The Postgraduate Business School, University of Bedfordshire
The ABC rule
• In report writing, as in all functional writing, there are three basic rules (the A.B.C.)
AccuracyBrevity (conciseness)
Clarity
• Effective reports demand logical thinking and presentation, coupled with a thorough, planned investigation.
Reasoning & Style
Every statement should be backed by official statistics/published research.
• All statements should be backed by relevant data!
Your report should stay neutral.In general avoid First person. Adopt an Objective stance
It is recommended to use the 3rd person (neutrality).
Reasoning & Style
Don’t include information which is too broad to be useful
Try to sustain your assertions with data. If you found this from a source try to figure out what was the reasoning behind.
Be concise, use short sentences and clear English (‘Anglo Saxon’), with relatively short paragraphs.
Try to provide relevant examples for each business case, including when it happened (year, month), precise location (region, country), name of brands/products involved; these would add strength to your statements.
And again, please provide all Sources of your statements.
Blend in any illustrations with the text as much as possible;
it is very annoying to have to dodge from page to page and it impairs the flow and impact of an argument
Every table or chart should have a number (e.g. Table No. 3 or Figure No. 4) and a (brief & descriptive) title (e.g. Red Bull market share evolution in the UK, 2008- 2012);
It is recommended that the charts and tables be your own work (not copy/paste from other sources);
All the information should be properly cited; please mention the source under the table/chart or as a footnote.
Use headings and sub-headings to indicate to the reader where appropriate material may be located.
These Headings are important; good descriptions of what the sections will contain.
They need to be prominent. Readers should be able to scan headings and get a good understanding of the report.
• Look for logical flow of the argument.
Use a Statement-Probe sequence logic
• Provide an argument followed by supporting evidence (information organised as a chart or table)
Executive Summary
Should be written in a way that allows the executive who reads it to know what the problem is and how it is to be solved.
Essentially, it is a summary of your problem statement, objectives and how to achieve them (i.e. how to solve the problem).
The key findings and recommendations should also be briefly presented in this section.
Appendices/Annexes
Appendices might include detailed material
which is not essential to the argument’s flow.
Theoretical underpinning
Do not describe or outline the theories or theoretical models in the marketing plan. The plan is addressed to marketing top executives who supposedly are familiar with them.
Apply the theories/theoretical models (i.e. use them in the given context)
Theories and models you can apply, including those studied in the previous units:Communication mixBrand touchpoint wheelBrand equity modelsConsumer behaviour models (e.g. Consumer Decision Making)
Management frameworks (e.g. SWOT, PESTLE)
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD REPORT
S A L E T I P
Short – as possible
Accurate – state verified facts only Logical – in matter of presentation Easy – to understand
Tactful – in expressing criticism Impartial and unbiased Persuasive and Convincing
Q&A Session
Get expert help for Digital Marketing Plan Tutorial and many more. 24X7 help, plag free solution. Order online now!
The post Digital Marketing Plan Tutorial appeared first on Universal Assignment.
