Marketing and Innovation in Renewable Materials, WSE 455/555
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
email:
Eric Hansen
119 Richardson Hall
7-4240
Eric.Hansen2@oregonstate.edu
Text:
Strategic Marketing in the Global Forest Industries 2nd Edition, 2011, Hansen & Juslin.
Various readings available via Blackboard
Credits:
4
Schedule:
M,W
2:00-3:50
Richardson Hall 243
Prerequisites: None
Course Objectives:

Develop skills to create a strategic marketing plan.

Provide a working knowledge of marketing and innovation in the renewable materials industries
as well as business trends, market segments, and participating companies.

Develop skills for the application of basic marketing fundamentals to the marketing of renewable
materials.

Develop written and oral communication skills.

Develop problem-solving and decision making skills through the analysis of renewable materials
marketing and innovation problems.
Students with Disabilities: Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and
Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible
for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to
discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not
yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 737-4098.
Statement of Expectations for Student Conduct: http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm
Evaluation of Student Performance:
Midterm Exam (take home)
10%
Final Exam
20%
Company Report
15%
Marketing Plan (group project)
30%
Participation
25%
Total
100%
Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
A 93-100%; A- 90-92%; B+ 87-89%; B 83-86%; B- 80-82%; C+ 77-79%; C 73-76%; C- 70-72%; D+ 6769%; D 63-66%; D- 60-62%; F <60%
Classroom Etiquette: Participation is a large component of your grade. Accordingly, you need to come
to class prepared to intelligently discuss the topic of the day. I don’t want to see your cell phones
during class.
Course Summary: Marketing and innovation rely heavily on effective communication, so this course
concentrates heavily on written and oral communication. The course will arm you with the skills necessary
to apply basic concepts of marketing and innovation in the renewable materials industries. Application
will be highlighted through examples and industry speakers relating coursework to the day-to-day work in
renewable materials business. See learning objectives and daily schedule for detailed course content.
Current events: Staying up to date on current global events is important for marketers. For every class
you should be prepared to discuss a current event and why it may be important to marketing and/or
innovation of renewable materials. Potential sources of information are endless – here is one very good
one: http://treefrogcreative.ca/news/news.php
Exams: Exams will consist of essay questions and will cover all materials including the text, lectures,
industry speakers, class discussions, etc. The final exam will be comprehensive. You must use good
spelling and decent grammar. The midterm exam will be take home followed by peer grading and finally
my grading. Graduate student exams will contain additional questions beyond that required of
undergraduates, will cover additional readings, and grad students will be expected to provide
more in-depth and synthesized answers.
Company Report: An in-depth look at a variety of companies will allow you to better understand the
dynamics of the industry and common strategies and innovation and marketing practices. Each of you
will be assigned a renewable materials company about which you will give an oral report including the
following aspects:

company history (including mergers/acquisitions)

major product lines

corporate strategies

marketing strategies and systems

R&D and innovation management strategies/practices

future plans

sources of information
The oral report will be limited to 10 minutes and will be judged on content and presentation. Part of your
participation grade will be tied to active interaction and asking questions of your colleagues. Please note:
this is not a web only exercise. You should make it very clear how you have used the company annual
report and/or other non-homepage materials. You MUST provide your presentation to me electronically by
noon the day you present.
Marketing Plan: You will create a marketing plan. The plan will be structured following the plan shown in
the textbook, Chapter 7. Good grammar and proper spelling are critical. This will be a group project with
groups decided by the second week of class. You will produce a written plan as well as create and give a
presentation to the sponsor. Creation of the plan may require primary data collection.
Measurable Student Learning Outcomes: (additional graduate objectives in bold)
Introduction

Explain the basic concept of marketing

Describe course requirements (i.e., you should read the syllabus)

Define basic types of innovation

Explain the difference between innovation and innovativeness

Analyze the intersection between marketing and innovation
Globalization, Industry Issues & Trends

Explain the concept of globalization and its impact on renewable materials

Summarize major global industry issues & trends

Define corporate social responsibility

Explain ethical considerations in marketing and new product development

Evaluate ethical considerations in marketing and new product development

Relate globalization trends to major changes occurring in industry
Understanding Marketing and Innovation

Explain how marketing has changed over time

Explain the concept of environmental marketing and why it is important

Understand logic of the Integrated Model of Marketing Planning

Define corporate social responsibility

Explain ethical considerations in marketing and new product development

Evaluate ethical considerations in marketing and new product development

Analyze why innovation is no longer optional, but a necessary activity in every competitive business
Creating a Marketing Plan

Describe the IMMP and Model of Information Environment

Describe the relationship between these models and the textbook

Explain the importance and use of information in marketing

List appropriate places to find market information

Evaluate relevance and quality of market information
Strategy











Distinguish between corporate and marketing strategies
Define an SBU and an SBA
Outline the major steps to corporate strategic planning
Use various portfolio matrices in decision making
Explain why as markets change, capabilities must evolve to keep pace
Explain why strategic accounts are becoming more common and their importance in strategic planning
Explain the concept of total product and its role in differentiation
Draw the product differentiation spectrum and explain its logic
Explain a logical marketing strategy
Explain logical relationships among strategies, structures, and functions
Formulate a logical marketing strategy and compare it to Porter’s approach
Management: Marketing and Innovation

