MKGT 654 Fastrak MBAMarketing Management, spring 2012

Barsema Hall Room (210)

Instructor: Dr. Vijaykumar KrishnanOffice Location: 128G Barsema Hall Office Telephone: (815) 753-6218Cell: (513) 675-0350Fax: (815) 753-6014Email): vkrishnanpalghat@niu.eduOffice Hours: 11.30 am – 12.30 pm after every class

TIP: Please bring a calculator (or your laptop) to every class. You will need it for number work.

Course Description

MKGT 654 is a marketing course designed to provide the student with a cohesive understanding of marketing from a managerial perspective through the exploration of marketing problems with an emphasis on qualitative and quantitative analysis, integrative marketing decision-making, and strategy formulation.

Course Purpose

This course will provide frameworks and tools to solve strategic-level marketing problems. The course utilizes lectures, and case studies from the Harvard Business Publishing. The cases studies provide an extensive opportunity to integrate and apply analytical tools in a practical business context. Taking the perspective of a senior marketing executive, the class will focus on the design, implementation and evaluation of marketing strategy. This course goes beyond marketing tactics for a single product or service offering. Instead, we will examine the strategic-level management of a firm’s marketing resources and capabilities in order to maximize long-run customer value and to generate the greatest financial return for the firm.

As such, marketing management focuses on improving six very important abilities: To strengthen your ability to think clearly, logically, creatively, and ethically

about business (in general) and marketing (in particular) To strengthen your ability to make decisions based on sound quantitative and

qualitative analysis To strengthen your ability to speak and write To strengthen your ability to apply your marketing knowledge and skills To strengthen your ability to ask questions and contribute to in-class discussion To strengthen your ability to work in a team

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Course Materials

The course will follow a seminar format that emphasizes peer learning. The components of the course material are listed below.

An electronic packet of thirteen items (12 cases, and a simulation module) is available from Harvard Business Publishing - You would be able to purchase and download this

material at this link.

 http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/13196567

(a) This is the only required material for this course. Please note that this material copyrighted and should not be copied, redistributed or shared in any manner. This material includes a case on Marketing Simulation. Part of your grade depends on this assignment. You would have to ensure that you have your personal and legal access to the material. Please follow the instructions on this link to register, buy, download, and print these materials. Students typically create a binder before the first class. (Hint: If you experience difficulties try alternative browsers IE, Firefox, Google chrome etc.)

(b) Material from the class lectures

(c) in-class discussions

(d) Handouts / printouts distributed in class

Copies of the class lectures/presentations will be provided via Blackboard. Some of the discussion slides will not be available from Blackboard. Each student is expected to take notes to capture the salient points of the class lecture and to ensure that he/she understands the material presented in class. There is no required text for the course.

There are many good books on marketing strategy/management, and you may consult them additionally. Here are some books that you may consider although these are not required material for this class:

1. Marketing strategy: A Decision-Focused Approach by Walker, Jr. and Mullins, McGraw-Hill Irwin., 7th edition, 2010.

2. Strategic Marketing Problems by Roger A. Kerin and Robert A. Peterson, Pearson Education Inc., twelfth edition, 2010.

50% of your work in this class will be in the form of group deliverables. We will form groups on 3/26/2012, the first day when the class meets.Grading

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Your grade will be determined by your performance in the following components:

Attendance, participation & pre-discussion summary @ 2% per class X 12 24 %Mid-Term 16%Simulation 10%Individual-Work Total 50%

Company Analysis Project Part I 20%Company Analysis Project Part II 20%Company Analysis Project Presentation 10%Group-work Total 50%

The overall course grade will be assigned as per the following guideline.100% ---- A ---- 92%; 91.9% ---- B---- 80.0 %---- ; 79.9%---- C ---- 70.0%; 69.9% ---- D--- 50.1%; 50.0%—F--0

Format of the class

Generally, each class meeting will comprise two sessions. In the second session, I will endeavor to share theoretical inputs on different aspects of marketing management. We will discuss extant literature on management from different perspectives covering pricing, branding, distribution, new product launch, product/ market diversification, etc. The second/third sessions will be in a lecture format, PowerPoint presentations may be used, and some reading materials may be assigned. These sessions will provide the theoretical foundation for the case discussion that will follow in the first session of the next class.

