Finally – we got our Titan case study project handed in. The first assignment on MSc Marketing where we had to analyse Titan Watch Co’s strategic ability to expand their operations overseas by conducting various analyses. It wasn’t all that painfull once I started with it. It was more of an administrative task than anything, trying to organise the various parts between us – Internal analysis, CAGE framework, value chain, possible market developments etc.

Some members of the group were way too pedantic, perhaps emphasising the ‘prettiness’ of the report rather than their actual substansive input.

The task was made more difficult becuase of the ‘mixed’ ability in English language – most people on the course have English as a second language, so this has potential to be a problem with group working.

I was happy to go through the work and check for grammar though, even though it takes ages. It’s all of our mark in the end!

It’s satisfying to get it done and dusted, but I know there’s many more ahead.

The module of Strategic Perspectives has now ended. Was quite a good module I reckon – certianly probabaly going to be one of my favourties, yet I’m looking forward to ‘The Customer Experience’. That’ll be the real ‘business end’ of marketing.

We now have a case study and an assignment task in our posession. We are in small groups and have to do a report between us making recommendations to the company in the case study – Titan Watches. It’s now a case of revising all the analysis techniques we’ve learned to analyse the strategic position and potential for growth of Titan.

I’m going to struggle to begin the anaysis, but I’m hoping I can draw from the techniques in the core book as well as find other stuff from other sources.

On the more creative front, Iv’e been working on Mark’s web site for his DJ business. Iv’e made a couple of banners for the web site Iv’e made and his business cards. Here’s a sample of a couple of banners:

After a week of more broken-up sessions, mostly digesting the Strategy lectures with torial groups, we’re back on the 5 days – 5 lectures – 5 chapters again. I was barely caught up with the reading!
I’m trying to make slide-by-slide notes, but it’s difficult to assimilate all the information. I don’t think I’m alone though.

Iv’e taken to using my MP3 player to record the lectures so I can perhaps use it when writing up the slides to some kind of prose.

Me and Alison stayed behind a couple of mins after the Strategy lecture this afternoon and had an off-the-record chat with Alistair. I find lecturers are suprisingly forthcoming when you get them after-hours. They offer advice and talk to you more normally. I only have a couple more weeks to go through the chapter of the fat ‘Exploring Strategic Perspectives’ book…then we’re onto ‘The Customer Experience’ module. After the Titan Watches case study that is – that’s gonna be scary!

I’m looking forward to doing the damage on Strategy and moving on to ‘The Customer Experience’ where we’ll deal with the consumer behaviour side of things.