Marketing Management; MBA 8145
INSTRUCTOR
OFFICE:
OFFICE HOURS:
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Catalog Description:
This course is a study of the managerial aspects of marketing. Emphasis is placed on the
quantitative and qualitative criteria used in evaluating marketing alternatives and in choosing
among these alternatives. The course includes topics related to market segmentation,
marketing research, product/service development, branding, promotion, pricing, channels of
distribution, marketing strategy, and global marketing.
DETAILED COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a case course in strategic marketing management. It is designed to explore the
managerial aspects of the marketing function. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the
company, its customers and its competition, commonly used in solving marketing
problems, will be emphasized. The course is organized around the key marketing decision
variables—target market selection, product, pricing and distribution and promotion—and
around the various marketing processes of strategy formulation, organization and
implementation.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
REQUIRED:
Harvard Case and Readings Packet available at
URL : http : //www. study. net
Marketer's Tool Kit, (2006), Harvard Press
(ISBN 1-59139-762-2)
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The general objective of this course is to foster the development of the analytical skills,
attitudes and perspectives of sophisticated contemporary marketing management.
Specific learning outcomes of the course are to provide an opportunity for students to:
1.
Individually and collectively develop the skills needed to analyze and solve
complex marketing problems through case analysis;
2.
Sharpen oral, written communication and listening skills with respect to their own
case solutions and that of classmates;
3.
Sharpen understanding of marketing concepts, analytical tools and techn iques,
the marketing process, functions, and the environment of marketing from both a
domestic and global perspective.
C OURSE A CTIVITIES :
Than main class activity will be that of case discussion. Since the effectiveness of this approach depends
almost entirely on an interactive and participative classroom experience, attendance and prior preparation
of assigned class materials will be required. You will be expected to come to all class sections prepared to
present a cogent summary of your analysis of the assigned case and recommendations. Please prepare a
1-2 page executive summary of each case covering the nature of the situation, decision to be made,
alternatives, analysis of alternatives (pros and cons), your recommendation, and the rationale for our
recommendation. Two or three of the written summaries will be collected for grading.
EXAM:
The final exam will be a written case analysis.
C ONTRIBUTION TO C LASS :
Your class contribution grade for this course will be assessed in terms of the quality and quantity of your
participation in the discussion of the assigned cases, including but not limited to:
1. your depth of analysis;
2. the realism of your comments or analysis;
3. the clarity of your presentation;
4. the integration of your comments into the ongoing discussion (i.e., willingness to listen to
classmates);
5. your ability to respond to questions and to defend your arguments; and
6. the contribution of your comments to the class's learning.
Essentially, you will be graded on the thoroughness, sophistication, persuasiveness, and logic of your
classroom comments.
To gain the greatest number of participation points in this course, please prepare completely for each case
discussion. Comments should be based on careful analysis for greater participation points. Because one
cannot contribute to a class if they are not there, please plan to participate actively in the class discussion
throughout the entire class period and for each case. Please arrange your schedule so that you will be
able to arrive on time, attend each class, and stay for the entire class period.
PROJECT:
This group project requires a team to either prepare a marketing audit or to develop a plan for a new
product. Basically, your team is asked to select a firm, analyze that firm’s marketing activities, and
critique their efforts from a strategic perspective, or to select a firm, develop a new product for that firm
and discuss how it fits into that organization’s marketing activities and how this new product idea would
be executed.
Final written reports may not be longer than 35 pages, 12 point font (Times Roman). Any general
material that is relevant and supports the written audit should be included in the back of the report in
the Appendix in the form of tables, exhibits, etc. This is a major project and there are very high
expectations for the finished product. (See Appendix of this syllabus for additional information on this
project). Individual grades will take into account the evaluations of group members of other group
members. The team evaluation form is the last page of this syllabus. It is to be completed individually
by each team member and submitted in a sealed envelope and turned in at the time the project is due.
2
EVALUATION:
Contribution to Class
Executive Summaries
Midterm
Project
Final Exam
1/5
1/5
1/5
1/5
1/5
COURSE POLICES:
LATE ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day they are
due. (Please remember you have the opportunity to email assignments to me, to fax them
to me, to hand them to me at the beginning of class or to leave them for me in my
mailbox at my office prior to class.)
