Department of Marketing, Business Economics and Law Alberta School of Business
University of Alberta
MARK 301 (D2) Fall 2010 Introduction to Marketing Professor Yuanfang Lin
Class Meeting
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 – 10:50 Room BUS 2-9
Website uLearn: Fall 2010 MARK 301 Lec D2 https://ulearn.ualberta.ca/webapps/login/
Office Hour: Monday 11:00 am – 12:00 pm (noon)
by email (-- the best way to reach me) / appointment at other times Instructor Office: 3-30 H Business Building
Phone: 780-492-8123 E-mail: [email protected]
Course Overview and Objectives
Business organizations today operate in a complex and highly competitive marketplace. Whether it is for- profits or non-profits, the core mission of a company is in creating, serving and retaining customers.
Marketing is the discipline that helps managers intelligently accomplish this central mission for the companies.
This is a survey course, touching upon a broad range of topics within the field of marketing. By the end of the course you are expected to
1. Understand standard marketing terminologies and familiarize them with everyday activities of business environment;
2. Address, evaluate, and recommend solutions to marketing challenges and issues facing organizations;
3. Equip with strong foundation for more advanced business or marketing course studies.
Course Material
(Required) Textbook: Amrstrong, Kotler, Cunningham, Mitchell, Buchwitz (2009), Marketing: An Introduction: In-Class Edition, 3rd Edition, Pearson Education Canada,
ISBN-10: 0132074621.
Supplemental Readings: will be distributed in class or posted on uLearn course website by instructor as class proceeds.
Lecture Note: lecture Abstract for the incoming week will be posted on uLearn course website – “Document” section by Friday of the present week.
(Optional) MyMarketingLab: New textbooks come with a web access code for MyMarketingLab which provides OPTIONAL materials for self study and after-class review. If you purchase a second hand copy, you can but do NOT have to purchase the code separately. Instructions on how to
sign up for “MyMarketingLab” online using the access code are available at http://www.pearsoned.ca/highered/mymarketinglab/index.html.
Course Format
Lectures, text reading, discussions regarding assigned readings or in-class informative videos will form the major learning vehicles. The lectures are designed to reinforce and expand upon the marketing concepts and business frameworks in the text. Discussions are aimed towards their applications and analyses of current marketing issues.
Course Website
You should be automatically added to the course website (MARK301 Lec D2) at uLearn upon course registration. Besides course materials, you can also access your grades for assignments and exams from uLearn after they become available. Please contact the instructor if you have difficulty accessing the course website at uLearn.
Class Policy
You are expected to:
• be prepared: for every class meeting, especially if certain reading is assigned. This will make learning more enjoyable for both sides of the class.
• attend regularly: try to attend each class as exams will cover all materials taught in class, including those not in the textbook. If changes in class meeting, exam procedure, material coverage, assignments, etc. are announced in class you are responsible for knowing this information. Also please try to arrive on time to avoid disturbing your classmates who show up on time. General courtesies are expected in the issue of controlling cell phone/ beeper/ laptop sounds and personal conversations for everyone’s comfort and learning in class.
• respect assignment deadlines: If you do not submit assignment on time, you forfeit a grade on that specific assignment.
• practice academic integrity: The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the University Code of Student Behavior and avoid any behavior which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence.
(http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/gfcpolicymanual/content.cfm?ID_page=37633).
Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
Policy about course outlines can be found in §23.4(2) of the University Calendar.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
• To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Specialized Service and Disability Support. (http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/SSDS/contact.cfm )
Feedback
If you have any question or concerns about the course content, teaching, assignment, or if you have any suggestions for improvement in the above area, please do not hesitate to discuss them with me. Feedbacks via email (please state in the email subject: MARK 301 – D2) are certainly welcome and I respond to class email daily.
