| Course | MKT 353 Product and Brand Management (MKT/353) |
|---|---|
| Week | 5 |
| Paper type | Product and brand strategy plan |
| Length | about 1,073 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Business |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MKT 353 Week 5
Three Years, Three Brands and One Promise: A Product and Brand Strategy for Bramble and Bee
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
MKT/353: Product and Brand Management
Week 5 Final Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Bramble and Bee, Cedar and Salt and all figures and plans are composites written for a model paper.
Executive Summary
Bramble and Bee will grow revenue from $5.2 million to $8 million over three years by defending its mature lip balm, scaling lotion bars, launching a mineral sunscreen stick and the Little Bee children's line and expanding its endorsed Cedar and Salt soap brand. Every product will keep the promise of simple ingredients anyone can understand. The plan requires a marketing budget of about $1.1 million a year and will be measured through sales, awareness, loyalty and price premium. A brand promise only means something if every product on the shelf keeps it, so this strategy says no to growth that would break the promise.
Situation Summary
Bramble and Bee is a composite Portland natural skin-care company with 34 employees, sales through its website, 300 boutiques and a 180-store pharmacy chain and an acquired Seattle soap brand. Its brand equity is deep at home but thin elsewhere.
What Earlier Analysis Showed
Four weeks of analysis shaped this plan. The life cycle review found products at every stage, from mature lip balm to a sunscreen stick still in testing. The development work showed that a stage-gate process can bring a regulated product to market without betting the company. The identity work defined a sincere, plain-spoken brand built on simple ingredients and Northwest roots, with an open position in the pharmacy aisle. The equity and portfolio analysis found deep equity at home but little elsewhere and set up a branded house, a children's sub-brand and an endorsed soap label.
Strategic Goals
The goals are revenue of $8 million by year three; aided awareness of 30% among natural skin-care buyers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho; repeat purchase above 60%; and a maintained price premium over unbranded equivalents.
Why Brand Investment Pays
Hoeffler and Keller (2003) reviewed research on the advantages of strong brands, including greater loyalty, less vulnerability to competitors and crises, larger margins, more favorable responses to price changes and greater success with extensions. Madden et al. (2006) found that a portfolio of firms with highly valued brands earned higher returns with lower risk than the market overall. Erdem and Swait (1998) argued that brands work as credible signals that reduce consumers' uncertainty about quality. For a small company entering stores where shoppers have never heard of it, building that signal is worth steady investment.
Lip Balm: Defend
Lip balm, in maturity, will receive seasonal flavors, a tinted version and multipacks, with pricing held at $4.99. The goal is stable sales and margin.
Lotion Bars: Grow
Lotion bars, in growth, will add two scents and enter a national natural foods chain in year two. Monthly sales will be watched for signs of slowing growth.
Sunscreen Stick: Launch
After a test summer in 60 boutiques and online, the stick will enter the pharmacy chain in year two if it meets its sell-through, rating, repeat and return targets.
Little Bee: Launch
The children's sub-brand will launch in year two with a balm, a gentle wash and a children's sunscreen stick, sold online and in pharmacies near the baby care aisle.
Cedar and Salt: Expand
The endorsed soap brand will expand from Puget Sound markets into Bramble and Bee's boutique network, with packaging that reads crafted with Bramble and Bee. Bramble and Bee's own bar soap will be discontinued.
Products the Company Will Not Pursue
The men's grooming line is on hold. Any future men's products would launch under Cedar and Salt. Products that would need long ingredient lists, such as anti-aging creams, will not be developed.
Pricing Across the Portfolio
Prices will signal each brand's role. Bramble and Bee products stay at mid-premium levels, such as $4.99 for lip balm and $12 for lotion bars. Little Bee prices match the parent so parents see the same quality for their children. Cedar and Salt soaps sell at $8, slightly above Bramble and Bee's old soap, reflecting their craft image. No brand will be discounted deeply, since frequent discounts would weaken the price premium that marks brand equity.
Channels
The website remains the place for the full range, subscriptions and the loyalty program. Boutiques carry all three brands and receive new products first. The pharmacy chain carries the best sellers from Bramble and Bee and Little Bee. The natural foods chain, added in year two, will carry lotion bars, lip balm and the sunscreen stick. Each channel's assortment is chosen so stores do not compete on identical items at different prices.
Brand-Building Actions
Packaging will show ingredient lists prominently. Content will feature beekeepers and staff. In-store sampling will support pharmacy launches. A loyalty program will reward repeat online buyers.
Timeline
Year one focuses on pharmacy rollout, the sunscreen test and lotion bar scents. Year two launches the sunscreen stick in pharmacies, Little Bee and the natural foods chain. Year three expands Cedar and Salt and evaluates new regions.
Budget
Of the $1.1 million annual marketing budget, about 75% supports Bramble and Bee, 15% Little Bee and 10% Cedar and Salt. Product development and regulatory testing add about $200,000 over three years.