Define marketing management

Define innovation management

Describe the evolution in marketing relationships

Define relationship marketing

Outline the advantages of close relationships

Describe supply chain management and its apparent advantages

Assess the role of metrics in successful innovation management
Strategies and Structures

Understand basic concepts around structures and functions of strategic marketing
The New Product Development and Creating and Evaluating Ideas

Describe the stage-gate approach to new product development

Understand the current situation for new product development in the renewable materials industries

Contrast NPD in the renewable materials industries to those with more active NPD

Describe NPD strategies

Understand unique situation for small and medium size enterprises

Describe methods for collecting ideas from secondary sources

Describe methods used for ideation

Describe how to utilize user-based innovation (obtaining and translating the voice of the customer)

Describe methods for evaluating product concepts

Produce a plan for stimulating and collecting innovative ideas
General Course Agenda:
Monday
Wednesday
Globalization, Industry Issues & Trends
Week 1
April 1 & 3
Introduction
Basics of Marketing and Innovation
Read: Text Chapter 1, PWC Growing the Future,
completed carbon footprint (http://myfootprint.org/en/)
Grad Read: Panwar et al. 2007
Understanding Marketing
Week 2
April 8 & 10
Read: Text Chapter 2, Hansen 2010 Strategic
Marketing
Jane Han – Industry Marketing Practice
Strategy
Week 3
April 15 & 17
Week 4
Reading: Textbook Chapter 4, Hansen 2011
Grad Reading: Hansen & Juslin 2006
Gordon Culbertson, Forest2Market
April 22 & 24
Information in Marketing & Marketing Planning
Read: Text Chapter 3 & 7
Ari Sinha
Innovation in the forest sector
Read: Hansen et al. 2007
Miika Kajanus, Forest Industry Innovation in
Finland
Steve Killgore & Nadine Orozco, Roseburg
Forest Products
Example company presentation
Strategy
Week 5
Reading: Textbook Chapter 4, Hansen 2011
Grad Reading: Hansen & Juslin 2006
April 29 & May 1
Take home exam
Marketing Management
Read: Text 135-156, Hansen et al. 2007
Grad Reading: Michael & Ray 2008
Take home exam due
Week 6
May 6 & 8
Week 7
Company presentations
Peer graded exams due
Company presentations
Take home exam due
Company presentations
May 13 & 15
Week 8
Company presentations
May 20 & 22
Week 9
Memorial Day
May 29
Week 10
June 3 & 5
June 14, 07:30 final in RH 243
Presentation of Marketing Plan
Ari Sinha
Final Marketing Plan Due
General Course Agenda:
Monday
Wednesday
Globalization, Industry Issues & Trends
Week 1
April 1 & 3
Introduction
Basics of Marketing and Innovation
Read: Text Chapter 1, PWC Growing the Future,
completed carbon footprint (http://myfootprint.org/en/)
Grad Read: Panwar et al. 2007
Understanding Marketing
Week 2
April 8 & 10
Read: Text Chapter 2, Hansen 2010 Strategic
Marketing
Jane Han – Industry Marketing Practice
Strategy
Week 3
April 15 & 17
Week 4
Reading: Textbook Chapter 4, Hansen 2011
Grad Reading: Hansen & Juslin 2006
Gordon Culbertson, Forest2Market
April 22 & 24
Observe in Forest Products Management
April 29 & May 1 Development (Richardson Hall 107)
Week 5
Marketing Management
Week 6
May 6 & 8
Read: Text 135-156, Hansen et al. 2007
Grad Reading: Michael & Ray 2008
Company presentations
Take home exam handed out
Marketing Functions
Week 7
Read: Text – Chapter 6
May 13 & 15
Company presentations
Peer graded exams due
Week 8
Working Session – Marketing Plan
May 20 & 22
Week 9
June 3 & 5
Read: Text Chapter 3 & 7
Ari Sinha
Innovation in the forest sector
Read: Hansen et al. 2007
Miika Kajanus, Forest Industry Innovation in
Finland
Steve Killgore & Nadine Orozco, Roseburg
Forest Products
Example company presentation
Strategy
Reading: Textbook Chapter 4, Hansen 2011
Marketing Structures
Read: Text – Chapter 5
Company presentations
Take home exam due
Marketing Plan Work Session
Ari Sinha
2nd iteration of take home exam due
Quality Management as it Relates to Innovation
Guest: Scott Leavengood
Read: Hansen 2010
Marketing Functions
Memorial Day
May 29
Week 10
Information in Marketing & Marketing Planning
Read: Text – Chapter 6, Hansen & McIsaac 2012
Company presentations (note change)
New Product Development
Grad Reading: Hansen & Bull 2010
Read: Text 238-246, Bell & Kozak 2008
June 14, 07:30 final in RH 243
Presentation of Marketing Plan
Ari Sinha
Final Marketing Plan Due