BUS 343: Introduction to Marketing
COURSE INFORMATION
Course: BUS 343 – D100
Course Title: Introduction to Marketing
Semester: Fall 2022
Class Meeting Time: Tuesdays, 8:30am-10:20am
Instructor: Dr. Lily Lin
Office: WMC4370
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 10:30am-11:30am & by appointment
Email: lily_lin@sfu.ca
Phone: 778-782-9729
COURSE MATERIALS & REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisites: 45 credit hours
Required Textbook: Grewal, Levy, & Lichti, Marketing, 5th Canadian Edition. McGraw Hill, 2021.
ISBN13: 9781264160037 (You can purchase the textbook here:
https://www.campusebookstore.com/integration/AccessCodes/default.aspx?permalinkId=ffadb57c-d5ac-4e659ab6-33c10c25cdc3&frame=YES&t=permalink)
COURSE PURPOSE
This course is designed to provide an introduction to an organization’s marketing environment, consumer
behaviour, market research and strategies for product planning, pricing, distribution, and promotion of goods and
services. Marketing is far more than just selling or advertising within a business setting; it is a major part of
everyday life. This course will illustrate the importance of marketing and will help students develop fundamental
marketing knowledge and skills applicable to all specializations within business.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate the strategic role of marketing in the lives of consumers, companies, and organizations.
2. Interpret and analyze the consumer decision-making process, concepts of target marketing, the market
segmentation process, product positioning, and the marketing mix.
3. Apply the marketing concepts to real-life marketing problems. In particular, to develop the ability to
recognize which marketing concepts and tools can be applied effectively to particular marketing problems.
COURSE ORGANIZATION
The course has two hours of lecture and one hour of tutorial per week. The tutorials will be devoted to the
discussion of cases and projects.
PEDAGOGY
The course takes an analytic and decision-oriented approach to marketing management in modern organizations.
We will use a combination of approaches, including textbook readings to introduce marketing concepts and
language; lectures to enhance and clarify selected topics; student discussions, case analyses, and projects to
provide realistic settings to apply these concepts; and examinations to encourage review and mastery of the
material.
BUS 343 (D100)
Fall 2022
1 of 5 pages
BUS 343: Introduction to Marketing
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Students are expected to monitor the course’s Canvas shell regularly and to attend classes and tutorials. The
consequences of missing information due to not attending class or not monitoring the Canvas shell will be borne
entirely by the student.
The chapters to be read PRIOR to each class are provided in the attached class schedule. The lectures will build
on the assigned readings, making prior reading essential.
The attached schedule also shows the due dates of all required deliverables. All deadlines are firm. No
assignments will be accepted after the due date and will be graded zero if not received on time.
You are also responsible for:
• Class attendance and participation
• Reviewing all assigned materials in advance of each class, e.g., lecture slides, text, notes. Lecture slides will
be posted on Canvas by 4p.m. the day before class
• Arriving to class on-time
• Turning cell phones, other electronic devices, and text message alerts off before class
• Using laptops for note taking only
GRADING
Requirement
% of Grade
Assessment
Tutorial Attendance & Participation
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Personal Branding Assignment
Marketing Plan Group Project
5%
25%
35%
15%
20%
Individual
Individual
Individual
Individual
Group
TOTAL
100%
As specified by the Beedie School of Business, the final letter-grade distribution for the class will follow the
ranges shown below. Also, as per policy, the average grade of the class will be a B, or a 3.0.
A
B
C
D,F,N
15%-30%
35%-47%
14%-28%
0-15%
Note on Normalizing Grades:
The potential “TA effect” on your grades will be eliminated by normalizing the distribution of grades that the TA
gives, so that each TA’s grades will have the same means and standard deviations. The grades will be normalized
at the end of the semester. Note that minimal adjustment is usually required to be made to the final grades.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Please note that I have zero tolerance for cheating. If you are caught cheating (in any form), you will receive zero
on the exam and assignments and be reported to the university. Please review and ensure you understand SFU’s
Student Academic Integrity Policy
(http://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/policies/files/students/S10.01_ScheduleA.pdf).
BUS 343 (D100)
Fall 2022
2 of 5 pages
BUS 343: Introduction to Marketing
Participation
Participation marks will be assessed by tutorial attendance and tutorial participation. Participation marks
are based on how prepared you are and how insightful your comments are in the discussions during the tutorial
sessions. It will also be based on the completion and submission of assignments assigned for each tutorial.
Details of the participation grading guide will be provided on Canvas.
Personal Branding Assignment
In this social media age, all graduates need to use marketing concepts/tools in managing their careers. In fact,
many employers are now expecting their job applicants to have a unique personal brand. This individual
assignment requires you to develop a personal branding statement in the form of a recorded video presentation.
You are also required to attend a personal branding workshop hosted by the Career Management Centre.
Grading for the presentation will be on the basis of evidence-based arguments, course concept
mastery, depth of insight displayed, and clarity of communication. Details of the assignment will be posted on
Canvas and the due dates of the deliverables are noted in the schedule below. Assignments submitted after the
due date and will be graded zero. The workshop will take place during your assigned tutorial time on Nov.
