Analyze the marketing strategy of one of the following companies: eBay, Costco, Home Depot, Tesla, and TJX. Cover the following topics: line of business (organization mission), target markets, SWOT, marketing strategy (4Ps), marketing department organization, value proposition, competitive environment, global operations, social responsibility/sustainability, and marketing metrics (assessing failure or success through sales, market share , profits, sales return on equity).
Your paper should be a combination of analysis of library-based research, evaluation of material from the firm's 10-K, and your own observations (store visits, test drives, consumer interviews, etc.)
Your paper should reflect current sources, current practices, have a balanced perspective (pros versus cons), examine the differences between domestic and international strategies (if applicable), and have a scholarly tone. Factors which differentiate an excellent from a fair paper include: currency, extensive use of footnoting, the number and quality of sources used, the use of figures and tables to synthesize material, the effective integration of material from diverse sources and perspectives, and the development of a well-thought conclusion.
(1) Use the social science form (e.g., Brown 2015a) Please include a full bibliography. For Web sites, use the Web address and date accessed for the source line. (www.dell.com/us/investor.htm as of August 15, 2016).
(2) Start your paper early. This will enable you to obtain all of the necessary data, to properly reread your paper, to incorporate the latest developments, and to properly study for your finals.
(3) Here are some hints in better consulting academic and trade sources:
• Hofstra's library contains the following online databases:
o To access these go to Hofstra's site (https://www.hofstra.edu), log in with your user name and password, and then select "My Hofstra." Select the "Library" tab from the Menu icon at the upper left hand corner. Then select, "Search the Catalog," then select "Databases by Subject." Then Select a Subject, then choose "Accounting/ Business/Finance and Marketing," and select "Go."
o These are the online commercial databases you should use: Business Source Premier, Factiva, LexisNexis Academic, and Mergent Online.
• Look up Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage for the respective industry analysis.
• Use the World Wide Web for the most current sources. Distinguish between company sites, and articles accessed through the web.
• Get the company's 10-K from www.sec.gov. (EDGAR). A large proportion of firms also place financial reports on their web site (many require that you first download and install a recent version of ABODE ACROBAT).
(4) Your paper should be as current as possible. The vast majority of your footnotes should be from 2015 or later.
(5) Back up your paper frequently (every half hour or so).
(6) The ideal page length of this paper is 12-15 pages (using a 12 point font and 1 inch margins).