(10 points) • Information in the background section is very clear and follows a very logical structure. • Excellent introduction of the company and its background, the products and the focal product, and motivation or reasons behind the choice of the firm/brand/product. • Information in the background section is clear, follows a logical structure, and somehow generates interest from the readers. Both academic and non-academic information is used appropriately to describe the scope, nature, current situation, and potentially relevant theoretical underpinnings of the phenomenon. • Information in the background section is somewhat clear and somehow follows a reasonable structure that helps readers navigate the contents. Both academic and non-academic information are used, although some are used inappropriately, that provide sufficient coverage of the phenomenon.
• Information in the background section follows an acceptable structure, although readers may struggle to understand the flow of the statements. Some references are used, although some are irrelevant or used inappropriately. Overall, the background section provides satisfactory coverage of the phenomenon. • Information in the background section is not organized appropriately. Readers are constantly baffled when reading through the paragraphs. Very few references are used and fail to provide an acceptable coverage of the phenomenon; some important elements are missing. Competitive position (Situational analysis)
(16 points) • Excellent analysis of the focal product (or product line)’s competitive situation. • Demonstrates a highly developed ability to identify key issues and synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Very good analysis of the focal product (or product line)’s competitive situation. • Demonstrates a well-developed ability to identify key issues and synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Good analysis of the focal product (or product line)’s competitive situation; more explanations are needed for some items listed for some of the SWOT components. • Demonstrates a developed ability to identify key issues and synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Satisfactory analysis of the focal product (or product line)’s competitive situation; more explanations are needed for some items listed for some of the SWOT components. • Demonstrates a developing ability to identify key issues and synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Unsatisfactory analysis of the focal product (or product line)’s competitive situation; substantially more explanations are needed for some items listed for some of the SWOT components. • Demonstrates little to no ability to identify key issues and to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources. Industry competitiveness
(16 points) • Excellent identification and explanation for each force, with overall competitiveness assessed for each force as well as for the whole industry. • Demonstrates a highly developed ability to identify key issues and synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Very good identification and explanation for each force, with overall competitiveness assessed for each force as well as for the whole industry. • Demonstrates a well-developed ability to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Good identification and explanation for each force, with overall competitiveness assessed for each force as well as for the whole industry. • Demonstrates a developed ability to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Satisfactory identification and explanation for each force, but lacks an overall competitiveness assessment for some forces or for the whole industry. • Demonstrates a developing ability to identify key issues and synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Unsatisfactory identification and explanation for each force; lacks an overall competitiveness assessment for individual forces and overall industry competition. • Demonstrates little to no ability to identify key issues and to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources. Segmentation
(16 points) • Excellent identification of the consumer characteristics, with their relevance and importance very well and clearly explained or justified. • Excellent judgment of each segment’s market attractiveness based on the size and growth rate of the market. • Demonstrates a highly developed ability to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Very good identification of the consumer characteristics, with their relevance and importance well explained or justified. • Very good judgment of each segment’s market attractiveness based on the size and growth rate of the market. • Demonstrates a highly developed ability to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Good identification of the consumer characteristics, with their relevance and importance satisfactorily explained or justified. • Good judgment of each segment’s market attractiveness based on the size and growth rate of the market. • Demonstrates a developed ability to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Satisfactory identification of the consumer characteristics, with some but inadequate explanation of their relevance and importance. • Satisfactory judgment of each segment’s market attractiveness based on the size and growth rate of the market. • Demonstrates a developing ability to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources to strengthen your argument. • Unsatisfactory identification of the consumer characteristics, with little to no explanation of their relevance and importance. • Poor judgment of each segment’s market attractiveness. • Demonstrates little to no ability to synthesize your ideas with those of researched sources.