MKT 462-01
STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT
RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE
SPRING 2008
ALG 102, W 6:00-8:50
Dave Blanchette
Office: Alger 216
401-456-9549
[email protected]
http://www.ric.edu/dblanchette
Office Hours:
or
by
appointment
M
2:00-4:00
T 1:00-5:00
W
2:00-4:00, 5:30-6:00
Th
2:00-5:00
F
1:00-5:00
Course Description
This is the capstone course in marketing designed to integrate the marketing functions with the strategy concepts of
planning, implementation, and control. The objective of the course is to enhance skills in strategic thinking in marketing and
developing and presenting marketing plans. This will specifically require forming objectives, situation (SWOT) analysis,
market research and forecasting, target market selection, market mix strategy formation, marketing tactics development, and
control procedure formulation, as well as developing professional, logical, creative, and effective communications (written and
oral).
Required Texts:
Markstrat Online (Hardcopy)
Paperback or e-copy: 115 pages
Authors: Jean-Claude Larréché,
Hubert Gatignon and Rémi Triolet
Publisher: StratX International
ISBN: 0-9743063-0-4
The Markstrat Online book is mandatory and must be purchased new
so that a valid registration number for the simulation may be used.
Marketing Strategy: A Decision Focused
Approach, 5th Ed.
Orville C Walker, John Mullins, Harper
W Boyd, Jr.
Softcover, 368 pages
©2006, ISBN-13 9780072961904
The strategy text may be new or used. Most of the
exams will be based on this book.
Course Learning Objectives
1.
Conceptualize complex issues into professional-level written and oral communication outputs
2.
Understand and apply quantitative and statistical methods to understand, analyze, and solve business-related
problems
3.
Understand and apply contemporary technologies in developing and producing deliverables
4.
Engage in metacognitive behaviors
5.
Understand basic and important concepts in strategic marketing
Course Procedure and Requirements
A computer simulation augments this experientially focused course. Lectures provide insight into marketing strategy
theory and concepts. The class will divide into 5 groups of @ four members per firm. The task of each student and
firm is to learn marketing strategies and tactics, apply them to the development of a marketing plan, and effectively
compete in the simulation.
3 Exams
45%
Strategic Marketing Plans
Markstrat Simulation Performance
Oral Presentation
Evaluations/Participation
15%
25%
10%
5%
100%
One-half of your grade involves group participation; it is critical that you “pull your weight” and
contribute meaningfully to that group. You cannot complete or pass this class unless you do so.
Course Procedure and Requirements (Continued)
Exams: There will be four exams, the highest three of which will be worth 15% each of the final course grade, for a total
of 45%. Exams are primarily essay format There will be no make-up exams. Three of the four exams will be essay
exams largely from the strategic marketing text with some outside material presented in class. Often, the essay questions
will link the text concepts to the simulation. The fourth exam will be fill-in-the-blank on the simulation student handbook.
The purpose of this exam is to insure a good working knowledge of the simulation before play begins.
Marketing Plan: The strategic marketing plan is worth 15% of the course grade. Elements will be submitted in two
stages, each @10 pages long. The initial draft will be worth 5%, and the final report will be worth 10%. The expectation is
that the final report will be better than the draft, so while the initial draft may be resubmitted with little or minor revision for
the final report, this would likely result in a lower grade. All members are initially assigned the same grade, i.e., the grade
for the paper, for the plan submissions, but these grades may then vary for each individual depending upon the group’s
evaluation of each member’s contributions.
Simulation: Performance in the simulation will be worth 25% of the course grade. All groups start in identical or
essentially identical starting positions, with the initial stock price index equal for all groups. There will be eight simulation
rounds, or periods. The group will receive a grade according to the team's final stock price ranking. As with the marketing
plan submissions, individual scores may vary according to their group contributions as determined by their peer
evaluations.
Stock Price Ranking
Grade
Course Points
1st
100
25.0
2nd
92
23.0
3rd
84
21.0
4th
76
19.0
5th
68
17.0
Information regarding registering for and getting started with Markstrat, the Group Evaluation
Form, and Questions for Exams 1, 3, and 4 may be found in News on the course home page.