STUDENTS
WITH
DISABILITIES: Students who have a Letter of Accommodation from the
Office of Disability Services should identify themselves to the instructor o f this course as
soon as possible so that provisions can be made to help you to be as successful as possible
in this course.
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR; THE FOLLOWING IS FROM THE UNIVERSITY'S DISRUPTIVE
BEHAVIOR POLICY: Disruptive student behavior is student behavior in a classroom or other
learning environment (to include both on and off-campus locations), that disrupts the
educational process. Disruptive class behavior for this purpose is defined by the instructor.
Such behavior includes, but is not limited to, verbal or physical threats, repeated obscenities,
unreasonable interference with class discussion, making/receiving personal phone calls or
pages during class, leaving and entering class frequently in the absence of notice to instructor
of illness or other extenuating circumstances, and persisting in disruptive personal
conversations with other class members. For purposes of this policy, it may also be considered
disruptive behavior for a student to exhibit threatening, intimidating, or other inappropriate
behavior toward the instructor or classmates outside of class. When disruptive behavior occurs
in a class the instructor will warn the student. The warning will consist of orally notifying the
student that his/her behavior is disruptive and that it must cease immediately or the student
will face removal from the classes.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: All university and college regulations concerning withdrawal and
academic honesty will apply. Students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of
intellectual and academic integrity. The university assumes as a basic and minimum
standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for
credit only the products of their own efforts. Students should be familiar with the
university's policy on issues such as plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsification,
and multiple submissions. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to
any charge of academic dishonesty.
COURSE OUTLINE
CLASS
FOCUS
(1)
I NTRODUCTION AND C OURSE O VERVIEW
REVIEW OF L OW -TECH M ARKETING MATH (599011)
(2)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
M ARKETING DEFINED
C ALLAWAY G OLF C OMPANY (9-501-019)
W HAT THE HELL IS "MARKET ORIENTED ?" (88610)
(3)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
B UYER BEHAVIOR
B LACK & DECKER (A): POWER T OOL DIVISION (9-595-057)
C USTOMER PROFITABILITY AND LIFETIME VALUE (9-503-019)
(4)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING
PRODUCT & SERVICE
S TARBUCKS : DELIVERING CUSTOMER SERVICE (9-504-016)
BREAKING FREE OF THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE (9963)
(5)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
PRICING
C UMBERLAND (580-104)
PRICING AND T HE P SYCHOLOGY OF C ONSUMPTION (1814)
(6)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
PROMOTION
I NSIDE INTEL INSIDE (-502-083)
T HE D OUBLE J EOPARDY OF SALES (90505)
(7)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
D ISTRIBUTION
A QUALISA QUARTZ : SIMPLY A BETTER SHOWER (5-503-058)
T HE C USTOMER HAS ESCAPED (8031 1G)
(8)
M IDTERM
(9)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
P LANNING THE M ARKETING PROGRAM
IKEA INVADES AMERICA
B LUE O CEAN S TRATEGY : FROM T HEORY TO PRACTICE
(10)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
V ALUE CREATION AND MARKET SEGMENTATION
L’OREAL OF PARIS , BRINGING C LASS TO THE M ASS
T HE NEW RULES FOR BRINGING INNOVATIONS TO MARKET
(11)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
PRODUCT POSITIONING
S AMSUNG : REDEFINING A BRAND
C USTOMER -CENTERED BRAND M ANAGEMENT
(12)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
G LOBAL M ARKETING
KONE: T HE MONO SPACE LAUNCH IN GERMANY
C ONFRONTING L OW -END C OMPETITION
(13)
T OPIC :
C ASE :
READING :
Sustaining Value
D ELL -NEW H ORIZONS
REVITALIZE Y OUR M ATURE COMPANY , TO SUSTAIN
MARKET LEADERSHIP
(14)
(15)
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS (WRITTEN REPORT DUE )
F INAL
This syllabus is a general outline, and it provides policies and study guidelines for the course. From time
to time during the semester deviations may be necessary
MBA 8145
APPENDIX
Marketing Audit Assignment
One option for the group project for this semester is for your team to select a product
and a company and prepare a marketing audit for this product/company combination. It is
recommended that you select a product and company in which you are all interested and one
from which your team will be able to obtain cooperation and information. The company can be
a large one for which published information is available or a smaller one with which your team
has a personal acquaintance.
