Principles of Marketing (EB-160)
Syllabus for Spring Semester, 2007
VL 204, Tuesday/Thursday, 8:00-9:50AM
Facilitator:
Office:
Available Hours:
Brief Descriptor:
Prof. Carter Crockett
(805) 565-6182
crockett@westmont.edu
Deane Hall, #102
(Subject to variation, contact in advance to confirm)
Mon: 3-5PM; Tues. 4:15-5:30PM; Wed: 2:45-5PM and by appointment
An exploration of the principles, concepts, strategy and tactics of marketing. This course
provides an overview of marketing, understood as the empathetic art of building
relationships between products and services and their intended consumers, businesses and
markets. Abstract theory and concepts are brought to life by case studies, examples, guest
speakers, a corporate visit and a major student-run auction event at the end of the semester.
In these ways, this class will serve as a proving ground for thinking critically about
marketing, the creation and execution of ideas, and grappling with the current trends, ethics
and controversies of modern marketing.
Objectives:
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To develop a solid grasp of what marketing is, and the important ways it is changing
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To critically consider, and reasonably respond, to the marketing we are unavoidably exposed to
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To nurture the capacity to translate marketing ideas and concepts into marketing materials
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To take in, evaluate and articulately engage in individual and group discussions and projects
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To foster the empathy and the capacity to listen that is required in order to understand a target audience
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To sensitively navigate the emotional, moral and social controversies that are increasingly important in
contemporary marketing
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To try one’s hand at the art of marketing in the context of pricing, positioning and promoting products and
services at an auction event
Course Overview
It is estimated that, every day, US consumers typically encounter over 60,000 visual impressions, sound bytes, and
commercially-driven messages. These messages can manipulate or educate. They tell us of things we need, don’t
need, want, don’t want, and didn’t even know we wanted. Marketing is pervasive in Western culture, and the role of
marketing is a growing subject of debate for a number of reasons (e.g. increasingly dynamic and global markets,
new technology and forms of communication, ethical concerns, etc.). This course aims to introduce many of the
concepts, skills and techniques that marketers use to navigate these pressing issues and concerns. Furthermore, the
classroom will provide students the opportunity to begin to craft their own marketing preferences and creative style,
in the context of evaluating case studies and working to execute their own initiatives. In this way, students will
begin to grapple with marketing issues and discern if they have what it takes to excel in the empathetic art of
marketing.
Course Format
This course is a blend of lecture and dialogue. As such, it anticipates regular attendance and full engagement in all
individual and group activities. The lectures will be used to frame, build on and extend the subject matter covered in
the readings from the text (Boone & Kurtz, 2006). While this portion of the format is fairly straight-forward, the
form in which dialogue and discussion is meant to take place warrants further explanation:
Dialogue
This class is designed to feel like an ongoing group discussion, one in which you will be asked to engage in
discussion and presentations that will require you to evaluate competing perspectives and defend your own views.
In this vein, your voice will be a necessary part of bettering your own expression as well as a tool for helping others
in the class to evaluate their own perspectives (vis-à-vis your own). This means that failing to participate will not
only negatively impact you, but potentially everyone else in the room that stands to benefit from your perspective.
One of the primary opportunities you will be given to engage will be in the context of case study discussions. For
this reason, reading of the cases and chapters assigned before class will be essential for enabling you to
meaningfully contribute. As you complete the readings, write down any questions, disagreements or ideas that it
sparks. A personal journal can be helpful in this regard. One additional requirement for facilitating openness and
the productive classroom dialogue that this class requires is respect for others.
So, engagement and respect are key qualities that will be required if you hope to excel in this class. We should
expect nothing less of each other.
Writing Intensive Designation
“Writing Intensive” courses encourage students to develop their abilities to articulate information, ideas and
convictions both in written and oral discourse (from The Purpose of General Education at Westmont). As a result,
students should expect that writing competencies will be a central focus of the course. There are a number of
required papers and essays (16+ pages of writing) assigned in order to hone this critical management skill.
As it relates to writing for business, please refer to the following guidelines whereby I have attempted to distill
some solid principles to keep in mind:
The key differences between academic writing and business writing:  diverse audience (experts and laypeople)
 practical application of ideas, decisions and actions
 demonstration of thinking skills that include common sense and intuition
 clear words and smooth sentences conveyed in plain, conversational English
 use of a design and format that fits unique purpose of given communication
Dr. Crockett’s 2-part criteria for business writing: it must have impact and precision (e.g. the message must
be effective even if read by a busy executive with limited understanding of the relevant issues)
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3-part model for any written communication: begin by attempting to identify and customize your
message according to… 1) purpose, 2) audience and 3) format
4-stage process: 1) pre-write, brainstorm and organize ideas, 2) draft document, 3) revise and redraft
document (consider using 3rd party proof-reader) and 4) refine and finalize document
Have enough
pride in your work that you refuse to hand in a “draft” paper in the hope it will pass as “final”.
