BUSML 4231: Promotional Strategy
Spring 2014 Syllabus
M/W 5:30 – 6:50 pm
Instructor: Professor Pat West
Location: Schoenbaum 315
Office: 544 Fisher Hall
Phone: (Office) 614-292-0568, (Cell) 614-949-7564
E-Mail: west@fisher.osu.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
Information
I will be available ten minutes before each class in our assigned classroom. You can use this opportunity
to ask me questions, or schedule a time to meet with me outside of class. While I will not hold a standing
time for office hours, you are welcome to schedule an appointment.
If you need to contact me outside of class I can be reached by e-mail at (west@fisher.osu.edu). I monitor
my e-mail regularly and do my best to respond in a timely manner.
There is a dedicated class website on Carmen where you will find more detailed information about our
daily class schedule including objectives, thought questions, readings, and Powerpoint slides. I will also
post any updates to the syllabus on Carmen. You can use Carmen to communicate with your fellow
classmates using a discussion board and email list. It is also were you will be reviewing your grades and
submitting your work. Access to Carmen simply requires that you have a valid OSU e-mail account. If
you have trouble gaining access please contact OIT support at 688-HELP.
Required Course Materials:
Belch & Belch Advertising & Promotion 9th edition
Harvard Business School coursepack https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/23423768
Overview
This course is designed to complement the Advertising Management (M&L 4230) class. Taken together,
you will be introduced to the field of advertising and promotion. The perspectives offered will emphasize
the role of traditional advertising and other promotional mix elements in developing an integrated
marketing communications (IMC) program. IMC requires an understanding of the overall marketing
process, how companies organize for advertising and other promotional functions, customer behavior,
communications theory, how to set goals and manage budgets.
This course will explore how marketers utilize promotional campaigns to enhance their advertising and
other marketing efforts. The tools needed to design, evaluate and analyze the effectiveness of direct and
digital marketing programs, sales promotions, sponsorships, events, branded entertainment, publicity and
public relations will be provided.
By the end of the term you will be able to: (1) evaluate the fit of a promotional effort for a brand, (2)
analyze the effectiveness of promotions, (3) critique promotional strategy, and (4) provide
recommendations for how to improve promotion efforts. In addition, we will focus on enhancing your
ability to work effectively with your peers as well as improve your analytic, oral presentation and writing
skills.
Requirements & Evaluation
Don't think of this as a class in marketing; think of this as a marketing company in which you are
employees trying to get ahead. When you prepare for class, imagine you are preparing for an important
meeting with your boss. Don't miss a chance to advance your career because of sloppy preparation. Try to
be the most informed person in the room!
A corollary of this idea is the following: we must treat each other with the professionalism and respect
required of us in our careers. In other words, make sure your documents show pride in your work (rewrite
Promotional Strategy Syllabus - 2
them, edit them, proof them, then do it all again); don’t expect the “boss” (namely me) to look kindly on
absences or under-preparation caused by other commitments in your life. Be sure to send notification to
me if you are not going to be in class on a given day. As a rule of thumb, do not ask for favors you would
not ask of your employer.
Inappropriate conduct (i.e., tardiness, stepping out during class, sidebar conversations, use of electronic
equipment like cell phones, and eating food) is frowned upon. Each of these behaviors tends to distract
your fellow classmates and thus detract from the learning environment. I, and your fellow classmates, will
return your consideration by treating you with respect, listening to your opinions and offering as much
constructive feedback as possible. Additionally, I will be accessible for questions whenever you need
assistance. If you cannot attend my office hours, I will happily make an appointment at a time more
convenient for you.
The table that follows illustrates how your course performance and thus your final grade will be
determined.
Individual Work
Quizzes
Exam
Group Work
- Grocery Store Pricing Report
- Promotion Analysis Presentation
4 @ 50 points each
100 points
40%
20%
100 points
100 points
500 possible points
20%
20%
100%
The grading scale that will be utilized is as follows:
A = 465 – 500
A- = 450 – 464
B+ = 435 – 449
B = 415 – 434
B- = 400 – 414
C+
C
CD+
D
= 385 – 399
= 365 – 384
= 350 – 364
= 335 – 349
= 315 – 334
I am not in the habit of changing grades unless a math error is made. If you feel that you’ve been graded
unfairly please make sure you visit me in my office during office hours or another agreed upon time and
prepare a written explanation of why your grade should be reconsidered. Do not wait until the end of the
term to request reconsideration of an assignment or exam grade. If you miss the next highest grade by one
point you will have my sympathy, but I will not change your grade!
