Jennifer Hite received her BA majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Political Science from University of California at Santa Barbara, her MA in Communication Management from the Annenberg School of Communication at University of Southern California. She received a PhD in Organizational Behavior at UCI/The Paul Merage School of Business. Professor Hite has been an Instructor at the Annenberg School of Communication at USC, School of Business Administration at USC and UCI/The Paul Merage School of Business. She is a member of the Academy of Management, International Communication Association and the Society for Human Resources Management.
What is the assignment?
Concept Paper: Project or Idea Pitch
Project overview: You can choose from one of two tracks for the assignment:
- Introduce a new product or
- Introduce an existing product to another country.
Track 1: Introduce a New Product
Students selecting this track will produce a concept paper and pitch that follow the requirements of the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition. By the end of the quarter, you’ll have a solid concept paper and pitch ready if you choose to compete.
Product selection, Track 1: The product must be a completely new product or a better version of an existing one that is affordable to most Americans. In addition,
- A new service or a digital product may not be used.
- If you’ve already submitted a concept paper for the New Venture Competition, you may not use the same idea or paper for MGMT 191W. However, we encourage you to use the original work you create for MGMT 191W for the competition.
Track 2: Introduce an Existing Product to Another Country
Students selecting this option will introduce an existing product to a country they are not familiar with. Here are the requirements for both the product and the country you choose.
Product selection, Track 2: The product must be an existing one that is affordable to the people in the country you’ll be introducing it to. In addition,
- It must be a consumer product; that is, an item of common or daily use, typically bought by individuals for private consumption.
- It must be a product consumers can purchase in brick-and-mortar stores.
- Although the product you choose may already be available in the country, your goal is to find one that is not already easily available in the country.
- It cannot be a product consumers rent or that they must subscribe to, such as a meal service.
- It cannot be for commercial use only.
Country selection, Track 2: The country you use for the report must be one you have never visited, are not from, do not have any cultural ties to, have any relatives from, or know very much about.
How does it work?
In just three pages, students must develop a complete pitch that’s designed to convince investors (Track 1) or their CEO (Track 2) to adopt their product or idea. They build a credible argument by using library resources and careful paragraph development. The paper requires them to carefully analyze the potential market characteristics as well as any competitors, and to use color to engage the reader. The skills they develop in this project are easily transportable to work assignments once they graduate.
What do students say?
“The Concept Paper was a very informative assignment. It was the combination of a research paper and a corporate pitch/report, which worked to mimic potential assignments I will have once I graduate and get a corporate job. I particularly liked that my research was catered towards a specific audience, which led to it being more refined and avoiding any unnecessary information.” – Student Response
Student Artifact:
Excerpt:
This paper, pitching a new product idea, engages the audience with color and in the first paragraph with an attention-getting opening. They use bullet points and numbered lists to draw the reader’s eye and to quickly summarize information. The analysis of the market potential establishes the reach of the product, backed by recent, credible research. In addition, the analysis of the product’s competitors focuses on the product’s advantages over others. The paper is concise, well-written, and well-researched.
Read the full paper here.
Why does this work?
By asking students to choose between two options for their concept paper – either introducing a new product or an old product to a new market – the assignment is essentially asking students to choose their purpose and their audience. This choice can prompt students to think about the relationship between purpose and audience and craft their writing accordingly.
Check out these resources for developing business writing assignments in your communication classes:
- Implementing Student Choice within an Assignment from University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Business Writing Handout from UNC to help students understand typical expectations for business writing
- This particular assignment asked students to use figures in their writing. Your students might find this resource from the CEWC helpful for using tables and figures.
