MKT 440
Marketing Analysis and Strategy
Spring 2006
Professor:
Office:
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Dr. Lan Luo
ACC 301F
213.740.2497
213.740.7828
lluo@marshall.usc.edu
Lecture Hall:
Lecture Times:
Office Hours:
HOH 303
MW, 2:00 - 3:50 PM
TTh, 1:00 – 2: 00 PM or by email for an appointment
Required Textbooks
Strategic Market Management, 7th Edition, by David Aaker (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004), ISBN:
0471484261
Marketing Mistakes and Successes, 10th Edition, by Robert F. Hartley (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2005), ISBN: 0471743216
The Marketing Game! 3rd Edition, by Charlotte H. Mason and William D. Perreault, Jr. (McGrawHill Irwin, 2002), ISBN: 0072513802
Class Web Site:
http://totale.usc.edu
The Blackboard logon uses your USC ID and password. For help with the use of Blackboard, go
to http://www.marshall.usc.edu/web/Computing.cfm?doc_id=770#Blackboard. By default, email
from the instructor will arrive at your USC email account. If you would like to change this
destination, follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Login to Blackboard and click the “My USC” tab
In the “Tools” box on the left, click “Personal Information”
Click “Edit Personal Information”
In the “E-Mail” box, type the address where you would like your Blackboard email to
arrive and click “Submit”
Please make sure that your email address is up-to-date, so that you will not miss the messages
posted from the Blackboard course website. Students are required to maintain this e-mail
address as Blackboard uses this address to send course related e-mail. The website will include
the syllabus, presentation slides, group project information, grades, and announcements related to
this class.
Course Objectives & Descriptions
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This is the "capstone" marketing strategy course. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to
strategic issues in marketing and to enhance your understanding with "hands-on" applications.
A significant part of the course involves "The Marketing Game." The game is a computer simulation
in which you will be a marketing manager of your own firm for the semester.
To sharpen communication skills, students will participate in oral discussions and presentations. You
will be challenged to apply what you have learned by conducting an in depth analysis of a company
and present to the class in a 20-minute oral presentation.
In terms of subject matter, this course is concerned with the development, evaluation, and
implementation of marketing strategies. Specific course objectives involve the following:
1. Learning how to conduct a strategic marketing plan that supports an integrated development
of marketing strategies and plans.
2. Identifying and addressing strategic questions like:
a. Who are our customers, what do they want, and how should they be marketed to?
b. What business should we be in? What are our long-term objectives?
c. What growth directions are most attractive and how can we capitalize on them?
d. How should the organization's resources be allocated?
3. To have some fun!
The above objectives can only be achieved through mutual effort. I will work to stimulate your
interest and learning, but you are expected to display initiative and a program of self-study.
Prerequisite
By design, this capstone course is restricted to advanced, marketing majors (prerequisite:
BUAD307). Accordingly, each student is expected to have a solid foundation in basic marketing
principles. Course assignments will require both qualitative and quantitative analyses, so it is
important that students have a firm grasp of basic economic terminology and calculations.
Preparing For Class
Students are responsible for preparing for each class by (1) reading the assigned materials for the
class, and (2) completing any assignments due for that class. The assigned readings prepare you for
the class topic and will enable you to participate in class discussions productively. The notes are
intended to provide you with a detailed outline of the most important issues for each class topic. It is
recommended that you read the assigned chapters before each class and think about how to apply the
materials for class discussion.
Course Policies
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
Do the assignments on time. Late assignments will penalize your grade significantly.

Read assigned chapters prior to class. Participate in class discussions. Do not be afraid to
disagree.

No laptops. No newspapers. No cell phones.

Be courteous when someone else is speaking. Avoid side conversations.

