case study and Essay

Course Syllabus

Course Description

Provides an overview of advanced topics in marketing planning, strategy, analysis, and control. Emphasis on consumer needs and analysis, market position, competition, and public policy environment related to marketing activities.

Course Textbook(s)

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management [VitalSource Bookshelf version] (15th ed.). Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323591512

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Explore the management of marketing implementation and control processes for organizations to predict business outcomes.

2. Synthesize the use of marketing research and demand forecasting to predict business outcomes, and contrast the influence of micro and macro environment factors on marketing strategies.

3. Compare new product development and competitive product strategies. 4. Analyze consumer relationships and buying processes by outlining the development and cultivation of customer

relationships considering value, satisfaction, and loyalty. 5. Distinguish between market segmentation, market targeting, and brand equity in the market planning process. 6. Explore positioning, differentiation, and pricing strategies for effective marketing scenarios. 7. Compare holistic, direct, personal selling, retail, and wholesale marketing concepts. 8. Examine the key aspects in managing advertising, sales, promotion, events, and public relations.

Prerequisite(s)

No prerequisite courses are required for enrollment in this course.

Credits

Upon completion of this course, the students will earn 3 hours of college credit.

Course Structure

1. Study Guide: Course units contain a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources.

2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.

3. Unit Lesson: Unit Lessons, which are located in the Study Guide, discuss lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Units contain Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or

outside resources. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed within the Study Guide. Students are encouraged to read the

resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings. 6. Learning Activities (Nongraded): Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of

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study. 7. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are part of all CSU Term courses. More information and specifications can

be found in the Student Resources link listed in the Course Menu bar. 8. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments. Specific information and

instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.

9. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions.

10. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates.

CSU Online Library

The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the myCSU Student Portal, and click on “CSU Online Library.” You can also access the CSU Online Library from the “My Library” button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard.

The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. E-mail ([email protected]) and telephone (1.877.268.8046) assistance is available Monday – Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library’s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page.

Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services.

Unit Assignments

Unit I Case Study

Case studies are an important learning strategy in business classes as they provide an opportunity for you to critically analyze events that have taken place in real-life businesses. This develops your critical thinking and research skills as you research the competition and industry in which your business resides with an end goal of formulating a recommendation for the challenges faced by the company.

Select one of the three case studies listed below, which can be found in your textbook. Evaluate the case of your choice, and respond to each of the questions below using both theory and practical managerial thinking as well as supporting research.

Option 1: Nike (pp. 30–31)

1. How has the industry in which Nike resides been doing over the last 5 years? 2. What are the pros, cons, and risks associated with Nike’s core marketing strategy? How have they managed to

develop a strong customer relationship with their target market? 3. Who are the top three competitors of Nike, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to their

product/service development? 4. Looking at the competitors you discussed in question #3, what would you recommend as being the next steps for

these competitors and, subsequently, the next steps for Nike to combat these competitors?

Option 2: Cisco (pp. 58–59)

1. How is building a brand in a business-to-business (B2B) context different than that of a business-to-consumer (B2C) market? How has Cisco managed to develop a strong customer relationship with their target market?

2. How has the industry in which Cisco resides been doing over the last 5 years? 3. Who are the top three competitors of Cisco, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to their

product/service development? 4. Is Cisco’s plan to reach out to consumers a viable one? Why, or why not? As a marketing manager for Cisco, what

would you recommend to be the next steps?

Option 3: Intel (pp. 59–60)

1. Discuss how Intel changed ingredient-marketing history. What did it do so well in those initial marketing campaigns? How did Intel manage to develop a strong customer relationship with their target market?

2. How has the industry in which Intel resides been doing over the last 5 years? 3. Who are the top three competitors of Intel, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to their

product/service development? 4. Evaluate Intel’s greatest risks and strengths as the industry moves out of the personal computer (PC) era. Identify the

next steps that Intel needs to employ in order to maintain its competitive advantage.

In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 500 words in length (not counting the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

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Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit II Essay

Marketing Plan: Part I

Throughout this course, you will compile a comprehensive marketing plan using one of the product/service scenarios listed below. (Note: You will use the same scenario throughout the course.) This scenario will be the basis of your start-up company and will be the catalyst for the three parts of the marketing plan that you will compose in Units II (Part I), IV (Part II), and VII (Part III). The company that you choose to submit a marketing plan for is a fictional start-up company (not an existing company).

