Marketing Management

MKTG 6215 (4 units)

Spring 2016
Tuesday 6:30PM - 10:00PM (VBT 216)
Dr. Yi He
Office: VBT 420
Phone: 510-885-3534 (Office)
E-mail: yi.he@csueastbay.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 1pm 2pm, 5:30-6:30; Thursday 1pm 2pm, and by appointment
Required Case Package:
Harvard Business School Cases through https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/48013834
Optional Materials:

Lecture Overheads

Course Description:
Core marketing management issues in a changing business environment, conceptual knowledge, analytical
tools, and problem solving skills applicable to marketing. Topics include environmental scanning; target
marketing process; customer relationship management; managing product, price, distribution, and
promotion; and marketing control. Prerequisites: All CBE and University proficiencies, including the
UWSR, and all MBA fundamental courses. A-F grading only.
Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

Acquire an understanding of fundamental concepts of Marketing.

Acquire an understanding of the scope of marketing covering different functions of a marketing

manager.

Be conscious of ethical and legal implications of marketing decisions.

Acquire conceptual knowledge and analytical skills to systematically analyze and solve marketing
problems.

Develop communication skills in preparing written report containing detail analysis of marketing
problems and alternative solutions.

Integrate various elements of marketing to develop marketing plan for specific marketing activities.

Course Format
Active class participation is a critical element of the course. A combination of lectures, case discussions,
interaction, in-class assignments, and readings, as well as presentation of assignments to the class will be
common throughout the class sessions. It should be clear that your proactive participation in this course
determines the extent to you will benefit from the knowledge and practice that the course offers.
Course Requirements:
All written assignments should be submitted through Blackboard Turnitin assignment submission
system.
I.

Group Marketing Plan Project (30%)

Project Requirements
The purpose of this project is to provide an opportunity to refine, extend, and integrate marketing and other
business knowledge and skills through application to a real world situation. The project requires the
development of a formal marketing plan for a real-world enterprise. The student may or may not contact with
the client when conducting the project. Projects can be focused on the marketing of enterprise as a whole or
may be focused on more limited objectivese.g., the launching of a new product. Students will work in
groups of 5-6 students each. The project requires both a formal, typewritten report to be turned in on the
date indicated in the class schedule and a formal, in-class presentation. This required paper is to be
written and submitted and the presentation is to be made by the group as a whole. Expect to be
involved in extensive research.
Generally, the team will be expected to:
1. Identify and define the marketing objective(s), e.g., the launching of a new product.
2. Analyze the firm current situation and identify opportunities and threats (micro- and macroenvironment analysis).
3. Identify and evaluate alternative approaches to meeting the marketing objective(s).
4. Obtain and analyze other information as indicated by the specific objectives
5. Develop a details and specific plan to obtain the objective(s).
You may use scholarly articles, industry sources, popular press, the Internet, as well as personal interviews as
sources of information. In fact, it is expected that you will use most of these sources. Further, examples
from industry-related advertising, popular press articles, and personal experience should be used to
demonstrate your understanding. Do not rely solely on Internet searches (Google is not a substitute for the
library).
The report is to be constructed for the client, not for the instructor. The writing and appearance of all project
reports will weigh heavily in the evaluation.

Grading
Given the nature of this course, the grade will be assigned primarily on the basis of the final resultsi.e., the
written report and oral presentation. Both will be evaluated on the basis of thoroughness, the proper
application of the appropriate marketing concepts. The writing and professionalism of presentation will be
heavily weighted.
Team Participation: No individual will receive a grade on any team assignment that is higher than the grade
assigned to their team. However, all individuals will be evaluated by their team members at the end of the
quarter. Substantial evidence of the lack of team participation on the part of any individual will result in an
appropriate reduction in the grade of the individual's team assignments. All evaluations are to be made

independently by each team member and not discussed.

Guidelines for Presentations

Your PowerPoint presentations should be around 20 minutes long and focus on the situational analysis, target
market, positioning and the focal elements of your marketing mix design.

Guidelines for Written Report

Your written report should conform (more or less) to the format listed below. The body of the analysis
should not exceed fifteen double-spaced typed (12-point type) pages. However, extensive use of appendices
(such as charts, tables, industry-related ads etc.) is acceptable. Each item in the appendix must be
individually referenced in the body. References (i.e., sources of information) must be cited in the body and
listed in a reference section. As with all written assignments, your analysis will be evaluated on its
professional appearance, readability, and apparent effort, as well as on its content.
Marketing Plan Report format:

a. Cover page
b. Title Page including project title, student name, course title, instructor, date project is due
c. Table of Contents
d. Statement of the Objectives

Who is the client? What is the goal(s) for your marketing plan, e.g., the launching of a new
product?

e. Current Marketing Situation

1. Market Description
What is the current market size, the growth potential for the immediate future (next five years),
and geographical distribution in this product category?

