Assignment 79 Instructions: Market Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (STP): A Case Study–Driven Strategic Analysis
Academic Orientation and Submission Conditions
This assessment on topic of Market Segmentation Targeting Positioning represents the sole graded submission for the module and carries the entire weight of your final mark. The work you submit is expected to reflect the level of analytical maturity associated with upper-division undergraduate or postgraduate business study in the United States.
Your submission must be uploaded through the institution’s Turnitin-enabled learning platform. Work submitted through email, shared drives, physical media, or informal channels will not be evaluated under any circumstances.
The required length for this submission is 5,000 to 5,500 words. Submissions falling below or exceeding this range compromise the integrity of the assessment design and will be treated as non-compliant. The word count excludes references, appendices, tables, figures, and preliminary pages. To protect anonymity in grading, your document must include only your Student Reference Number (SRN). Names, email addresses, or identifying markers should not appear anywhere in the file.
A total of 100 marks are available. A minimum score of 50% is required to pass the assessment. All sources must be cited using the Harvard referencing system, applied consistently and accurately. Work that incorporates published material without attribution, whether intentional or accidental, will be addressed under academic integrity policies.
The use of generative AI tools is restricted to language refinement, proofreading, or structural review after original thinking has occurred. AI-generated analytical content, interpretations, or strategic conclusions are not permitted unless explicitly authorized.
A completed Assignment Cover Sheet must accompany your submission. Omission of this document may render the submission invalid.
Purpose and Intellectual Framing of the Assessment
Rather than asking you to describe marketing theory in isolation, this assignment invites you to inhabit the role of a strategic marketing analyst responding to a real organizational situation. You will examine how market segmentation, targeting decisions, and positioning strategies operate in practice, where ambiguity, competition, and constrained information are the norm.
You are required to select one organization operating in a competitive market environment. This may be a private firm, a non-governmental organization, or a publicly listed company, provided it is not government-owned. Your chosen organization functions as your “client” for the purposes of the case study.
The organization should demonstrate clear market-facing activity, such as product launches, brand repositioning, customer portfolio shifts, or geographic expansion. FMCG brands, technology firms, service providers, and platform-based businesses are all acceptable, provided sufficient secondary data exists.
Your task is not to praise the organization’s marketing approach, nor to criticize it superficially. Instead, you are expected to interrogate the logic behind its segmentation choices, the strategic coherence of its targeting priorities, and the effectiveness of its positioning in consumer perception.
Learning Outcomes Embedded in This Assignment
This assessment (Market Segmentation Targeting Positioning) is designed to measure your ability to:
- Conceptualize a strategically significant marketing problem rooted in STP theory
- Apply segmentation, targeting, and positioning frameworks within a specific organizational context
- Synthesize academic literature and industry data to support evidence-based evaluation
- Develop strategically meaningful recommendations that demonstrate value creation
Achievement of these outcomes requires more than textbook repetition. It requires judgment, selectivity, and theoretical fluency.
Structural Expectations and Academic Components
While your submission will contain familiar academic elements, the internal logic of the document should reflect strategic reasoning, not formulaic report writing. Each section should feel like a natural progression of thought rather than a checklist.
Front Matter and Academic Apparatus
Your document should include the following preliminary components before the main analysis begins:
- Academic Integrity Declaration
- Title Page
- Table of Contents
- List of Tables, Figures, or Abbreviations (if applicable)
These elements establish credibility and navigability but do not contribute to the word count.
Strategic Overview for Decision-Makers
Executive-Level Synthesis
Early in your document, you will provide a strategic overview written for senior decision-makers. This section should condense the full analysis into a clear, coherent narrative that explains:
- Why the organization’s current STP approach warrants examination
- What analytical methods and data sources were employed
- What the most significant insights reveal about market alignment
- How your recommendations create strategic advantage
This section should be written after completing the full analysis, even though it appears near the beginning. The tone should be confident, concise, and analytical, free from academic hedging.
