Course Syllabus

Course Information

MKT 6301 –Marketing Management

Summer 2006

Professor Contact Information

Alexander Edsel
972-883-4741
Alexander.Edsel@utdallas.edu
Office: 3.621
Office Hours: by appointment

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

None

Course Description
The Marketing Management course emphasizes marketing research, pricing, segmentation, positioning and
integrated planning. The topics to be covered include marketing management, buyer behavior, internet
marketing, product management, distribution, sales management, promotion, advertising, competitive
strategy, and marketing research. In all these decisions, the emphasis would be on the use of analysis of
facts and data commonly used in the industry. Exams will test application of principles to decision
situations

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

This course introduces the fundamentals of marketing through a series of decision problems encountered by
marketing managers. There are three key elements of instruction:
1. Learning by doing: You will either select a new product idea and develop a marketing plan for it or
develop a marketing plan to improve the marketing operations of a real company.
2. Learning through lectures and discussions.
3. Learning through case studies and homework assignments.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Marketing Management by Philip Kotler, 12th edition, Prentice Hall, Inc.

Why We Buy-The Science of Shopping, paperback edition, by Paco Underhill
You are required to obtain a case packet for the course, to be made available at the bookstore. There are 3
Harvard Business School cases in the packet.

Suggested Course Materials: High speed Internet access, Excel

Course Syllabus Page 1

 Assignments & Academic Calendar

No. Date Topic Chapters Assignments

1 May 16th Syllabus Overview-course 1 (p. 19-23) Form groups, designate Project
expectations 2 (p. 41-50) Managers (PM’s) and alternates for
Introduction: Marketing Principles 3 (p. 61-67) Cases and Group Project
and Planning, Key Information 5
Retention, Re-activation, Loyalty
Metrics-driven
2 May 23rd Market Research: quantitative and 4&6
qualitative
3 May 30th Consumer & Business Buying 7 (parts) Project proposal due
Behavior: including ethnic/ “Why We Shop” Homework 2 I assigned
Multi-cultural marketing
Internet Marketing (email, SEM-,
SEO-organic, surveys, advertising,
rich media)

4 June 6 th Segmentation, Targeting & 8 & 10

Positioning
5 June 13th Branding & Competition 9 & 11 CASE1: Google (competition,
electronic commerce)
Written and class presentation
Group One Peer evaluation scorecard
turned in

6 June 20th Midterm 12 & 13 Homework 2 I Due

Product & Services Management:
new product launches, lifecycle mgt,
divestment
7 June 27th Introducing new offerings, Pricing
8 July 4 th Independence Day no class
9 July 11th Sales & Channels (Internet, Mail,
Retail; Direct, Indirect. Mixed)
10 July 18th Advertising, PR & Direct
Marketing
20 & 14 CASE1: Rohm and Haas (New
Product Marketing Strategy) Written
and class presentation.
Group Two: Peer evaluation scorecard
turned in
Homework 2 II assigned
15 & 16 (parts) CASE1: Virgin Mobile (pricing)
“Why we Shop” Written and class presentation.
Group Three: Peer evaluation
scorecard turned in
17, 18, 19 (parts)

11 July 25th Project Presentations3 (turn in 22 (parts) Project Presentation written and
written presentation-oral oral. Turn in Project Peer Review
presentation to class) Evaluations
Homework2 II Due
12 August 1 st Final Exam

Course Syllabus Page 2

Cases1:
Each group will submit one written case report 5-6 pages long and make an oral presentation to the class. I
will facilitate any necessary media (overhead projector). Homework and Case reports are due at the
beginning of class regardless of whether you attend class. Late reports will NOT be accepted. A marketing
vice president informed one of our faculty members that professors do a major disservice to the business
community by accepting late assignments. In the real world, missing a deadline means a lost account or
business.

Homework 2: There will be two homework assignments. These must be done individually and not by the
group.

Final Project3
Each group will complete a written group project and make an oral presentation to the class. The Final
project will evaluate how well you have learned and applied the principles of marketing . The project
consists of either
1. Selecting a new product or service and developing a marketing plan or
2. Improving the marketing of a real company by suggesting a new product or service or improving current
ones (a marketing plan must be built around this)

I have several volunteer companies for this semester. At the beginning of the course, I will briefly profile
the companies involved, students will then be grouped into teams and assigned a specific company they
will work with. One group may be given the option of either choosing their own target company or of
creating a new product/service idea. If feasible, students will be given the opportunity to choose which
company they wish to work with (if there are too many students volunteering for one company some will
be assigned to another company-team)..

Objective of using volunteer companies:

a) Company: to help the company improve one or more key (marketing driven) areas such as their
revenues, growth (profitable), new product/service ideas, customer satisfaction, sales, retention, etc
b) Students: real-world scenario, providing valuable experience in working with teams and company
sponsors

What not to do: do not get involved in any manufacturing, logistical, financial or HR issues. Do not ask for
proprietary or confidential information. Dress and behave in a professional manner.