When absent the student remains responsible for all materials covered during the absence
period (e.g. lecture notes, readings, and assignments).
USC Academic Integrity
The use of unauthorized material, communication with fellow students during an examination,
attempting to benefit from the work of another student, and similar behavior that defeats the intent of
an examination or other class work is unacceptable to the University. It is often difficult to
distinguish between a culpable act and inadvertent behavior resulting from the nervous tensions
accompanying examinations. Where a clear violation has occurred, however, the instructor may
disqualify the student’s work as unacceptable and assign a failing mark on the paper.
Special Needs
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on disability is required to register with
Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved
accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in
the semester as possible. Such notification should be sent no later than the second week of class.
DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday. The telephone
number of DSP is (213)740-0776.
Team Assignments
You have 2 team assignments in this class. You will work with the same team on each assignment.
Students should form groups (5 students per group) by Wednesday, Jan. 11 and have the names of
the group members submitted to me before class. At some point in your careers, you will be asked to
evaluate the work of others. So as part of the team assignment experience, you will be required to
submit a peer evaluation form for each of these assignments (peer evaluation forms are attached at
the end of this syllabus). Failure to make equitable contributions to group work will be penalized
with lower individual grade. Please remember to fill out and submit the peer evaluation forms along
with the projects.
Formal Course Assessment
1. Midterm Exam: a closed book, closed notes exam consisting multiple choice questions,
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true/false question, and short answer questions. A significant part of the exam is related to
the cases we discuss in class.
2. Cumulative Final Exam: exam format similar to midterm. A significant part of the exam is
related to the cases we discuss in class.
3. The Marketing Plan: details in Appendix 1
4. The Marketing Game: details in Appendix 2
5. Class Contribution: I will randomly choose 15 classes during the semester to grade your class
contribution. If you do not come to the class or do not participate in class discussions, you will be
given 0 points for that class. If you give well-thought and concise comments, you will get 1 full
point. If your class contribution falls in between the above two categories, you will get a 0.5
point. Your total points throughout the semester will be your class contribution grade.
Grading Policy
1. Final grades will be determined by your performance in the following areas:
Midterm (closed book)
Final (closed book)
Marketing Plan Presentation
Class Contribution
The Marketing Game!
Written Report 8 %
Oral Report
8%
Performance 14 %
20%
20%
15%
15%
30%
2. The Marshall School of Business grading policy requires that this course have a mean semester
grade of not more than 3.15 (roughly a B/B+ average).
3. Exam Makeup and Return Policies
The Midterm exam will be returned in class so students can review the exam. Exams will be kept
by the instructor. If you miss class on the day the exam is returned, you may stop by my office
hours to review your exam. Any questions or appeals about exams must be made in writing via email within 7 days after the exam is returned.
Make-up exams will only be permitted as required by University Policy. Therefore, you must
have a University approved excuse (e.g., Doctor’s excuse or University Sponsored event) and
provide the instructor with the supporting document. You must notify me within 24 hours of the
scheduled exam to explain why you missed or will miss the exam and to reschedule a make-up.
Student Information Sheet
To facilitate my knowledge of each student so that I can accurately evaluate your class
participation, you are requested to submit the student information sheet (at the end of the
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syllabus) with a head shot photograph of yourself. You may photocopy your school ID or driver's
license if you like, but please enlarge it to approximately a 2"x 2" size and make certain the
