Note: If you have questions about this syllabus, please contact monica_perry@redlands.edu
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
MBA PROGRAM MODEL SYLLABUS
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FOR MARKETING
GISB 691W (4 credits, MBA GIS Emphasis)
Saturday In-Class Sessions 10AM - 5PM: Sessions 2, 4, 6, 8
Location Information
INSTRUCTOR
Name:
Location:
Phone:
Email:
Fax:
Faculty Website (if provided by instructor):
Blackboard Course ID (if provided by instructor):
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
GISB 691W (4 Credits): Examination of the strategic marketing planning process, with
special emphasis on components for which geographic information systems (GIS) can
provide valuable decision-making support. Focus on the use of GIS in support of
environmental scanning, market segmentation, target marketing, test marketing,
distribution, and targeted promotional activities.
COURSE OVERVIEW
The development and implementation of successful marketing strategies increasingly
relies on sophisticated data analysis techniques. One such technique is the use of
spatial information and analysis to make strategic marketing decisions. Using
geographical information systems as a methodological tool, the course will cover the
basics of strategy, including situation analysis, identification of key problems/issues,
selection of a target market, positioning, and development of strategies for product,
price, place, and promotion. Issues connected with strategy implementation will also be
addressed. Geographic Information Systems are being readily employed in marketing
operations and this course develops students’ facility with incorporating spatial
information in the design and evaluation of marketing decisions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
 understand and apply the marketing concept
 conduct a thorough and relevant SWOT analysis with particular emphasis on
evaluation of spatial data
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understand the components of marketing strategy (target marketing,
positioning, product, price, place, and promotion), and how spatial data can
be used in their development and implementation
develop each component of the marketing strategy such that it fits into a
cohesive overall marketing strategy, incorporating GIS into strategy
development and implementation
understand the opportunities for and limitations of use of GIS in support of
marketing strategy development
perform data and map manipulations with ArcGIS to answer marketing
questions
improve information search and analytic skills
MAJOR TOPICS
 Customer value orientation
 Environmental scanning using GIS tools
 Market segmentation and target marketing using GIS as a decision making
tool
 Positioning, product planning, pricing, and distribution using GIS as an
analytical tool
 GI in an integrated marketing communications (promotion) plan
 Layering of data of different types into maps
 Use of ArcView software
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
 Mullins, & Walker (2010). Marketing management: A strategic
decision-making
approach. (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780073381169.
 Access to the Internet for Armacost Library databases and Blackboard for
supplemental articles, assignments, and material and online discussions.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ASSIGNMENT
In Class Participation
Marketing Analysis Memo
Tutorial Exercises
(3 sets @ 4% each)
Marketing Communications Plan
Proposal
Marketing Plan Presentation
Marketing Plan Report
Online Discussions
Discussion A @ 10%,
Discussions B @10%
GIS Emphasis Reflective
Learning Journal
TOTAL
Due Date
In-Class Sessions 2, 4, 6, 8
In-Class Session 2
Sessions 3, 5, 7
Weight
10%
10%
12%
In-Class Session 4
5%
In-Class Session 8
In-Class Session 8
10%
25%
20%
Sessions 1 - 3
Sessions 5 - 7
Session 7
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100%
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All written assignments (Memo, Proposal, Report, Journal) are due at the start of inclass sessions or submitted to the instructor electronically to the Digital Dropbox in
Blackboard by 11:59 pm on the dates indicated in the course schedule.
All written assignments must:
 include a title page with your name, GISB 691W, title of assignment, and date,
 be double spaced,
 use a 12 point font,
 have at least 1 inch margins on the right, left, top and bottom.
Marketing Analysis Memo
Write a 2-page memo describing how you would use geographic and/or spatial data for
opportunity analysis. Choose an industry with which you are reasonably familiar and
discuss specifically:
1) the nature of the spatial or geographic data that you would use and
2) how the data would help evaluate market opportunities.
Feel free to refer to www.esri.com/industries.html for inspiration, but draw your own
conclusions as to how spatial or geographic data would help your analysis. Be succinct
but specific and insightful. Avoid generalities and tautologies, such as “Location data on
competitors would help understand where they are.”
GIS Exercises
You will complete 3 sets of exercises using the GIS Tutorial for Marketing Text to
demonstrate capabilities with GIS software.
Online Discussion Forums:
Two structured online discussions will occur in Blackboard that will span 3 weeks, with
the expectation that you will participate at least once per week. Your participation
must include in-depth analysis and reflection on the specific discussion topics with at
least one contribution of 300 words or more. Contributions will be assessed based on
the degree to which they address the issues presented, appropriately integrate the
relevant course concepts and materials, utilize relevant secondary sources and engage
fellow students in a thoughtful progression of ideas.
