Write an analysis that compares the integrated marketing strategies of REI with those of a competitor company. There is no page limit for this assessment.

The focus of a marketing program is on summarizing the essence of the product or service through an integrated marketing effort. An integrated effort includes a thorough analysis of the company, the competition, and the customer requirements. The product line management uses design, product positioning, and other elements to present a unique set of values in the customer’s mind, either carving out a niche or maintaining market share leadership over competitive products.

SHOW LESS

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Examine the basic marketing models for a business or organization.
  • Compare product strategies of different companies with the same product category.
  • Compare distribution strategies of different companies with the same product category.
  • Compare price strategies of different companies with the same product category.
  • Compare promotion strategies of different companies with the same product category.
• Competency 2: Relate the importance of an integrated marketing program to the economic impact of a business.
  • Assess how an integrated marketing program contributes to a company’s economic success.
  • Assess how an integrated marketing program of a competitor company contributes to the competitor’s economic success.

• To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.SHOW LESS
  In the case of REI, consider which products are purchased from manufacturers and which carry the REI label and design.

  • Which products are intended for general consumers?
  • Which are intended for professional climbers and expeditions?…

• Required Resources

  The following resources are required to complete the assessment.

  Capella Resources

  Click the links provided to view the following resources:

  • REI Case Study – Research Guide.

  Suggested Resources

  The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

  Library Resources

  The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course.

  • Ruskin-Brown, I. (2006). Mastering marketing (2nd ed.). London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing.
  • McDonald, M., & Wilson, H. (2011). Marketing plans: How to prepare them, how to use them (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
  • Kermally, S. (2004). Gurus on marketing. London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing.
  • Fickes, M. (2001). REI explores new heights. Sporting Goods Business, 34(2), 62–63.
  • Melkman, A. (2006). Conducting the SWOT analysis. In Strategic customer planning (pp. 131–144). London, GBR: Thorogood Publishing.
  • Jones, K. (2001, February). Happy campers. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 55(2), 130–134.

  Course Library Guide

  A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the
  BUS-FP3030 – Fundamentals of Marketing and Sales Library Guide to help direct your research.

  Internet Resources

  Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

  • KnowThis LLC. (2013). KnowThis.com. Retrieved from http://www.knowthis.com/index.php
  • KnowThis LLC. (2013). How to write a marketing plan. Retrieved from http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tu…
    • For the focus of this assessment, you may want to examine the following sections of the How to Write a Marketing Plan tutorial from the site’s Principles of Marketing Tutorials list. Part 3 (Marketing Strategy and Objectives), Part 4 (Tactical Marketing Programs), Part 5 (Budgeting, Performance, and Implementation), and Part 6 (Additional Considerations).
  • Marketing Power, Inc. (2013). American Marketing Association. Retrieved from http://www.marketingpower.com/Pages/default.aspx
  • Hoover’s, Inc. (2013). Hoovers. Retrieved from http://www.hoovers.com
  • The Ad Age Group. (2014). AdvertisingAge. Retrieved from http://adage.com
  • Direct Marketing Association. (2013). DMA: Advancing and protecting responsible data-driven marketing. Retrieved from http://thedma.org
  • Concept Marketing Group Inc. (2013). Concept Marketing Group. Retrieved from http://www.marketingsource.com

  Bookstore Resources

  The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. Unless noted otherwise, these materials are available for purchase from the
  Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific
  –FP (FlexPath) course designation.

  • Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2018). MKTG 11 (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
  • Ries, A., & Trout, J. (1994). The 22 immutable laws of marketing. New York, NY: Harper Business.

• For this assessment, return to the REI case study. Choose a product category offered by REI and research the REI product line for this product. Select an REI competitor and research its product line for the same category. Focus on how each company approaches its marketing matrix according to the 4 P’s (product, price, place, and promotion).Based on your research, write an analysis that addresses the following:

  • Compare the integrated marketing strategies of REI with those of the competitor company for the product category you chose. Compare the product (features and benefits), the place (distribution) of products, the pricing, and the promotion strategies.
  • Assess how each company’s integrated marketing strategy might affect its economic success.

  Additional Requirements

  • Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
  • APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting.
  • Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.