You should focus on a particular product line of the company. Your task is to study this
company, its markets, and its environment from a marketing standpoint. Consider the concepts
discussed in this course as they relate to the company which you are auditing. The interaction
between the marketing situation of your company and the concepts and techniques discussed
in this course should produce a richer understanding of the marketing function.
Learn all you can about the company through published sources (Business Week,
Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Advertising Age, Sales Management, trade publications, books,
etc.) and through conversations with knowledgeable individuals. Aggressively pursue personal
interviews with all possible informants regarding your company including customers and
competitors. Indexes such as the Business Periodicals Index and the Funk and Scott Index
should be helpful. The completed paper should be turned in by the date indicated on the class
schedule. You should include a table of contents and a complete bibliography. This project will
not be returned to you or any of your team members, so please remember to keep a copy for
your files.
The general format for the audit follows. Note that all items may not apply. Include
sub-headings in your report. You should include your documentation of what the firm does in
relation to a particular topic or set of questions, your evaluation of what it does, and your
recommendations for what the firm should be doing. That is, don’t have a separate evaluation
or recommendation section at the end of the paper, but make the points in the appropriate subaudit section. Use your textbook to guide your analysis.
The Marketing Audit Assignment
I.
The Core Concepts
1.
II.
III.
IV.
Does your company practice the marketing concept?
Building Customer Satisfaction
1.
Analyze and evaluate how your company delivers customer satisfaction and
value.
2.
Evaluate the degree to which the firm implements total quality management.
Explain how and where it does and doesn’t implement total quality management.
Strategic Planning and the Marketing Management Process
1.
Does your company engage in strategic planning? Explain.
2.
Is the marketing management process understood in your company? Is it
applied? What evidence uncovered in your investigation supports your response
to the first and second questions.
The Marketing Information System
1.
Does your company have a marketing research department? How large is it?
How is it organized? What sources of information are utilized? How good is
information in your industry?
2.
List the types of marketing research projects that have the greatest value in this
industry.
3.
Propose three marketing operations research projects that might have high
payoff in your company.
V.
VI.
Market Measurement
1.
How does the company forecast annual sales? How would you forecast sales?
(Be sure to indicate the independent variables.)
2.
How would you estimate territorial market and sales potentials?
3.
How would you propose that the marketing budget of the company be allocated
territorially?
Markets and the Marketing Environment
1.
VII.
VII.
For your company, single out three trends in the environment that represent
opportunities and three trends that represent threats. Under each opportunity,
suggest a positive strategy; under each threat, a defensive strategy.
Buyer Behavior
1.
Outline a theory of buyer behavior in your market. Who buys? How do they
buy? When do they buy? Where do they buy? Why do they buy? What is the
role of habit, brand loyalty, attitude, income, etc.? Can you develop a flow
diagram of the buying process?
2.
How do buyers in this market think about product characteristics? Price?
Advertising? Sales promotions? Personal selling? “Channel” services? What is
the relative importance of these marketing elements?
3.
What does your theory of buyer behavior imply for the design of an optimal
marketing strategy?
Analyzing Industries and Competitors
1.
Identify, assess, and evaluate competitor’s strategies, objectives, strengths &
weaknesses, etc.
IX.
X.
Market Segmentation
1.
What is the basic business of your company? What generic needs are satisfied
by the product or service?
2.
How is the market segmented? Are there other bases for segmentation?
3.
Which competitors are practicing undifferentiated, differentiated, and
concentrated marketing?
4.
Is any market segment relatively neglected? In what segments do the greatest
opportunities lie?
Differentiating and Positioning
1.
XI.
Evaluate how your company positions its offering.
Product Policy Decisions
1.
Describe the width, depth, and consistency of your company’s products.
2.
Describe the product policies of your company.
3.
How would you propose that the marketing budget of the company be allocated
over the product mix?
4.
Does the product life cycle concept have relevance for your company and imply
something about the appropriate marketing mix?
5.
What is the new product strategy of your company?
6.
How formal are the company’s procedures for generating new product ideas,
screening them. What would you recommend?
7.
Evaluate whether your firm uses branding effectively. Explain.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
Marketing Strategies for the Global Marketplace
1.
Does your company engage in any international business?
2.