2. Product review
What are the existing products? What is the positioning of the existing products?
3. Competition Review
Who are the major competitors? Describe them in terms of their size, market share,
product positioning strategies, or any other characteristics that are appropriate to
understanding competitive intentions and behavior. What trends will affect future
competition and substitutes for this product?
4. Distribution Review
What are the different ways that products in this category are distributed and promoted?
Are there any potential changes in the importance of the varying distribution and
promotional approaches?
f. Target Market
Use case data and any other logic and secondary research to provide a rationale for how you
intend to define the target market for your marketing program and why you believe this is the
best option.
g. Marketing Strategy

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Positioning
Product Strategy
Pricing Strategy
Distribution Strategy
Marketing Communications Strategy

h. Appendix
--e.g., Charts, Graphs, Tables Perceptual Maps, Advertisements that illustrate concepts, etc.

i.

References (Please use Chicago style for the references).

BE SURE ALL SOURCES OF INFORMATION ARE APPROPRIATELY REFERENCED IN THE

BODY OF YOUR REPORT AND LISTED IN THE REFERENCE SECTION.
II.

Two Case Analyses (30%):

The case analysis is meant to show the student's ability to apply course concepts and vocabulary to
the business problem. Students are expected to use theories, vocabulary, and models to describe the
components within the case. The case should be written in clear and concise language that shows the
student's ability to synthesize course material and relate it to business problems.
There will be marketing cases assigned for each lecture. Pick two of the cases to write your essays. If
there are multiple cases mentioned in one class, pick one to analyze. Each paper will be 3-4 pages
long (single-spaced, tables, and bibliography are excluded) with 12 pt. fonts. The case analysis will
be due at the beginning of class before the case is discussed in class. No late assignments will be
accepted. The case analyses should be submitted through Blackboard Turnitin assignment
submission system. You may print out a copy of the analysis for in-class case discussion.
The suggested format for case analysis is provided below, which comprises of six sections. However,
given the nature of each case, the case analysis doesnt have to comprise all six sections. The
students may apply this format with flexibility.
Format for the Case Analysis:
1.

Overview
Overview of pertinent history and facts. Describe the background of the situation or business
that is the subject of the case; Provide information that creates the context for your analysis;
incorporate relevant facts about the company or situation derived from research outside the
case you are analyzing.

2.

Problem/s
State the problem. Identify the problem or key issue from the case that is relevant to course
goals. Will an analysis of this issue allow you to demonstrate your comprehension and
synthesis of course concepts?Clearly describe the problem or issue.

3.

Alternative Solutions
Offer alternative solutions and approaches to the problem. Using information or data found
in the case study, as well as from course materials and your own research, offer two or more
solutions or approaches to the problem.

4.

Evaluation of Alternatives
Evaluate each alternative. Critically assess the alternatives defined in section 3. Describe the
implications and key steps for implementation of each alternative. Consider external and

internal factors and other relevant trends. Once again, utilize course texts and other resources
to enhance your assessment.
5.

Recommendation/s
Offer your best recommendation based on your analysis in section 4, recommend one
alternative. Support and justify your recommendation. Depending on the nature of the case,
you may suggest management or leadership styles or commitments, describe the
organizational structure, policies and systems, or outline changes to the business model
needed to successfully implement this recommendation.

6.
Possible Results and Obstacles to Implementation
Summarize the likely result and/or obstacles that may play into the execution of your solution. What
outcomes might result from the implementation of the selected alternative? What internal or external
trends may enhance or obstruct successful implementation?
Note: To write a good case analysis, you may need to compile additional resources. The university
subscribes to many online journals, newspapers, and database, which are available from library
online resources. Keep records of what you find. When you cite from press releases or articles, list
them in a bibliography. List the authors name, title of the article, year published, and the source of
the article. For instance:
Trusov, Michael, Randolph E. Bucklin, and Koen Pauwels (2009), Effects of Word-of-Mouth
Versus Traditional Marketing: Findings from an Internet Social Networking Site, Journal
of Marketing, 73 (September), 90102.
Van den Bulte, Christophe (2010), Opportunities and Challenges in Studying Customer Networks,
in The Connected Customer: The Changing Nature of Consumer and Business Markets, S.
Wuyts, M.G. Dekimpe, E. Gijsbrechts, and R. Pieters, eds. London: Routledge, 735.
Each footnote or endnote needs to have a corresponding number indicated in your essay. If you cite a
reference multiple times, indicate all of them in your essay. If you use numbers from an investing
website, compile the information you use into some easy-to read tables or charts, and put all of this
into your exhibits. Please do not copy and paste from online sources, you will get 0 if Turnitin
software from Blackboard indicates plagiarism in your essay.
III.

