BUS 648
MARKETING CHANNEL STRATEGY
SPRING 2015
Professor Sandy Jap
GBS 519 | P 404-727-6386
Mon/Wed 1-215p in 231
Offc hours before/after class and by appt
This class is for individuals who currently work in or are targeting jobs in consulting and
strategy, industrial sales and buying, marketing management, and business development.
Overview
Most students learn that marketing is about the development of goods and services; however, this
viewpoint sells the marketing function short. One critical component of value creation for
customers that is often overlooked is how customers want to buy. The ability to make its
products and services available to customers at the right place and time is a key source of
explosive value and the purview of marketing channel strategy.
We will unpack “the black box” of organizational channels, distribution and retailers that create
the routes to market between the firm and its end user or customers. In this course, you will
learn how to capture and leverage this value through the careful selection of channel partners, the
application of appropriate incentives and pricing agreements, the design and management of
multiple channels. Topics include but are not limited to the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How to design and redesign routes to market
How to select and incentivize partners
How to structure and manage business partnerships for maximum returns
How to manage multiple online and offline channels
We will also discuss how these ideas extend to and should be applied to social business channels
in emerging economies. In doing so, the goal is to provide you with the relevant frameworks,
tools, and processes for more effective management of these areas, including the advantages,
limitations, common uses and some best practice examples. This is accomplished through case
studies, lectures, and guest speakers.
Materials
Please note that ALL of the course communications and class materials can be found in their
respective session folders on Emory’s Blackboard server (apps are also available for your tablet
and/or smartphone). The login is at: https://classes.emory.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
There is also a study.net link that contains the copyrighted materials for purchase. Blackboard
can be configured to notify you in the event that new materials or announcements are posted to
the site and to remind you of upcoming assignment deadlines. Your graded papers and scores
over the course of the semester can also be viewed in Blackboard.
While there is no required textbook for the course (most of the class readings and exercises are
proprietary materials that I have developed for this course and you will not be charged for these),
there are copyright costs that will be incurred with the use of materials that I did not create.
Course TA: Deidre Popovich (PhD15), deidre.popovich@emory.edu
Organization
The emphasis of the course is on class discussions and application of key principles, frameworks,
and issues necessary for situation analysis and concept integration. There will be an emphasis in
class on applying the readings and concepts as well as analyzing business problems, so it is
imperative that you come to class prepared having completed the relevant exercises and case
write-ups.
Many channel issues are complex problems and there is rarely a single right answer. Instead,
there are better answers and more robust options that are discovered via collaborative discussion
together. Hence, the format of this course will be highly interactive and there will be an attempt
to encourage every individual to speak at some point during the class session. You will be
expected to take a point of view and be ready to defend it in the class discussion. While your
presence in class is a necessary condition for successful performance, it is not a sufficient
guarantee for receiving a satisfactory class participation score. Please be aware that more than
two class absences for any reason will lead to a lower grade level for the course. Also, be aware
that if you are not present in class, you cannot receive class participation credit.
Grading
In this subject, as in all subjects at Goizueta, the goal is to help you learn the material so that you
can become a better manager. There are many ways to succeed in this course, so please do not
become overly focused on the grade. There will be no final exam in this course. Student grades
will be reflected according to the MBA grading policy:
https://community.bus.emory.edu/program/FullTimeMBA/Grading%20Policy/Grading%20Polic
y.aspx
The components of your final grade will be weighted as follows:
%
INDIVIDUAL
GRADING COMPONENT
WEIGHT
/ TEAM
Mental Exercises, Channel Benefits Audit
20
I
Class participation
20
I
Quiz scores (your two lowest scores are dropped)
20
I
Case write-ups (teams of 3)
20
T
Channel Audit project (teams of 3 to 6)
20
T
TOTAL
100
The process of assigning grades involves a great deal of care and deliberation. If you feel that
there has been an error in the calculation of your grade or it is not commensurate with your
response, you can submit it for re-grading up to two weeks of having received your grade along
with a written statement of your concerns. Be aware that a re-grade can lead to a higher or lower
revised grade.
Your grade will be a reflection of your demonstrated mastery of the material and nothing more. I
will strive to ensure that students are treated consistently – in other words, I will never give a
student any preferential treatment over another. All write-ups and assignments are collected by
the end of class so feel free to keep a copy of your case write up to refer to during the class
discussion. Late assignments will receive at most half credit.
Mental Exercises and the Channel Benefits Audit. Throughout the semester, you will be asked
to complete a mental exercise or channel benefit audit for some class sessions. These are
individual assignments with the goal of having you apply the course concepts that you are
learning. These assignments are available in Blackboard and should be completed and submitted
in Blackboard. You do not need to hand in a hard copy in class, but be prepared to discuss your
work in the class session.