photocopy is as clear as possible. Please return this sheet to me by Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Feedback to the Instructor
At the Marshall School of Business, we are committed to continuous improvement in the quality
of teaching and learning. Please feel free to speak to me at any time about any aspect of this
course, including things that you think are going well, or things that need to be improved. During
the semester, I will also give you several opportunities to submit written feedback to me
anonymously. These will help me gauge how the course is progressing and make it a worthwhile
experience for you.
Schedule
A tentative schedule is presented below. The syllabus schedule and contents are subject to revision at
the instructor’s discretion. Additional readings may be distributed during class. In addition, the dates
for guest speakers are subject to change. The dates for the written assignments, oral
presentations, and exams will not change.
Date
1/9 M
Subject
Aaker
Hartley
1/11 W
Overview of Business Strategy: The Concept and Trends
Case: Southwest Airlines (Hartley)
Ch.1
Ch. 20
1/16 M
MLK Day (school holiday)
1/18 W
Business Librarian Seminar:
Marketing Plan Topic Selection
1/23 M
Strategic Market Planning
Overview: The Marketing Game
Ch. 2
1/25 W
Customer Analysis
Case: Boston Beer (Hartley)
TMG (Period 1)
Ch. 3
Ch. 22
1/30 M
Competitor Analysis
Case: Cola Wars (Hartley)
Ch. 4
Ch. 3
2/1 W
Market Analysis
Case: Burger Wars (Hartley)
TMG (Period 2)
Ch. 5
Ch. 2
2/6 M
Environmental Analysis
Case: Newell Rubbermaid (Hartley)
Ch. 6
Ch. 16
2/8 W
Ch. 7
Date
2/13 M
Internal Analysis
Video: Levi’s and Dunkin’s Donuts
TMG (Period 3)
Subject
Guest Speaker (Tim Clark): The Dormavac Case
2/15 W
Midterm Preparation
TMG
Submit
Introduction
Aaker
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1) Group List
2) Student Information Sheet
Ch.
1,2,3,4,6
Marketing Plan Topic
Ch. 5
Hartley
TMG
Submit
2/20 M
President’s Day (School Holiday)
2/22 W
Midterm
2/27 M
Midterm Review
3/1 W
Marketing Plan Presentation 1
Team Evaluation 1
3/6 M
Marketing Plan Presentation 2
Team Evaluation 1
3/8 W
Creating Advantage
Case: Wal-Mart (Hartley)
TMG (Period 4)
3/13 M
3/15 W
Spring Break
Spring Break
3/20 M
Board Meeting - TMG
3/22 W
Strategic Options
Case: Sneaker Wars (Hartley)
TMG (Period 5)
Ch. 9
Ch. 5
3/27 M
Value, Focus, and Innovation
Case: Harley-Davidson (Hartley)
Ch. 10
Ch. 18
3/29 W
Global Strategies
Video: Citibank Credit Card
TMG (Period 6)
Ch. 11
4/3 M
Strategic Positioning
Case: Airline Wars (Hartley)
Ch. 12
Ch. 4
4/5 W
Growth Strategies
Case: Vanguard (Hartley)
TMG (Period 7)
Ch. 13
Ch.19
4/10 M
Diversification
Case: Snapple (Hartley)
Ch. 14
Ch. 15
4/12 W
Strategies in Declining and Hostile Markets
Case: Perrier (Hartley)
TMG (Period 8)
Ch. 15
Ch. 8
4/17 M
Guest Speaker
4/19 W
Final Exam Preparation
4/24 M
TMG Presentations
Team Evaluation 2
4/26 W
TMG Presentations (last day of class)
Team Evaluation 2
5/8 M
Final Examination (2-4pm)
Celebrate! Good Luck! Please send me snail mail post card wherever you end up!
Ch. 8
Ch. 21
TMG Written-Report
Ch. 7
Marketing Plan Outline (Appendix 1)
Choose an existing company and propose a new product or service for this company. Using what
you learned from the business librarian and applying the principles from the course, your group
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will help the Vice President of Marketing at this company to make strategic recommendations for
the market entry of the product/service. You will be challenged to conduct an in depth analysis of
the current product/service portfolio offered by the company. You need to carefully examine how
your new product/service would affect the existing offerings of the company and the anticipated
strategic impact of your new product/service entry. Your group is also required to present the
short and long term revenue, expenses and net income of the marketing plan.
Your group will make a 20-minute presentation of the marketing plan followed by 5 minutes for
Q&A. The date of your marketing plan presentation is provided in the syllabus.
Your presentation should follow the format below:
1. Executive Summary - A brief discussion of the Marketing Plan providing
highlights of the new product/service to be introduced, situation analysis, objectives and
strategies to meet those objectives
2. Situation Analysis - Relevant background data on the industry, customer, competition,
company’s competencies, and marketing mix
 Customer Analysis
 Customer needs/perceptions
 Benefits sought by customers
 Segments