Serving Society, Enacting Justice Designation
This course counts for the Serving Society, Enacting Justice designation in the General Education requirements, due
in large part to the charity auction that the class organizes and hosts at the end of the semester. The chosen charity
depends upon student consensus, but the first two charities chosen are: Make a Wish Foundation and Bridges of
Hope, South Africa.
As it relates to assessment, the way the auction has been structured, each of class member is assessed based upon: a)
initiative, b) follow-thru, and c) results. “Initiative” typically entails how much effort the student put into finding
auction items. “Follow-thru” entails their presentation and pricing of that item. Finally, “results” measures if that
item sold and if so, for what quantity above the asking price. Above and beyond the individual procurement and
marketing of each item, each student also has an administrative role (finance manager, reception, catering, etc.) that
also provides them with the potential to boost their scores in each of these three categories. All told, the entire class
spends about 8 hours on the day of the event “working” at the auction, and many spend five times that in preparation
for the auction.
Direct Application to Westmont College’s Student Learning Standards
Through individual, team and community projects, a key objective of this class is to nurture the student’s ability to:
a) Seek out, gather and synthesize data (per the research and technology standard)
b) Creatively produce, critically evaluate, and empathetically execute marketing elements (per the critical
interdisciplinary thinking and written & oral communication standards)
c) Acknowledge and sensitively accommodate the modern challenges and complexities of contemporary
marketing communication (per active societal & intellectual engagement and diversity standards)
d) Engage the creative art of marketing as a whole person in possession of a unique set of values,
convictions, perspectives and motives (per Christian orientation and, once again, the critical
interdisciplinary thinking and active societal & intellectual engagement standards)
Core Texts

Boone, Louis & Kurtz, David. (2006) Contemporary Marketing, South-Western/Thomson.
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Godin, Seth. (2005) All Marketers are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World,
Portfolio.
Grading
Participation (attendance + respectful engagement)
Mini-case
Storytelling Essay & related writing
First Exam
Second Exam
Auction Participation (initiative + follow-thru + results)
Reflective Essay
Final Exam
10%
5%
20%
10%
10%
20%
10%
15%
Caution: Avoid Christian Jargon
We will approach our topic from a Christian worldview, and explore it as such in class, in whatever language is
edifying and appropriate to the class. However, the realm of business is generally governed by secular language and
perspectives. As such, all students are asked to restrict their use of Christian jargon where possible and particularly
on written essays and exams, unless clearly solicited. The one place where this does not apply is in your personal
“Reflective Essay”. In all other essays and exams, write as you would in a secular business context (i.e.- avoid
words like ‘calling’, ‘blessed’, ‘prayerfully’ or ‘feeling led’ to do something). To the extent that these concepts are
important to you (and I hope they are), you will need to express them using terminology that holds meaning in a
secular context. This will require you to demonstrate a sensitivity to those unfamiliar with such concepts and a
capacity to put important terms in their language, hopefully while still conveying the intended meaning. It can be
difficult to exercise this skill in a business environment, and as such, this classroom hopes to offer a training ground
for practicing and developing this skill.
In-Course Honors
Because this is course attempts to provide an overview of all things marketing, it must, by design, avoid going too
deep into any particular theory, concept or facet of marketing. For those that wish to accept the opportunity to
pursue their interests and/or learn more about one of the facets of marketing in greater depth, you will be provided
the opportunity to do so and earn an admirable mark on your transcript for the effort. To a great extent, the chosen
books and articles you will be asked to read and report on will reflect the particular area of interest you have chosen.
The report will need to be completed one week before the final exam date. See Dr. Crockett if this option to hone
your individual interests, research and writing skills is appealing.
Term Schedule
The following is subject to change. Updates and changes will be announced in class as necessary.
Date
Reading/Assignment Due
Jan.9
 No Reading Due
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 1- Creating Satisfaction through Relationships
 Begin reading: All Marketers are Liars
Martin Luther King Holiday -- No Class (Monday Class instead)
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 2- Strategic Planning and the Marketing process
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 3- Creating an Effective Marketing Plan
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 4- E-Commerce: Marketing in the Digital Age
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 5- Consumer Behavior
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 6-B2B Marketing
(Optional) SuperBowl Party - 3PM Sunday- Location TBA
Sr. Seminar trip to World Vision- No Class
First Exam
 Guest Speaker: Joe Haley, Donor Advertising (Mazda- Zoom, Zoom!)
