The portfolio assessment

The portfolio assessment is a continuous set of exercises with a final report due in week 13. It is an individual assessment piece that is to be undertaken during the semester. It comprises of four elements:

1. Collecting newspaper clippings from local, national or international business press, to identify what companies are up to… or I can’t believe they did what…?You may collect up to 6 articles over the course of the semester in order to aim for an HD. When you need to be collecting these articles for review and discussion is embedded within the weekly tutorial exercise sheets on blackboard.

 

2. Six (6)individual portfolio exercise write-ups. These portfolio exercises are also embedded in the weekly tutorial exercise sheets on blackboard. Again you are encouraged to complete all 6 in order aim for an HD.

 

3. Follow that trend…

For this part of the portfolio you will follow a trend. What is a trend? Go to trendwatching.com and study their website thoroughly. Watch – how to become an “instant trend expert’ using the following link:

http://trendwatching.com/trends/instant-trend-expert/

Now Imagine that you are a marketing manager of a for-profit company and a not-for-profit organisation – now consider one of these trends described here:

http://trendwatching.com/trends/5-trends-for-2016/

Choose one trend from the 5 provided. How might existing brands, companies, products or services fit into (or take advantage of) this trend? Be specific and creative. Will the product/service need to be re-imagined or just fit in. Who would be the target market? What would be the message? How might the P’s have to be adjusted? How might a not-for-profit organisation use this trend to their advantage? You will need to justify your choices based on the information provided by trendwatching.com.

Clearly there is no specific limit to the number of suitable products/services that could take advantage of your chosen trend.

Hint: in the beginning choose 2 trends before focussing on one. This might provide you with more opportunities as you study the trends.

 

4. Reflective Write-Up

This involves students’ reflecting back on their portfolio experience and what the marketing lessons learnt through this experience were through writing a 1500word summary.

 

Whilst no marks will be allocated during the semester, you will be given the opportunity to obtain feedbackon your portfolio write up (and an opportunity to improve) twice during the semester. The first opportunity is submitting your portfolio in tutorial 6 and the second is in tutorial 10.

In week 13 you are to submit a spiral bound report which has the following:

• Reflective Write-Up (5%)
• Newspaper Clippings with critical comments (10%)
• Individual Portfolio Exercises (10%)
• Trend Analysis (10%)
• Appendices – within your appendices you need to submit comments provided to you from your tutor on the work you have submitted in weeks 6 and 10.