Georgia State University

Robinson College of Business

 

MK 3010 Basic Marketing

 

 

Wesley J. Johnston, Ph.D.                                            Classes meet: Tuesday/Thursday

Department of Marketing                                              January 13 – April 29

Office: RCB 1343                                                        11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Telephone: 4 651-2740                                                Spring 2004

Email: wesleyj@gsu.edu

Office Hours: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

            every day of class and by

            appointment at your convenience

 

Overview

 

Course Description:       

This course examines the art and science of basic marketing. It is designed to explore all of the principles of the marketing function.  Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the enterprise, its customers and its competition, commonly used in solving marketing problems, will be emphasized.  The course is organized around the key marketing decision variables: promotion, product, pricing and distribution, and around the various marketing processes of market segmentation, strategy formulation, organization and implementation.  The course helps bring these aspects of marketing to life for the students through the use of video cases concerning actual marketing issues in companies and other organizations.

 

 

Course Objectives:

If you successfully finish this course your should be able to:       

1.                  Identify and explain the important concepts in marketing.

2.                  Apply the important concepts to business situations.

3.                  Explain the similarities and differences between industrial (business-to-business) and consumer marketing.

4.                  Describe how the various social, political, legal, economic and cultural factors affect marketers.

5.                  Discuss the role of marketing for services.

6.                  Critically evaluate the role that marketing plays in the economy.

7.                  Explain the relationship of marketing to other business and social science disciplines.

Books:                      Marketing Best Practices (2nd Edition), Michael R. Czinkota, et. al., New York: The Dryden Press, 2003

 

Course Pedagogy:           Lecture and discussion

 

This course will provide the students with an understanding of the fundamental concepts of marketing and the opportunity to apply them in actual video case examples.

 

Students are encouraged to participate in class discussions and ask questions.

 

 

 

Grading:                  There will be three class oriented midterm examinations worth 100 points each and a final examination worth 200 points. Scores on each of the midterms and final examination will be added to arrive at a numerical grade.  Numerical grades will be translated into letter grades using the following scale:

 

                                    A – 450 – 500 points   (90% and up)

                                    B – 400 – 449 points    (80 – 89%)

                                    C – 350 – 399 points   (70 – 79%)

                                    D – 300 – 349 points   (60 – 69%)

                                    F – 299 and below       (less than 60% and down)

 

Grades will consist of four components:

 

1.      Midterm exam 1     50 questions     100 points        (20%)

2.      Midterm exam 2     50 questions     100 points        (20%)

3.      Midterm exam 3     50 questions     100 points        (20%)

4.      Final exam              100 questions   200 points        (40%)

 

Examinations will be conducted on the dates shown in the syllabus. There will be no make up examinations. If you miss an examination it will be scored as a 0% grade. Please bring at least one number 2 pencil for all exams. I will provide the computer scantron sheets for the exams.

 

Grade boosters     There will be one “grade booster” assignment during the semester. This will require you to conduct a short investigation into the marketing practices of real companies. I will help guide you in this investigation by providing you with a questionnaire outline of the kind of things you should discover about the firm you are investigating. The exercise will try to uncover the contemporary marketing practices of the company you are examining. This will be due on the dates indicated in the syllabus.

 

The grade booster will be worth 25 points if done thoroughly and carefully.

 

 

 

Key facts:            

·        Marketing is not like a physical science in which there are basic laws that can be learned and then do not change.  There are concepts and frameworks that help with problem definition and solution.  Marketing can also be highly quantitative and rigorous.

 

·        I am always ready to help anyone who is having difficulty with a concept or has a problem hindering his/her learning.

 

·        Activity is the only road to knowledge.

 

·        When you are finished with the course, you will know the principles of marketing and have an appreciation for the power of marketing.

 

Go on-line:              All of the slides and videos for this course are on-line at http://webct.gsu.edu/webct/public/home.pl?action=print_home. 

I recommend that you study these for your exams. It is probably not necessary to download the slides, as most of them will be in your textbook. However, if you want to it doesn’t hurt to download them and take notes on them as I cover them in class.

 
Students with

Disabilities:         Students who have a letter of accommodation from the Office of Disability Services should identify themselves to me as soon as possible. That way provisions can be made to help you become as successful as possible.

 

Academic Honesty:

 

                                 All university and college regulations concerning withdrawal and academic honesty will apply. Students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The university assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Students should be familiar with the university’s policy on issues such as plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty.

 

Large section

  Rules:                 First, for whatever reason, you have chosen to take this class with 199 other folks. Unfortunately, you must then abide by some “rules” for this class. These “rules” are here for one purpose only – to help those who want to learn something in this class to do so. The “rules” are to minimize distractions to those who want to learn and maximize the opportunity to learn. Further, these “rules” are not negotiable. There is no provision for discussion about them. There is no election for following the ones you want to and not following the ones that are not appealing to or convenient for you. Understand this section of the syllabus now and believe me you will be a great deal happier and less stressed in this course and make a significantly better grade by doing the very simple act of following them.