Marketing Plan Project
You will base your Marketing Plan on an organization/product of your choosing or an
organizational context provided by the instructor. If you choose your own organization,
please discuss the applicability of it with the instructor prior to the proposal due date.
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
Proposal Write a 2-3 page memo describing the context for your marketing
plan, anticipated analysis, sources of data and information and how you will
incorporate geographic information in your analysis and/or decisions. Emphasize
your intentions for using geographic and other data in analyzing the environment,
segmentation, targeting, positioning, and/or marketing mix decisions. The depth
with which you address each of the marketing mix elements will depend on your
context, but each should be addressed. For example you might focus your
recommendations on the promotion aspect of the marketing mix (personal
selling, direct marketing, customer service, advertising, sales promotion, public
relations) and simply describe the other marketing mix elements.
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Presentation In 10 minutes address the key aspects of your plan, including the
analysis that lead you to your decisions on the target segment, positioning and
the marketing mix decisions. The presentation is a persuasive communication,
thus if it helps, consider how you would “pitch” the plan to group of savvy
potential investors. Support for your recommendations should be solid, logical
and well-supported with facts, analysis and insight. Please provide the instructor
with a copy of the visuals at the start of your presentation.
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Report. In a written report of approximately 10 pages, describe in detail the
results of your analysis as they relate and support your recommendations. Your
recommendations should address segmentation, targeting, positioning and each
of the marketing mix decisions. As previously stated, you may focus your efforts
on one or more of the marketing mix elements, but should address each at least
briefly. Excluding tables and figures, the report should be approximately 10pages.
The presentation and report will be evaluated based on depth and clarity of analysis,
thoroughness, evidence of understanding key marketing concepts, appropriately applied
geographic information for marketing, clarity in use of language, and cohesiveness of
the plan.
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Please organize your Marketing Plan as follows (approximate no. of pages):
1. Executive Summary (1 page)
2. Situation Analysis: Discuss Opportunities and Threats in the environment and
the implications for marketing decisions (3 pages)
3. Thorough Description and Discussion of Segmentation, Target Market
Segment(s) and, Positioning: Discuss the logic of your segmentation scheme,
analysis used in selecting the target segment(s), and the rationale for the
intended positioning (4 pages). You may also consider more refined targeting if
your dataset provides the opportunity to analyze micro-segments.
4. Marketing Mix Recommendations: Clearly describe your recommendations for
all promotion elements as the logic and support for your recommendations (4
pages). In addition to analyzing relevant qualitative information, your
recommendations should reflect analysis of relevant quantitative data. Given the
increasing role of the Internet, it would be wise if your recommendations
addressed the Internet (web sites and email) as a communication and/or sales
channel.
5. Appendix: Place complex tables and figures in the Appendix and make sure to
reference each table and figure in the appropriate section in the body of the plan.
Do not leave it up to the reader to draw the conclusion.
See Mullins & Walker (2010) text pages 487-494 for additional details on marketing
planning.
Manage your time on this project as
substantial secondary market research and analysis is necessary.
Thorough, creative analysis of spatial data will facilitate your marketing decisionmaking.
GIS Emphasis Reflective Learning Journal
The GIS Emphasis Reflective Learning Journal is a two-page reflection at the end of this
course on what you think makes businesses and organizations ready or well suited to
utilize a geographical information system to support marketing decision making. Please
think about what conditions and readiness factors are necessary for an organization to
obtain benefit through using geographic information and applying GIS. Please write this
in an essay format, explaining why certain readiness factors are important. Do not
submit a list without explanation. This will be the first in the series of Reflective
Learning Journal papers you will complete in your GIS emphasis program, and you will
be expected to turn in all audits to the instructor of your final GIS Strategy Capstone:
Concepts and Implementation course (GISC 693W).
GRADING CRITERIA
The nature of the written and oral assignments in this course is such that the quality of student
work may only be assessed through subjective evaluation. However, certain criteria will guide
the instructor’s judgment. Therefore, all assignments will be evaluated on evidence of learning,
depth of analysis, organization and thoroughness as well as the ability to anticipate the
regulatory/policy forces affecting business. Assignments should demonstrate that you have
analyzed the key issues in the course and text, and are thinking critically about the policy
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context of business. Assignments should be logically presented, adequately supported, and
carefully reasoned. All written assignments should be typed, double-spaced and contain a
bibliography of cited sources and appropriate footnotes. All ideas, quotes and statistics
borrowed from another author must be cited. If you did not collect the data to support your
position, then you need to properly cite the authority that did. Evidence of individual
contribution to any group projects will be gauged through the student's effectiveness and
participation in class discussion of the project. The general evaluation criteria are more fully
stated as follows:
4.0 or 3.7
(A): Outstanding. The student displayed exceptional grasp of the material, frequently with
evidence of intellectual insight and original thought.
