1) Here’s the scenario to imagine: a new 5 week marketing manager internship has opened up at each of the organizations listed below. And based on your past accomplishments (and that awesome business card), they all want you. The internship involves researching your employer’s current marketing efforts and then creating a marketing plan for a new product or service that you dream up. So, the question is – who would you choose to work for and why?

The List

Your choices span a variety of categories as well as marketing approaches. We've provided website links, so you can learn more before making a decision. You will be working with this brand throughout the course, so choose carefully.

• Toms Shoes (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Netflix (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Dunkin' Donuts (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• IKEA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Mini Cooper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Red Bull (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Target (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Guided Response:

You're going to create a discussion post that includes the information below. See our sample post for Harley Davidson (which is not one of your choices).

1. The brand you've selected to do your marketing internship with

• Choose from the list above

2. The reasons you selected the brand you did

• Give at least two reasons. No right and wrong answers here!

3. A link to a representative tweet from your brand

• That you believe captures their brand essence
• See the step-by-step tutorial on how to find a tweet and copy the link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

4. The answers to these questions about your brand's unique selling proposition

• How would you describe your brand's unique selling proposition?
• How is that USP reflected by your chosen tweet?
• Refer back to the text as to what constitutes a USP.

Respond to at least three of your fellow marketers, including one who choose your same brand and two who did not.

• How are your rationales, USPs and sample tweets similar or different?
• Try to respond to those who do not yet have three replies.

2) You’re going to investigate and document the story of a famous new product flop (and market research failure) and how you went back in time to fix it.

• Identify and research a prominent new product/service failure.
  • The press loves failures, so you won’t have any problem finding examples.
  • Identify the following: product/service name, the company who marketed it, the year it was introduced and where (particularly if not in the U.S.).
• Find a sample ad for your failed product/service.
  • YouTube is great for TV ads; image searches are great for printed ads. If you can’t find an ad, you probably haven’t picked a big enough flop!
  • Grab the link for your ad.
• Answer the following questions about the market research process.
  • Refer to section 2.3 of the text as needed.
  • What are the steps in a market research process? Provide a brief explanation of each step relating it to your product as possible.
  • Where was the failure in your product's market research process? Which step was missing, not followed correctly, misinterpreted, or misrepresented?
  • What, in a single sentence, is the market research finding that you're going to go back in time and share with management to stop this introduction?