We will discuss cases involving key problems in marketing management. These cases have been chosen across a variety of industries and periods to help develop a broad perspective. Simply put, case method of learning invoves discussions on real-life sitations faced by busined executives. In reviewing these cases, you are essentially getting into the shoes of senior executives. You will use available quantitative and qualitative information from the case, ‘connect the dots’ with your insight, and take managerial decisions invoving marketing and business variables. Therefore, the case method helps the classroom meet the business world. Ninety percent of the task of a business manager is raising relevant questions. Answers to business questions are relatively easier to find but raising right questions is a critical managerial skill. In ‘solving’ the cases, you will often find yourself, asking … “…so what is the business problem this manager is trying to solve?” Often symptoms are wrongly identified to be a problem. Case discussions help us hone our ability to identity the correct problem in business situations. Finally, case discussions bring alive the sense of energy and fun a business manager might expect.

In short, during the case discussion session our classroom would resemble a boardroom where you are the senior executives shaping the decisions for the situation at hand. Needless to mention that you (and me too!) are expected to come fully prepared to discuss the case in class. It is fair game for me to call upon anyone in class to answer a question or start the discussion. In my role as the lead, I will nudge things along, raise

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new issues from time to time, challenge your suggestions, or amplify a point. Each case will typically end at a dangling decision fork.

Class Attendance, Participation and Pre-discussion summary (24%)

Attendance is mandatory in this class and in addition a pre-discussion summary needs to be turned-in

Pre-discussion Summary

A 2-page summary of the case to-be-discussed in class is due at the beginning of the class.

The summary should address the following questions.

1. Where are we? Situational analysis of the company in the case discussion describing the current position of the company.

2. Where do we want to be? Suggested future direction for the company based on the information provided in the case.

3. How do we get there? What do we need to do to get to the destination? E.g., launch a new product, advertise, expand into a new market etc.

The summary should be typed in a double-spaced format with one-inch margins on all four sides, using a 10-12-pitch (Times New Roman) font. Your participation points will also depend on the quality of the pre-discussion summary.

Students will be required to contribute to class discussion in a mature and scholarly fashion. This is a cornerstone class in which independent thinking and individualized positions are emphasized and encouraged as long as they are effectively substantiated. Students are expected to have open minds and respect the positions and opinions of others. Students will be required to come to class prepared for discussion and to contribute to develop an effective learning environment. Active involvement in class discussions is absolutely, positively essential to your successful completion of this course. Your participation grade is partially a function of the frequency of contribution, but it is primarily dependent on the quality (clarity, relevance, and importance) of your contribution to the discussion. Simply asking a lot of simplistic questions will not be enough. Absence will be marked with a score of “0” for the class. Leaving early or during the breaks will be construed as an absence.

Your grade for each case discussion will be determined by answering the following questions.

1. Is the participant prepared? Do comments show evidence of analysis of the case? Do comments add to

our understanding of the situation? Does the participant go beyond simple repetition of facts without analysis and conclusions? Do comments show an understanding of application?

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2. Is the participant a good receiver? Are the points made relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the

comments of others? Is the participant willing to interact with other class members?

3. Is the participant an effective communicator? Are concepts presented in a concise and convincing fashion?

Keep in mind that your grade for participation is not simply a function of the amount of "airtime" or "space" you take up. In general, you will be evaluated on how well you respond to the questions and how effectively you take into account the comments and analyses of your classmates.

The following scale will be used to evaluate your contribution to in-class discussion.

2.0 Points: Outstanding Contributor: Consistent, high-level involvement in class discussions demonstrated through asking questions (of me, of teams, and of other class members), answering questions, offering creative comments, adding new dimensions to the class discussions, and providing evidence of analytical depth, original thinking, and insight.

1. 50 Points: Good Contributor: Consistent contributions to class discussions primarily through asking questions or answering questions. Some questions or comments consolidate the general theme under discussion.

1.00 Points: Satisfactory Contributor: Periodic contributions to class discussion. Answers questions or offers commentary only occasionally. Needs to be called upon to participate; limited questioning.

0.5 Below Average Contributor: Sporadic contributions to class discussion. Passive member of the audience; asks trivial questions. When called on, fails to demonstrate adequate degree of familiarity with the assigned material.

There will be 11 sessions during the semester where your participation will be graded.

In case of an excused absence with a valid reason and at the discretion of the instructor, a make-up assignment (Write a 200-word summary for three articles from recent issues of Businessweek) can be turned in to earn the participation grade for that session. However, no more than one make-up is allowed in lieu of attendance. Each unexcused absence during a class session will result in zero points for that session. Therefore, frequent absences will hurt your participation grade. In addition, in order to earn the participation points, the written summary should have been turned-in at the beginning of the class.