Market Context and Organizational Landscape
Commercial Environment and Competitive Logic
Rather than offering a generic company background, this section situates the organization within its market ecosystem. You should examine:
- Industry structure and competitive intensity
- Consumer trends shaping demand patterns
- Macro-environmental factors influencing segmentation viability
- Shifts in buyer behavior relevant to targeting decisions
For example, a streaming platform may face fragmentation in attention economies, while an FMCG brand may contend with private-label competition and price sensitivity.
Your discussion should make clear why segmentation choices matter now, not historically.
Segmentation Architecture and Analytical Rationale
Bases of Market Division
This section examines how the organization currently divides its market. You may explore:
- Demographic segmentation (age, income, household composition)
- Psychographic segmentation (values, lifestyles, motivations)
- Behavioral segmentation (usage rates, loyalty patterns)
- Geographic or technographic segmentation where relevant
You are expected to assess whether these segmentation bases are measurable, accessible, substantial, differentiable, and actionable, drawing on academic criteria without listing them mechanically.
Use secondary data, such as industry reports, consumer surveys, or published case studies, to support your evaluation.
Target Market Prioritization
Strategic Choices and Trade-Offs
Targeting is inherently exclusionary. This section should explore who the organization chooses not to serve, as much as who it prioritizes.
You should evaluate:
- Criteria used to assess segment attractiveness
- Alignment between target segments and organizational capabilities
- Resource allocation implications
- Risks associated with over-concentration or excessive breadth
For instance, targeting Gen Z consumers may offer growth potential but require cultural fluency and platform-specific communication strategies.
Your analysis should acknowledge alternative targeting paths and justify why the current or proposed approach is strategically sound, or flawed.
Positioning Logic and Market Perception
Value Propositions in Competitive Space
Positioning exists in the mind of the consumer, not in internal strategy documents. This section examines how the organization seeks to be perceived relative to competitors.
You may analyze:
- Brand messaging and symbolic associations
- Price–quality positioning
- Emotional versus functional value propositions
- Points of parity and points of difference
Perceptual mapping, brand archetypes, or positioning statements may be used where appropriate, provided they are analytically justified.You should consider whether the positioning is credible, distinctive, and consistent across channels.
Implications of STP Decisions
Organizational and Market Consequences
Segmentation and positioning decisions shape more than customer acquisition. This section explores implications for:
- Internal teams (sales, product development, communications)
- Channel partners and distributors
- Existing versus prospective customers
- Long-term brand equity
Demonstrate awareness that strategic marketing choices create winners and losers, both internally and externally.
Evidence-Based Evaluation Using Secondary Sources
Analytical Depth and Theoretical Integration
This section forms the analytical core of the assignment. You are expected to critically interpret secondary data, integrating academic theory with empirical evidence.
Appropriate sources include:
- Peer-reviewed marketing journals
- Industry white papers
- Market research databases
- Company reports and investor communications
You should compare competing viewpoints, identify data limitations, and avoid uncritical acceptance of corporate narratives.
Strategic Recommendations and Forward Pathways
Creating Market Advantage Through STP Refinement
Your recommendations should emerge logically from your analysis, not appear as abstract best practices. Each recommendation should:
- Address a specific segmentation, targeting, or positioning issue
- Be supported by evidence
- Demonstrate feasibility within the organization’s context
- Explain expected strategic value
Rather than concluding abruptly, this section should draw together analytical threads, reinforcing the strategic coherence of your work.
Reference Integrity and Presentation Standards
All sources must be cited using Harvard style, with a reference list demonstrating engagement with both academic and professional literature.
Your document should reflect professional presentation standards, including consistent formatting, labeled visuals, and logical pagination.
Word Count Allocation Guide
To support balance and depth, the following distribution is recommended:
- Executive-Level Synthesis: 500 words
- Market Context and Organizational Landscape: 600 words
- Segmentation Architecture Analysis: 900 words
- Target Market Prioritization: 800 words
- Positioning Logic and Market Perception: 900 words
- Stakeholder Implications: 600 words
- Evidence-Based Evaluation: 1,400 words
- Strategic Recommendations and Integration: 800 words
Total: 5,500 words (approx.)
This assignment is designed to reward clarity of thought, analytical courage, and strategic awareness. Treat it not as a report to be completed, but as a conversation with informed decision-makers who expect insight, not summary.