Marketing
2013 - 2014
Teacher: Mr. Valanzano
Office: W201-C
Room: W105
Contact: avalanzano@sfponline.org
Introduction
This is a half-year (1 semester) course intended to provide a basic understanding of marketing
concepts and how they are used in the business world today.
The topics that will be covered include: background of what makes up marketing, economic
factors that impact marketing, promotion and advertising concepts, buying and distributing,
pricing, market research, and product planning.
Course Goals
- To create an understanding of how marketing concepts are used in today’s business world.
- To develop knowledge and understanding of terms used in common business and marketing
practices.
- To make students aware of how marketing works as a means of promoting a product, service,
and/or company in order to earn a profit.
- To establish the understanding of all forms of business organizations and how marketing is
used in all of them.
- To increase the ability to apply reason and logic to everyday situations.
Required Materials
Textbook – Marketing by James L. Burrow; 3rd edition; 2012
(You will get a book to take home and we will have a class set.)
2 Notebooks - Any kind of notebook/binder you want for class (Preferably with a folder)
- Marble notebook for advertisement/commercial critiques
Calculator (for certain topics)
Grading
Final Grade:
Quarter Grades (40% each x 2 quarters)
Final Project
80%
20%
________________
100%
~1~
Quarter Grades:
Exams/Projects
100 points each
Quizzes
25-75 points each
Weekly Ad/Commercial Critiques
50 points
Classwork Assignments
5-40 points each
Class Participation & Behavior (see below)
100 points
YOUR QUARTER GRADE WILL BE DETERMINED BY TAKING THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF POINTS YOU EARNED DIVIDED BY TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS.
- There will be 1-2 exams given each quarter. For some topics, a project will be assigned in place
of an exam. The project could be an in-class project, take home project, or both. Each exam and
project will be worth 100 points. Some project will also require a presentation.
- Starting with the first full week of classes, you will be required to find an advertisement or
commercial and critique it.
Print ad - you can staple it in your marble notebook.
Poster or billboard - you can take a picture of it, print it, and staple it in your book
Commercial - you need to write down what is being advertised, what channel it was on,
during what show, and what time of day it was on.
You will then critique it based on your own ideas and things you learn in class. It can be a
positive or negative critique, or both. Your write up need to be 1 paragraph long. These will be
due every Friday unless I instruct you otherwise. All of your critique assignments for a quarter
will be worth 50 points.
- If you are in class on any Friday a critique is due and do not hand one in, you will lose 5 points
from BOTH your critique and class participation & behavior grade. If you are absent on any
Friday one is due, you must hand one in the next day you are in class.
- Quizzes will be given throughout each quarter. They will be worth 25-75 points each and vary
in content and style.
- Class Participation & Behavior: Everyone will start with 100/100 for their class grade.
You will lose points from this grade in the following ways:
- Missed homework = -5 points
- Not prepared for class = -3 points
- Interruptive, disruptive, and/or disrespectful behavior = -2 points
- Caught with cell phone out/cell phone taken away = -3 points
- Eating in class = -3 points
- Excessive lateness/no pass when absent or late/excessive bathroom breaks = -2 points
- Homework will not be given every night but it is expected to be completed when it is assigned.
Unless otherwise specified, homework is due the following class day.
- Any assignment handed in after the deadline has passed will have 5 points deducted from the
grade each class day until it is handed in. (ex – late 25 point quiz is a zero after 5 class days)
- CELL PHONE POLICY: During any quiz and test given in class, all cell phones will be
collected and placed in front of the room before we start. You may have your phone back once
you hand in your test or quiz. If you are caught with a cell phone out while taking a test or quiz,
it will be an automatic zero and you will be written up for a detention and/or honor code.
~2~
***
DUE DATES FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS AND DATES OF EXAMS & QUIZZES WILL
ALWAYS BE POSTED IN THE CLASSROOM AS WELL AS MY TEACHER PAGE
AND ANNOUNCED AHEAD OF TIME!
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
Introduction to Marketing






What is the most crucial part of the marketing mix (4 P’s) when relating to target
markets?
When analyzing logos and trademarks, which is the most recognizable to the
target market?
What is brand recognition?
What is the difference between goods and services? What is the best way to
market each one?
What is the difference between a customer and a consumer?
How does supply and demand work?
Economic Factors in Marketing






How does the economic system of a country affect the way companies market
their products?
What role does supply and demand play in the way marketing occurs?
How are company revenues and profits influenced by the economic system of a
country?
What is free enterprise?
What is competition? What do we need to know about our competition?
What is a monopoly?
Promotion & Advertising
 What roles does advertising play in our free commerce system?
 What parts of the promotional mix are most important when reaching out to a target
market?
 What appeals to the consumer when it comes to advertising and promotion?
 What is licensing?
 What are the different types of media?
 What is a slogan?
Buying and Distribution
 What does the buying and distribution cycle have to do with the pricing that is
passed on to the consumer?
 How does the price that goods are purchased for affect how the marketing mix and
programs are established for that good?
 What are the different types and channels of distribution?
 What is a buyer? What is a purchasing agent?
 What is stock turnover?
~3~
Pricing
 What is the effect pricing has on our beliefs about products and services?
 With all other things remaining the same, is price the mist important part of
selecting a product or service to purchase?
 What is market share and market position?
 What is the difference between elastic and inelastic demand?
 Why are price fixing and price discrimination wrong?
 How do you calculate markup?
 What are the different types of pricing and how are they calculated?
 How are discounts calculated?
Marketing Research
 What importance does marketing research play in the overall marketing strategy of
a new product?
 If marketing strategy were done away with, would the products and services we
have in our society be as tailored to our needs as they are now?
 What are the different types of research? (Marketing, advertising, product, test,
market, sales, point-of-sale)
 What is the difference between primary and secondary data?
 Once date is collected, how is it analyzed and used for marketing?
Product Planning
 When deciding what times to include in a product line, how much does marketing
research play into the overall plan?
 Does product research play the most important role in developing a
product/marketing plan?
 Does the product line a company produces really sell the product or do we need
advertisements and reminders of the products?
 What makes a product recognizable?
 What is branding?
 What are trade names and brand names?
FINAL PROJECT


As the final grade of the course (worth 20% of overall grade), students will complete a
group marketing research/marketing plan project.
Tentative project idea:
o In groups, you will act as the marketing department of an actually company which
ranks outside of the top 3 in their respective industry. You will conduct market
research and come up with a marketing plan to get your company into the top 3.
You will hand in a copy of the plan as well as present your idea to the class.
~4~
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------After reviewing this syllabus, please bring it home and sign it, as well as have one of your
parents/guardians sign it. Tear off this part of the syllabus and hand it on Monday 9/9 as part of
your first homework assignment.
By signing this syllabus, the student agrees to abide by all policies and guidelines outlined in this
syllabus and the parent/guardian confirm reviewing it and agree that their child will abide by it as
well. Parents/guardians also consent to allow their child to watch all movies/documentaries
that may be shown in class, some of which are rated R.
______________________________________
Student signature
___________________________________
Parent/guardian signature
______________________________________
Student print name
___________________________________
Parent/guardian print name
~5~