PPD

This unit was a very helpful and inspiring course for me. It covers almost every aspects of branding knowledge for me. Another good thing is that we have different tutors to gave us lectures, so that for us, we can get different teaching technique, background information from different people.  It also benefits me on our future choice of the dissertation topic. Because at least for me, I found where my interests are from the unit.

The case study report is a new challenge of me, as I never wrote a business plan before, the first thing that I was trying to figure out is that what is the structure and definition of a ‘business plan’ report. When I got to that point, then it goes to the different topic choices we can make. Due to I found that I am into beauty and skincare business a lot, so I decide to do this direction. The first tutorial that we have helped a lot for me, it tells what aspects should be covered and emphasis on, as well as from the tutor’s point of view, what is a good business plan. Sometimes I found that the worst thing is, what as a student understood to be a good essay, is actually different with the tutor’s wish. So it is essential for me that clearly knowing what is the criterial of a ‘good business plan’.

Then I started the research process. Because of personal interest, I chose the Chinese fashion brand “Exception” as the brand that I am going to do. Going through the essential previous studies and theories about establishing brand and entering a new market, and critically thinking about it was the starting stage of the further research and analysis. The more I read, the more I felt myself to be in that area, so that later I could merge myself in that context for the following research procedure. After choosing the key theories and models, then I started searching about Chinese market and the existing competitors, as the center of the study. Because all theories should be linked and pointed out to the brand itself at the end,  I decided always start with an area of theories first, and then linked to the practical implication of core concept of this extension project. However, although the study was generally discussing in terms of the business plan itself, I always tried to analyzing from the other brands’ marketing strategies, which helps me a lot to make the detail plans of every aspect of the “Exception Beauty” .

There are certainly limitations of my case study. I used to think about adopting interviews and surveys as the primary methodology for my business plan. However, due to the limitation of the time, I did not collection enough data to support the final outcome, so I have to give them up. If I have more time, for sure I will incorporate a new way of researching in the future, maybe I will find it more valuable and learn a lot more from there.

The business plan project is a review of the past two years’ content and I did go through the related slides again and again, and every time some new understanding coming to me. From the research process, I learned a lot from the self study. The most important thing that I learned this term is that---How to based on the previous study to develop my own concept and perspective, reasonably and credibly.