If so, discuss the approach your company uses in entering foreign markets or in
conducting already established foreign business.
Price Decisions
1.
Describe the pricing policies of your company and industry.
2.
What are key pricing issues?
Channel Decisions
1.
XV.
Retail, Wholesale, Physical Distribution Decisions
1.
XVI.
Describe and evaluate the marketing channels in your industry.
Describe and evaluate the retail, wholesale, and physical distribution
characteristics and strategies in your industry.
Communication and Advertising Decisions
1.
Describe the overall communication and specific advertising objectives and
strategy of your company with respect to the level of expenditure, message,
copy, media, and timing. Evaluate.
2.
How would you measure the effectiveness of your company’s advertising?
3.
Describe and evaluate the effectiveness of your firm’s use of direct marketing,
sales promotion, and public relations. Be specific and give examples.
XVII. Sales Force Decisions
1.
Characterize the field sales operations of your company.
2.
What proposals would you make for improving the effectiveness of the field sales
operation?
XVIII. Direct and Online Marketing
XIX.
XX.
1.
Analyze and evaluate the extent to which your company uses Direct and Online
Marketing.
2.
What measures can be taken by your firm in order to improve the efficiency in
this domain?
Marketing Organization and Implementation
1.
Describe and evaluate the marketing organization in your firm.
2.
What do the firm’s long run profit, sales, and other goals seem to be?
3.
Is formal planning found in your industry? How are annual profit and sales goals
set? How are marketing plans developed?
4.
Characterize the long run competitive marketing strategy of your firm and of
each major competitor. What is the dominant firm doing to remain dominant?
Evaluate and suggest alternative strategies.
5.
What is the second-place firm doing to increase its share? Evaluate and suggest
alternative strategies. What types of offensive and defensive competitive tactics
are used in the industry?
6.
Characterize marketing decisions making in your company and/or industry.
Select a recurrent marketing decision problem that faces a particular type of
marketing executive in your company. Draw a flow diagram suggesting the
executive’s typical mental process in resolving the problem. Evaluate his
decision making process. Suggest changes.
Marketing Control
1.
What are the major control devices used by your company to insure effective
marketing effort and correct deviations?
2.
What is the state of information in your industry? What information is readily
available and what information is sorely needed?
3.
Propose a total design for the company’s marketing information system.
Deliverables
By the date indicated previously in the syllabus you are to develop a Marketing Audit for your
product and company. Specifically,
1. By the 1st deadline in the syllabus (week 2), your team will submit, in writing, to me the
company and the specific product or service for which you are interested in developing
the audit. It must include the name of the company and the product/service and the
names of the students in your team.
2. By week 3, your team should have developed its SWOT analysis.
3. The final phase of the assignment is your presentation during the last class meeting (or
possibly the last two class meetings).
4. Your final deliverable for the project is due on the evening of your presentation and it is
an evaluation of your group as a whole, yourself as you have performed on this
assignment and your teammates’ performance on the assignment, along with the
written report that accompanies your class presentation.
5. Please use the form attached to this syllabus to evaluate your team members’ work in
this project. Each member of your marketing team should submit a team evaluation
sheet that evaluates the work of each of the other students in your team in a separate
sealed envelope.
MBA 8145
Appendix
Audit/Assessment/Action Plan Assignment
Another “group project” option this semester is to develop a new product for an existing
organization. Thus, you will be asked to be creative within the confines of good marketing and
general business practices.
From a learning standpoint, this assignment will allow you to
further develop skills that can be used in a future senior management role.
Learning Objectives of the Project as they relate to tasks you will need to
successfully complete:
 Analyze market conditions to determine where there are unmet wants and needs;
 Identify market segments that have sufficient interest in and are willing to satisfy wants
and needs through new products or a new provider of a product or service;
 Assess the competitive pressures in the market place;
 Assess pressures in the marketplace which are external to the organization and the
industry to determine their impact on the organization;
An Abbreviated Marketing Plan Outline.