Teamwork. You will be asked to form a team of three individuals for completing the case writeups. The channel audit can be completed in teams of 3 to 6. You are welcome to form your own
team, otherwise the TA can also help you find a team. However, all group members will receive
the same grade. I also reserve the right to ask for individual effort ratings if needed.
Quizes. Many class sessions will assign a chapter or article to be read prior to our meeting.
These chapters are brief, less than five pages on average, and are meant to communicate key
concepts that lay the foundation for our class discussion. Put differently, the goal of our class
discussion is to go beyond these concepts and begin to apply them and better understand their
scope and limits. Thus, each class with a reading will begin with a one question quiz based on
the reading that is administered at the start of class and typically takes less than five minutes to
complete. These quizzes will simply be graded as 0 = not present to take the quiz, 1 = incorrect
answer, and 2 = correct answer. Please be aware that there is no way to make-up a quiz score,
whether you are absent (either planned or unplanned) or just walk in late. For these reasons, I
will drop your two lowest quiz scores. These scores will be posted within 1 week in Blackboard
and returned upon request only (contact Deidre Popovich at dpopovi@emory.edu).
Case Write-ups. You will be expected to turn in a write-up of the cases that we discuss in class;
this typically consists of two to four questions for which your total responses should not exceed
two pages in length. Be as thorough as possible and try to use all the data, class concepts and
learning to support your reasoning. These write-ups should be completed in teams of three
individuals. Only one write-up per team needs to be submitted in Blackboard, but be sure that
your write-up contains the names of all individuals on your team.
All relevant case questions can be found in their respective session folder in Blackboard. Case
write-ups will be graded based on the correctness of your answer (where there is a correct
answer), the logic of your approach and thinking, supporting analysis and the clarity of your
write-up.
Class participation. Your grade will be based on the (1) quality (and balanced quantity) of
responses to case/discussion questions and (2) thoughtful responses/follow-ups to a point made
by your classmates (including alternate points of view). I will be looking for evidence that you
have read, thought about, and applied the concepts and tools from class and the readings. I will
also regularly cold call individuals by random draw to insure complete participation in every
class session.
Expectations and House Rules
This class is a professional commitment for all involved and will require preparation and
readiness for our times together. Since there is no exam in this course, it is imperative that you
keep up with the readings and complete all of the case write-ups on time. Since class sessions
will typically discuss the quiz and case solutions, it is not possible for you to “make up” a missed
class session or quiz once the class has occurred. It is also your responsibility to keep up with
daily happenings in regard to handouts, updates, and critical course announcements. You can set
up your notification in Blackboard so that you are emailed or reminded of critical upcoming
events.
Since there is substantial research that shows that multitasking in class neither improves learning
or engagement while in the class, you will not be allowed to have your laptops and tablets on. I
will distribute paper copies of slides in class to assist you in taking notes and to annotate as you
see fit. These slides will also be posted electronically after class is over. If you miss a class,
make sure you get annotations from a classmate; you may also view the video replays (the link to
this will be in Blackboard). The slides serve as a guideline for discussion, and in the spirit of
continuous improvement, are subject to change. Do not be distressed if we do not discuss every
slide during the course of a class session.
Throughout the semester, we will regularly interact with executives and organizations who will
share with us their activities and history for case study. It is critically important that you do
not photograph, distribute, video, or make the content or context of these external
discussions available for public consumption. The materials are privileged to our class and for
the purpose of learning; please have the consideration to respect the firms’ privacy and
confidentiality concerns.
The school enforces a strict honor code and there will be zero tolerance for violations of the
code in this class. It is a violation of the honor code to: (a) give or receive unauthorized
assistance on an assignment or project, and (b) have knowledge of someone else’s violation and
not report it.
Finally, as a courtesy to your classmates, please minimize entering and exiting the room when
we are in session. If you need to leave early, please sit at the end of the row so you can leave
with minimal disruption. And for the sake of your friends and family, please be sure to turn on
your cell phones, tablets and all other forms of mobile technology as you leave the class.
Professor Bio
Website: http://www.bus.emory.edu/sdjap/
Sandy Jap is currently the Goizueta Term Chair Professor of Marketing. She is a founder of the
Emory Marketing Analytics Center (MAC) and is an international expert in the management of
partnering relationships and business-to-business issues. Her research centers on the development
and management of interorganizational relationship and multichannel strategy as well as eprocurement activities involving industrial online, reverse auctions. She has developed algorithms
for analyzing and forecasting bidding strategies related to effective auction design and is currently
developing strategic frameworks and decision support systems for major corporations.
Sandy has won numerous awards for her impact on the field and is currently developing decision
support systems for multichannel sales and media management with a number of firms. Her
research efforts have been conducted in a number of industries, including the aerospace, automotive,
chemical, petroleum, high-tech and consumer product industries and the work has received
significant attention from the academic community and the marketplace, including the Wall Street
Journal, CFO Magazine, and Harvard Business Review. She is an editorial board member at leading
marketing journals and her work appears in a variety of books.