Final Exam (25%):

There will be one final examination. The approximate date of examination is shown in the syllabus.
The content will be based on a sampling of all presented and all assigned materials. The exam format
will be short essay questions.

IV.

Case Discussion Participation (15%):

Since the course is built around some recent cases, participation in case discussion is very important
and required of each student. As in the real world, the cases are rich in detail, yet open-ended and
incomplete at the same time. Therefore, do not approach a case as you would a book chapter or a
magazine article. In order to derive maximum benefit from the case method, it is essential that you
mentally "get inside" the case. At a minimum, the well-prepared student comes to class equipped
with the knowledge of the readings and brief analysis of the case.
Case discussion participation will be graded based on the in-class assessment of the instructor. Given
the high-caliber of the students, my previous experience suggested that this is likely to be a key area
of differentiation in your final grade. Please make sure you read the case indicated in the class
schedule under each class date. Your responsibility is to get yourself familiarized with the
material, and state your opinion in class.

Grades: Plus and minus grades will be assigned. Approximate weights given to each assignment are as
follows:

Group project (30%)

Case essay1 (15%)*
Case essay2 (15%)*
Final Exam (25%)
Case Discussion Participation (15%)

* Note: due at the beginning of the class when the case is assigned.
Grading Scheme:
A = 92.5 100%
B+ = 86.5 89%
C+ = 76.5 79%
D+ = 66.5 69%
F = less than 60%

A- = 89.5 92 %
B= 82.5 86 % B- = 79.5 82%
C = 72.5 76% C- = 69.5 72%
D = 60 66%

Academic Integrity:
Because Cal State, East Bay is an academic community with high professional standards, its teaching,
research, and service purposes are seriously disrupted and subverted by academic dishonesty. Such
dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism as defined below. Ignorance of these definitions will not provide
an excuse for acts of academic dishonesty.
Cheating includes but is not limited to giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination;
obtaining unauthorized information about an examination before it is given; submitting another's work as
one's own; using prohibited sources of information during an examination; fabricating or falsifying data in
experiments and other research; altering the record of any grade; altering answers after an examination has
been submitted; falsifying any official University record; or misrepresenting of facts in order to obtain
exemptions from course requirements.
Plagiarism includes but is not limited to submitting, in fulfillment of an academic requirement, any work that
has been copied in whole or in part from another individual's work without attributing that borrowed portion
to the individual; neglecting to identify as a quotation another's idea and particular phrasing that was not
assimilated into the student's language and style or paraphrasing a passage so that the reader is misled as to
the source; submitting the same written or oral or artistic material in more than one course without obtaining
authorization from the instructors involved; or "drylabbing," which includes obtaining and using
experimental data and laboratory write-ups from other sections of a course or from previous terms.
Continuous Improvement and Course Feedback
My goal is to continuously improve my teaching methods and the teaching materials (text, overheads, cases,
etc.) used, and therefore, enhance student learning. Your input is essential to this goal. I welcome your
feedback, anonymously or otherwise, at anytime throughout the course. This feedback can be provided
through a note in my mailbox or e-mail, or delivered personally by phone or in person.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
If students have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, or if students would
need assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.
Students with disabilities needing accommodation should either speak with the instructor or Student
Disability Resource Center (SDRC).

Emergency Information
California State University, East Bay is committed to being a safe and caring community. Your appropriate
response in the event of an emergency can help save lives. Information on what to do in an emergency
situation (earthquake, electrical outage, fire, extreme heat, severe storm, hazardous materials, terrorist attack)
may be found at:
http://www.aba.csueastbay.edu/EHS/emergency_mgnt.htm
Please be familiar with these procedures. Information on this page is updated as required. Please review the
information on a regular basis.

Tentative Course Outline (subject to revision and adjustment)

Date
March 29

Topic/Activities

April 5

Introduction to the course

Introduction to Marketing

April 12

Assignments
NO CLASS

Harvard Business Case:

Bluefin Labs: The Acquisition by Twitter

April 19

Consumer Behavior

Harvard Business Case:

Groupon
Whats the Deal with LivingSocial

April 26

Segment, Targeting and

Positioning

Harvard Business Case:

Crescent Pure

May 3

New Product Introduction

Harvard Business Cases:

Eventbrite

May 10

Branding Strategy

May 17

Pricing Strategy
Marketing Channels

Harvard Business Cases:

Introducing iSnack 2.0: The New Vegemite
Harvard Business Cases:
J.C. Penneys Fair and Square Pricing Strategy

May 24

Integrated Marketing
Communication, and Promotion

Harvard Business Cases:

Mekanism: Engineering Viral Marketing

May 31

Group Presentations

Project Due

June 7

Final Examination (Online Exam)