Grading
Evaluation is based on the following components:
Individual Presentation 10%
Mid-Term Exam 1 (in-class, Fri, Oct 15, 2010) 20%
Mid-Term Exam 2 (in-class, Mon, Nov 15, 2010) 20%
Final Exam (9am, Fri, Dec 17, 2010, location TBA) 45%
Research Participation Credits 5%
Total 100%
Final grades for the students are judged by a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in a class, and are regulated by the University of Alberta Grading Guidelines (GFC Policy Manual 61).
If you feel strongly that your grade on some test is unfair, you have the right to appeal. You must submit a written note to instructor stating the test item you are questioning and your rationale for the appeal. Such appeals must be submitted within one week in which grades for that exam are posted.
Each of the above evaluation components is further described below:
Individual Presentation -- Each student has to give a 4 - 5 minute presentation in class, which accounts for 10% of the final grade. Each student will be randomly assigned to a specific date and recommended topic. A full schedule for the entire class will be posted on uLearn by Wednesday, September 22, 2010. The first day of presentation will be Friday, October 1st, 2010 (see Course Schedule at page 5-6 for details).
The presentation will consist of analyzing a company with respect to their marketing strategy related to your topic. Your presentation should cover the following:
• What strategy does the company use?
• Why are they using this strategy?
• Is this an effective strategy?
• What other strategies could they use?
You are allowed to pick any company, but in selecting a suitable company you should consider your ability to answer the above questions. A forum will be available on uLearn where you can post your chosen company and see what companies other students have chosen in order to avoid potential conflict or duplication. Two samples of good presentations from classes in previous years are available on uLearn course website – “Individual Presentation” Folder. Your grade for the presentation will be completely based on peer evaluation.
Please use PowerPoint for the presentation. The time limit (5 minutes) will be strictly enforced. Please email your finalized slides to my TA, Christy Tu ([email protected]) no later than 24 hours prior to the actual presentation section.
Exams – There will be two in-class midterm exams, covering the material discussed in class and the assigned readings. The final exam will be comprehensive. There will NOT be make-up midterm exams. If you miss one midterm exam, the weight of the final exam will be 65%, instead of 45%. If you miss both midterm exams, the weight of the final exam will be 85%.
Research Participation Credits-- One of the key factors influencing both the national and international reputation of a university is the academic research that it produces. You will be given an opportunity to participate in a number of research projects conducted by members of the School of Business. The purpose of this is two-fold: (1) to familiarize you with a number of procedures and methods used in academic research; and, (2) to provide you with an awareness of the types of research conducted by faculty members. All research projects conducted at the University of Alberta are carefully screened by an ethics committee to ensure they meet the University of Alberta’s ethical standards. All such research is premised on informed consent. This means that the person conducting the study must provide you with sufficient information to enable you to determine whether or not you wish to participate. For example, if a person were evaluating the impact of graphic violent imagery in advertising, they would be obliged to let you know the nature of the materials prior to you viewing them. Note that at any time during the course of a session you have the right to discontinue participation without penalty. Further, even if you initially consent to participate you may choose to stop participation at any time without any loss. Using the above example, you might consent to participation, even after being told about the graphic imagery, but after viewing one image you may feel that you no longer wish to participate.
Throughout the course of the term, a number of studies will be made available to you and you will be given the option of signing up for these studies. Studies that are one hour or less are worth one unit, while studies that are two hours long are worth two units. During the course of the term you are expected to participate in a web-based study (worth 1 unit and a prerequisite for all other studies) plus an additional 4 units worth of research, or pursue the paper option as described below. For each study (with the exception of the web-based study), you are required to complete a form that requires you to answer a series of questions regarding the research project(s) that you participated in. You will not receive a grade for participation alone. For each study a grade will be awarded based on your answers to a series of questions about the study (this will be graded on a pass/fail basis – you will be notified of your score on this component within two weeks of study participation). Information relevant to each series of questions will be provided in a debriefing shortly after your participation (usually this will occur immediately after you have participated). Note that in order to receive a grade for this component of the course, you must complete the web-based study (1 unit) plus 4 additional units worth of research and adequately answer the questions – partial credit will NOT be provided (e.g., for just doing one unit of research). This research component will comprise 5% of your final grade. Any information collected will be held in the strictest of confidence.
