The University of Texas at Dallas

Project Management Program

Marketing for Managers: MKT 6301

On-Line course March 16- May 24, 2008

Instructors

James Munch Phone: (937) 775-3193

Cell: (937) 750-7335
james.munch@wright.edu

Carolyn Cooper-Murriel Phone: 972-883-2656 carolync@utdallas.edu

Course Manager

Course Objectives

This course introduces the student to many fundamental, yet complex marketing
decisions facing contemporary business firms. The basic objective is to help executives
and managers better solve marketing problems by understanding the setting in which
such decisions are made, the tools available to facilitate these decisions, and the impact
of the decisions for the firm and the “larger marketplace.”

The class will focus on several keys to effective strategic decision making:
careful analysis of the situation, intelligent use of the information at hand, utilization of
appropriate knowledge of marketing principles, as well as an assessment successful
past marketing practices.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

• Identify key strategic issues such as what business a company should be in;
what is the market, what is the sustainable competitive advantage
• Judge how marketing resources should be allocated in a specific situation
• Understand the concepts of customer focus, satisfaction, and brand loyalty
• Effectively utilize the case method and critical thinking to analyze business
problems. These specific set of skills include
1. Being able to follow sound processes of strategic planning, goal
setting, action planning, problem analysis, decision-making, logical
reasoning, and communication in analyzing comprehensive written
cases.
2. Be able to select important, relevant facts from all those presented
in a case, and determine what information is useful.
3. Be able to organize the facts in a logical manner.
4. Be able to make a determination if the problem is a problem, or
symptom of a problem.
5. Be able to formulate alternative courses of action to provide a
 solution, based on problem analysis.
6. Be able to select a specific course of action and explain the
reasons for the action.
7. Be able to effectively express yourself in written and verbal
presentations.
8. Be able to defend your analysis and solutions subject to
questioning.
Students’ development of the skills listed above will be assessed
throughout the course, and will especially be evaluated in the
final written case assignment.

Resources

Text: Marketing 9th edition

Lamb, Hair, and McDaniel, Thomson/Southwestern Publishing, 2008

Annual Editions: Marketing 08/09, by John E. Richardson,

McGraw-Hill/ Dushkin Publishing Co.

Articles: Assigned in class from Annual Editions Reader

Cases: Listed by Week Due

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

There are no pre-requisites for this class.

Schedule of Assignments

Week: 1: Introduction to Marketing and Models for Strategic Planning

Dates: March 16-23
Lecture: Overview of Marketing and Strategic Planning
Readings: Chapters 1 and 2

Reader: # 1 “Hot Stuff,” Gwen Moran, Entrepreneur,

August 2006.

Reader: # 2 “The World’s Most Innovative Companies,”

Jena McGregor, Business Week, 4/24/06
Assignment: Complete the reading.

Discussion Forum: Individual responses to questions on Marketing Planning and

the articles posted to the Discussion Forum by March 28
Plan Ahead: Team case: Wal-Mart 2005, due March 29
_______________________________________________________________

Week 2: Consumer Decision Making and B-to-B Marketing

Dates: March 24- 30
Lecture: Consumer Decision Making and Business Marketing
Readings: Chapters 5, 6
Reader: # 32 “Why is Costco so Damn Addictive,” Matthew Boyle,
Fortune, October 30, 2006

Assignment: Wal-Mart 2005 Case # 9-705-460

See also the following material to assist you with the assignment
• “One Nation Under Wal-Mart,” Fortune , March 3, 2003 pdf file
• “Is Wal-Mart Good for America,” PBS series on-line videos.
Due date: Team written case and responses to the case questions posted to
Digital Drop Box by March 29 by midnight CST

Web conference: Discuss Wal-Mart Case

Web conference Date: Sunday, March 30 at 5:00 pm CST

Peer Evaluation Due: Peer evaluations on Wal-Mart due March 31

_______________________________________________________________

Week 3: Market Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning

Dates: March 31-April 6
Lecture: Market Segmentation and Targeting

Readings: Chapter 7
Reader: # 3 “The Next 25 Years, Alison Stein Wellner, American
Demographics, April 2003
Reader # 20 “Gen Y Sits on Top of Consumer Food Chain,”
Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today Newspaper, October 11, 2006