Mid-term (16%)

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Your mid-term exam will comprise a combination of some essay type questions, some questions involving marketing metrics and some objective type questions. It would be held on 4/18/2012(approximately 75 minutes).

Please email me your midterm responses answered on your laptops immediately after the test, and check with me for receipt before class dismissal.

Marketing simulation (10%)

You will run a simulated business of a fictitious company for 12 quarters, take several strategic marketing decisions, and try to guide your company to profitability and other specified goals. This is an individual task. You will attempt to analyze your business results and learn from the consequences of your decisions. You will be allowed 10 runs (1run = running the business for all 12 quarters). Your best run will be used for evaluation. (Your last run may not be the best!) You will bring to bear all the learnings in the class to run this business effectively.

Company Analysis Project (20%+ 20% = 40%)

Marketing professionals can contribute to company decisions by analyzing markets for opportunity and developing marketing strategy to convert that opportunity into sales and profits. Because environmental forces influence opportunity, marketing strategy development must be based on a sound understanding of the market arena in which the company competes. Thus, analysis and strategy development/implementation are complementary parts of the overall product and market planning process. All marketing professionals, as well as those from other functional areas (including finance, operations, and accounting), must be proficient in applying this process.

The strategic planning and development process is challenging and requires creativity, reasoned judgment, analytical perseverance, and patience. The skills that you learn from this project should be easily transferable to most any type of marketing and other positions that you will hold in the future.

1. During the first meeting we will form groups. The group should consist of 5-6 students. Your instructor would determine number of groups.

2. Choose an industry you are interested in researching. Then choose a public company (different one for each group) in the industry that you wish to research. It cannot be your own company (however, you can analyze a competitor’s company). Be sure that there are many secondary sources (articles) of information on the chosen company and industry. Be sure to choose a company on which you can gather relevant financial information, as financial analysis is a critical part of the project.

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3. Once you have chosen a company, let me know. No companies may be researched by more than one group. Approval will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

4. Gather as many articles as you can on the company (competitors and industry) that relate to its business strategies and marketing activities. You should be able to find a minimum of 40 from a wide variety of sources. Depending on the company, the number will vary. The University library website has a link to sources for researching industry and company information.

5. Based upon information contained in the articles or from other resources, choose/develop/analyze a key marketing decision the company will have to confront within the next 6-12 months. This marketing decision will then become the basis for your group’s project.

6. From class and external material, prepare a paper (minimum of 60 pages excluding references and appendices) that discusses in-depth how the company being investigated should confront the selected issue. Include in the paper sections on: 1) situation analysis; 2) description and analysis of current marketing strategies employed; 3) decision or issue to be researched; 4) development and evaluation of one (or more) alternative marketing strategy (ies) including financial analyses (and implementation of the chosen alternative(s)); 5) expected/anticipated competitive reactions; 6) summary; and 7) appendices and references. In essence, you are preparing a case study of the company chosen. Be sure to use the material covered in your text and other handouts/readings as a guide to setting up the paper format.

7. The paper is expected to be presented in a professional form. Spelling errors or grammatical mistakes will be penalized severely. The paper should be typed in a double-spaced format with one-inch margins on all four sides, using a 10-12-pitch (Times New Roman) font. The College of Business Communication Handbook can be utilized as a guide to citing references in the text and compiling reference lists.

8. Part 1 (Includes Sections 1, 2, 3, and 7) of the Group Company Analysis Project is due, on April 18, 2012. For each day late, 5 points will be deducted from the paper grade. Part 2 (Includes Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7) of the Group Company Analysis Project is due, in class, on May 7, 2012. For each day late, 5 points will be deducted from the paper grade.

Sections to Be Completed 1) Situation Analysis Company analysis (including financial) Industry analysis External environment analysis Customer/Target market analysis Competitor analysis2) Description and analysis of current marketing strategies employed (including strengths and weaknesses of such strategies)3) Decision or issue to be researched including:

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Decision criteria, objectives associated with the decision, and relevant factors influencing the decision7) Appendices and references ( 20%)

4) Development and evaluation of alternative marketing strategy (ies) including financial analysis, and selection and implementation of the chosen alternative(s)5) Expected/anticipated competitive reactions6) Summary7) Appendices and references ( 20%)

Group Presentations (10%)

Your group will present the group project. It is expected that each member of the group will lead/present a reasonable part of the assigned case.

Presenting team’s deliverable: A power point presentation file of the project on the day of the presentation.

