PMW016 Market Research and Launch Plan for Project Kickoff Engagement

A team of Northeastern graduate students is creating a marketing launch plan for project management kickoff engagements that the Project Management World Consultancy (PMWC) is planning. PMWC sponsored a total of six teams in the previous quarter. Four of them created marketing plans for PMWC and two developed products. Each team provided 20 or more hours of no-cost labor. The current team calls itself Buzz Builders.

Here is a description of the students’ project:

Scope of the Northeastern University Internship Project

PMWC can establish a solid foundation for projects contemplated by any Silicon Valley company. This foundation ensures that the critical aspects of the project are clearly defined and understood by all stakeholders. Northeastern University interns are developing a marketing plan for this service.

The challenge in developing the marketing plan is severe constraints on labor and financial resources. The total available time per month to work on marketing of this is approximately six hours. Funds available for marketing are also limited.

Questions that need to be answered are the following:

1. What refinement should be made in the definition of the target market?
2. What position in a prospective company would be the ideal buyer?
3. What means will be most effective to reach the target market?
4. What messages will prompt prospective clients to seek more information
including where they seek outside assistance in planning projects

Goal of the Northeastern University Internship Project

The internship project should define the marketing activities to quickly gain clients for these consulting offerings. The plan should be produced in a slide presentation that includes the following:

1. Target Market definition
2. Persona of the ideal buyer
3. Preferred marketing channels
4. Messaging including the benefits for the client
5. Ideal initial steps for PMWC to implement this marketing plan

So far, Buzz Builders has interviewed three experienced leaders familiar with PMW consultants, identified four possible competitors, and began planning an email campaign to more than 4000 potential customers for this offering.