COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
MARKETING
SPRING 2021
MARKETING 441
Business to Business (B2B) Marketing
Professor:
Time:
Room:
Email:
Course:
Office Hours:
Ron Appin
Section 1: M/W: 2:00-3:15 pm
Remote
rappin@sfsu.edu
https://ilearn.sfsu.edu
Mondays & Wednesdays by Appointment
Note: It is expected that each student will read and understand the material contained in this
course syllabus. It is your responsibility to follow the course as outlined. The material in this
syllabus will be explained fully in the first class meeting. If you miss the first class, you should
examine this document thoroughly. This syllabus is subject to change at any time during
the semester.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Business Marketing Management: B2B, 11th Edition
Cengage Learning
Michael D. Hutt; Thomas W. Speh
ISBN-10: 1-133-18956-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-133-18956-5
This textbook has been selected to provide a thorough foundation in B2B principles and
activities. Reading the chapters listed in the schedule BEFORE each class meeting is
recommended since it will increase your understanding, learning and class participation.
PREREQUISITES
All students enrolled in MKTG 441 must have completed MKTG 431 (Principles of Marketing).
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Provide an overview of the B2B environment
2. Become familiar with the concepts, techniques, and tools of business marketing
3. Be able to integrate the correct marketing tools to shape the delivery platform of
the marketing program
4. Examine the role of marketing, channel members, intermediaries, and
governments
5. Understand the differences between B2B and consumer marketing
6. Design and develop a B2B marketing strategy
7.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This course will consist of lectures, student presentations and class discussion covering
topics introduced through course reading materials. The course materials consist of the text
and articles that are posted on iLearn. In general, lectures will supplement the reading
material, but to some extent, they will highlight information contained in the text and posted
reading material. This syllabus is subject to change at any time during the semester. Also, in
an effort to add a real-world point-of-view, an attempt to have guest speakers will be made.
The objectives will be accomplished by:1) lecture and class discussions of current
interests/developments in services marketing 2) a services marketing project with emphasis
on the marketing mix 3) quizzes and assignments. Quizzes will normally be given for the
previous chapters’ lecture.
Students will be responsible for chapter quizzes and one group project. While the professor
will endeavor to make the course interesting and informative, he expects students to be
active contributors to the classroom learning environment, even with a remote modality.
GRADING REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES
Points will be distributed as follows (Total=500):
Quizzes (approximately 15): 300 points
Attendance/Participation: 100 points
Group Alliance Team Project: 100 points
Extra Credit: Camera-On for 90% of semester: 20 points
TEAM PROJECT
Group B2B Alliance Project
Project purpose: This project is designed to (i) enhance your understanding of various
marketing factors and their performance impact on marketing alliances; (ii) provide you with
hands-on experience of doing marketing research and formulating marketing plans for realworld companies involved in B2B relationships. A strategic global alliance (SGA) is a business
relationship established by two or more companies to cooperate out of mutual need and to
share risk in achieving a common objective. This strategy works well for market entry or to
shore up existing weaknesses and increase competitive strengths. A U.S. firm with a reliable
supply base might partner with a Japanese importer that has the established distribution
channels and customer base in Japan to form a strong entry into the Japanese market.
Alliances offer a number of benefits, such as access to markets or technology, economies of
scale in manufacturing and marketing, and the sharing of risk among partners.
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Project description: Marketing alliances perform important functions in the B2B marketplace.
These alliances are formed primarily for the partner firms to collaborate on the marketing
functions, such as new product development, advertising, distribution of products, and market
expansion. From online sources, news, magazines, library databases, etc., identify an existing
marketing alliance (hint: choose the alliance based on your team’s interest and/or information
availability). Perform the following in your analysis (at a minimum):
1. Provide the brief background information of (i) the industry where the alliance operates;
(ii) the partner firms.
2. Evaluate whether the alliance is doing well or not. Your evaluation could be based on
information from many sources. For example, a company’s website may report that its
managers are satisfied or disappointed about a marketing alliance. Another example
could be that a magazine or a website points out that a particular marketing alliance is a
success or failure. Or, you found that the consumers of the alliance are satisfied or
dissatisfied with the value they receive. Further, you may be able to identify financial
performance information of the alliance or both partner firms (you need to think carefully
about how to link the financial performance change of partners to the alliance
performance). These are a few examples that could help you justify your evaluation of
the alliance performance.