Course Procedure and Requirements (Cont.)
Oral Presentation: An oral (group) report will be worth 10% of the course grade. This final report, given on the last
meeting of the class, represents a summary, analysis, and recommendation for future actions for your markstrat company.
In essence, the presentation is an update of the strategic marketing plan that would guide future management if the
simulation were to continue. A written report is not required.
Evaluations/Participation: Students are responsible for regularly reporting on group activities as well as evaluating
group member performance. While most points are gained for simply submitting the group evaluations in a timely and
thoughtful manner, contributions to class discussions and activities are also considered in this component, worth a total of
5% of the course grade.
Policies:
Attendance: Not recorded. Extra Credit: Not available. Honor: Cheating, plagiarism, and other unethical
acts will not be tolerated and are subject to penalties consistent with college policy. Grading: Pluses and minuses will be
used for final grades, e. g., 70.00-72.99 = C-; 73.00-76.99 = C; 77.00-79.99 = C+. Final grades may deviate from the
numerical average due to the instructor's subjective assessment of performance. Any materials sent electronically must
receive an acknowledgement of receipt from the instructor to be considered submitted. All class components and policies
are subject to change.
STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN
The strategic marketing plan is an important document. It is intended to guide the efforts of your firm as you compete in
the Markstrat Simulation as a profit center. You may need to revise your strategies to reflect unanticipated changes in the
competitive environment or consumer demand. Without this plan you are implementing tactics without direction. It is a
key to success in the simulated Markstrat Marketplace. Devise it with that in mind and use it. Be specific and quantify
objectives, policies, time frames, and decision rules as much as possible. An example format will be provided in class,
and Chapters 3 and 5 of the simulation handbook as well as section two of the strategy book may be helpful. Feel free to
use whatever resources are available to you short of plagiarism. You are to submit a draft, worth 5%, and a final plan,
worth 10%.
Links to the lecture PowerPoints and the Markstrat Online Home may be found on the Course Home Page
SCHEDULE
DATE
January
February
TOPIC
ASSIGNMENT
23
Course Introduction; Markstrat Firms Organized
Introduction to Marketing Strategy
Introduction to Analysis
--Chapter 1 (WBML)
Notes
30
Marketing Plans
Corporate Strategy
Business Strategy
6
13
Markstrat Operations and Strategy
20
Exam II
Analytical Thinking
27
March
Exam I
Introduction to Markstrat Simulation
Markstrat Installation
5
Ch. 12, 303-309 (WBML)
Chapter 2 (WBML)
Ch. 3 (WBML)
Ch. 1-3, 12 (WBML), Notes
Chapters 1-3 (MM)
Appendix
Chapter 4-7 (MM)
Strategy Draft Due
Chapters 1-7 (MM)
Notes
Period 1 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Feb. 25
Understanding & Measuring Mkt Opportunities
Chapters 4, 5 (WBML)
Marketing Plan Due, Group Evaluation Form Due
Period 2 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Mar. 3
Targeting Attractive Market Segments Chapter 6 (WBML)
Spring Break March 10-14
SCHEDULE (cont.)
DATE
March
TOPIC
ASSIGNMENT
12
Spring Break-No Class
---
19
Period 3 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Mar.17
Differentiation and Positioning
Chapter 7 (WBML)
Period 4 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Mar. 24
Exam III
Chapters 4-7 (WBML)
Strategies for New Market Entries
Chapter 8 (WBML)
26
April
Period 5 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Mar. 31
Strategies for Growth Markets
Ch. 9 (WBML)
2
9
Period 6 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Apr. 7
Strategies for Mature and Declining Markets
Ch. 10 (WBML)
16
Period 7 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Apr. 14
Strategies for the New Economy
Chapter 11 (WBML)
Learning Outcomes Assessment
---
23
Period 8 Markstrat Decisions Due by 11:59 pm Mon. Apr. 21
Chapters 8-11 (WBML)
Markstrat Review
Group Evaluation Form Due
30
Exam IV
Oral Presentations,
Debriefing
There is no final exam for the course
Group Evaluation Form Due