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 7-Serving Global Markets
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 8- Marketing Research, Support Systems & Sales Forecasting
 Finish reading: All Marketers are Liars
Jan.11
Jan.16
Jan.18
Jan.23
Jan.25
Jan. 30
Feb. 1
Feb. 4
Feb. 6
Feb. 8
Feb. 13
Feb. 15
Presidents Day Holiday – No Class
Feb. 20
Feb. 22
Feb. 27
Mar. 1
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Mar. 6
Mar. 8
 Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 12- Category & Brand Management; New Product Dev.
Spring Recess – No Class
Mar. 13-15
Mar. 20
Mar. 22
Mar. 27
Mar. 29
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Apr. 3
Apr. 5
Apr.6-9
Apr. 10
Apr. 12
Apr. 17
Apr. 19
Apr. 24
Apr. 26
May. 3
“Storytelling” Paper Plan Due (1 page max.)
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 9- Market Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 10- Relationship Marketing, CRM & One-to-One
DECKERS Tour
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 11- Product & Service Strategies
Second Exam
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Guest Speaker: Ken Raasch, Creative Brands Group
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 13- Marketing Channels and Supply Chain Management
“Storytelling” Draft Paper Due, with reviewer comments, (7 pages)
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 14- Direct Marketing and Resellers: Retail & Wholesale
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 15- Integrated Marketing Communications
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 16- Advertising and Public Relations
“Storytelling” Final Paper Due (5 pages)
Dr. Crockett @ Parents’ Council Retreat- No Class
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 17- Personal Selling and Sales Promotion
Class Debate: Is “Evangelism” Marketing?
Easter Break- No classes missed
Auction item class presentations
Auction?
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 18/19- Price Concepts, Approaches & Strategies
Guest Speaker: Bill Fasig, Ex-CMO Verisign
Contemporary Marketing: Ch. 19- Pricing Strategies
Reflective Essay Due (10 pages)
Thursday, 8AM- Final Exam
Marketing Mini-Cases
During the course of this semester, each student is required to create at least one marketing mini-case for class
discussion. This can be any message you’ve read or heard in any place, channel or media that is in some intentional
way meant to help market a product or service. When you find something interesting that you think the rest of us
can learn from: 1) Introduce it to the class, 2) Be prepared to field some questions from your classmates, and 3)
Write a mini-case analysis (max 3 pages) of the message. You will be allotted approximately 10 minutes of class
time.
Suggested Format:
Introduction:
Introduce company, product/service, and featured marketing element
Analysis:
Who is the intended audience?
Primary:
Secondary:
Other/unintended:
What is the intended message?
Primary:
Secondary:
Other/unintended:
What is the chosen delivery mechanism/channel?
Primary:
Secondary:
Other/unintended:
What results or achievements are likely hoped for?
Primary:
Secondary:
Other/unintended:
(During oral presentation only) Poll the class: Is this marketing element a Hit or a Miss?
Hit
Miss
Conclusion:
In your opinion, what would make this marketing element better? (e.g. different intentional (or
unintentional) audience, message, delivery or result)
What is your basis/support/research for making such a conclusion?
Important Note: Integrate at least one or two theories or relevant concepts from this class where useful in
explaining this marketing initiative (e.g. –Which step of Maslow’s needs hierarchy is the message
targeting? What is the message using as a key differentiating strategy? Which stage of Godin’s/Moore’s
adoption curve is the product/service currently in? Could it have passed Godin’s 2-part test (p.108)?)
Marketing as Storytelling- Essay
“Storytelling works when the story actually makes the product or service better.”
– Godin, All Marketers are Liars, p.96
This assignment is meant to give you the opportunity to practice the increasingly important marketing task of
storytelling. This is an allusive craft, or art, that can best be developed by trying your hand at it. This assignment
comes in three parts, as specified in the syllabus. First, you will need to turn in and receive feedback from me on the
“Storytelling” paper plan (1 page max), delineating what marketing element you intend to focus on and how you
intend to analyze it. Before handing in the first draft (7 pages max.), you are required to have someone else from the
class critically evaluate your essay first in order to ferret out any writing errors, encourage clarity of thought and
evaluate the authenticity of the story you intend to tell. Feel free to use images, graphs, formatting or charts that you
feel help to convey these steps or the story they are meant to tell. The final draft should be a maximum of 5 pages in
length. You will also receive detailed comments from me on this final paper.
Step 1: Pick a product or service
You can use the same product/service that was featured in your marketing mini-case, find a new product/service that
can be used to tell a more compelling “story”, or (for the truly ambitious!) create your own product/service idea.
You cannot use any of the examples detailed in Godin’s book or Joe Haley’s Mazda presentation. This assignment
requires your own creativity, so while you may use existing marketing information for inspiration and comparison,
each of the following “steps” should feature your original work. For purposes of this essay, it will be easier if you
can use a product/service targeted at an audience that you can identify and ask for feedback (e.g. college-aged
students, professors, local business people or parents).