15. Failure to attend the tutorial that day will result in a zero for that component of the assignment.
Marketing Plan Project
Teams of 4-5 students will analyze and come up with a plan for a company in the post-pandemic world. Over the
course of the semester, you will: (a) provide an analyses of the company’s marketing strategies prior to the
pandemic; (b) evaluate the current marketing environment and marketing strategy for that company; (c) develop an
innovative and useable marketing plan for the company in the post-pandemic world; and (d) present the plan in a
written report and short oral presentation. Several of the tutorials will be geared towards working on elements of
the project. Details of the project and the peer evaluation procedure will be provided on Canvas. The due dates of
the deliverables are noted in the schedule below. Projects submitted after the due date will be graded zero.
Exams
The midterm and final will both be in a multiple choice format. Examinations will involve content from both the
textbook, lecture slides and class discussions. The final exam will be cumulative with about 70% emphasis on
material from the second half of the course. All exams will be closed book and closed notes. Please bring your
student ID on exam days. You will also be required to put away all electronic devices and watches. University
policy regarding exam procedures will apply. Only medical emergencies will be accepted as reasons for missing
an exam and official documentation will be required. Excuses such as family celebrations, vacations, work, etc.
will not be considered. You are expected to arrange your work schedule around exam dates/times.
Bonus Mark Opportunity
You also have the opportunity to participate as a participant in the academic research studies conducted by
SFU marketing researchers. The goal is to provide a first-hand experience of scientific studies that generate the
marketing theories we read and discuss in the text and the class. Studies will be available for sign-up sometime in
October. If you participate in two 45-60 minute studies by the end of the semester, you will have 2% bonus added
to your final grade. While you can participate in more than two studies, you will only earn a maximum of 2% bonus
marks. As an alternative, instead of participating as a subject, you can choose to participate as an observer. A
detailed handout with information on how to sign-up for studies will be posted on Canvas.
BUS 343 (D100)
Fall 2022
3 of 5 pages
BUS 343: Introduction to Marketing
COURSE SCHEDULE
NOTE: The schedule is subject to change. Any changes made will be announced in advance by the
instructor and on Canvas.
Week
Lecture (L) and Tutorial (T) Preparation
W1
Sep. 13
(L): Overview of Marketing
Prep: Read Ch.1
(T): No Tutorial
W2
Sep. 20
(L): Marketing Strategy
Prep: Read Ch.2
(T): Case Discussion
Prep: Read Assignment W2 (to be posted on Canvas)
W3
Sep. 27
(L): Research Resources – Librarian Presentation
Analyzing the Marketing Environment
Prep: Read Ch.3
(T): Current Events Activity
Prep: Read Activity W3 (to be posted on Canvas)
W4
Oct. 4
(L): Marketing Research
Prep: Read Ch.7
(T): Team Discussion of Marketing Plan Project:
Component 1 (Problem Identification & Situational
Analysis)
Prep: Read Assignment W4 (to be posted on Canvas)
W5
Oct. 11
(L): Consumer Behaviour
Prep: Read Ch.4
(T): Case Discussion
Prep: Read Assignment W5 (to be posted on Canvas)
W6
Oct. 18
(L): Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning
Prep: Read Ch.6
(T): Case Discussion
Prep: Read Assignment W6 (to be posted on Canvas)
W7
Oct. 25
(L): MIDTERM EXAM: Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, W1-W6
(T): No Tutorial
BUS 343 (D100)
Fall 2022
Deliverable Due Dates
“Tell Me About You”
Questions
(DUE: 11:59pm Pacific Time on
Sep. 18, 2022)
Midterm Exam
Start Time: 8:30am Pacific Time
on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022
4 of 5 pages
BUS 343: Introduction to Marketing
Week
Lecture (L) and Tutorial (T) Preparation
W8
Nov. 1
(L): Product Strategy & Branding
Prep: Read Ch.9
(T): Team Discussion of Marketing Plan Project: Component 2
(STP)
Prep: Read Assignment W8 (to be posted on Canvas
W9
Nov. 8
(L): Pricing Strategy
Prep: Read Ch.11
(T): Mini Case Discussion & Team Discussion of Marketing Plan
Project: Component 3 (4Ps)
Prep: Read Assignment W9 (to be posted on Canvas)
W10
Nov. 15
(L): Place Strategy
Prep: Read Ch.12
(T): Personal Branding Workshop
Prep: Read Assignment W10 (to be posted on Canvas)
W11
Nov. 22
(L): Promotion Strategy
Prep: Read Ch.14, Ch.15 (p. 479-489)
(T): Team Discussion of Marketing Plan Project:
Component 4 (Project Wrap-Up) & Practice Presentation
Prep: Read Assignment W11 (to be posted on Canvas)
W12
Nov. 29
(L): Global Marketing & Course Wrap-Up
Prep: Read Ch. 16
(T): Team Presentations of Marketing Plan Project
W13
Dec. 6
(L): No Lecture (Q&A Session)
(T): None
TBD
FINAL EXAM: Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 (p. 479-489),
16, W1-W13
Weighted approximately 70% on materials since midterm, 30% on
materials before midterm
BUS 343 (D100)
Fall 2022
Deliverable Due Dates
Personal Branding Assignment
Recorded Presentation
(DUE: 11:59pm Pacific Time on
Nov. 6, 2022)
Group Project
Marketing Plan Final Report
(DUE: 11:59pm Pacific Time on
Nov. 27, 2022)
Peer Evaluation
(DUE: 11:59pm Pacific Time on
Nov. 29, 2022)
Final Exam
Date and Time TBD by
Registrar’s Office
5 of 5 pages