Section 1. The Situation Survey. Examine the 5 external environments within which a
company operates and discuss:
 General economic conditions that will/may affect the demand and other marketing
efforts for the product/service being offered;
 Specifics on customers for the products and services (why they buy, what they are
seeking, how their characteristics are defined, how much they purchase, what the
determinants are for their usage, whether or not there is any geographic or seasonality
pattern to demand, what price sensitivity is, whether the purchase of this product or
service is dependent upon any other purchases [you have to have a CD player to be a
CD user] etc.);
 Competitive situation (who the competitors are in not only the specific category but also
close categories), what are the marketing strengths and weaknesses of those
competitors, how they are going to market;
 Technological conditions that may alter market conditions;
 Legal constraints on the marketing of the product or service.
It is very important to note, that this section is filled with data and information. It is a “picture”
of where the market is. Of all of the sections of the marketing plan, this is the most objective.
Section 2. Strategic Implications of the Situation Survey. ”The Strategic Implications of
the Situation Survey is also referred to as a SWOT analysis. It is drawn from the facts
presented in the situation survey (Section 1). Here is where you interpret and draw inferences
from the data and where you define opportunities in the market place that your
company/product or service will attempt to satisfy.
Section 3. Objectives and Strategies. Section 3 of the marketing plan is a statement of
the objectives and strategies for the marketing of the product or service (in this case, including
strategic design of the product or service itself). As such it must address the strengths the
organization must capitalize upon and the weaknesses it must overcome in order to maximize
the likelihood of success. It must include
 How the product will be positioned to the market and vis-à-vis the competition;
 Specific objectives (goals) for each phase of the product launch;
 Specific definition of the end-user target market;
 Development of strategies at a minimum in the following areas: product characteristics;
product packaging; development of channels of distribution; pricing (introductory and
long-term); promotion and marketing communications; marketing research.
Section 4. The Detailed Description of the Programs you are Recommending. This
section is a detailed description of the specific programs you are recommending to bring the
product or service to market and must include:
 Sales force development and goals;
 Specific creative strategy to support positioning;
 Specific media programs and/or public relations efforts to support product introduction;
 Test marketing considerations;
 Use of e-marketing tools in support of the product launch;
 Geographic considerations/roll-out plan;
 Monitoring, evaluation and control mechanisms built into the effort;
Although that may sound intimidating, once you get into the project it will come to feel pretty
natural. As you can see from the above, there is a great deal of “homework” to be done in the
situation survey part of the marketing plan, before you have enough information to start
making decisions in the Sections 2 – 4.
Deliverables
By the date indicated previously in the syllabus you are to develop a Marketing Plan for a new
product or service. Specifically,
1. By the 1st deadline in the syllabus (week 2), your team will submit, in writing, to me the
company and the specific product or service for which you are interested in developing
the audit. It must include the name of the company and the product/service and the
names of the students in your team.
2. By week 3, your team should have developed its SWOT analysis.
3. The final phase of the assignment is your presentation during the last class meeting (or
possibly the last two class meetings).
4. Your final deliverable for the project is due on the evening of your presentation and it is
an evaluation of your group as a whole, yourself as you have performed on this
assignment and your teammates’ performance on the assignment, along with the
written report that accompanies your class presentation.
5. Please use the form attached to this syllabus to evaluate your team members’ work in
this project. Each member of your marketing team should submit a team evaluation
sheet that evaluates the work of each of the other students in your team in a separate
sealed envelope.
MARKETING TEAM PARTICIPATION SHEET
NAME ______________________________________________
TEAM PROJECT: ________________________________
This sheet is to be completed individually and privately by each team member prior to coming
to class. Each team member’s participation evaluation sheet should be included with the team’s
final project.
Using a 100 point scale, please grade each member of your team based on their effort devoted
to the project and then a second grade rating their contribution to the semester project. Base
the first grade you give each team member on the time and effort they contribute to the
project. Based the second grade you give each member on the outcome of their efforts and
the contribution of their work to the overall completed the final project. Record the grades
given in the blank spaces below adjacent to each team member’s name. Include the names
and grades of all individuals in your group (including yourself):
TEAM MEMBER’S NAME
POINTS FOR EFFORT
POINTS FOR FINAL PROJECT
1. __________________________ __________ POINTS __________ POINTS
2. __________________________ __________ POINTS __________ POINTS
3. __________________________ __________ POINTS __________ POINTS
4. __________________________ __________ POINTS __________ POINTS
5. __________________________ __________ POINTS __________ POINTS
On the space provided below (and on the back of this page if necessary) please explain the
logic for the points you awarded. Please also indicate briefly the responsibilities of each team
member: