BA 655 – MARKETING MANAGEMENT (SPRING 2013)
Thu 7:00pm – 9:40pm, EBA-339
Prof. Claudiu V. Dimofte
Office: SSE-3106 • 619.594.0209 • cdimofte@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: Thu 5:00-6:00pm and by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW
The course examines the managerial process associated with the identification, understanding, and resolution
of marketing issues in contemporary organizations. Relevant theoretical and quantitative tools are addressed
within a decision-making general framework that puts the marketing function at the center of an organization’s
strategic direction.
As a business philosophy with a focus on the customer, marketing is a general responsibility to be shared
across company management and not the mere domain of marketing specialists. It is a skill relevant to all
careers concerned with organizational strategy, and this course attempts to give students a good grasp and
understanding of the basic marketing management issues involved. The course offers students the chance
to build their skills and knowledge in an environment that encourages critical thinking and insight; no student
should feel uncomfortable sharing an opinion. We will work together to help you understand the strategic
role of marketing and its functional concerns; to sharpen your decision-making and analytical skills in applied
organizational settings; and to create a forum for open debate and critical examination of peers’ insights and
analyses. As marketers, you will need to understand consumer needs and behaviors, create and provide
superior customer value, and ensure positive financial returns for the firm. In the process, you should be
able to implement strategies that account for the latest social and economic trends (e.g., new technologies,
globalization, etc.). As a survey course intended to provide an overview of marketing concepts and tools,
the class material will by necessity favor breadth over depth of coverage. Students interested in pursuing
marketing careers should follow up this class with other courses offered by the SDSU Marketing Department.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this course each student should be able to:
 Analyze markets and customers utilizing primary and secondary sources of information.
 Understand the importance of customers and perform their financial valuation for the firm.
 Define and apply knowledge of key concepts (e.g., market segmentation, positioning, etc.).
 Identify the marketing mix elements and explain how they are integrated into a comprehensive plan.
 Explain the value of building a successful brand and the necessary steps required to accomplish it.
 List and describe the elements of an Integrated Marketing Communications program and discuss how
to assure synergy from one communications tool to another.
CLASS MATERIALS
 Required Text: Kotler & Keller – Marketing Management, 14e, Prentice Hall 2012
 Required Cases and Readings: BA 655 Course Pack
 Required Class Website: Blackboard.
 Suggested Readings: Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Ad Week, Brand Week.
INSTRUCTION METHOD
The class will be taught as a combination of lecture and discussion, with a strong focus on the case method.
It is designed as an interactive and participative environment, with open debate of others’ ideas and insights.
Lectures will emphasize key concepts from the assigned readings and provide guidance in applying them to
practical situations. Students are expected to be familiar with the assigned readings before class. The class
exercises and case studies will reinforce concepts covered by the assigned readings and presented during
lectures. Students are expected to prepare for each class session and fulfill all assigned tasks (written or
oral assignments). The class will be quite demanding on your study time, so try not to fall behind.
I expect you to act as responsible students in one of California’s top business schools. Class attendance
is very strongly encouraged, for multiple reasons. First, contribution to class discussions will be a large part
of student evaluation. Second, a variety of video materials will be presented and handouts will be distributed
during many class sessions. Please try to keep up with the class readings and assignments, and come talk to
me as soon as you have any questions or problems with the course work.
GRADING
Student work in and outside the classroom will be evaluated along the following dimensions:
 Class Contribution (nota bene: not mere attendance or participation!)
20%
 Group Case Study Write-ups (2 x 10% each)
20%
 Individual Case Study Write-up (2 x 10% each)
20%
 Group Marketing Plan
20%
 Final Exam
20%
Basic evaluation criteria for contribution involve the frequency and quality of your involvement in class
discussions: your contributions should be relevant, coherent, and insightful. Case analyses will be evaluated
based on your ability to identify the specific problem at hand, to develop strategic and actionable plans
addressing it, and to account for the likely benefits and potential drawbacks of your solution. The final exam will
assess your understanding of the conceptual and analytical tools covered in the course. Detailed expectations
regarding appropriate student performance for the case analyses and the final exam will be provided prior
to my assigning write-ups and administering the exam.
The class is graded on a curve; however, consistently poor performance will likely result in failing the class.
Assignments are due at the start of the class session, as listed in the enclosed schedule. Late assignments and
missed exams will receive a grade of zero; please discuss with me in advance any conflict you may have.
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES
Students are expected to exhibit academic behavior consistent with the highest ethical standards. There
are several team assignments in the course wherein all members of the team are expected to contribute
their fair share to the assignment. All other work should be performed and will be evaluated on an individual
basis. Any plagiarism, joint work on individual projects, or other violations of academic integrity must and
will be reported to the school’s administration. Your behavior and language should also befit a graduate
student. Please avoid class disruptions of any kind (including late arrivals).
COURSE SCHEDULE
The following is a tentative schedule that may suffer changes at various times during the semester. These
changes will be announced in class, but also check the course website on Blackboard regularly for updates.
Date
Topic
THE MARKETING CONCEPT
Read
K & K Ch. 1: p. 2-31
Course website on Blackboard
1/17
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
K & K Ch. 2: p. 32-65
UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET
K & K Ch. 3: p. 66-95
IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES
K & K Ch. 11: p. 318-320
UNDERSTANDING VALUE
K & K Ch. 5: p. 124-127
CP Case: Priceline.com: Name Your Own Price
1/24
1/31
Guest Speaker TBA
CAPTURING VALUE
K & K Ch. 11: p. 298-317
UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER
K & K Ch. 6, 7: p. 151-211
MARKETING RESEARCH
K & K Ch. 4: p. 96-121
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MGMT.
K & K Ch. 5: p. 128-149
2/21
MARKET SEGMENTATION
K & K Ch. 8: p. 213-239
2/28
MARKETING PLAN WORKSHOP
3/7
TARGETING & POSITIONING
K & K Ch. 10: p. 275-297
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
K & K Ch. 11: p. 310-318
K & K Ch. 20: p. 567-593
PRODUCT STRATEGY
K & K Ch. 12, 13: p. 325-381
BRANDING
K & K Ch. 9: p. 241-272
PRICING
K & K Ch. 14: p. 383-413
MARKETING CHANNELS
K & K Ch. 15, 16: p. 415-472
INTEGR. MKTG COMMUNICATIONS
K & K Ch. 17: p. 475-500
2/7
Prepare
CP Case: Zipcar: Influencing Customer Behavior (IWD)
CP Case: The Coop: Marketing Research
2/14
3/14
3/21
CP Case: Fashion Channel: Market Segmentation (GWD)
CP Case: Clean Edge Razor: Splitting Hairs in Product
Postioning
CP Case: Aqualisa Quartz: Simply a Better Shower
(IWD)
CP Case: Culinarian Cookware: Pondering Price
Promotion
3/28
CP Case: MedNet.com Confronts ‘Click-Through’
Competition (GWD)
4/4
NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK)
4/11
MASS COMMUNICATIONS
K & K Ch. 18: p. 503-533
Creative advertising
K & K Ch. 19: p. 535-565
Guest Speaker TBA
PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS
4/18
SOCIAL MEDIA
4/25
THE GLOBAL MARKET
K & K Ch. 21: p. 595-619
5/2
MARKETING PLAN PRESENTATIONS (GWD)
5/9
FINAL EXAM
CP Case: Alpen Bank: Launching the Credit Card in
Romania
K & K = Kotler & Keller textbook; CP = Course Pack; TBA = to be announced; IWD = Individual Write-up due; GWD = Group Write-up due.