3.3 or 3.0
(B): Excellent. Work demonstrated a thorough grasp of the material with occasional errors
and omissions. Assignments were thoroughly and completely done, with careful
attention to detail and clarity and with evidence of intellectual insight.
2.7, 2.3, or 2.0
(B-, C): Acceptable. The quality of work was acceptable, meeting minimal course standards,
but was not exceptional. Performance on examinations and other assignments was
satisfactory and demonstrated that the student was keeping up with the material and
attending to detail.
Graduate students will not receive credit for a course awarded a grade of 1.7 or
below. A cumulative grade point average below 3.0 is not sufficient for
good standing in graduate programs.
(C-, D, F) 1.7, 1.3, 1.0, 0.7. 0.0 Unacceptable for graduate credit.
I
W
Incomplete. With a valid excuse, an incomplete will be given. Consult the U of
R Catalog for further information on incomplete grades.
Withdraw. Student officially withdraws from the class. If instructor is not
informed about withdrawal from the course, an F will be assigned on the grade
sheet.
In-Class Participation
You are expected to complete assigned readings prior to each of the three class
sessions and prepare material and cases for in-class discussion. It is recommended
that you bring organized notes illustrating your own analysis. While the notes will NOT
be collected, they will help you participate at a high level during the in-class discussion.
In addition you are expected to participate actively during class discussions and
exercises.
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Careful self-monitoring using the following questions should help you evaluate the
quality of your participation:
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Do you interact with other students by asking questions or productively
challenging assumptions and conclusions?
Do your comments help move the discussion toward a conclusion that is
understood?
Do your comments build upon evidence from the assignments or
readings?
Are students able to relate your comments to issues under consideration?
Do your comments distinguish between different kinds of information fact, opinion, theory?
Do you integrate material from previous classes and readings, recent
articles, or other courses?
CLASS POLICIES
Attendance
Attendance at all four class sessions is mandatory. You are responsible for all
information given during the class sessions. If you must be absent for a legitimate and
unavoidable reason you must discuss your absence with the instructor in advance.
Unexcused absences will adversely affect your grade and it is not possible to pass this
class if you miss more than 7 hours of in-class instruction.
Should you miss more than one hour of in-class instruction, you may choose to forego
participation for that class or complete a written make-up assignment. It is YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY to check with the instructor for the make-up assignments. Any
make-up assignment must be submitted by the last in-class session, and will be graded
on a pass/fail basis.
Late Assignments
All assignments are due at the time and date stated on the Course Schedule. Any
assignment turned in late will drop one full letter grade for each week (7 day period or
portion thereof) that it is late. It is your responsibility to place the assignment in the
Digital DropBox in Blackboard and email the instructor indicating you have done so. No
assignments will be accepted after the last class session.
Grade of “Incomplete”
The granting of an incomplete grade occurs only under exceptional circumstances and
only after a discussion between the instructor and student, initiated by the student. The
decision of whether or not to grant an incomplete depends on the existence and
documentation of an emergency preventing a student from timely completion of the course
requirements. An incomplete grade will be converted to a permanent grade within 8
weeks from the last class session. Any incomplete work must be submitted to the
instructor no later than 7 weeks after the last class session.
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Disabled Student Services
A student with a documented disability who wishes to request an accommodation
should contact the staff at his/her campus or the Disabled Student Services Office on
the main campus at (909) 748-8108.
Academic Honesty
The University of Redlands Policy on Academic Honesty will be strictly adhered to and
applied. The Procedures for Addressing Academic Honesty are set forth in the
University of Redlands Catalog. It is expected that all students read and understand
the Policy and the provisions outlined in the Catalog.
The highest standards of academic conduct are required. This is particularly true for the proper
citation of course and research material in all written assignments. If you did not actually
collect the data or independently arrive at the idea presented, then a proper citation must be
used. Citations (in the form of parenthetical notes, endnotes or footnotes) must be used for
quoted or paraphrased text and any time you borrow an idea from an author, the instructor, or
your peers. Using someone else’s sentence or organizational structure, pattern of argument
and word choice, even if not exactly similar in every respect, warrants citation. It is students’
responsibility to make sure that their citations and quotation marks unambiguously highlight
the ideas, words, sentences, and arguments that they borrow from other sources.
