EXECUTIVE MASTER'S PROGRAM
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
J.L. KELLOGG GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Professor Alice Tybout
Office: Leverone 4-118
Tel: (847) 491-2723
Fax (847) 491-2498
e-mail: amtybout@nwu.edu
Strategic Marketing - EMP 49
Winter Quarter 2000
Course materials
 Packet of cases and supplemental readings
 Philip Kotler, Marketing Management: The Millennium Edition, 10th edition,
Prentice Hall, Inc., 2000. Optional background readings only.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Session
Topic
Assignment
Jan. 15
Overview of Marketing Concept
Read: Leveraging to Beat the Odds: The New
Marketing Mindset
Spend a Day in the Life of Your Customers
Note on Segmentation, Targeting, and
Positioning
The Four D's of Effective Positioning
Defining Marketing Problems
Building a Brand: he Saturn Story (optional)
Building Brand Equity Through the
STP Approach to Marketing
Prepare: The Case of the Pricing Predicament
(for class discussion)
Kotler Chapters 1-3, 9 and 10
Jan. 22
Macro Analysis
 Core Competencies/Resources
 Consumption Trends
 Industry and Competitor
Analysis
Read: Note on Opportunity Analysis
How Market Leaders Keep Their Edge
Seeing the Future First
Prepare: WANG Laboratories Case
BIC vs. Gillette Case
Kotler Chapters 5 and 8 are relevant
Jan. 28
Micro Analysis:
 How Customers Acquire and
Use Information in Decision
Making
 Learning About Consumers
Through Market Research
Read: Strategy: A Cognitive Perspective
The Tyranny of Choice
Get Closer to Your Customers By
Understanding How They Make Choices
Realizing Your Full Customer's Profit
Potential
Is Your Company Ready for One-to-One
Marketing? (optional)
Ignore Your Customer
The Science of Shopping (optional)
Qualitative Research (reference only)
The New Mantra: MVT
Prepare: Amsdeer Corporation Case
Alpha Corporation Case
Palm Computing Case
Clover Valley Dairy Case
Kotler Chapters 4, 6, and 7 are relevant
Feb. 5
STP Through Product Design and
Service Quality
Read: Postmodern Branding
Extend Profits Not Product Lines
Sparking Innovation Through Empathic
Design
Brand vs. Private Labels (optional)
Service Marketing Teaching Note
Empowering Service Employees (optional)
Prepare: Sweet Dreams Case
The Case of the Complaining Customer
Written Analysis of Hyatt versus Marriott Due
Kotler Chapters 11-14 are relevant
/
Feb. 11
STP Through Promotion, Pricing,
and Distribution Decisions
Read: Note on Advertising
Building Brands Without Mass Media
How do you Know when the Price is Right?
Kamikaze Pricing
Managing Price, Gaining Profit (optional)
Basic Quantitative Analysis for Marketing Note
& Exercise (optional)
Make Your Dealers Your Partners
Rethinking Distribution
Revolution in Retailing (optional)
Prepare: Intel Inside Case
Penrod Case
Prentice Machine Tools Case
Kotler Chapters 15-22 are relevant.
Feb. 19
Wrap-up Session
Read: Black & Decker Power Tools (A) Case
Take Home Final Exam is Due
(Note that the Penrod Case is a shortened version of a
previous exam. Your final exam will follow a similar
format.)
Note: All readings in Kotler's Marketing Management book are for background
reference and are optional. Primary emphasis will be given to the materials in
the case packet. There will be no direct testing of the book material; however
you may find it helpful in becoming familiar with marketing terminology.
Nature and Purpose of the Course
This course deals with management of marketing functions in modern profit and
nonprofit enterprises. The major purposes of this course include:
1.
To analyze critically the task of marketing under contemporary conditions and to
examine the major functions that comprise the marketing task.
2.
To evaluate various types of policies that can be employed in guiding the
marketing activity.
3.
To develop an awareness of the major types of marketing problems faced by
organizations, with emphasis on sound analytical approaches to effective
decisions.
Evaluation of Student Work
Each student will be evaluated on the following:
Hyatt versus Marriott Case
Final Examination
50%
50%
Written Case
Groups will be responsible for one major written case analysis, Hyatt versus Marriott.
This case analysis is due on February 5th and should be no longer than 2500 words
(excluding appendices). In addition to this major case analysis, groups have the option of
submitting brief (no more than two single spaced pages) memos for two cases, WANG
Laboratories and Alpha Corporation case. These memos should simply outline a
recommended course of action and provide a rationale for that course of action. If
submitted, feedback will be provided regarding the group's performance. However, it
should be emphasized that these memos are strictly voluntary and will not count toward
the final course grade. The purpose of the memos is simply to practice group level case
analysis prior to the major case assignment.