Length: No more than 8-10 pages + another 3-5 pages with market research results, metrics, etc
See page 60 of Kotler’s book for content of marketing Plan

1. Executive Summary & Table of Contents

a) Describe the company (4 P’s), current market, need it serves and customer base
b) What are the problems or areas that can be improved?
2. Current marketing situation and SWOT analysis
a) Detail current marketing activities being undertaken (advertising, direct mail, etc)
b) Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning: current vs. your observation/recommendations
3. Market research: applying the concepts learned in class and from book “Why We Shop”. Identify
and justify the type of market research that should be conducted. Conduct said market research.
Identify any secondary sources you might use if relevant.
4. Metrics: establish a set of key metrics that should be used if not currently used (retention,
satisfaction, conversion rates, etc)
5. Marketing recommendations:
Product/service recommended and/or Product/Service improvement (real company)
Pricing (target): i.e. different pricing strategy (i.e. penetration)
Placement: Branding, packaging, displays, store layout, signage, etc.
Promotions: Message, target audience, media (TV, radio, direct mail, print)
Customer service: training, numbers employees per store/dept
Provide a brief justification for your choice in each case.

Course Syllabus Page 3

 6. Financial projections*: for each recommendation, provide a cost estimate & Return on
Promotion/Breakeven. Payback for initiative.
* Some financial info. (i.e. gross margin)s may not be readily available-this will be handled on a
case-by-case business with input from me, using industry averages.

Grading Policy
Course grades will be determined by your performance on case reports, scores on examinations, project and
class participation. The weight given to each of the activities is given below.

Activity Weight
1. Attendance, Class Participation /Peer evaluation, pop test 10 %
2. Case analysis (1 case) 10%
3. Midterm exam 20 %
4. Final Exam 30 %
5. Homework (2) Individual not group assignment 10 %
6. Group Project 20 %
Total 100%

Cases will be graded mainly on the strength of the arguments in the analysis section.
In order to encourage groups to prepare a professional report the following weights will be used.
Activity Weights
1. Key issues 10%
2. Relevant background information - on competition, customers, environment 10%
3. Buyer behavior (if relevant) 10%
4. Analysis – qualitative, quantitative 30%
5. Evaluation of alternative courses of action 10%
6. Recommendation 10%
7. How to implement the decision - 4 P's. 10%
8. Overall presentation of the report 10%
Total 100%

Project

Evaluation of the Presentation:

• Content:
Has the market, product, competition and/or company was analyzed thoroughly
Have key concepts of marketing been applied?
Has every area of a marketing plan been incorporated or addressed?
Gaps, alternatives, key issues not covered?
Are the measures recommended the best? Realistic?
Are the metrics well chosen and achievable?
• Presentation: Was the presentation interesting? engaging?
Confidence of the speakers - relaxed.
Clarity of the talk - speed, loudness.
Were the visuals presented clearly?
Was a clear conclusion provided?
The company sponsors will also provide a confidential evaluation of the group

Course Syllabus Page 4

 Activity Weight
1. Application of marketing principles (needs) 30 %
2. Creativity, originality 15 %
4. Peer evaluation 15 %
5. Company sponsor evaluation 20 %
6. Overall presentation: effectiveness/coherence 20 %
Total 100%

Course Syllabus Page 5

Confidential

Peer Evaluation Form for Case Study & Group Project

The purpose of this evaluation is to measure the contribution of each member to the group effort. Each
member will rate the relative contribution of all members in the group on a 10-point scale. The average of
these ratings will be the peer evaluation score. For example, if you rate your contribution 8, and other
members rate you 9, 8 and 9, then your peer evaluation will be 8.5. You should be honest and impartial in
your evaluations. The instructor reserves the right to correct and/or discard evaluations that are
questionable. Please use the scale shown below:

No contribution Contributed
at all a lot
+-----------------------------------+
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Enter the name of each Rate the member’s Please provide some justification for your rating below.
group member, yourself contribution on the 1 Use back of form if required.
first, below. to 10 scale:
1. Your Name:

2.

3.

4.

5.

Please seal and return this form to Prof. Edsel’s office

Course Syllabus Page 6

Course & Instructor Policies

A successful course requires expectations to be satisfied on both sides. You can expect that I will select
relevant materials and present them effectively in class. I will foster a supportive environment in the
classroom. If requested, I will provide feedback on your performance in the course both formally and
informally.

I expect that you will prepare carefully by reading your assignments/cases and will be ready
to participate in all class discussions. Attendance in class is required although one absence is allowed
without penalty after the first class. I expect that you will come to me if you have any difficulty with the
material, or if you have suggestions to improve the quality of the course.

My role is to facilitate the case discussion. Remember that the quality of discussion is the responsibility of
the whole class. Ten percent of the grade counts towards class participation. You should dress and behave
in a professional manner.

Final note: While there is no "one" correct answer to the problem, there are wrong answers or approaches.
We investigate different approaches to the problem and understand the significance of each approach. In
the process you develop a judgment about how to approach real life decision problems.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and
University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information
regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is
available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-
related activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained
in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and
in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating
Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

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 A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any
class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork
to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the
class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain

Course Syllabus Page 8

 primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.
The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

Course Syllabus Page 9

 The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

Course Syllabus Page 10