Revenue Path
Revenue is expected to reach about $6.1 million in year one, driven by the pharmacy rollout and lotion bar growth; $7.1 million in year two, with the sunscreen stick, Little Bee and the natural foods chain; and $8 million in year three, as Cedar and Salt expands and new products mature. If year-one revenue falls below $5.8 million, year-two launches will be phased more slowly to protect cash.
Organization
The plan requires a brand manager for Little Bee and Cedar and Salt, a regulatory specialist on contract for sunscreen products and one additional sales representative for chain accounts. Maya Chen will remain the public face of the brand, appearing in content and at store events.
Measures
The company will track revenue by product and brand, awareness and associations through an annual survey, repeat purchase and the price premium from shelf tests. Results will be reviewed quarterly.
Risks
Supply shortages of beeswax, sunscreen test failures, competitor responses and dilution from extensions are the main risks. Diversified suppliers, careful testing and strict rules on brand fit reduce them.
Conclusion
Bramble and Bee's strategy assigns each product a life cycle role, launches new products carefully, gives three brands distinct jobs and invests steadily in a promise of simple, trustworthy skin care. Research on the value of strong brands supports this investment.
References
Erdem, T., & Swait, J. (1998). Brand equity as a signaling phenomenon. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 7(2), 131-157. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327663jcp0702_02
Hoeffler, S., & Keller, K. L. (2003). The marketing advantages of strong brands. Journal of Brand Management, 10(6), 421-445. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540139
Madden, T. J., Fehle, F., & Fournier, S. (2006). Brands matter: An empirical demonstration of the creation of shareholder value through branding. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 34(2), 224-235. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070305283356
What the MKT 353 Week 5 instructions ask
For the final MKT 353 assignment, students typically present one product and brand strategy covering a whole company. Common requirements include summarizing the product portfolio and life cycle positions, describing new product plans, restating brand identity and positioning, explaining portfolio and architecture decisions, setting objectives and actions for each product and brand, providing a timeline and budget and defining how success will be measured. Some prompts include a presentation or executive summary. Bring together earlier analyses into one coherent plan, support key choices with scholarly research and use APA citations. Name the products you will not pursue. Make sure product and brand decisions reinforce each other rather than pulling in different directions.
How this MKT 353 Week 5 example is built
A Portland skin-care company with three brands and a dozen products needs a plan that ties them together, and the paper builds one for three years. Goals include growing revenue from $5.2 million to $8 million, raising awareness outside the home region and protecting the brand's simple, local promise. Each product receives a life cycle strategy, from defending lip balm to scaling lotion bars and launching the sunscreen stick and Little Bee line. Research on the value of strong brands supports steady brand investment. Products that would break the brand promise are set aside. A $1.1 million marketing budget, a launch calendar, measures and a risk review complete the strategy.
MKT 353 Week 5 grading rubric: where the points go
Strong product and brand strategy papers turn several weeks of analysis into one plan with clear goals and actions. Instructors credit a concise summary of products and life cycle positions, realistic new product plans, consistent brand identity and positioning, sensible portfolio roles, specific objectives, a timeline, a budget and measures. Papers that show how products and brands support each other, and that anticipate risks, show strategic thinking. Reviewers look for scholarly sources, numbers that agree across sections and a clear executive summary. An honest list of what the company will not do adds credibility. Tables for timelines and budgets, along with organized headings and accurate citations, make a long plan easy to read and evaluate fairly.
MKT 353 Week 5 help: mistakes to avoid
Students often paste earlier assignments together. Rewrite them into one plan with a single set of goals. Another common gap is setting goals without actions or budgets. Tie each goal to specific steps and dollars. Students also forget measurement. Define how you will know whether the strategy works. Keep the brand promise consistent across products. Include a realistic timeline. Address risks such as supply problems or extension failures. Use research on the value of brands to justify investment. Write a short executive summary first and keep it under a page. Finally, check that every figure matches across sections, since inconsistent numbers undermine an otherwise strong plan.
Related MKT 353 sample papers
Other MKT 353 week samples
- MKT 353 Week 1: Products and the Product Life Cycle
- MKT 353 Week 2: New Product Development
- MKT 353 Week 3: Brand Identity and Positioning
- MKT 353 Week 4: Brand Equity and Portfolio Strategy
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MKT 353 Week 5 questions, answered
What does MKT 353 Week 5 usually cover?
It usually covers an integrated product and brand strategy: portfolio and life cycle positions, new products, brand identity and positioning, architecture, objectives, actions, timeline, budget and measures.
Where can I find a free MKT 353 Week 5 sample paper?
The full product and brand strategy for a skin-care company appears above with margin notes; we can also draft one for the company in your course.
Why invest in brand building?
Strong brands can command price premiums, earn loyalty, make new products easier to launch and, according to some research, contribute to shareholder value.
How long should a brand strategy cover?
Many brand strategies cover three to five years, long enough to build awareness and associations, with annual reviews to adjust tactics.
What is an executive summary?
A short overview at the start of a plan that states the main goals, recommendations and resources needed, so readers understand the strategy quickly.
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