3. Completely analyze the factors of the partner firms and/or the alliance that positively or
negatively influence the performance of the marketing alliance. In particular, you should
focus on the analysis of marketing factors (e.g., company strengths/weaknesses,
customers, competitors, products, pricing, promotion, distribution, and a variety of
environmental factors) which you feel are important in explaining the performance of
the alliance. Important non-marketing factors should be briefly mentioned.
4. Research and report the advantages (benefits) or disadvantages that this alliance
brings to each partner firm.
5. Research the marketing channel of one of the alliance partners. Describe the current
state of the company’s marketing channel - its structure, members, allocation of
channel functions and flows, ability to meet target customers’ demand for service
outputs, and the channel design. Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the
company’s supply chain management. Make recommendations on how to improve the
company’s marketing channel strategy.
6. For the partner firms, perform a marketing forecast to determine the long run
quantifiable and realistic marketing objectives that they can expect to achieve through
this alliance. The marketing objectives could be sales, profit, or market share goals.
Feel free to include additional marketing objectives if you think they are appropriate for
the partners. You don’t need to cover all the previously mentioned objectives if no data
is available. Formulate marketing strategies for the partner firms that would enable
them to gain more benefit from the alliance. Clearly outline your assumptions and
thought process.
What to submit:
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(1) Project alliance proposal: Groups should submit the name(s) of one or two marketing
alliances to me via email by February 8. Place team members’ names and email
addresses on the document. If possible, provide the source where you located the
alliance. Also, briefly explain why you think the alliance is doing well or not.
(2) You are expected to submit a clear, concise, and persuasive report. This assignment
must be professionally done—i.e., in presentation format. Include a cover page with
every team member’s name and email address. Also include citations / websites within
the text of your report along with a reference section at the end of your report.
(3) Team Project Presentations: On April 28 through May 12, teams will present the
outcomes of the project, including but not limited to: the marketing research you
conducted and findings you obtained, the marketing strategies you formulated and
recommendations you made, and how you would advise the partner firms to implement
your recommendations. Teams should allow time for Q&As. Every member of your
team needs to present.
GRADING
The following scale will be used in determining grades.
94100%
90-93%
87-89%
84-86%
80-83%
77-79%
A
74-76%
C
AB+
B
B-
70-73%
67-69%
64-66%
60-63%
less than
60%
CD+
D
D-
C+
F
Grades will be assigned based on an evaluation of the quality of your work. An “A”
represents exceptional work in comparison to the class. A “B” is good solid work in the
course. A “C” means that your work is satisfactory. Should the class mean grade appear
too low at the end of the semester, the instructor reserves the right to add points to all scores
to increase the mean. In theory, it is possible this way for everyone to get an A and at the
same time have some assurance of a better grade if the class as a whole does not perform
up to the instructor’s standards.
QUIZZES
Content - The primary source of exam content is the assigned readings and lectures. These
quizzes are created to evaluate your basic competency in the concepts, frameworks, and
theories in services marketing.
Format – Each exam will consist of 10 multiple choice and/or true and false questions worth 2
points each. These questions are designed at different levels of difficulty. Easy questions
require attending the classes and reading the textbook chapters. The questions then increase
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in difficulty as marketing concepts are applied to the business situations described. The most
difficult questions require you to select the better answer - the one that the student/business
person with the deeper understanding of the subject would choose.
All quizzes will be conducted on iLearn with time limits (approximately 10 minutes per quiz).
TEAM PARTICIPATION
Your grade on the projects will be determined by the overall team grade and your evaluation
from each of your team members and the instructor. A poor evaluation can substantially
decrease your grade. If you are having difficulty working with your team or a specific team
member is not contributing to the project, I must be informed immediately about the situation.
In extreme cases, I might require a noncontributing student to complete the assignments
independently.
PEER EVALUATION
After the group project work is fully complete, evaluate the performance of each member in
your group and submit your ratings.