Honor Code. Academic integrity is essential to maintaining an environment that fosters excellence in
teaching, research, and other educational and scholarly activities. Thus, The Ohio State University and the
Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) expect that all students have read and understand the
University’s Code of Student Conduct, and that all students will complete all academic and scholarly
assignments with fairness and honesty. Students must recognize that failure to follow the rules and
guidelines established in the University’s Code of Student Conduct and this syllabus may constitute
“Academic Misconduct.”
The Ohio State University’s Code of Student Conduct (Section 3335-23-04) defines academic misconduct
as: “Any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the University, or subvert the
educational process.” Examples of academic misconduct include (but are not limited to) plagiarism,
collusion (unauthorized collaboration), copying the work of another student, submitting the same or
similar work for credit in more than one class, and possession of unauthorized materials during an
examination. Ignorance of the University’s Code of Student Conduct is never considered an “excuse” for
academic misconduct, so I recommend that you review the Code of Student Conduct and, specifically, the
sections dealing with academic misconduct.
If I suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct in this course, I am obligated by
University Rules to report my suspicions to COAM. If COAM determines that you have violated the
University’s Code of Student Conduct (i.e., committed academic misconduct), the sanctions for the
Promotional Strategy Syllabus - 3
misconduct in this class will be a failing grade in this course and could include suspension or dismissal
from the University. If you have any questions about the above policy or what constitutes academic
misconduct in this course, please contact me.
Missed Quizzes, Exams, and Late Assignments. Please understand that you are responsible for
arranging your schedule to accommodate your classroom obligations.
•
•
•
Make-up examinations will only be given if you notify me prior to the exam. Only if unforeseen
circumstances seriously compromise your ability to complete an obligation will permission be given
to postpone taking an exam. Zero points will be awarded to any examination that is not completed on
schedule without prior approval.
Late assignments will not be considered and will result in a score of zero.
If you miss class on the day a quiz is given it will result in a score of zero. There are no make-up
opportunities for quizzes.
Everyone will be allowed to drop the lowest quiz score. If you miss one quiz that score of zero can be
used as your “lowest score” and will be dropped from your final grade calculation. If you do not miss a
quiz, your lowest score among all the graded quizzes will be dropped from your final grade calculation.
Grading Policy. Nobody likes being graded, even when the outcome is a good one. I will do everything
in my power to make the grading experience a useful and fair one. I will also try to provide as much
feedback as possible. Requests to have a grade reconsidered should be submitted in writing (via e-mail).
Please do not approach me in class to discuss your grade on an exam or assignment. This tends to create
confusion and I cannot make the necessary changes unless I have access to my computer. No re-grading
will be considered more than 10 days after the assignment is returned to you, unless it is a matter of a
math error, which will always be cheerfully corrected.
Peer Review. Each of you will be asked to evaluate the contribution of your peers on collaborative work.
These evaluations will be used in determining your grade on the group reports. Each student will receive a
grade that is proportionate to their participation, as assessed by other contributors. For example, if five
members of a team feel that the sixth member only contributed 2% of the workload on a report or
presentation that received a grade of 87/100 then the grade assignments would be computed as follows.
Each contributing group member would receive a score of 87/100, but the non-contributing individual
would receive a score of (.20 + .20 + .20 + .20 + .02) x 87 = 71/100.
Examination
One in-class examinations will be given. The exam will consist of a combination of multiple choice, and
short answer questions. Weekly quizzes will help to prepare you for the exam. In addition, thought
questions for each class session are posted on the course website and these will be used when forming the
short answer questions.
The best way to prepare for the exams is to read the materials and consider the thought questions before
coming to class so that you can follow and contribute to the discussion, then go back over the materials,
testing yourself via the readings prior to the exam. Go back over the quizzes to make sure you understand
any mistakes you might have made. The purpose of the exam is for you to show me that you understand,
remember and can apply the course material.
Group Work
To facilitate the “learning-by-doing” model proposed, you will be engaging in two group assignments.
For each assignment you will have the opportunity to select up to five teammates to work with. Groups
may change or stay the same. You will be given time in class to work on the assignment and then each
group will write a report to be turned in at the assigned time and prepare a presentation to be given on the
assigned day.
