MKX001 Brand Development 

Unit Code	MKX001	Total Weight	30%
Unit Name	Brand Development	Total Marks	30/100
Assessment Number	2	Due Week	8
Assessment Name	Individual report	Due Date (Please note relevant time-zone)	Tuesday, 18 November 2025, 11:59pm (AEDT)
Assessment Type	Individual submission	Word Count/Length (+/- 10%)	Report: 2000 words
File type:	Word,	Rubric	Available in Moodle

 

1.  Assessment Task:

Experience and analyse an Australian consumer brand across multiple touchpoints as a real customer. This assessment requires you to immerse yourself in ecosystem of a brand by visiting physical retail locations, making purchases, engaging with digital platforms, and documenting your authentic customer experience. Apply brand management frameworks from unit based on the Keller & Swaminathan textbook to develop evidence-based strategic recommendations.

2.  Assessment Instructions:

Report Structure & Word Count Distribution

Section	Word Count	Key Content
Executive Summary	300 words	Brief overview of brand, research methodology, key findings, and primary recommendations
Part 1: Physical Touchpoint Research	800 words	Store visits, purchase experience, competitive observations
Part 2: Digital Touchpoint Analysis	600 words	Website, social media, digital marketing analysis
Part 3: Strategic Analysis & Recommendations	500 words	CBBE analysis, brand evaluation, strategic recommendations
Appendices	Not counted	Photos/drawings, receipts, screenshots, research evidence

 

Note: Appendices do not count toward word limit but are essential evidence. Include all photos, receipts, and screenshots referenced in your analysis.

Submission Requirements

Format & Style

Format: Professional business report with table of contents

Font: Arial or Calibri, 11-12pt

Spacing: 1.5 line spacing

Margins: 2.5cm all sides

Referencing: Harvard style (minimum 6 academic references)

File name: StudentID_Surname_MkX001_A2.pdf

 

Essential Evidence

Your appendices must include:

• Photos or detailed drawings of all store visits with dates and locations
• Receipt(s) from your purchase(s)
• Product packaging images
• Website screenshots
• Social media post examples (minimum 6 posts)
• Digital advertising examples

 

Assessment Criteria (Aligned with Unit Rubric)

Criterion	Weight	Key Indicators
Research Quality & Evidence	40%	Comprehensive field research across multiple touchpoints; rich photographic/drawn documentation; authentic purchase evidence; thorough competitive observation
Analytical & Evaluative Skills	30%	Sophisticated application of CBBE and brand positioning frameworks; critical evaluation of brand performance; insightful identification of gaps and opportunities
Strategic Recommendations	15%	Specific, actionable recommendations grounded in research evidence; clear implementation approach; realistic and valuable for brand development
Expression & Presentation	15%	Professional report structure; clear business writing; accurate Harvard referencing; proper academic conventions; well-organized appendices

 

Australian Consumer Brand Selection

Choose ONE brand from the list below. Notify your tutor of your brand choice by Week 5. Each brand has been selected for its strong presence across Adelaide, Sydney, and Melbourne, with extensive marketing activities and accessible retail locations.

 

Retail & Department Store Brands

Myer largest department store chain

David Jones Premium department store experience

Kmart Value-focused discount department store

Target Australia Family-oriented discount retailer

 

Fashion & Apparel Brands

Cotton On Fast fashion and lifestyle brand

Country Road Premium Australian fashion retailer

Uniqlo Japanese casual wear with strong Australian presence

Bonds Iconic Australian underwear and basics brand

 

Specialty Retail Brands

JB Hi-Fi Consumer electronics and entertainment retailer

The Good Guys Home appliances and electronics specialist

Bunnings Warehouse Hardware and home improvement megastore

Officeworks Office supplies and technology retail chain

 

Food & Beverage Service Brands

Grill’d Healthy burger restaurant chain

Boost Juice Juice and smoothie bar franchise

Gloria Jean’s Coffees Specialty coffee chain

Zambrero Mexican food chain with social mission

 

Assessment Requirements

Part 1: Physical Touchpoint Immersion (40% of grade)

A. Multi-Location Store Experience Research

Requirements: Visit your chosen brand in at least 3 different physical locations (minimum). These can be stores in different suburbs, shopping centres, or standalone locations.