COURSE POLICIES
CLASS ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION
Your remote attendance is required. You are responsible for all materials handed out and
announcements made in class regardless of your actual attendance. Because of the
importance of the class participation dynamic, I will maintain class attendance records by
having students register for each Zoom class. Attendance is heavily impacted for class project
presentations. Remember that your presence and participation is vital to the success of the
class. Mandatory attendance is required by all students for ALL presentations without
exception. Missing any presentation will result in a significant reduction in your grade.
Material assigned for a class meeting should be read before the class.
MAKE-UP QUIZZES
There are no make-up quizzes available. Should you be unable to take a quiz at the
scheduled time for documented medical reasons, at the discretion of the instructor, an
alternative exam may be scheduled. You MUST have permission to take a make-up quiz
before the scheduled exam is given. You should provide appropriate third party
documentation as needed.
LATE PROJECTS/ASSIGNMENTS
Late projects and assignments will be accepted for 24 hours after it is due. Any project that is
late for any reason will receive a 25% reduction in its point total. No projects will be accepted
24 hours after the due date.
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MKTG 441
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS
DATE
TOPIC
ACTIVITY
Enrollment and Overview of B2B Marketing
Administrative
Wednesday 1/27
Syllabus Review
In-depth; Team Project
Review
Monday 2/1
Project Teams Selected; A Business
Marketing Perspective
Chapter 1
Wednesday 2/3
A Business Marketing Perspective
Chapter 1 (continued)
Monday 2/8
Marketing Alliance Proposal Due;
Organizational Buying Behavior;
Chapter 2; Quiz
Wednesday 2/10
Organizational Buying Behavior
Chapter 2 (continued)
Monday 2/15
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Chapter 3; Quiz
Wednesday 2/17
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Chapter 3 (continued)
Monday 2/22
Segmenting the Business Market &
Estimating Segment Demand
Chapter 4; Quiz
Wednesday 2/24
Segmenting the Business Market &
Estimating Segment Demand
Chapter 4 (continued)
Monday 3/1
Business Planning Marketing
Chapter 5; Quiz
Wednesday 3/3
Business Planning Marketing
Chapter 5 (continued)
Monday 3/8
Business Marketing Strategies for Global
Markets
Chapter 6; Quiz
Wednesday 3/10
Business Marketing Strategies for Global
Markets
Chapter 6 (continued)
Monday 1/25
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Monday 3/15
Managing Products for Business Markets
Chapter 7; Quiz
Wednesday 3/17
Managing Products for Business Markets
Chapter 7 (continued)
Monday 3/22
Spring Recess
No Class
Wednesday 3/24
Spring Recess
No Class
Monday 3/29
Managing Innovation and New Industrial
Product Development
Chapter 8; Quiz
Wednesday 3/31
Cesar Chavez Day
No Class
Monday 4/5
Managing Innovation and New Industrial
Product Development
Chapter 8 (continued)
Wednesday 4/7
Managing Services for Business Markets
Chapter 9; Quiz
Monday 4/12
Managing Business Marketing Channels
Chapter 10; Quiz
Wednesday 4/14
Supply Chain Management
Chapter 11; Quiz
Monday 4/19
Supply Chain Management (continued)
Chapter 11;
Wednesday 4/21
Pricing Strategies for Business Markets
Chapter 12; Quiz
Monday 4/26
Business Marketing Communications:
Advertising and Sales Promotion
Chapter 13; Quiz
Wednesday 4/28
Business Marketing Communications:
Managing the Personal Selling Function
Chapter 14; Quiz
Group Project Presentations
Mandatory attendance
for all presentations
Wednesday 5/5
Group Project Presentations
Mandatory attendance
for all presentations
Monday 5/10
Group Project Presentations
Mandatory attendance
for all presentations
Wednesday 5/12
Group Project Presentations
Mandatory attendance
for all presentations
Monday 5/17
FINAL QUIZ (2:00pm)
Chapter 14
Monday 5/3
*Reading assignments should be completed before class on these dates.
