However, regardless of what you choose to do there are two elements that are particularly important. First, your paper should include some level of analysis. I’m not necessarily referring to quantitative analysis, but rather you should provide an analysis of the situation rather than simply reporting on what is occurring. Second, your paper should contain some recommendations. In other words, based on the analysis you have conducted, what would you recommend? Here are a few examples of projects:

1. Brand Audit – In this case you would engage in a comprehensive analysis of a brand of your choosing. You should identify a brand and conduct an “audit” of that brand. Specifically, you should conduct an analysis assess the various elements of how the brand is being marketed then provide recommendations of how it could be done better.

2. Topical Analysis – In this case you might look at an emerging topic in marketing (e.g., social media usage, omni-channel marketing) and conduct an analysis of its past, where it is, and where it may be going and then offer broad recommendations of how it might be used by specific industries).

Other Factors

1. Think about how to structure your paper to tell the best “story.” I think we often forget that ultimately our goal is to tell a story even when engaged in business writing. We are trying to persuade someone of our views and telling a story is the best way to do that. Granted, I don’t expect your paper to read like a mystery novel, but you should work to make sure it is not simply a set of individual sections that do not flow from one to another. I will note that I am pretty big on the idea of structuring your paper carefully so that it has the most impact possible.

2. I also understand the limitations regarding your ability to access information. We know that almost any piece of information is available if you have the resources to get it. However, that implies a limitless amount of resources, something none of us have. The best you can do is the best you can do!

3. One key factor in doing an exercise like this is what I refer to as “internal validity.” What I mean is that I cannot asses this based on whether it is “correct” but can assess the extent to which the recommendations you provide follow from the analysis you have conducted.

4. This should be 12 pt font, 1” margins, and you can follow any style guide you wish as long as (1) you use it consistently and (2) from it I can find any information you cite in the paper. I would expect the paper to be between 8-10 pages, double-spaced exclusive of any Tables/Figures.

5. As to Tables/Figures, feel free to use as much or as little as you want, but be sure to clearly source any information. In addition, don’t forget that any Table/Figure should be referenced in the text but also should stand-alone. In other words, if you include a Table/Figure but do not explicitly reference it in the text, why is it there? In addition, a reader should be able to look at a Table/Figure and understand it without necessarily having to read the text. Tables/Figures should be in addition to the text in terms of pages.