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MKT62504 | Presentation & Situation Analysis

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21/04/2026 - 12/05/2026 (Week 1 - Week 4)

MIB

INSTRUCTIONS

  

PROCESS

CASE STUDY RESEARCH
Full Case Study Report

Final Case Study Report

SITUATION ANALYSIS
The topic I chose was Cycle of Grief. On Google, it refers to the five stages of grief. 


However, in my campaign, I focus more on the uncommon forms of grief; restlessness, unthinking, numbness and continued fuctioning. These are not commonly recognised as grief as it doesn't fit the public's perception and what they know grief to look like.

Unawareness to these other forms of grief make it that people are misunderstood or judged incorrectly in their grief. I chose this topic as I have personal experiences with grief and not fitting the general percieved to be of a grieving person and I want to help others understand and educate the public that there is more than one way to grieve and that there is no singular correct answer.

Problem & Gap
This campaign responds to the problem that many young adults experience forms of grief that isn't outwardly visible. Grief is cyclical and embodied as seen in research done by Stroebe & Schut, 1999 and O'Connor in 2008. However, the cultural understanding regarding the topic still treats grief as linear and time-limited. This gap causes people, especially young adults to question whether their emotional responses are valid. It is important to address this gap as resulting misrecognition can lead to self-invalidation, increased emotional isolation and a reduced likelihood of seeking appropriate support.

Market Context
Young adults are experiencing increasing emotional distress, yet grief is still commonly represented through visible sadness and traditional mourning. Existing grief campaigns largely use education, personal stories and support resources. Between States addresses a more specific gap by representing grief through anxiety, numbness, restlessness and continued functioning.

Audience Lifestyle
The target audience consists of digitally connected young adults aged 18–28 who balance study, work, relationships and major life transitions. They regularly use social media to access relatable information and process personal experiences, often privately. Their grief may exist alongside everyday routines, making interactive and emotionally validating digital content especially relevant.

Initial Customer Journey Map
The campaign show make the viewer feel seen, understand that grief is not always visible or linear, and take a gentle next step—reflect, speak to someone they trust or access support.

Simple Journey Flow:
Encounter → Recognise → Explore → Reflect → Feel validated → Reach out

Campaign Proposal Docs

Task 1 Presentation Slides

REFLECTION

Through this task, I developed a clearer understanding of how a situation analysis can help shape the direction of a campaign. I initially approached grief through the commonly known five stages, but my research showed that grief is not always linear or outwardly visible. This helped me narrow my campaign towards less recognised experiences such as numbness, restlessness, anxiety and continued functioning. Although the topic was influenced by my personal experiences, the research allowed me to look beyond my own perspective and identify a wider problem faced by young adults who may question whether their emotional responses are valid.

Developing the problem, market context, audience lifestyle and customer journey also helped me understand how each section connects to the campaign’s purpose. I realised that Between States should not only educate people about grief, but also gently guide them from recognition and exploration towards reflection, validation and seeking support. Moving forward, I could strengthen my situation analysis by including more current statistics and comparisons with existing grief campaigns. Overall, this task gave the campaign a clearer purpose and created a stronger foundation for its visual and digital applications.

REFERENCES

Core Grief Theory

Doka, K. J. (1989). Disenfranchised grief: Recognizing hidden sorrow. Lexington Books. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL2408597M/Disenfranchised_grief

Klass, D., Silverman, P. R., & Nickman, S. L. (1996). Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief. Taylor & Francis. https://www.routledge.com/Continuing-Bonds-New-Understandings-of-Grief/Klass-Silverman-Nickman/p/book/9781560323396

Neimeyer, R. A. (Ed.). (2001). Meaning reconstruction and the experience of loss. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10397-000

Stroebe, M., & Schut, H. (1999). The dual process model of coping with bereavement: Rationale and description. Death Studies, 23(3), 197–224. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10848151/


Neuroscience of Grief

O'Connor, M.-F. (2022). The grieving brain: The surprising science of how we learn from love and loss. HarperOne. https://maryfrancesoconnor.org/books/the-grieving-brain

O'Connor, M.-F., Wellisch, D. K., Stanton, A. L., Eisenberger, N. I., Irwin, M. R., & Lieberman, M. D. (2008). Craving love? Enduring grief activates the brain's reward center. NeuroImage, 42(2), 969–972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.04.256


Anxiety & Cognitive Mechanisms

Dugas, M. J., Buhr, K., & Ladouceur, R. (2004). The role of intolerance of uncertainty in generalized anxiety disorder. In R. G. Heimberg, C. L. Turk, & D. S. Mennin (Eds.), Generalized anxiety disorder: Advances in research and practice (pp. 143–163). Guilford Press. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-00000-007

Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(3), 504–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.109.3.504


Attachment Theory

Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Vol. 3. Loss, sadness and depression. Basic Books. https://sycofx.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/john-bowlby-loss-sadness-and-depression-attachment-and-loss-1982.pdf


Sociology & Cultural Grief

Walter, T. (1999). On bereavement: The culture of grief. Open University Press. https://archive.org/details/onbereavementcul0000walt

Walter, T. (2015). New mourners, old mourners: Online memorial culture as a chapter in the history of mourning. New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 21(1–2), 10–24. https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/publications/new-mourners-old-mourners-online-memorial-culture-as-a-chapter-in


Developmental / Identity Context

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469


Clinical Classification Systems

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787



TASK 2 →