Step 2: Write the story
Think about your target market(s). What worldview do they have? How can you “frame” your story so that they
can hear and believe it? Convey your story in no more than 5 sentences. For an example of what is expected in the
way of tone and format, see Cold Stone Creamery (on p. 118).
Step 3: Define the “essence” or DNA of the story
Use no more than 5 words. For an example of what is expected, recall the following DNA for Mazda:
 Stylish
 Insightful
 Spirited
Step 4: Define the “positioning”, or guiding internal statement, of the story
Use no more than one short sentence (10 words or less). For an example of what is expected, recall the following
Mazda positioning:
“Always the soul of the sports car”
Step 5: Define the “tagline”, or customer-facing information, for conveying the story
Again, think about your target market(s). Use no more than one short sentence (10 words or less). For an example
of what is expected, recall the following Mazda tagline, meant to convey ‘joy of motion’, ‘self-expression’ and
‘youthfulness’:
“Zoom-Zoom”
Step 6: Evaluate your story
Is it authentic? Does it pass the 2-part test (p.108)? Don’t worry if it isn’t…authentic stories are hard to find. Still
you must explain why it does/doesn’t qualify. Attempt to share this story with someone from the target market(s).
What comments, suggestions for change or questions did they raise? How would you change your story to
accommodate such feedback?
Step 7: Deliver your story
Think again of your ideal target audience for this story. If you could place this story anywhere, where would you
want it to initially share it? Why?
Storytelling Essay Assessment
Assessment Criteria
Report Excellence
Creation and Application of Story
(all the way through to Tagline)
Delivery
Creativity
Honest Evaluation
Description
Are the elements of the report presented in a professional, concise and
logical fashion? Are images, ideas, concepts and reasoning communicated
effectively?
Has the individual dug deep and/or drawn from appropriate materials in
order to create their own original story? Have they presented clear and
professional story elements? Have they made convincing connections
between the elements of the story so that they seem consistently integrated?
Has the individual adequately addressed the worldview of their target
audience? (If not, have they provided a good explanation for why?) Have
they chosen an effective channel and mechanism for delivery and defended
their choice?
Has the individual demonstrated a capacity to move beyond existing
messages to articulate their own story? Have the story and its elements
(tagline) been honestly compared/contrasted with existing messages or
competing ideas? Is it innovative and compelling?
Has the individual honestly evaluated their story? Have they made a clear
and convincing case for why their story is authentic and passes Godin’s
test? Has the individual presented this story to someone from the target
audience? Have they suggested adequate changes (if necessary)?
Reflective Report: Lessons Learned in the Art of Marketing
This assignment represents a culmination of some of the most personally meaningful and relevant material covered
in this class. It is meant to encourage you to formulate and articulate the perspectives you’ve developed in the class,
leading to your own marketing approach and philosophy. You will be asked to reflect on the following en route to
developing a statement of the 3-5 marketing principles that are most valuable in your opinion:
 Your definition of marketing from the first day of class, vis-à-vis the one you use now
 Various approaches to marketing covered in the text and classroom discussion
 Your “Storytelling” essay and lessons learned in writing it and receiving feedback
 The wisdom of Seth Godin in “All Marketers are Liars”
 Concepts proposed by any of the guest speakers that have visited our class
 Concepts and models presented in the text and supplementary articles
 Challenges presented in student Marketing Mini-Cases
 Statements from other classes or settings that might apply
 The class auction and your own personal role in it
 Personal journaling
Once you’ve delineated what 3-5 key marketing principles or concepts are, reflect on how they have been derived
from the class or various experiences you’ve had, then you will be required to find at least one scholarly journal
article or empirical study to support at least one of the principles you’ve established. Furthermore, you will need
to explain how these principles were instrumental in each of the following:
1. the class auction
2. the active marketing efforts of a current organization
This report should be no longer than five pages (Six, if you count the cover page). Please use styles and formatting
in a professional way that will enhance the impact and effectiveness of the document. The report should incorporate
the following elements:
1. Cover page
2. Some of the key personal insights or surprises gained from the concepts explored in class
3. Your own personal list of 3-5 key marketing principles any organization could benefit from applying
4. Scholarly journal support for at least one of your key marketing principles (referenced properly)
5. Description of the way in which your key principles have been lived out in the class auction and in
active organizations today
6. Conclusion
Because this is a reflective report, honesty is key. Honestly portray your own ideas, your progress in this class and
your prediction of the potential effects of your chosen marketing style. The final draft may be peer reviewed by
others in your class. I will also be providing detailed feedback on the final draft of each report.