How to Write an E-Business Case Analysis for MKTG903 Assignment 2
To write a strong e-business case analysis, pick one New Zealand company, describe its use of internet technologies through a single class framework, then spend half your words judging one business function and finish with one recommendation that grows out of that judgement. The marks reward focus and evidence, not coverage. If you are stuck on structure, our marketing assignment help page explains how we support students at this stage.
What the assessment is really asking
The MKTG903 Global Marketing e-business case analysis brief asks you to study a New Zealand company agreed with your lecturer and show how it uses internet technologies. It is a desk-research task. You work from public sources such as annual reports, the company website, trade press and industry reports, and the brief says you should not contact the company.
The brief splits the work into three tasks: current e-business use evaluated with one framework, a critical evaluation of one function, and one actionable recommendation. Read the verb in each task. “Describe” and “evaluate” are different jobs, and “critically assess” means you must reach a judgement, not list features.
Marks and words at a glance
The brief gives the marks per task. It also sets a total word limit, so check your copy for the exact tolerance and what is excluded. The word split below is only a suggestion that follows the marks.
| Task | Marks (from the brief) | Suggested words |
|---|---|---|
| Current e-business use and framework | 30 | About 600 |
| Critical evaluation of one function | 50 | About 1,000 |
| One recommendation | 20 | About 400 |
Notice where the weight sits. Half the marks are for Task 2, so a paper that spends most of its words describing the company has its priorities upside down.
Step-by-step plan
- Confirm your company with your lecturer and check that enough public information exists. A listed company with annual reports is easier than a private one.
- Collect sources first. Aim for the latest annual report, the company’s own site, two or three recent news articles and at least two industry or academic sources.
- Choose the framework before you write. Business Model Canvas, a value chain or a customer-journey model each lead to different arguments. Pick the one your class covered and that suits your evidence.
- Choose the function using a test: which function, if it failed, would hurt the company’s revenue most? That sentence is your justification.
- Draft Task 2 before Tasks 1 and 3. Your recommendation depends on it, and Task 1 can then be trimmed to what Task 2 needs.
- Write the recommendation last, then go back and sharpen Task 2 so the two match.
- Use your draft submission to check similarity, as the brief allows, and fix weak paraphrasing before the final version.
If you also have a report or a case study due, the same plan works. Our case study help page covers how we approach company-based work.
Section-by-section guidance
Task 1: describe, then evaluate
Open with two or three lines on the business model and customers. Then list the internet technologies actually in use: online sales, mobile apps, cloud systems, data connections, social media, AI tools. Stick to what you can evidence.
The framework is where students lose marks. Do not spend a paragraph defining it and then forget it. Fill it with company evidence, show which parts are strong, and name one or two weak spots. A small table works well here because it forces specific evidence into each box.
Task 2: the function you judge
Typical functions include online sales and payments, customer service and relationship management, supply chain and fulfilment, data and analytics, or a partner ecosystem. Choose one and defend the choice in two sentences.
Then assess current performance against clear criteria. Good criteria might be reach, ease of use, speed, personalisation and link to revenue. Compare with one or two best-practice examples from other firms, ideally in a similar sector, and say what the company does better or worse. The brief expects industry insight, so add at least one academic or industry source on your function.
Task 3: one recommendation
One means one. A list of five ideas signals that you could not decide. State what the company should do, who does it, how it connects to your Task 2 finding, what could go wrong, and how success would be measured. If you use numbers as examples, call them illustrative.
What a higher-scoring answer looks like
| Weaker sentence | Stronger sentence |
|---|---|
| The company uses social media and has a good website. | The company’s site handles ordering end to end, but its social channels mainly drive awareness, so the site carries the conversion task. |
| Customer service is very important for e-business. | Customer service is chosen because the company’s own help pages show returns and delivery queries dominate contact volume, which puts repeat revenue at risk. |
| The company should improve its digital marketing. | The company should introduce guided product recommendations at checkout, because Task 2 showed that basket size lags best-practice peers. |
The pattern is the same each time: a claim, the evidence for it, and the reason it matters for the business.
