Rationale

SWOT Analysis

For each element of the SWOT Analysis; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, add 1 - 2 findings from the case study and develop them with an explanation of how each would have an impact on a marketing campaign. It is better to fully justify one point than to list many here.

Product Life Cycle

First, identify which stage in the life cycle the case study business in and use evidence from the case study to justify why, secondly, explain the actions the case study should take based on its stage in the product life cycle.

Note: Any two situational analysis tools can be used here, e.g. SWOT Analysis, PESTLE Analysis, product life cycle, Porter’s Five Force, 5 Cs Analysis etc. However, it is not recommended that SWOT and PESTLE are both used due to their similarities.

Marketing Aims and Objectives

Marketing Aim

The marketing aim is provided in the exam paper. You can state this briefly.

Marketing Objective 1

Marketing Objective 2

Marketing Objective 3

You need to write your own marketing objectives that would be suitable for the business, their overall aim and the current situation in the market. These objectives should be written in the SMART format and should be justified with reference to specific details in the case study and their impact on the marketing mix.

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