 

Here are the rules:

 

1.      The most important rule in making a large section like this work is to be at class on time. If only 10% of you show up late for a class, that means that 20 folks will be wandering in at different times and disturbing the concentration of others who are trying to learn something and make good grades. A 5-point penalty will be assessed if you come to class late.

2.      Unless absolute disaster strikes, there are no make-up exams. If you arrive late for an exam, you will only have the remaining minutes of the regular class time to complete the exam. That means when the class ends you must turn in your exam. In addition, you will have to pay the 5-point late penalty. Ouch, being late for an exam is not the thing to do.

3.      Talking in class. Talking in class is good. You are free to talk in class; to contribute; to ask questions; to seek clarification; to make comments, suggestions, and even wisecracks. On the other hand private conversations are not only discouraged, they are just not acceptable. Again, there really are some folks in here trying to learn and do the good grade thing. But, if you’re talking with your neighbors, those folks really trying to learn generally cannot hear what’s going on in the class and miss out on stuff that’s really important and miss stuff that will be on the exam.

4.      The syllabus is a general framework for how we will spend our time this semester. We will try to stick to the syllabus as much as possible. While we will more or less be on track with the content of the course, the dates of all exams are fixed in stone and will not change. Therefore, plan on the exams as scheduled.

5.      If there is anything I can do to make the class a better learning experience for you, please feel free to discuss this with me after class or during my office hours. On the other hand, if you cannot hear or see what is going on in class please call this to my attention immediately.

 


Tentative Course Outline

 

 

Date                     Topic                                                          Assignment

 

 

Part one – Introduction – Marketing Environment

 

 

January 13                    Introduction to Course

                                    Introduction to Marketing                                 Chapter one

                                                                                                            Video case one

 

January 15                    The Marketing Environment

                                    & Social Responsibility                         Chapter two

                                                                                                            Video case two

 

January 20                    International Marketing                         Chapter three

 

January 22                    International Marketing (cont.)              Video case three

 

 

Part two – Understanding the Market

 

 

January 27                    Marketing Research                                          Chapter four

                                    and Information Systems

 

January 29                    Marketing Research

and Information Systems (cont.).                       Video case four

 

February 3                   Consumer behavior                                           Chapter five

 

February 5                   Consumer behavior (cont.).                               Video case five

 

February 10                 Midterm Examination # 1

 

February 12                 Business-to-business marketing             Chapter six

 

February 17                 Business-to-business marketing (cont.).             Video case six

 

February 19                 Market segmentation

and Target Markets                                          Chapter seven

 

February 24                 Market segmentation

                                    And Target Markets (cont.)                              Video case seven  

           

 

 

Part three – Product

 

 

February 26                 Product Decisions and Marketing’s

                                    Role in New Product Development                   Chapter eight

 

March 2                       Product Decisions and Marketing’s

Role in New Product Development                   Video case eight

 

March 4                       Services Marketing                                           Chapter nine

 

 

 

Spring Break March 8 – 14

 

 

March 16                     Services Marketing (cont.).                               Video case nine

 

 

 

Part four – Distribution

 

 

March 18                     Marketing Channels and Distribution                 Chapter ten

 

March 23                     Marketing Channels and Distribution     (cont.) Video case ten

 

 

March 25                     Midterm Examination #2

 

 

March 30                     Retailing and Wholesaling                                  Chapter eleven

 

April 1              Retailing and Wholesaling (cont.)                       Video case eleven

 

 

 

Part five – Integrated Marketing Communications

 

 

April 6                          Integrated Marketing Communications:

Advertising, Promotions, and Other tools          Chapter twelve

 

April 8              Integrated Marketing Communications:

                                    Advertising, Promotions, and Other tools          Video case twelve

 

April 13                        Personal Selling and Sales Management            Chapter thirteen

 

April 15                        Personal Selling and Sales Management            Video case thirteen

 

Part six – Pricing

 

 

April 20                        Pricing Strategies and Determination                  Chapter fourteen

 

April 22                        Pricing Strategies and Determination                  Video case fourteen

 

 

 

Part seven – The Future of Marketing

 

 

April 27                        Marketing on the Internet                                  Chapter fifteen

                                                                                                            Video case fifteen

 

                                    Grade booster due (Contemporary Marketing Practices)

 

 

 

April 29                        Midterm examination #3

 

 

 

 

 

Final Examination Schedule Thursday May 6 10:15 am

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes for a great experience and a good grade in this course!