Brand Report Guide

Lecture notes: 

Brand Marketing Report

The basics of writing in an academic structure. 

Any written piece needs a structure: 

•    Anything you write needs a clear beginning middle and end

•    Critically, what you write needs to be logical 

Example outline of a business report

•    Title page

•    Contents page 

•    Introduction

•    Mid section of the report - deals with the key issue’s discussion 

•    Conclusion

•    Recommendations (from your report research and findings) 

•    Bibliography

•    Appendices

Exactly how does this content break down?

Title page - 

Contents page - literally a list of all the things you discuss in. Your report in a chronological order

The contents page in picture: 

Is an example of a possible page breakdown (particularly with the regard to the  headers .)

Please speak with module leaders to gain a full understanding of what they specifically want you to discuss as the project develops 

Contents page break down explained..

1 introduction: 

•    An overview of what you intend to discuss 

•    Keep this conversation concise as there is only so much word count you have allocated to the overall piece 

•    Discuss the key points of your report and your intended research 

•    Give a flavour of what you anticipate your findings/ research may extract ( you will give a fuller over view of your findings through your conclusion 

2 headers:

•  If you look at the contents page you will see a series of headers have been added ; a snap shot of this example is as to follow: 

•  2 Topshop - this is the main header of the section you intends to discuss; you then go on to break this main header into sub sections; example

•  2.1 research findings; and so  what were your research findings on. The brand? Write this information under this sub heading

•  2.2 initial analysis; what does your initial analysis of your research indicate about the brand reflecting on 2.1

•  2.3 current brand positioning (and so on and so forth, all the way through your discussion until you reach your conclusion) 

5 conclusion 

•  This is a summing of your research findings/ report intentions; it rounds the whole piece off touching on the critical aspects of your discussion, 

•  This must be to the point and concise 

6 reccomendations: 

•  These are your recommendations to industry from research gathered 

•  To complete this part of the report consider 

•  Why does your chosen brand have issues? 

•  What if anything are they doing (or need to do ) to redress this 

•  Where is the brand situated, where do you feel (based solidly on research ) the brand needs to be 

•  How can the brand intervine through its current situation; what can it do to change its fate? (consider market conditions positioning in market place consumer perception and so on and so forth) 

7 bibliography 

•  Add all your long referencing through bibliography 

8 appendices 

•  Can be used to relate any information that co n acts to your essay context but would not be put in the actual essay itself 

•  For example

•  A sample of a survey you have collected 

•  A full quote which attaches to a segment of quote usrd in your main essay (to give the content further con text _ 

Basic guide to academic writing 

•  Make sure the font if easily legible and you can read it 

•  Use paragraphs and punctuation regularly; check grammar and make time to proof read

•  Add visuals to your piece which under pin specific written contents you discuss in the report 

•  Add quotes to under pin key points you may be making in your text 

•  Add page numbers through the footer of the document ; this will help with understanding referencing in your bibliography for example

•  Add references regularly through your piece to show where your research came from and to avoid issues of plagiarism 

•  Use long referencing in your bibliography 

•  Be objective (the report isn’t about writing your subjective view) 

•  Make sure there is a comparison running through your text: for example ‘when looking at Topshop online sales compared to bricks and mortar’ this apronch allows you to build your case/ debate regarding the brands strengths and weaknesses

•  Make sure there is a good balance between your primary and secondary research. Generally, make sure there is a good research mix (this will be evident in your bibliography) 

Plagiarism

•  Is a really important issue/ problem In academic writing

•  To avoid it reference your work regularly in text and list all your references in text an d in bibliography using APA 

•  Dont copy and paste directly from and origin source

•  Time manage properly 

•  Remember all your contextual for is out through ‘turnitin’ which automatically detects plagiarism