SYLLABUS

 

BUS 350:  PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

Marketing is an essential role of every business organization and marketing activities must be performed, to some extent, for the survival of every business organization.  As an essential function, marketing activities provide four utilities for the consumer: time, place, and possession.(1)  These activities are performed by organizations – both traditional and nontraditional – and are aimed at creating satisfying exchange relationships for individuals and organizations. Marketing activities, coordinated and referred to as marketing strategy, is typically delineated across four areas, called the marketing mix.  The marketing mix defines tactics in the areas of product, price, promotion, and distribution decisions.

 

This course is designed to be an introduction to the board concept of marketing mix for the future manager.  Management students will progress through the topics of generic functions of business, the environment of business, market planning, information, and segmentation, consumer behavior, marketing ethics, and marketing strategy.   In addition, students will be discuss the concept of marketing “experiences” for consumers.(2)

 

 

1.                  Some theorist argue that marketing activities provide “form utility”, this is more appropriately categorized as a production function.  We discuss this in the first class.

 

2.                  Pine, B., and Gilmore, J. (1998).  Welcome to the Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review.  July-August, 1998.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

 

Students should be able to:

 

1.                  Articulate the essential functions of business, but more especially the role of marketing activities for the firm.

2.                  Demonstrate and understanding of the environment of business.

3.                  Demonstrate an understanding, identify, and apply the concept of the marketing mix: product, pricing, promotions, and distribution tactics of the firm.

4.                  Demonstrate a basic understanding of consumer behavior.

5.                  Apply the concepts of marketing strategy to analyze a business case  scenario, and provide recommendations for the firm.

6.                  Apply the knowledge of a firm’s operational strategy to the marketing mix concepts, and deduce its impact to the community at large.

 

COURSE  TEXT:

 

Boone, L., and Kurtz, D. Contemporary Marketing  Harcourt College Publishers.  ISBN: 0-03-031403-8

 

Supplementry Materials:

Cameruius, J.  Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Northwestern Michigan University.

 

Pine, B., and Gilmore, J.  Welcome to the Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review. 

Port, M.  How competitive Forces Shape Strategy.  Harvard Business Review.

 

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

 

1.                  Students are expected to come to class.  You need to discuss any situations that are impacting your attendance – as they arise – and in advance. There is no make-up for exams and quizzes, and no late assignments accepted.

2.                  Students are expected to be prepared for class.  You need to read the material designated for the day and be ready to participate in the order of business for the day.

3.                  Students are expected to do and submit their own work.  Be sure to cite any thing that is not your original thought!

4.                  Students are expected to demonstrate professionalism and integrity.

 

COURSE EVALUATION:

 

Performance in this course will be measured using the following key activities:

 

1.                  Exams.  There will be three exams that will cover major concepts in the course.  The formats for exams can include items that are multiple-choice, true/false, and a short answer question (any combination).  Exams will account for 30% of your final course grade.

2.                  Case Study. There is a business case assigned for this course.  Cases will require you to review information about a company, identify salient issues about its operation and describe its marketing strategy.  In addition,  analysis requires the student to make recommendations about courses of action fro the firm.  While there is no expected response for this activity, your analysis and findings should come from your course text, course readings, and information that you have researched about the firm.  You will be provided additional information about this assignment in class.  It should be typed, at least 1 ˝ line space, at least 5 pages, and properly cited.  It accounts for 25% of your final grade.

3.                  Position Brief.  Students will prepare a 5-7 page position brief on an issue that relates to a company’s marketing strategy, but more specifically to the concepts of marketing environment and social responsibility.  There is no expected response for this assignment.  It should be typed, at least 1 ˝  line space, and cited, if appropriate.  The position brief accounts for 15% of your final grade.

4.                  Article Summary.  Students will prepare a 1-2 page summary of two assigned readings in the course.  The summary should identify the reading, identify 3-5 five main points in the reading, and finally describe what impact it has on businesses.  The article summaries, jointly, account for 20% of your final grade.

5.                  Instructor’s Assessment.  In the business world, your supervisor gives you a performance evaluation, which determines tenure, promotion, raises etc.  This is sometimes (more times than not), a subjective assessment.  I reserve 10% of your final course grade for my assessment of your performance this semester.  This will be measured by attendance, punctuality, preparation, attentiveness, professionalism, etc.