 

Document the following at each location:

• Store location, date, and time of visit
• Store layout, design, and atmosphere (capture with photos or detailed sketches)
• Product range, merchandising, and display techniques
• Pricing strategies and promotional signage
• Customer service interactions and staff presentation
• Consistency or variations across locations
• Sensory brand elements (music, scent, lighting, materials)

 

Deliverable: Multi-location store experience report with photographic or drawn documentation and analytical commentary comparing touchpoint consistency.

 

B. Authentic Purchase & Product Experience Analysis

Requirements: Make at least one genuine purchase from your chosen brand (this can be a product you would normally buy or have been considering). Keep all receipts and packaging.

 

Analyse and document:

• Purchase decision journey: What influenced your brand choice?
• Transaction experience: checkout process, payment options, service quality
• Product packaging: design, materials, sustainability claims, unboxing experience
• Product quality and performance: does it deliver on brand promises?
• Value perception: price-quality relationship and competitive comparison
• Post-purchase satisfaction and likelihood of repeat purchase

 

Deliverable: Customer journey and product experience report with receipts, packaging photos/drawings, and personal reflection on brand promise delivery.

 

C. Competitive Positioning Field Research

Requirements: Identify and observe 2-3 direct competitor brands during your store visits. Document their positioning and customer experience approach.

 

Compare across brands:

• Store location and accessibility strategies
• Price positioning and promotional tactics
• Product range and quality perception
• Brand personality and customer experience design
• Points of parity and points of difference (from Keller & Swaminathan Chapter 3)

 

Deliverable: Competitive positioning matrix with photographic/drawn evidence and analysis of how your chosen brand differentiates itself in the market.

 

Part 2: Digital Touchpoint Analysis (30% of grade)

A. Digital Platform Experience Evaluation

Requirements: Comprehensively analyse your chosen brand’s digital presence as a potential customer would engage with it.

 

Evaluate:

• Website design, navigation, and user experience
• Brand messaging consistency with physical touchpoints
• E-commerce functionality (if applicable): search, checkout, delivery options
• Mobile app experience (if available)
• Customer service and support channels (chatbots, FAQs, contact options)
• Loyalty program integration and benefits

 

Deliverable: Digital platform analysis with screenshots and UX commentary.

 

B. Social Media Presence & Engagement Audit

Requirements: Track and analyse the brand’s social media activity over a 2-week period.

 

Examine:

• Platform presence (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X/Twitter)
• Content strategy: types of posts, themes, frequency
• Brand voice and personality in social content
• Engagement metrics: likes, comments, shares, follower growth
• Community management: how they respond to customers
• Influencer partnerships or user-generated content campaigns

 

Deliverable: Social media audit with post examples, engagement analysis, and assessment of brand consistency.

 

C. Digital Marketing Communications Monitoring

Requirements: Observe and document the brand’s digital advertising presence over your research period.

 

Track:

• Online display advertising (website banners, Google ads)
• Social media sponsored content and paid promotions
• Video advertising (YouTube pre-roll, social video ads)
• Email marketing campaigns (if you sign up for their list)
• Target audience and segmentation strategy
• Campaign themes, messaging, and creative approach

 

Deliverable: Digital marketing communications report with screenshots and analysis of targeting and message strategy.

 

Part 3: Strategic Brand Analysis & Recommendations (30% of grade)

Important: This section requires application of brand management theory from Keller & Swaminathan. You must integrate theoretical frameworks with your observational evidence to demonstrate critical thinking and analytical depth.

 

A. Brand Positioning & Equity Analysis

Apply the Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) model (Keller & Swaminathan, Chapter 2) to analyse your chosen brand positioning:

 

Brand Salience: How prominent is the brand in customers. What cues trigger brand recall?