Reference sample for study
If you want to see this structure worked through, our reference sample for an e-business case analysis, for study use only applies the Business Model Canvas to a real New Zealand-founded firm and shows the three tasks in order. Use it to understand the shape of the argument, then build your own analysis from your own company’s sources.
Mark-maximising checklist
- One company, one framework, one function, one recommendation.
- Every claim about the company traced to a dated, public source.
- Task 2 is the longest section and contains a clear judgement.
- Best-practice examples are named and compared, not just mentioned.
- The recommendation refers back to a specific Task 2 finding.
- Illustrative numbers are labelled as illustrative.
- Tools and software you used are acknowledged, as the brief requires.
- APA 7th edition in-text citations match the reference list exactly.
- Formatting follows the brief: font, size and line spacing.
- Word count checked against the limit, excluding what the brief excludes.
Before you start polishing, our report writing help page is useful if the structure of a business report is also unfamiliar.
Common mistakes
- Describing instead of evaluating. A page of features earns Task 1 marks at best. Task 2 needs a verdict.
- Using the framework as decoration. If the framework could be removed without changing the argument, it is not doing any work.
- Choosing a function that is too broad. “Digital marketing” is a field. “Email retention campaigns” is a function you can assess.
- Relying on the company’s own claims. A marketing page tells you what the firm wants to be seen. Balance it with news, analyst commentary or customer reviews.
- Recommending something the evidence does not support. If Task 2 says delivery is the problem, a new loyalty app will look disconnected.
- Quoting old data. A figure from several years ago can mislead. Use the latest annual report and say which period it covers.
- Weak referencing. Missing page numbers for direct quotes, inconsistent author names and sources that appear in the text but not the list are easy marks to lose.
Student worries
“I cannot find enough public information.” This usually means the chosen function is too narrow, or the company is private. Widen to a related function, or use industry sources to describe the sector norm, and be clear about what you inferred.
“I do not know which framework to use.” Look at which one lets you show the most about your company with the evidence you already hold. If your sources are mostly about customers and revenue, the Business Model Canvas fits. If they are about operations, a value chain may fit better.
“The word count is tight.” Cut background first. Markers already know what the company does. Spend the saved words on evaluation.
“I am worried about similarity.” Keep notes in your own words while you read, cite as you write, and use the draft check the brief allows. Your university’s learning support advisers can also help with paraphrasing. For brief-specific guidance on other Auckland Institute of Studies assessments, browse the AIS assignment briefs, or see how a digital strategy answer is laid out in the digital marketing Level 7 sample.
FAQs
How many sources should an e-business case analysis use?
The brief does not fix a number, so check it and ask your lecturer. As a guide, around eight to twelve sources is common for 2,000 words, mixing company documents, news and academic or industry material.
Can I use more than one framework?
The brief asks for one framework covered in class. Using two risks thin analysis in both and takes words from Task 2, so stay with one unless your lecturer says otherwise.
Which e-business function should I choose?
Choose the one most closely tied to the company’s revenue and for which you can find evidence. Online sales, customer service and partner ecosystems are frequent choices because public information is usually available.
Do I need to include numbers or a financial model?
Not necessarily. Real figures from annual reports strengthen the case, and illustrative targets can support your recommendation, provided you label them illustrative.
Is it acceptable to use AI tools for this assessment?
The brief states that AI use is prohibited for any part of the task, so follow it. Learning support services that the brief permits are the safer route for feedback.
What happens if I submit late?
The brief sets a late penalty per 24-hour period and a cut-off after which the mark is zero. Check your copy for the exact rule and apply for an extension early if you need one.
If you are short on time or unsure where to begin, you can send your brief through the submit assignment page and our team will get back to you with options.