Competitor Analysis
 Major players in the marketplace
 Their competencies (strengths and weaknesses)
 Their likely future responses to the new product/service introduction

Industry/Market Analysis
 Industry/Market size
 Trends
 Technological changes

Company Analysis
 Does the company have any core competencies that they can leverage
 Given their competencies and weaknesses what are their opportunities
and potential threats
3. Marketing Strategy – “Game plan” of the market entry of the new product/service
 Target Market(s)
 Positioning
 Positioning Statement
 E.g. For the given target market, the product or service provides the
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
most important benefit because of the most important consumer needs.
Marketing Program
 Customer satisfaction
 Pricing
 Distribution
 Promotion
4. Projected Profit-and-Loss Statement - Forecast the expected financial outcomes from the
plan
 Projected revenue, expenses and net income for plan in year 1, 3 and 5
Grading:
The marketing plan contributes to 15% of your class grade. On the day of your presentation,
submit a hard copy of your presentation slides to me. My grading will be based on:
1) Content: how well you identify the needs for the new product/service and the quality of your
marketing plan. Creativity will be rewarded.
– 7%
2) Presentation Quality: organization of presentation; professionalism (e.g. not reading off the
slides; making eye contact with the classroom etc.). Use of video/audio props will be rewarded.
– 5%
3) Answering Questions: clear and concise answers to the questions from the instructor and
students
– 3%
PLEASE NOTE, PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO CORRECTLY REFERENCING YOUR
INFORMATION. PLAGARISM WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC “F” IN THE COURSE.
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THE MARKETING GAME (Appendix 2)
A significant part of the course involves THE MARKETING GAME! – a simulation in which teams
of students manage firms competing with one another in a given industry. This project will give you
a "hands-on" opportunity to analyze markets, competitive forces, and target market needs. You will
also get lots of practice in forecasting and budgeting.
You will work with your team members. During the semester you will be given class time to meet
with your group. Your group will compete against three other groups. Every team starts out with the
same amount of money and the same market share. Then it is up to you to develop and implement
your strategies. If you are successful, your firm can make a lot of money. On the other hand,
depending on what your competitors do, your firm can also lose a great deal of money. But don't get
discouraged! You will have eight opportunities through out the semester to make your decisions.
Just like in the "real world," some years are better than others.
The Marketing Game (TMG) book provides the details you need to know in order to play the game.
To ensure fair competition, I will not provide assistance to any team on their group decisions
throughout the semester. My experience with the game is that the students who thoroughly read and
study the information presented in the book get off to a good start and in the long run tend to do
better. Groups that work the best together tend to do the best (as well as have the most fun). Thus,
you are strongly encouraged to work closely with your group members. As you will see when you
read the book, this game has three levels of difficulty. We will increase the difficulty level at period
three and period six.
Wednesdays you will be given class time to meet with your group. Each week you will need to
submit an electronic version of your decision to the “Digital Drop Box” in Blackboard by
Saturday at 7:00 pm in the following manner:
1. Click “Courses” or “My Courses” tab in Blackboard
2. Click “Digital Drop Box” on the left
3. Click the “Add File” Button
4. Fill out the “Title”, attach your decision file, and click “Submit”
Please note that: 1) Only ONE person in your group needs to submit the decision to Blackboard; 2) I
will NOT accept your decision by email or any other form; 3) TMG uses special file names for your
decision file. Please DO NOT rename it.
A hard copy of your decisions will be due on Monday, at the beginning of the class. In order to run
the simulation, I need to have every team's decision. If your team fails to turn your work in on time, I
will use your previous week's decision again. (Note, since your competitors are modifying their
plans, using your old plans can be very costly!) Your team’s performance report will be distributed in
class on the following Wednesday. Just as in the "real world," the more money you make, the more
money you will have to work with in the next period.
After four periods, your group will have a board meeting with me. At the meeting, you need to
submit a written report summarizing your strategies to date and discussing your future plans. At the
end of the game, each group will make an oral presentation to the class. Then you will be able to hear
why and how your competitors did what they did. Guidelines for formulating the written and oral
reports and grading criteria will be provided in a separate handout.
A commonly asked question is "How do you grade the game?" There is no magic formula whereby if
your team makes a certain amount of money you will get a certain grade. Instead, there are many
factors to consider such as the logic behind your decisions and the consistency of your progress.
Your firm's performance (e.g., profitability, market share, etc.) throughout the semester, the written
report, and the oral presentation will all factor into your marketing game grade.
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Peer Evaluation Form
Team Project 1: The Marketing Plan
MKT 440 Marketing Analysis and Strategy, MW2pm Class
Instructor: Lan Luo
Your name _______________________________
Use this form to evaluate yourself and your team members on the listed criteria:
1. Attended all meetings - was there on time and ready to work for every meeting.
2. Completed all tasks - tasks were finished when promised and were done well.
3. Contributed to group effort - volunteered for work, assisted teammates when needed, and did
his/her fair share.
4. Contributed to group process - helped keep meetings on track, did not stray from subject, and
settled conflict.
Team Member
Points
___Yourself______________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
TOTAL = 100 Points
Specific comments about the group effort on the project:
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Peer Evaluation Form
Team Project 2: The Marketing Game
MKT 440 Marketing Analysis and Strategy, MW2pm Class
Instructor: Lan Luo
Your name _______________________________
Use this form to evaluate yourself and your team members on the listed criteria:
5. Attended all meetings - was there on time and ready to work for every meeting.
6. Completed all tasks - tasks were finished when promised and were done well.
7. Contributed to group effort - volunteered for work, assisted teammates when needed, and did
his/her fair share.
8. Contributed to group process - helped keep meetings on track, did not stray from subject, and
settled conflict.
Team Member
Points
___Yourself______________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
_________________________________
_______
TOTAL = 100 Points
Specific comments about the group effort on the project:
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET (MW 2PM CLASS)
Your Photograph
Name _______________________________
Major ______________________________
E-mail ______________________________
Expectations for This Course
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Work Experience/Internships
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Interests/Hobbies
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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