Plan ahead: Team Case: Dell due April 12

______________________________________________________________

Week 4: Market Research

Dates: April 7-13
Lecture: Decision Support Systems and Market Research
Readings: Chapter 8

Reader: #15 “The Science of Desire,” Spencer E. Ante, Business

Week, June 5, 2006
Assignment: Dell—New Horizons Case # 9-502-022.
Due date: Team written case questions posted to Digital Drop Box by April 12
midnight CST

Web conference: Discuss Dell Case

Web conference Date: Sunday, April 13 at 5:00 pm CST

Peer Evaluation Due: Peer evaluations on Dell due April 14

________________________________________________________________

Week 5: Brand and Product Strategies

Dates: April 14-20

Lecture: Brand and Product Strategies

Readings: Chapters 9, 10
Reader: # 16 “Team Spirit,” Ed Burghard and Lisa McKay,
Marketing Management, Nov/Dec 2004

Individual Assignment: Complete the VALS Survey and conduct a PRISM profile for
your zip code and your hometown zip code.
http://www.sric-bi.com?VALS/presurvey.shtml
www.claritas.com search for “where you live” tab
Then go to the discussion forum and complete the assignment.

Assignment: VALS Survey and conduct a PRISM profile for your zip code and
your hometown zip code.
Instructions and link posted on Blackboard

Discussion Forum: Individual responses on questions on the VALS Survey and

PRISM profile posted to the Discussion Forum by April 18

Plan ahead: Team Case: Snapple Case due April 25

________________________________________________________________

Week 6: Services Marketing

Dates: April 21-27

Lecture: Services and Nonprofit Marketing

Readings: Chapter 11
Reader: # 9. “Surviving in the Age of Rage,” Stephen Grove et.al.
Marketing Management, March/April 2004

Assignment: Snapple Case # 9-599-126.

Due date: Team written case questions posted to Digital Drop Box by April 25
midnight CST

Web conference: Discuss Snapple Case

Web conference Date: Sunday, April27 at 5:00 pm CST

Peer Evaluation Due: Peer evaluations on Snapple due April 28

________________________________________________________________

Week 7: Distribution Channels, Wholesaling and Retailing

Dates: April 28-May 4

Lecture: Channels and Retailing

Readings: Chapters 12 and 13

Reader: #40 “How China Will Change Your Business,” Fishman,

Inc. March, 2005
Reader: #27 “Making Cents of Pricing, David Feldman, Marketing
Management, May/June, 2005
Discussion Forum: Individual responses to questions on Services Marketing
posted to the Discussion Forum by Sept. 30
Plan Ahead: Team Case: “Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts” due May 17
____________________________________________________________

Week 8: Promotion Strategies: Integrated Marketing Communications

Dates: May 5-11

Lecture: Integrated Marketing Communications and Pricing Strategy

Readings: Chapters 14, 15, 17, 18
Reader: #29 “Boost Your Bottom Line by Taking the Guesswork
Out of Pricing,” Wellner, Inc., June 2005

Assignment: “Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts” Case # 9-800-385.

Due date: Team written case questions posted to Digital Drop Box by May 17
midnight CST

Web conference: Discuss Four Seasons Case (Note we have moved this to
the 18th since Mother’s Day is May 11)
Web conference Date: Sunday, May 18 at 5:00 pm CST

Peer Evaluation Due: Peer evaluations on Four Seasons due May 19

Plan ahead: Individual Final: Marketing at the Vanguard Group due May 24
____________________________________________________________
Week 9-10: Course Conclusion
Dates: May 12-May 24

Assignment: Final Exam: Harvard Case Study:

“Marketing at the Vanguard Group” Case # 9-504-001
Due date: Individual cases posted to Digital Drop Box by May 24 midnight
CST

Evaluations: Course Evaluations

Due date: May 24
_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Grading Policy and Evaluation

• Emphasis in this course is on content mastery, critical thinking, and

demonstrated ability to apply marketing concepts to business situations

• Individual Assignments 40%

Three Discussion Forum Responses 15%
Final Exam-Case Write up 25%

• Team Assignments 60%

Four Team case write ups 40%
Four Web Conferences 20%

Written Assignments
Evaluation of written assignments and project papers will be based on thoughtful,
analytical, well-constructed responses demonstrating knowledge of the topic by citing
examples of the key concepts present in the readings or cases.

