Direct & e-Marketing

Group Project Requirements

Fall 2, 2005

Mercer University Atlanta

The basic objective of this project is to employ the fundamentals of direct marketing to promote a product or service of your choice.  Direct & Interactive Marketing includes the entire range of methodologies discussed in the course syllabus. Although one of the requirements is the development of a website for promotional purposes, the promotional plan you submit should be comprehensive (i.e., don't ignore traditional forms of direct promotion).  Web site organization, design and functionality, is far more important than appearance.  After forming your groups, you should develop a calendar to complete the following requirements by the due date.

1. Product-Market Description and Analysis:
   
   Decide upon a product, service, organization or concept that you wish to promote.  Be as specific as possible.  You may select existing products or create a new one.  Determine the most likely target market and describe them demographically and psychographically.  Analyze the target market to determine how many significant segments are included and describe these segments.  Estimate the relative size and importance of the segments.  Finally, detail the main communication objective you will need to accomplish to market your product successfully to the overall target market and any modifications needed to appeal to each of the segments.

Suggested Completion Date: October 31.

2. Web Site Organization:
   
   Using some form of the organization chart approach that we discussed in class, layout the basic organization of your website.  Be sure to allow for the different paths that will be needed to accommodate the separate segments you described in step 1.  The layout should include a brief descriptive title for each separate web page contained in your site, as well as the planned links between pages.  You should decide upon a general appearance or “theme” for your site at this stage.  Otherwise, the pages will not work well together and may appear disjointed.  Each group member must be primarily responsible for developing at least one web page contained in the site.

Suggested Completion Date: November 7.

3. Web Site Development
   
   Develop a working draft of the website that will serve as one of your primary direct response selling media.  If you don't want to use one of the free web hosting sites' built in templates, I recommend the use of FrontPage software. You can also develop web pages using HTML, MSWord and FrontPage Express, among others.  There are many resources on the web that provide free site development tools and graphics.  Some of these also provide free web site hosting, as do most commercial ISP's (eg. Comcast, Earthlink, etc.).  Free Webs is the one I used for the Project Links page.
   
   http://www.freewebs.com/drjec/
   
   To some extent, this is a trial and error process.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  The final product should be loaded onto one of the free web hosting services so the class can view it. Send me the link by noon the date of class

Due Date: December 5

4. Develop a promotional plan detailing the results of steps 1 - 3 above, complete with examples of the following items designed to drive customers to the website and/or toll-free call center:

   a. sample permission based email (must comply with CAN-SPAM act)

   b. sample direct mail letter (complete package including envelope design)

   c. sample print ad or broadcast ad (or both)
   -If you choose a radio ad, a script of the ad is sufficient.
   -If you choose a TV ad, a script and storyboard is sufficient.

   The format of the written report is not particularly important to me.  It should be designed to be easy to follow, logically arranged, cover all of the requirements set out in this document, and  be professional in appearance.   Beyond that, you have complete creative freedom.  Your group will present the key points of this plan on December 5, when you demonstrate the web site. The final written report must be handed in to me at that time.