Prior to the due date for the written case analysis, class time will be devoted to a
discussion of issues regarding case preparation and analysis. Some preliminary remarks
on case analysis are included at the end of this syllabus.
Reading cases
The remaining cases are to be read and analyzed. You are expected to be prepared to
discuss these cases in class, though no formal write-up is required.
Examination
The examination format will be as follows. Students will be given a case describing a
marketing decision situation. On the basis of data presented in this case, students will be
asked to (1) make decisions with respect to several issues raised in the case and (2)
marshal support or justification for the position advocated using theories, concepts, and
analytical devices developed in the test and in class.
Adequate preparation for the exam may be achieved by (1) reading and studying all of
the required assignments, (2) taking comprehensive class notes and reviewing them prior
to the exam, and (3) devoting effort to the preparation and analysis of in-class cases, both
written and "reading".
Honor Code
The honor code will be applied to the course in the following manner: it is expected that
all written and reading cases will be done on an individual basis, without examining
analysis done by out-of-group members in either the present or previous classes. The
final exam will be a take-home and done on an individual basis. It will be distributed at
the February 11th class session and completed by February 19th. Final examinations must
be typed. A previous exam case is included in the case packet and will be discussed in
class. No other previous exams should be examined or will be made available. Any
violation of these guidelines constitutes a violation of the honor code and should be
reported to the instructor.
CASE ANALYSIS
Strategic decision making entails coordinating seemingly unrelated facts so that they
provide support for a particular course of action. The cases assigned are intended to give
you a practice in assembling data to support a decision. As is often the situation in actual
practice, cases may not have all the data you would like. Nevertheless, it is critical that
you develop a reasoned plan of attack on the basis of the data available.
Preparing a case. In preparing an analysis, read through the case looking for the main
problems that you will address. Develop a rationale for your belief that the problems
identified are in fact problems. In addition, assemble the factual information presented in
the case that addresses various problems.
Once you have assembled all the information provided, develop a framework for
analysis. This framework should (1) identify problem areas, (2) provide evidence that
indicates why the problem is a problem and the alternative ways it may be resolved, and
(3) choose a course of action that you feel is based on the soundest assumptions. By
following this strategy, you will be able to develop an integrated analysis and you will
avoid focusing on issues for which there is little data.
Writing up a case. In the formal write-up, for the Hyatt versus Marriott case only (not
the practice memo cases), you are requested to use the format outlined below.
1. Executive summary
This section should briefly summarize the key problems that you have identified and,
thus, what the goal of the organization should be. Then, summarize your specific
recommendations for achieving the goal.
2. Analysis
This is the heart of your report. It entails marshaling factual data that support your
problem identification goals and recommend actions. You must build a persuasive case
for each of these steps in your analysis, you may/should use side-headings to structure
this section. Building a strong analysis requires not only that you offer evidence to
support your decision, but also that you anticipate arguments against your views and
counter them.
Common Errors in Case Writing
1.
Format outlined above in not followed. Subheadings are not used in the analysis
section.
2.
Executive summary is too long. No more than half a page is generally needed for
this section.
3.
Focus centers on minor issues or issues for which there is little or no data. Let the
case facts guide you to the selection of issues. If there is little or no data
addressing an issue, don't dwell on it in your analysis.
4.
Rehashing of case data. Assume the reader is familiar with the case. Present case
data only when it is needed to support a line of reasoning you are developing.
Don't summarize the case situation as a preamble to your analysis, and don't
present case facts unless you are going to drive home a point with them.
5.
Uncritical acceptance of case data. Before you use evidence presented in the
case, ask yourself if it was collected in a sound manner and whether it is relevant
to the issue that you are addressing. This does not give you a license to eliminate
all data. Rather, you want to qualify the conclusions your each by evaluating the
quality of the data on which a conclusion is based.
6.
Failure to provide a rationale for eliminating other viable alternatives. It is
important to show that the recommended course of action is likely to deal
effectively with the problems identified. It is equally important to provide a
rationale for dismissing other, courses of action.
7.
Failure to present analytical work in an understandable manner. When doing
computations, be sure your presentation (usually in an appendix) is sufficiently
detailed so the reader can replicate the analysis. This requires you to indicate
where the data came from and show how it is analyzed.