Scenarios for your start-up company are explained below. (Note that these descriptions are basic, and you will need to be creative and develop the business idea/model for your selected scenario.)

Scenario #1

Travel Supreme is a start-up travel organization with the mission of assisting customers with travel planning. While today’s customers enjoy developing their vacations themselves, Travel Supreme believes there are travel services that are still in demand. Initial research needs to develop what types of travel services are in demand by this target market.

Scenario #2

IT to Seniors is a start-up company interested in ensuring a positive experience for seniors (65 and older) with respect to the use of technological gadgets, software, the Internet, and/or any additional aspects of technology. Initial research will provide an idea of the business model that would be in most demand for this target market.

Scenario #3

Galaxy Restaurant is a start-up restaurant developed with the idea of providing the customer with a unique dining experience. This could extend from the product offering, service offering, atmosphere, or a host of other unique experiences. Initial research will provide an idea of what this unique dining experience would look like.

Scenario #4

Women on the Go is a startup company targeted at women who need assistance with the selection and purchasing of their clothing/accessories. This service is aimed at the more affluent customer who simply does not have the time and/or knowledge to dress to the business or social setting that they are expected to fulfill. Initial research will provide insight into the types of services that this particular target market would be interested in.

Remember to choose one of the aforementioned scenarios to use for the entire course. Submissions will be completed in Units II, IV, VI, and VII and, together, will comprise a full marketing plan. While this is a cumulative marketing plan, submit only the designated unit’s work.

This unit’s submission should consist of the items listed below.

Include an introduction/overview of the company. This section of the marketing plan should introduce the company and business model along with a brief description of the products/services.

Discuss market research strategies. This section of the marketing plan should discuss the research strategies that will be used by your company to understand the target market(s), industry, competition, and/or any other aspects of the company that will provide valuable insight into profitable operations.

Describe the macro environment through a political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analysis. In this section, you will compile a PEST analysis of your company. You will analyze how the changes in the macro environment as described in the PEST will impact the company and, specifically, the marketing decisions.

Ensure you provide an introduction for this assignment that is engaging and provides a clear background to the purpose of the assignment. The format of the submission should be in essay format using subheadings. Use APA format. Additionally, you need to include a minimum of five sources, three of which must be peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old. The submission should be a minimum of three pages in length (not counting the title and reference pages).

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit III Case Study

Case studies are an important learning strategy in business classes as they provide an opportunity for you to critically analyze events that have taken place in real-life businesses. This develops your critical thinking and research skills as you research the competition and industry in which your business resides with an end goal of formulating a recommendation for the challenges faced by the company.

Select one of the three case studies listed below, which can be found in your textbook. Evaluate the case of your choice, and respond to each of the questions below using both theory and practical managerial thinking as well as supporting research.

Option 1: Microsoft (pp. 94–95)

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1. Evaluate Microsoft’s product and marketing evolution over the years. What has the company done well, and where did it falter?

2. Through the application of a political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analysis, what are the current environmental factors impacting Microsoft?

3. Who are the top three competitors of Microsoft, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to satisfying the value proposition of their customers?

4. Evaluate Microsoft’s recent expansions into areas such as search engines and smartphones. Do you think these are good areas of growth for Microsoft with a focus on customer value, satisfaction, and loyalty?

Option 2: Tesco (pp.154–155)

1. Evaluate Tesco brand’s product and marketing evolution over the years. What’s most important to the Tesco brand with respect to changes in how consumers shop for grocery products?

2. Through the application of a PEST analysis, what are the current environmental factors impacting Tesco? 3. Who are the top three competitors of Tesco, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to satisfying

the value proposition of their customers? 4. How will Tesco grow without losing focus on its core customer as they look to maintain customer value, satisfaction,

and loyalty?

Option 3: IKEA (pp.185–186)

1. Evaluate IKEA’s business model concept and how it has evolved through the years. It has been stated that they have essentially changed the way people shop for furniture. What are the pros and cons of this type of strategy for IKEA?

2. Through the application of a PEST analysis, what are the current environmental factors impacting IKEA? 3. Who are the top three competitors of IKEA, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to satisfying

the value proposition of their customers? 4. As IKEA looks to maintain markets in the United States as well as expand to areas such as Asia and India, what

would you recommend to maintain customer value, satisfaction, and loyalty?