Prior to joining the Goizueta Business School, she served on the faculty at the Sloan School of
Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for six years and was a Visiting Associate
Faculty member at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She has taught the core
class, electronic marketing, customer relationship management, and analytics consulting fieldwork
class in addition to her channel strategy and retailing classes in the MBA, and undergraduate
programs. She has taught the marketing strategy and consumer behavior doctoral seminar in the PhD
program. She received her PhD from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), and enjoys life with
her kids. Nutella, tennis and Cape Cod summers come in a very close second.
BUS 648 S15
SCHEDULE
As of 1/12/2015
Please be aware that the syllabus is subject to change
#
DATE
TOPIC
CHANNEL STRATEGY AND VALUE CREATION
Channel Benefits Demanded
1
M 1/12
Introduction
READ: Will the Real Channel Manager Stand Up (focusing on pp. 6166)
Chapter 1: The Channel Strategy Framework.
2
W 1/14
Channel Value Creation Lecture
READ: Chapter 2: Creating Explosive Channel System Value, quiz.
Also session 1 quiz on Chapter 1: the Channel Strategy Framework.
Creating Channel Value Articles for class discussion. Be prepared to
discuss the following questions in class for each article:
1. What is the compelling problem in the channel or challenge in creating a new
channel?
2. How does this problem suggest a corresponding opportunity to the channel
strategist?
3. What channel solution best takes advantage of the revealed opportunity? How
costly and prone to competitive reaction is it?
3
4
M 1/19
Martin Luther King Holiday – NO CLASS
F 1/23
1-215p in
lieu of W
1/21
Kimberly Clark and the Creation of Exceptional Workplaces
M 1/26
Channel Benefits Lecture
Amy Walker Barrs, former Marketing Director at Kimberly Clark and
head of the Creation of Exceptional Workplaces, Sofia Teixeira,
Kimberly Clark
Please scan Amy and Sofia’s bio prior to class
READ: Chapter 3: Channel Benefits to End Users, quiz.
DUE: Channel Benefits Mental Exercise
5
W 1/28
Channel Benefits Audit Debrief
DUE: Channel Benefits Audit write-up
6
M 2/2
Mary Kay Case
DUE: The Mary Kay Case write-up
CHANNEL FUNCTIONS SUPPLIED
7
W 2/4
Channel Functions Lecture
READ: Chapter 4: Channel Functions and the Work of the Channel,
quiz.
DUE: Channel Functions Mental Exercise
8
M 2/9
Structuring the Channel: American Spirit Whiskey
Charlie Thompson, American Spirit Whiskey, Founder
Please scan Charlie’s bio prior to class
9
W 2/11
Cemex Case
DUE: The Cemex Case write-up
10
M 2/16
The Optimal Channel Offering Lecture
READ: Chapter 5: The Optimal Channel Offering, quiz.
The Channel Alignment Analysis Workbook blank.xls
11
12
F 1/20
1-215p in
lieu of W
2/18
Channel Expansion at Cinnabon
M 2/23
Cross Channel Sales and Advertising Spend Models
Valerie Williamson, Cinnabon, Director of Marketing, New Channels
DUE: The name of the company that will be the subject of your channel
audit and the names of your team members
READ: How to Win in an Omnichannel World, quiz.
2/24-3/13
MID SEMESTER MODULE AND SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS
13
M 3/16
Minolta Camera Case
DUE: The Minolta Camera Case write-up
14
W 3/18
Pricing and the Channel Lecture
15
M 3/23
Natureview Yogurt Case
DUE: The Natureview Yogurt case write-up
MAKING IT WORK: RELATIONSHIPS AND INCENTIVES
16
W 3/25
Partnering at UPS
Matt Hanna, UPS
Please scan Matt’s bio prior to class
READ: Chapter 6: Channel Relationships, quiz.
17
M 3/30
San Fabian Supply Case
DUE: The San Fabian Supply Case write-up
READ: Chapter 8: Channel Conflict Identification and Management,
quiz.
18
W 4/1
The Coke-McDonald’s Partnership
Irma Shrivastava, the Coca-Cola Company, US VP Marketing Strategy,
Menu Innovation and Revenue Growth Management.
READ: The Dark Side of Close Relationships, quiz.
19
M 4/6
The Friend, Foe, or Fallacies Framework
READ: The Friend or Foe Fallacy or Why Your Customers Don’t Need
Your Friendship, quiz.
20
W 4/8
Distribution at American Airlines Case
DUE: Distribution at American Airlines case write-up
READ: Chapter 7: Power and the Channel, quiz
21
M 4/13
Channel Incentives Lecture
READ: Chapter 9: Channel Incentives, quiz.
22
W 4/15
Invisalign Case
DUE: Invisalign Case write-up
23
M 4/20
AMAZON’S MULTICHANNEL STRATEGY TBD
24
W 4/22
Course Wrap Up
DUE: Channel Audit write-ups