Paraphrasing is not simply changing one or two words in a sentence; it completely
reconstructs someone else’s idea in your own words. For guidelines on appropriate citation,
quotation, paraphrasing, and plagiarism, see materials provided by the Indiana University’s
Writing Tutorial Center at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
and Harvard University’s Expository Writing Program at
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/resources.html
Discussion with the instructor and your peers is encouraged before the composition of written
work; however, all written work, unless specified by the instructor, is to reflect independent
composition and revision. Students working on group or collaborative assignments are
expected to contribute equally to all tasks necessary for completion of the assignment.
Students are expected to follow all written and verbal instructions provided by the instructor
with regard to written assignments, quizzes and/or exams. In addition to plagiarism, other
impermissible academic behavior includes, but is not limited to, collaboration without instructor
consent, falsifying research data, illicit possession of exams, using study aids during exams,
unauthorized communication about an assignment or exam, handing in others’ work as your
own, reusing assignments or papers from other courses, and impeding equal access to
educational resources by other students.
Time constraints, the demands of work and family, failing to read the University’s Policy on
Academic Honesty, unintentional misuse of sources, or a lack of preparation do not excuse
academic dishonesty or otherwise mitigate the appropriate penalty. Penalty for a first offense is
at the discretion of the instructor.
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If a student is uncertain about appropriate methods of citation or has a question about the
academic honesty policy, it is his or her responsibility to seek guidance from the instructor, a
University official, or another reputable source.
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Course Schedule
Session
1/DATE
Online Only
Topics
 GIS in Business Overview
 Marketing Strategy Overview
Deliverables and Activities
 Online Discussion A Begins (Dates)
2/DATE
In-Class
10AM-5PM
 Marketing Strategy & Mix Overview
 Market Opportunity Analysis
 Segmentation, & Targeting
 Marketing Analysis Memo
 In-class completion of Miller GIS
Readings
 *Pick Chapters 1, 2
 Mullins: Chaps 1
 *Viswanathan, N.K. (2005). GIS in Marketing.
In J. Pick, Geographic Information Systems in
Business (pp. 236-259), Hershey, PA: Idea
Group Publishing
 Mullins: Chaps 3, 6, 7 & 8
 F. Miller Chaps 1 & 2
3/ DATE
Online Only
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 Miller GIS Exercises 4.1 and 8.1
 Online Discussion A Ends
 Mullins: Chaps. 4 & 6
 F. Miller Chaps 4 & 8
 Marketing Plan Proposal
 In-class completion of Miller GIS
 Mullins: Chap. 4, 5, 10, 11
 Article: Garber, Goldenberg, Libai, &
4/ DATE
In-Class
10AM-5PM
5/ DATE
Online Only
6/ DATE
In-Class
10AM-5PM
 Differentiation & Positioning
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7/DATE
Online Only
8/DATE
In-Class
10AM-5PM
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Marketing Research
Consumer Behavior
Competitive Analysis
Buyer Behavior
Spatial Dimensions of Product,
Pricing
Retail Marketing Strategy
Marketing and Business Strategies
Privacy and Ethical Issues
Spatial Dimensions of Marketing
Channel Strategy
Integrated Marketing
Communications
Global marketing and Spatial
Intelligence
Spatial Information for Services
Situational Marketing Strategies
Organizing for Marketing
 Implementation and Control
 Marketing Metrics and GIS
Exercises for Chaps 1 & 2
Exercises for Chap 6
Muller. (2004)
 In-class completion of Miller GIS
Exercises for Chap. 7, 9
 Prepare Triangle Case for in-class
discussion
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 GIS Reflective Learning Journal
 Online Discussion B Ends
 Miller GIS Exercises Chapter 5
 Mullins: Ch. 12, 17
 *Article: Thurstain-Goodwin & Gong. (2005).
 F. Miller Chaps 3 & 5
 Marketing Plan Report
 Marketing Plan Presentation
 Mullins: Chap. 18
 Online Discussion B Begins (Dates)
 Miller GIS Exercises 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5
and 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
F. Miller Chap 6
Mullins: Chap. 2
*Article: Jank & Kannan (2005)
F. Miller Chap 8
Mullins: Chap. 13, 14 & 15
*Article: Heinonen (2006)
F. Miller Chap. 7, 9
*Triangle Products Case
*See Course Blackboard Site
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