In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 500 words in length (not counting the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit IV Essay

Marketing Plan: Part II

Throughout this course, you will compile a comprehensive marketing plan using one of the product/service scenarios listed in the Unit II assignment. (Note: You will use the same scenario throughout the course.) This scenario will be the basis of your start-up company and will be the catalyst for the subsequent marketing plan that you will compile. The company that you choose to submit a marketing plan for is a fictional start-up company (not an existing company).

This unit’s submission should consist of the items listed below.

Provide a segmentation and target market analysis. In this section of the marketing plan, you should identify the four criteria useful in segmenting the market, and apply them to your company. Explain how identifying the target market is more clearly defined once a marketer has conducted segmentation on the population. Explain several target markets for your company using detailed explanations.

Include a competitive and industry analysis. This section of the marketing plan should identify three or four competitors of your company. These can be direct or indirect competitors. (Note: Not all companies have competitors.) Differentiate each competitor based upon multiple criteria. Additionally, conduct an industry analysis by looking at the health of the industry in which your company resides. Identify whether the industry has grown or shrunk in the last 5–10 years. Explain why understanding the competitors and the health of the industry are important elements of the marketing plan.

Provide a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. In this section, you will compile a SWOT analysis of your company. The internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external opportunities and threats need to be identified and explained (include at least 2–3 elements under each area of the SWOT). The value proposition will be demonstrated through a strong showing in the strengths section of the SWOT analysis. Reference the SWOT analysis explanation in the Unit I Lesson for additional insight on how to compile this analysis.

Ensure you provide an introduction for this assignment that is engaging and provides a clear background to the purpose of the assignment. The format of the submission should be in essay format using subheadings. Use APA format. Additionally, you need to include a minimum of five sources, three of which must be peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old. The submission should be a minimum of three pages in length (not counting the title and reference pages).

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit V Case Study

Case studies are an important learning strategy in business classes as they provide an opportunity for you to critically

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analyze events that have taken place in real-life businesses. This develops your critical thinking and research skills as you research the competition and industry in which your business resides with an end goal of formulating a recommendation for the challenges faced by the company.

Select one of the three case studies listed below, which can be found in your textbook. Evaluate the case of your choice, and respond to each of the questions below using both theory and practical managerial thinking as well as supporting research.

Option 1: Proctor & Gamble (pp. 332–333)

1. Using segmentation strategies, what are the target market(s) for P&G? How does this relate to the company’s brand management strategies?

2. Who are the top three competitors of P&G, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to their competitive product/service strategies?

3. P&G’s impressive portfolio includes some of the strongest brand names in the world. What are some of the challenges associated with being the market leader in so many different categories?

4. With social media becoming increasingly important and with fewer people watching traditional commercials on television, what does P&G need to do to maintain its strong brand images?

5. What risks will P&G face in the future?

Option 2: Caterpillar (pp. 394–395)

1. Using segmentation strategies, what are the target market(s) for Caterpillar? How does this relate to their brand management strategies?

2. Who are the top three competitors of Caterpillar, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to their competitive product/service strategies?

3. What were some of the key steps that made Caterpillar the industry leader in earth-moving machinery? Explain how Caterpillar’s products differ from competitors.

4. Discuss Caterpillar’s future. What should it do next with its product line? Where is the future growth for this company?

Option 3: The Ritz-Carlton (pp. 424–425)

1. Using segmentation strategies, what are the target market(s) for The Ritz-Carlton? How does this relate to their brand management strategies?

2. Who are the top three competitors of The Ritz-Carlton, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to their competitive product/service strategies.

3. How does The Ritz-Carlton match up to competing hotels? What are its key differences? 4. Discuss the importance of the “wow stories” in maintaining top quality customer service for a luxury hotel like The

Ritz-Carlton.

In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 500 words in length (not counting the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VI Case Study

Case studies are an important learning strategy in business classes as they provide an opportunity for you to critically analyze events that have taken place in real-life businesses. This develops your critical thinking and research skills as you research the competition and industry in which your business resides with an end goal of formulating a recommendation for the challenges faced by the company.

Select one of the three case studies listed below, which can be found in your textbook. Evaluate the case of your choice, and respond to each of the questions below using both theory and practical managerial thinking as well as supporting research.

Option 1: Southwest Airlines (pp. 490–491)

1. What is the product and service model of Southwest? Who is their primary target market, and how is Southwest positioned with this group?