• A ---Excellent: Understanding of all key issues; no important analytical errors

or omissions; concise, very well written and organized, makes appropriate
use of charts and tables.
• B---Good: Understanding of most issues; only a few important issues not
discussed; few analytical errors; well-written and well-organized, makes
appropriate use of charts and tables.
• C---Adequate: Understanding of many issues, but not all important aspects
covered; various analytical errors; excessive case recitation unsupported by
analysis; poorly written or organized, makes inappropriate use of charts and
tables.
Web conference Discussions Weight 5% each
The purpose of the web conferences is to discuss class material. Participation in the
web conferences will assist you in understanding the assignments. Participation will be
evaluated using the following criteria:

• A --- Excellent comments: answers questions appropriately; understands all

key issues; often develops discussion by building on or integrating others’
comments
• B --- Good comments: answers most questions appropriately; understands
most key issues; introduces some new issues or adds to others’ comments
• C --- Adequate comments: answers few questions appropriately; understands
some issues, but not all important aspects; introduces issues without
reference to prior discussion or repeats previous points.

Discussion Forum Participation Weight 5% each

Students are expected to post responses that reflect content knowledge, analytical skills
and add value to the discussion topic. Grades for discussions forum participation will be
based on the quality of the response.
• A: Excellent contribution --- Insightful; key points and ideas set tone of other
contributions.
• B: Good contributions --- Used key points and issues to add value to the
overall discussion thread.
• C: Acceptable contribution --- Contribution was on topic; built on other’s
ideas.
• D: Unacceptable contribution --- Contribution did not add value.
• F: No posting

Course & Instructor Policies

Format for Written Assignments

Written assignments should be Word documents (no html formats) that are:
• Double-spaced, 12 pt. Arial or Times New Roman font
• Citations properly formatted in MLA style
• Clearly identified by author or team
o For an individual assignment, the student name needs to be on the first
page of the document AND as part of the document name, i.e.
Jonessocres.doc when it is submitted.
o For a team assignment, the team number and names of team participants
on the first page AND the team number as part of the document name i.e.
Team2MNCs.doc when it is posted
o There is no need for a separate cover pages
Submission
Assignments should be posted on Blackboard (Bb) within the course area by the due
date. Assignments are submitted to the Digital Drop Box under Tools tab. Be sure to
use the SEND command to submit to the Drop Box. Do not use ADD command to post.

Late Assignments
If you need to miss an assignment deadline, you must pre-notify the instructor and
course manager before the deadline. You should provide the reason for missing the
deadline and an alternative date for submitting the assignment. The instructor and
course manager must approve the extension and the new deadline. If you do not pre-
notify the instructor, the instructor may determine the appropriate grade deduction for
the assignment.

Evaluations:

Peer Evaluation
Students need to complete a peer evaluation for each team assignment. The peer
evaluation is an electronic document whose link is located on Blackboard (Bb) in the
course area under the Information button. Students allocate 100 points among the team
members to reflect the level of contribution made by each team member on a specific
assignment.

Course Evaluation
The completion of a course evaluation is a course requirement. Students need to
complete a course evaluation form which is an electronic document whose link is
located on Blackboard (Bb) in the course area under the Information button. Students
who do not submit a course evaluation by the due date will receive an incomplete grade
for the course.

UTD Policy on Cheating:

Students are expected to be above reproach in all scholastic activities. Students who
engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the
possibility of failure in the course and dismissal from the university. "Scholastic
dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and the
submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to
another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give
unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." Regents' Rules and
Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22.
Professors randomly use “Turnitin.com” to screen papers against other published works
on the web to insure against plagiarism.