This is a live problem-solving project that will help enhance your decision-maki

This is a live problem-solving project that will help enhance your decision-making skills, which are essential in your marketing career. This individual assignment requires you to develop a situation analysis report to assess the business environment in preparation to resolve a real-world marketing problem of a real-word business client. Assume the client, The Corner Store Network, hired you as a marketing consultant.
Your task is to perform a situation analysis of the client’s business and report the findings. Research extensively about the client’s business, product(s), services and the industry in which the client operates. Understand where the business is now. How does it currently operate in the market?
Suggested approach
To complete this assignment, you will need to work your way through the following steps:
Step 1: Read the Client information to clearly understand the nature of the client’s marketing problem.
Step 2: Analyse your client, covering the following points:
– Briefly describe what the client business is about.
– Develop a business definition and scope statement.
– Perform an environmental analysis.
– Perform a SWOT-TOWS analysis.
– Draw a problem and opportunity statement that could inform the existing or future marketing strategies of the business.
– Draw three strategic recommendations pertaining to the strategic direction of the firm (where do we want to be?).
Step 3: Use the learning materials, textbook, academic literature and industry databases to help back up, support and strengthen your recommendations.
Note: Research is an essential part of academic writing. I will be looking to see whether your work is supported by research from reputable sources such as journal articles, industry reports and peer-reviewed literature. These sources should test your assumptions and allow you to develop coherent, well-supported arguments.
Recommended report structure
The following suggested sections may help you structure your report.
1- Title page
2- Executive Summary: This is a summary of the key findings of the situation analysis, approaches taken to perform the situation analysis, and key recommendations for the client along with the limitations of the recommendations. This is not an introduction (maximum 500 words; not included in the word count).
3- Table of contents: Generate a table of contents with headings and sub-headings as appropriate to the report. Do not forget page numbers are needed on all pages (not included in the word count).
4- Introduction: Outline the purpose, scope, and limitations of the report, and the client’s business background (maximum 200 words).
5- Situation analysis: Situation analysis is of pivotal importance to the marketing planning process as it provides the backbone analysis that supports the marketing decision-making process. A systematic situation analysis consists of internal and external analysis. Structure this section with a number of sub-sections as you find appropriate.
– Organised into sub-sections, provide the results of your desk research. Present the problem and main issue(s) the client’s brief raises. Develop a business definition and scope statement.
– Perform the macro environmental analysis using any one of the tools (e.g. PEST, PESTLE, or DENT-PC). Report the findings of the internal environmental analysis. Use appropriate tools (e.g. Resource audit, Porter’s Value Chain Model) to assess marketing and non-marketing capabilities. Overall, the internal analysis should provide an overview of the business.
– Perform a stakeholder mapping/analysis that involves identifying relevant actors (shareholders, investors, employees, customers, suppliers, communities, governments, or trade associations) to understand their behaviour, intentions, interrelations, agendas, interests, and the influence or resources they have brought—or could bring—to bear on the decision-making processes.
– The outcomes of these analyses should be presented with ratings of importance and impact (i.e. SWOT-TOWS factors). In this section, significant and relevant factors/trends that directly impact the organisation and Critical Success Factors (CSF), industry dynamics, and the most relevant SWOT factors should be identified.
– Finally, present your SWOT-TOWS analysis that informs the problem and opportunity statement (maximum 1500 words, excluding any words in tables). Incorporate your knowledge including marketing strategy and strategic blueprint, marketing audit (where we are now), strategic choices and decisions (where we want to be), and the findings of your analysis.
6- Problem and opportunity statement: Match the findings of the external and internal environmental analysis with the organisation’s mission.
7- Recommendations: In line with the problem and opportunity statement, provide three strategic recommendations with justification and any potential limitations.
8- Conclusions: Provide a succinct summary that highlights the key takeaways and your strategic recommendations.
9- References: List sources of information collected from reputed (up-to-date) sources. They should represent both academic and industry sources.
10- Appendices: If required, use appendices. They are not included in the word count.
Guidelines:
Learn as much as possible from the client’s official website, mission/vision statement, relevant historical facts, organisational chart, and other aspects especially relevant to the project.
Discuss the nature of the client’s problem. Where applicable, you may wish to examine financial statements, annual reports, internal memos, and so forth. Please treat the client’s information as confidential.
The maximum number of words given in the instructions are indications only and reflect what is important to the completion of the report. Please feel free to include subheadings as you find they suit. You can also use tables and diagrams (not part of the word count) if appropriate and as a way of summarising important points.
Research is required for this assignment.
Referencing will be in APA 7th edition style (APA 7).
Please view the attachment for the client brief