2. What is the pricing strategy of Southwest compared to other airlines? Is this a differentiating factor? 3. What risks does Southwest Airlines face both from a macro and micro environmental standpoint? 4. Can Southwest continue to thrive as a low-cost airline when tough economic times hit or as other airlines mimic its

business model?

Option 2: Amazon.com (pp. 522–523)

1. With respect to the distribution, why has Amazon succeeded when so many other companies have failed? 2. From a theoretical standpoint, what is Amazon’s pricing model? Why is this so effective? How does this compare to

their competitors? 3. Discuss how Amazon has used differentiation and positioning as two key components in maintaining a competitive

advantage. 4. Thinking about the changes in the macro and micro environment, what is next for Amazon? Where else can it grow?

Option 3: Best Buy (pp. 554–555)

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1. What were the keys to Best Buy’s success? How have they differentiated themselves? 2. What pricing model has Best Buy adopted? 3. What are the challenges it faces in today’s retail environment from both a micro and macro environmental standpoint? 4. How else can Best Buy compete against retail competitors like Walmart and Costco as well as online competitors like

Amazon.com?

In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 500 words in length (not counting the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VII Essay

Marketing Plan: Part III

Throughout this course, you have been compiling a comprehensive marketing plan using one of the product/service scenarios listed in the Unit II assignment. (Note: You should have been using the same scenario for Parts I–III.)

This unit’s submission should consist of the items listed below.

1. Product a. This section of the marketing plan should include a description of the products and services offered to the

consumer. Remember that this product section should also identify services, warranties, and installation features. Additionally, brand, logo, and other identifying characteristics should be discussed in this section as they encompass part of the product offering.

b. Examine whether your company has a competitive advantage relative to its product offering (i.e., only address the product here).

2. Place a. This section of the marketing plan should explain the entire distribution channel (see Unit VII Lesson). As a

reminder, this is the flow of the product from the manufacturer or creator of the product/service to the final consumer (the entire process—not just the retailer at the end of the process). Describe a physical facility associated with your company. This can be a unique manufacturing or distribution center, retailer, or even a merchandising technique. The idea here is to describe what it looks like to the consumer and the value that this atmosphere brings to the buying experience.

b. Examine whether your company has a competitive advantage relative to its place offering (i.e., only address place or distribution here).

3. Price a. This section of the marketing plan should describe the pricing strategies used by your company. Include

theoretical aspects of pricing (see Unit VII Lesson) in your discussion here. b. Examine whether your company has a competitive advantage relative to its pricing strategies (i.e., only address

pricing here). 4. Promotion

a. This section of the marketing plan should address the promotional methods used by your company. This should not only include social media/Internet marketing but also traditional marketing and advertising used (e.g., personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, publicity).

b. Examine whether your company has a competitive advantage relative to its promotional strategies (i.e., only address promotion here).

Ensure you provide an introduction for this assignment that is engaging and provides a clear background to the purpose of the assignment. The format of the submission should be in essay format using subheadings. Use APA format. Additionally, you need to include a minimum of five sources, three of which must be peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old. The submission should be a minimum of three pages in length (not counting the title and reference pages).

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VIII Case Study

Case studies are an important learning strategy in business classes as they provide an opportunity for you to critically analyze events that have taken place in real-life businesses. This develops your critical thinking and research skills as you research the competition and industry in which your business resides with an end goal of formulating a recommendation for the challenges faced by the company.

Select one of the three case studies listed below, which can be found in your textbook. Evaluate the case of your choice, and respond to each of the questions below using both theory and practical managerial thinking as well as supporting research.

Option 1: Red Bull (pp. 581–582)

1. What are Red Bull’s greatest strengths as more companies (like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Monster) enter the energy drink category and gain market share? What are the risks to their brand equity of competing against such powerhouses?

2. Discuss the pros and cons of Red Bull’s nontraditional marketing tactics. Should the company do more traditional advertising? Why, or why not?

3. Discuss the effectiveness of Red Bull’s sponsorships, advertisements, personal selling strategies, promotion, events,

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and public relations. Where should the company draw the line in terms of risk? 4. Recommend the next steps for Red Bull with respect to their marketing and advertising strategies.