All team grades may be adjusted according to peer evaluations. The peer evaluation forms will be given on May 14, 2012. Each member of the group will be expected to evaluate each of the other members in the group. Peer evaluations may result in the lowering of an individual team member’s grades because of the lack of contribution at the discretion of the instructor. No upward adjustment of grades is possible. In extreme cases, a person who failed to contribute as a team member might even receive no points for team assignments at the discretion of the instructor.

In general, note that one does not get an opportunity to choose one’s colleagues in the real world. Sometimes one may be saddled with more work. One cannot go too far shirking work in the corporate world and we want to be respected by our colleagues.

Policy on Make-up exams

Make-up exams must be requested in writing and will require verifiable proof. The content and format of the makeup exam may change significantly from the regular scheduled exams.

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Important Notice

Grades are not negotiable. Students with extenuating circumstances which require them to receive a certain grade or maintain a particular GPA (e.g., graduation, loss of a scholarship, University probation or suspension, loss of a job offer, revocation of student visa, etc.) must realize that they are responsible for working hard to achieve the needed class grade. Exceptions will not be made for individual students. Grades can be changed only if I have made an input or calculation error.

Teams

The class will have multiple teams. You may form your own teams (of five students to a team). Please make sure that you have sufficient diversity in terms of people with adequate quantitative and qualitative reasoning skills. The teams are responsible for keeping me aware of team progress and problems. If they choose, teams may check with me several days (not hours!) prior to their case presentation to confirm that they are making sufficient progress and to ask me questions that may have arisen as they worked on a case. Please hand in the names of your team members to me on March 26, 2012. Those that are not in a team at this time will be assigned to teams by the instructor.

Class Administrative Policies

♦ As a courtesy to both your professor and your fellow students, all pagers, cell phones,electronic games, radios, mp3/CD players, or any other devices that generate sound must be turned off during class.

♦ Disruption of class will not be tolerated. Disruptive behaviors include things such as:latecomers, early "leavers," noisy devices, intoxication, inconsiderate behavior (e.g. sleeping, reading for pleasure, working on outside assignments, unprofessional email,excessive talking, eating/drinking) etc. A warning may be given for the first offense; however repeated violators will be penalized and may face expulsion from the class and/or other disciplinary proceedings. Please be considerate of your fellow classmates.♦ Policy on academic misconduct: The University Rules, including the Student Code ofConduct, and other documented policies of the department, college, and university related to academic integrity will be enforced. Any violation of these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating, will be dealt with decisively on an individual basis. Any student who violates or knowingly helps another student violate academic behavior standards will be pursued through the Office of the Dean of the College of Business Administration.

Special Needs

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Your academic success is my primary goal. If you have any special needs related to your participation in this course, including identified visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment, communication disorder, and/or specific learning disability that may influence your performance in this course you should contact me to arrange for reasonable provisions in cooperation with the Center for Access-Ability Resources. CAAR is located on the 4th floor of the University Health Services Building. CAAR requires proper documentation. So please contact me as soon as you can. Also, if you are likely to have religious obligations that will conflict with the due dates for particular assignments, please contact me immediately.

Finally, please bring to my attention any inconsistencies you notice in this syllabus document to help improve clarity.

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Ready reckoner MKTG654 Fastrak Spring 2012

Dates Case: 9am-10.15am Lecture:10.30am-11.30am Deadlines3/26/2012 Introduction Competitor analysis Groups Formed

3/28/2012Harrington Collection Developing New Products and Services Company Chosen

for group project

4/2/2012Portland Trail Blazers Customer Lifetime Value; Consumer

decision makingGroup cases allocated

4/4/2012Mountain Man brewing Company Brand portfolio management /perceptual

maps

4/9/2012L'Oreal of Paris: Bringing Class to “Mass” with Plenitude

Pricing

4/11/2012Atlantic Computer: A bundle of pricing options

Forecasting and demand estimation

4/16/2012 Wilkins A Zune company Advertising Management

4/18/2012Fueling sales at EuroPet MID-TERM Phase 1 Group

Project due

4/23/2012 LG: Global Strategy in Emerging Markets Innovation Simulations begin4/25/2012 Geox Breathing innovation into shoes Sustainable Marketing4/30/2012 Host Europe Growth Strategies5/2/2012 The Cleveland Clinic Global Strategies

5/7/2012Nike's Global Women Fitness Business Discussion on simulations Phase II group

project due

5/9/2012 Group Presentations Group Presentations5/14/2012 Group Presentations Group Presentations Peer Evaluations5/16/2012 Group Presentations Group Presentations Simulations end

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