Brand Performance & Imagery: What functional and symbolic meanings does the brand convey?

Brand Judgments & Feelings: What are customer rational and emotional responses?

Brand Resonance: What is the nature and depth of customer-brand relationships?

 

Evaluate the brand Points of Parity and Points of Difference (Keller & Swaminathan, Chapter 3) relative to key competitors based on your field research.

 

B. Integrated Brand Experience Evaluation

Assess the consistency and effectiveness of the brand across all touchpoints you experienced:

• Is there a cohesive brand identity across physical and digital channels?
• How effectively does the brand deliver on its positioning promise?
• What gaps exist between brand promise and actual customer experience?
• How does the brand create value for customers at each touchpoint?

 

International Student Insight: Reflect on how this brand approaches multicultural customers. How could the brand better appeal to international consumers like yourself?

 

C. Evidence-Based Strategic Recommendations

Develop 3-4 specific, actionable recommendations for brand improvement based on your research findings. Each recommendation must:

• Address a specific gap or opportunity identified in your analysis
• Be supported by evidence from your field research
• Apply relevant brand management theory from the textbook
• Include implementation approach and expected outcomes

 

Potential focus areas: Brand positioning refinement, customer experience enhancement, digital strategy improvement, competitive differentiation, multicultural market engagement.

 

3.  Formatting & Submission Requirements:

 

• Professional business report format with table of contents
• Font: Arial or Calibri, 11-12pt, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5cm margins
• Harvard referencing style with minimum 6 academic references
• File name: StudentID_Surname_MkX001_A2.pdf

 

4.  Important Information (do not edit this section)

 

Academic Integrity   Academic Integrity Policy Assessment Policy Academic Misconduct Procedure	Academic Integrity: Students must adhere to UBSS’ academic integrity policies in completing all assessments. The work submitted must be original. Please acknowledge all sources of material in an accepted academic referencing style. You need to paraphrase/rewrite and comment on others’ information in your own words. Please do not share any part(s) of your work with any other students for a single assessment or outside your group for a group assessment.
Referencing	Referencing: In-text referencing is required for all sources used and a complete References list (presented at the end of your report) must be provided. Suggested referencing style: Harvard.   Appropriate referencing and proper and insightful use of references are essential. Reports that provide inadequate, improper, or no references will be graded accordingly within the rubric.
Use of AI	Acceptable use of AI: The use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Grammarly, Quillbot etc.) is permitted in this unit for the following activities: Brainstorming and refining your ideas. Paraphrasing. Proofreading Finding information on your topic. Drafting an outline to organize your thoughts. Checking grammar and style. Fine tuning your research questions.   Unacceptable use of AI: The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this subject for the following activities: Impersonating you in classroom contexts, such as by using the tool to compose discussion board prompts assigned to you or content that you put into a Blackboard Collaborate chat. Completing group work that your group has assigned to you, unless it is mutually agreed upon that you may utilize the tool. Writing a draft of an assignment or essay. Writing entire sentences or paragraphs to complete class assignments or other assessable submissions.   Academic honesty is required in all assessable submissions by students. As AI is an evolving technology, please ensure that you carefully review the AI-related information you include in your unit outline/s every trimester.
Late Submission	Late submission penalty: Late penalties apply to late assessment submission (5% per day, up to 7 calendar days or 35%) as outlined in the assessment procedure.
Student Support	Student Support: Seek assistance when needed, utilizing the various student support services available. Students have access to online library resources to support research requirements. Students should familiarise themselves with basic WHS information, including emergency procedures and incident reporting. Students wishing to make a complaint or lodge a formal appeal should follow the procedures in the GCA Grievance and Appeals (Academic) Policy.   By maintaining these standards, students contribute to a positive learning environment and uphold the reputation and value of their qualification. Failure to meet these standards may result in academic penalties as outlined in GCA’s policies.   For any questions or concerns regarding academic standards, please contact the unit coordinator or refer to the resources provided above.