In order to participate in these studies, you will need to access the research participation web site at: https://www.business.ualberta.ca/researchpar. If you have any problems using this website, please contact [email protected] (Subject: MARK301 LecD2 – RP Problem).
Please note that this research component pertains to studies conducted by members of the Department of Marketing, Business Economics and Law. As such, you will not receive credit for studies you participate in for other courses (e.g., psychology).
The purpose of this research participation experience is intended to be educational. You are not required to participate in any of the research projects. If you choose not to participate and wish to receive equivalent credit, you are asked to write a short paper regarding specific research methods. This paper will be structured so that it takes approximately the same amount of time as participating in the studies and answering the questions. Further information regarding this option is available by contacting Webb Dussome ([email protected]).
Fall 2010 Class Schedule -- MARK 301, Lec D2 (subject to revision if necessary)
Week Date Day Class Topic
Readings (prior to class)
1 8-Sep Wed. Course Overview , Syllabus
10-Sep Fri. Introduction: What is marketing Ch 1
2 13-Sep Mon. Where Marketing Really Begins Ch 2
15-Sep Wed. Where Marketing Really Begins (cont'd) 17-Sep Fri. Where Marketing Really Begins (cont'd, mini case analysis)
3 20-Sep Mon. Marketing and Society: Social Responsibility & Ethics Ch 3
22-Sep Wed. The Marketing Environment Ch 4
24-Sep Fri. The Marketing Environment (cont'd)
4 27-Sep Mon. Managing Marketing Information Ch 5
29-Sep Wed. Managing Marketing Information (cont'd)
01-Oct Fri. Presentation day #1 (Social Responsibility of Marketing)
5 04-Oct Mon.
Guest Lecture: “Consumer and Business Buyer Behavior”,
by Dr. Sarah Moore Ch 6
06-Oct Wed.
Guest Lecture: “Consumer and Business Buyer Behavior”,
by Dr. Sarah Moore (cont'd)
08-Oct Fri. Presentation day #2 (Marketing Environment)
6 11-Oct Mon. Thanksgiving day, NO CLASS
13-Oct Wed. Presentation day #3 (Manage Market Information )
15-Oct Fri. In-Class Mid-Term Exam 1 (Ch 1-6)
7 18-Oct Mon. Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning Ch 7 20-Oct Wed. Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (cont’d)
22-Oct Fri. Presentation day #4 (Consumer Behavior)
8 25-Oct Mon. Product, Services, and Branding Ch 8 27-Oct Wed. Product, Services, and Branding (cont'd)
29-Oct Fri. Presentation day #5 (Segmentation)
9 01-Nov Mon. New Product Development and Marketing Ch 9 03-Nov Wed. New Product Development and Marketing (cont'd) 05-Nov Fri. Presentation day #6 (Targeting/ Positioning)
10 08-Nov Mon. Pricing Consideration and Strategies Ch 10
10-Nov Wed. Pricing Consideration and Strategies (cont'd)
12-Nov Fri. Fall Term Break, NO CLASS
11 15-Nov Mon. In-Class Mid-Term Exam 2 (Ch 7-10)
17-Nov Wed. Marketing Channels Ch 11
19-Nov Fri. Marketing Channels (cont'd)
12 22-Nov Mon. Integrated Marketing Communications Ch 12 24-Nov Wed. Integrated Marketing Communications (cont'd) 26-Nov Fri. Presentation day #7 (Product/ Branding)
13 29-Nov Mon. Direct and Interactive Marketing Ch 13 01-Dec Wed.
Guest Lecture:
“Online Auctions”, by Dr. Peter T.L. Popkowski Leszczyc 03-Dec Fri. Presentation day #8 (Pricing/ Distribution)
14 06-Dec Mon. Presentation day #9 (Marketing Communication) 08-Dec Wed. Review for Final Exam
17-Dec Fri. Final Exam
Note: Topics listed for each presentation day in the above table are recommended but optional. Presenters are free to choose the marketing topics of their interests for class presentation.