** Attendance will be taken and counted toward your participation points.
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DISABILITY ACCESS
Students with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations are encouraged to contact
the instructor. The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) is available to facilitate
the reasonable accommodations process. The DPRC is located in the Student Service
Building and can be reached by telephone (voice/415-338-2472, video phone/415-335-7210)
or by email (dprc@sfsu.edu).
STUDENT DISCLOSURES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE
SF State fosters a campus free of sexual violence including sexual harassment, domestic
violence, dating violence, stalking, and/or any form of sex or gender discrimination. If you
disclose a personal experience as an SF State student, the course instructor is required to
notify the Title IX Coordinator by completing the report form available
at
http://titleix.sfsu.edu, emailing vpsaem@sfsu.edu or calling 338-2032.
To disclose any such violence confidentially, contact: The SAFE Place - (415) 338-2208;
http://www.sfsu.edu/~safe_plc/. Counseling and Psychological Services Center - (415) 3382208; http://psyservs.sfsu.edu/. For more information on your rights and available resources:
http://titleix.sfsu.eduMARKETING DEPARTMENT PROGRAM POLICIES
MARKETING DEPARTMENT PROGRAM POLICIES
Marketing Department program policies will be followed in this class and can be found on
iLearn.
SF STATE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC STANDARDS
San Francisco State University College of Business (SF State CoB) regards incidents of
academic misconduct as serious matters. The following explains what academic
misconduct is and outlines the consequences of academic misconduct.
A. Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct is defined as follows:
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1. Cheating: Any unauthorized attempt to offer or obtain assistance in a formal academic
exercise (e.g., an examination or class exercise); assuming another student's identity with
intent to provide an advantage for the student; copying, in part or in whole, from another's
test or other evaluation instrument; submitting work previously presented in another
course, if contrary to the rules of either course.
2. Plagiarism: The unauthorized use (i.e., representing as one’s own work) or reproduction or
close imitation of original creations (ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, or parts thereof;
or artistic/scholarly works such as computer programs, photographs, or similar works) of
another author (person, group, organization, including anonymous authors) without due
acknowledgment (accepted standards of citation or reference of the original source of the
used or quoted content).
3. Fabrication: The distortion of data, information, or citations in any formal academic
exercise or altering grading or grading instructions.
4. Deception: Providing false information to an instructor concerning a formal academic
exercise—e.g., giving a false excuse for missing a deadline, falsely claiming to have
submitted work, or submitting false information regarding internships.
B. Disciplinary Sanctions
Two major types of sanctions may be imposed for any academic misconduct: Academic
and Administrative. Academic sanctions are actions concerned with the coursework and
grades which are the jurisdiction of the instructor. Administrative sanctions are related to a
student's status on campus and are governed by the Office of Student Conduct (OSC).
The imposition of one form of sanction will not rule out the imposition of the other.
1. Academic Sanctions: Upon verification of academic misconduct by personal observation
and/or documentation, an instructor reserves the right to take one or more of the
following academic actions:
i. Reprimand: A verbal or written notification of unacceptable behavior, violating the student
honor code. Reprimand may be considered for any academic misconduct at the
discretion of an instructor.
ii. Modification of Grade: A student may be failed in the evaluation instrument
(assignment or quiz), may receive a reduced course grade, or may fail the course.
2. Administrative Sanctions: Academic integrity is essential to the educational process.
Traditional academic practices require that faculty members address cases of academic
dishonesty in the classroom. Executive Order 1078, Article III, K, Cases Involving
Academic Dishonesty, insists that, in addition, CSU faculty members report any infractions
to a central location so that a student can be held accountable for multiple academic
violations and the campus can recognize any patterns of misconduct. Cases of academic
dishonesty for both cheating and plagiarism should be reported to their respective
department chairs who should then report it to the Associate Dean or designee of the
College (e.g., Assistant Dean). The Associate Dean or designee will then instruct the
faculty member to complete the Confidential Academic Dishonesty Reporting Form housed
within the Faculty Resources section on the OSC website. The form, which goes directly to
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the OSC, will ask for the following information: names of students, SFSU ID #s, date of
incident, class name/number/section, instructor’s contact information, type of incidentcheating or plagiarism, etc.
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