Option 2: Gillette (pp. 612–613)

1. Gillette has successfully convinced the world that more is better in terms of number of blades and other razor features. How did they do it? Why has that worked in the past? Will it continue to work in the future? Why, or why not? Will Gillette ever become as successful at marketing to women as to men? Why, or why not?

2. Why have Gillette’s sports marketing partnerships been so successful in developing their brand equity? 3. Some of Gillette’s spokespeople such as Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods have run into controversy after becoming

endorsers for the brand. Does this hurt Gillette’s brand equity or marketing message? Explain. 4. Discuss the effectiveness of their overall marketing campaign including advertising, personal selling, promotion,

events, and public relations strategies. 5. Recommend next steps for Gillette with respect to their marketing and advertising strategies.

Option 3: Unilever (Axe and Dove) (pp. 632–633)

1. What makes personal marketing work? Why are Dove and Axe so successful at developing their brand equity? 2. Discuss the effectiveness of the overall marketing campaigns including advertising, personal selling, promotion,

events, and public relations strategies. 3. Is there a conflict of interest in the way Unilever markets to women and young men? Is it undoing all the good that

might be done in the “Campaign for Real Beauty” by making women sex symbols in Axe ads? Discuss. 4. Recommend next steps for Unilever with respect to their marketing and advertising strategies.

In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 500 words in length (not counting the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

APA Guidelines

The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU’s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center.

Grading Rubrics

This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.

Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments).

The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I’s Discussion Board submission instructions.

The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.

Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting “Tools” and then “My Grades.”

Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.

Communication Forums

These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu.

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Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums.

Ask the Professor

This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students.

Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a non- public nature, please feel free to e-mail your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or e-mailed by the professor within 48 hours.

Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information.

Student Break Room

This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers.

Schedule/Grading

The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

Unit I Understanding Marketing Management [ Weight: 11% ]

Read/View: Unit I Study Guide Chapter 1: Defining Marketing for the New Realities Chapter 2: Developing Marketing Strategies and Plans Unit I Video: See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit I Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit I Case Study 9%

Unit II Analysis of Marketing Trends [ Weight: 14% ]

Read/View: Unit II Study Guide Chapter 3: Collecting Information and Forecasting Demand Chapter 4: Conducting Marketing Research Reading Assignments (2 articles): See Study Guide Unit II Videos (5 videos): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit II Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit II Essay 12%

Unit III Understanding the Consumer [ Weight: 11% ]

Read/View: Unit III Study Guide Chapter 5: Creating Long-Term Loyalty Relationships, pp. 127 - 146 Chapter 6: Analyzing Consumer Markets, pp. 157 - 179 Chapter 7: Analyzing Business Markets, pp. 189 - 210

Discuss: Unit III Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit III Case Study 9%

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Unit IV Identifying the Customer [ Weight: 14% ]

Read/View: Unit IV Study Guide Chapter 10: Crafting the Brand Positioning Chapter 11: Creating Brand Equity Unit IV Videos (9 videos): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit IV Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit IV Essay 12%

Unit V Developing the Product Offerings [ Weight: 11% ]

Read/View: Unit V Study Guide Chapter 13: Setting Product Strategy, pp. 367 - 392 Chapter 14: Designing and Managing Services, pp. 399 - 416 Chapter 15: Introducing New Market Offerings, pp. 429 - 437 Unit V Videos (3 videos): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit V Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit V Case Study 9%

Unit VI Pricing and Distribution Strategies [ Weight: 14% ]

Read/View: Unit VI Study Guide Chapter 16: Developing Pricing Strategies and Programs Chapter 17: Designing and Managing Integrated Marketing Channels, pp. 493 - 502 Chapter 18: Managing Retailing, Wholesaling, and Logistics, pp. 527 - 542

Discuss: Unit VI Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VI Case Study 12%

Unit VII Integrated Marketing Communications [ Weight: 14% ]

Read/View: Unit VII Study Guide Chapter 20: Managing Mass Communications: Advertising, Sales Promotions, Events and Experiences, and Public Relations Chapter 22: Managing Personal Communications: Direct and Database Marketing and Personal Selling Unit VII Videos (4 videos): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VII Essay 12%

Unit VIII Sustainability and Evaluation of the Marketing Organization [ Weight: 11% ]

Read/View: Unit VIII Study Guide Chapter 23: Managing a Holistic Marketing Organization for the Long Run Reading Assignments (2 articles): See Study Guide Unit VIII Videos (3 videos): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VIII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VIII Case Study 9%

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