If you miss a day when we do group work, your name will not be on the write-up and you will not receive
credit for that group assignment. If you let me know prior to class that you are going to miss a group day,
with a valid and documented reason, you will have an opportunity to turn in an individual assignment to
Promotional Strategy Syllabus - 4
make up the missed group assignment. The individual make-up assignments are due on the same day that
the group reports are due.
Grocery Store Pricing Report:
Each group member will plan and conduct a shopping trip to their favorite store prior to the activity day
when you will work together on your project. The purpose of this group GSP activity is to provide a
better understanding of how consumers like you shop. Specifically, how aware are people to the price
they pay for routine items, how much of their shopping is planned versus unplanned, and what role do
sales and promotions play in consumers’ purchase decisions?
The following are very important to know in advance:
• You need to be present in class the day before the activity is scheduled and the day of the actual
activity in order to receive instructions, do your “homework” in advance and come prepared to
work.
• You must actually go on a planned shopping trip prior to the activity day and come with
documentation of what you purchased (including an itemized receipt) and a list of the actual
prices for a set of routine items that will be provided in advance.
Your group will submit a single report that is due in class on the date specified. Your report should
include answers to a set of research questions and an appendix that includes completed versions of forms
labeled “Grocery Store Pricing Report: Part I” and “Grocery Store Pricing Report: Part II.”
Promotion Analysis:
Your group will select a brand to study and perform an in-depth external analysis of their current/recent
promotional activities. The goal of this activity is to apply what you have learned in this class to evaluate
the strengths and weaknesses of a real-world promotional strategy. Each team will have 12 minutes to
present their promotion analysis. Not all group members are required to actually present; however, it is
vital that everyone actively participate in the analysis and presentation development. The written report
will consist of a Powerpoint or Prezi presentation deck with accompanying speaker notes that provide
detailed information on what is said.
I will be looking to see how well you are able to demonstrate what you’ve learned from class to generate
an insightful critique and sound advice for the brand. It is important that you justify and provide evidence
to support all of your claims, recommendations and conclusions.
As you approach your promotion analysis please consider the following:
•
What is the objective of the promotional activity?
•
Who who is target audience the promotional activity is directed toward?
•
How well does the promotional effort fit with the brand positioning, the competitive environment
and the brand’s target market?
•
Will the promotion be effective in achieving its desired goal?
•
What recommendations would you offer for improving and/or building on the existing
promotional strategy?
•
What financial results and potential competitive response should the brand expect if the firm
heeds your advice?
Attendance is required on the day assigned to work together on this project as well as the day of the
presentation. If you are absent either day your name cannot be included in the presentation. Your group
will post a single presentation deck (with accompanying speaker notes) on Carmen before class on the
date specified.
Promotional Strategy Syllabus - 5
Promotional Strategy
Draft Spring ’14 Course Schedule
Topics
Readings & Assignments
Week 1:
W 2.26.14
Course Introduction
Marketing Promotions / Advertising Analytics 2.0/Turn in GSP
Part I
M 3.3.14
Getting the Price Right
Principles of Pricing / Tools of the Trade / Student Profile Due
W 3.5.14
GSP Activity
B&B Chapter 16 pp. 519 – 554 / Quiz 1 / Bring Completed
GSP Part II
Week 2:
--- SPRING BREAK --Week 3:
M 3.17.14
Consumer & Trade Promotions
B&B Chapter 16 pp. 554 – 567 / GSP Report Due
W 3.19.14
Case: Giant Consumer Products
Giant Consumer Products / Quiz 2
M 3.24.14
Cause-Related Marketing
B&B Chapter 17 pp. 572 – 599
W 3.26.14
Case: Green Hills Market
Green Hills Market Loyalty Program / Quiz 3
Direct Marketing
B&B Chapter 14 pp. 473 – 491 / Advertisings New Medium
Digital Marketing & Daily Deals
B&B Chapter 15 pp. 493 – 516 / Quiz 4
M 4.7.14
Support & Nontraditional Media
B&B Chapter 13 / For Mobile Devices, Think Apps, Not Ads
W 4.9.14
Shopper Marketing & Review
Marketing to the Omnichannel Shopper/ The Future of Shopping
/ Quiz 5
M 4.14.14
Exam
---
W 4.16.14
Promotional Analysis Activity
---
Promotion Analysis Presentations
Promotion Analysis Due (post on Carmen before class)
Week 4:
Week 5:
M 3.31.14
W 4.2.14
Week 6:
Week 7:
Week 8:
M 4.21.14