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MKT 320: Principles of Marketing
Spring 2018
Section 002
(MKT 320-02 on Canvas)
(Version: January 9, 2017)
Professor : S. Cem Bahadir, Ph.D.
Course Time & Location : Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm, Bryan 111
Office : 347, Bryan School of Business and Economics
Office Hours : Tuesday, 1:30 pm -2:30 pm; Thursday, 1:30 pm -2:30 pm,
and by appointment
Telephone : (336) 334-4472 (Office)
Email : [email protected] (preferred method of communication)
Course documents : https://canvas.uncg.edu/
Pre-requisites: ISM 110, ECO 201, ACC 201 or 218, CST 105, and any one of the following: MAT 115,
120, 150, 151, 191, 292; or major in ACCT, BADM, CARS, ENTR, FINC, INTB, ISOM, MKTG, or
STHP
Required Course Material
D. Grewal and M. Levy, Marketing, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill Publishers
Catalog Course Description: Introduction to marketing with an emphasis on market
segmentation, targeting, and positioning for consumer and business markets in domestic and
international economics.
The Bryan School of Business and Economics’ Mission Statement
In the Bryan School of Business and Economics, we create and disseminate knowledge about the
theory and practice of business. In addition to our courses and research, we accomplish this
through hands-on projects, global experiences, and outreach to the community. Our work
produces principled leaders and exceptional problem solvers who have a global perspective, an
innovative mindset, a broad understanding of sustainability, and a commitment to improve the
organizations in which they work and the communities in which they live.
Bryan School Student Learning Goals
Each program within the Bryan school has separate learning goals as listed with the degree
program. The essential components of a professional education in business (excluding the B.S.
and B.A. in Economics, the B.S. in Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies and the B.A. in
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality) include common courses for breadth and opportunities for
advanced work for depth in the various business disciplines. These core business programs share
the following common learning goals:
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1. Students will implement the various steps of the critical thinking process, supported by
the appropriate use of analytical and quantitative techniques, to formulate
recommendations for subsequent decision making.
2. Students will apply appropriate ethical standards when making recommendations for
business decision making.
3. Students will evaluate business decisions in the context of sustainability goals, balancing
environmental, social, and economic needs, conditions, and potential decision impacts.
4. Students will formulate appropriate strategies, in the context of global issues and forces,
to improve business performance in the world economy.
5. Students will explain the roles of innovation and innovation management in achieving
successful business strategies, decisions, and performance.
6. Students will be able to plan, schedule, contribute to, and lead projects.
Impact of this Course on the Program Student Learning Goals
Upon successful completion of Principles of Marketing (MKT320), students will have met the
various components of the Critical Decision-Making: (#1), Ethical Marketing practices (#2),
Role of innovation in creating new products (#5) and Team Collaboration, Communication, and
Knowledge-Integration in developing an implementable marketing plan (#6) Goals.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of this course is to introduce the fundamental concepts of marketing.
Consequently, the course covers a wide range of topics and materials – giving you a broad view
of the many areas of marketing. All students - regardless of major - will benefit from this course
by gaining an appreciation of marketing's expanding role in society. Additionally, each student
should develop the ability to understand organizational decision-making from a marketing
perspective. This course will also make you a more knowledgeable consumer by heightening
your awareness of marketing activities and customer behavior.
This course begins to develop the core competencies of integrated business knowledge and
strategic thinking by guiding students towards accomplishing the following objectives:
• To understand the concepts and terminology of marketing, and the role within the
organization and society.
• To understand the consumer decision making process, and tactical and ethical issues that
marketers encounter relating to segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies.
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• To develop a framework for analyzing and understanding the organization’s marketing
mix (4P’s), positioning, branding, and its marketing resources, customers, and
competition.
• To apply this framework as the basis of decision-making and resource deployment (i.e.,
target market selection and marketing mix design) in developing an implementable
marketing plan.
Students will accomplish these objectives by participating in lecture discussions, experiential
activities both inside and outside of class and collaborating with classmates on a marketing
project.
Course Format & Responsibilities
The learning process will have several components: lectures, in-class discussion, and in-class
assignments. The topics covered in lectures, discussions and assignments are not limited by
required textbook. It is assumed that students will have completed assigned reading prior to
class. This is essential for productive discussion and successful completion of in-class activities.
An outline of topics and reading assignments is provided. However, time allocation to a
particular topic can be adjusted during the semester.
I will use Canvas to post assignments, make announcements (i.e. grades), and send reminders. It
is your responsibility to check Canvas course environment for announcements, assignments, and
any other information about the course.
Class E-Mail List
E-mails with important class-related information will be sent via Canvas. Please make sure that
your official e-mail address of record with the University is correct so that I can contact you
through the Canvas system.
Lecture Notes
• PowerPoint slides are posted on Canvas.
• Power Point slides on Canvas ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR CLASSROOM
ATTENDANCE. The posted slides are designed to alert you to the content discussed in
class.
• POWERPOINT SLIDES POSTED ON CANVAS MAY NOT BE IDENTICAL TO
THOSE SHOWN IN CLASS. The content reflects the topics discussed in class. They are
not a substitute for the textbook, and you will not do well on exams by studying solely
using the posted slides.
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Classroom Policy
Regardless of the career path you choose, you will be required to follow certain rules in the
organizations that you will join. The earlier you get used to following rules in classes, the faster
you will adapt to the organization you will join in future. The rules are usually established so that
members of the organization operate in certain ways to achieve the objectives of the organization
without inhibiting others’ capacity to contribute to the achievement of those objectives. The
fundamental objective of the class is for students to learn the subject matter in a civil learning
environment. Disruptive behavior dramatically hinders the class’ learning capacity. Any form of
disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in order to maintain a civil environment for learning.
Some examples of disruptive behavior are (but not limited to) coming to class late, having cell
phones ringing, talking to another student, making any form of noise, surfing the web, text
messaging etc. In sum, do not engage in behavior that will inhibit your peers’ learning capacity.
Laptop Policy. I reserve the right to restrict any and all laptop use at any time. Computer use is
not a necessity in class and often proves to be a distraction rather than an aid in the learning
process. Therefore, I strongly suggest no open laptops in class. However, if you use your laptop
for efficiency in taking notes, you must restrict use to this activity only. Surfing, IM and other
unrelated use of your laptop is not permitted in class. Please close your laptops during videos,
speaker presentations and experiential exercises where use is not necessary.
Inclement Weather Policy. If we experience snow, sleet, etc., the University’s decision will be
followed. Use your good judgment. Do not attempt to come to class if there is a high probability
that you will not do so safely.
Communication
All communications will be sent through the Canvas LMS. Communications being sent to all
registered students will address: “Class.” In your communications to me, you may address me as
Dr.B; Professor B; Dr. Bahadir; Professor Bahadir; Prof. B.
EVALUATION
The objective here is to learn, and your grades are a demonstration of that. I have designed this
course to provide you with numerous opportunities to demonstrate what you are learning. Your
final grade therefore will be determined by your actual performance on the combination of
“ALL” assignments. Personal issues or constraints ARE NOT considered under any
circumstance.
**Note: All submitted work may be checked for plagiarism. To avoid discrepancies, be sure to
cite appropriately works of others that you are referencing. For details on what constitutes
plagiarism, please visit http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu/
Grades are comprised of following components:
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Component Points
Exams
Exam #1 10%
Exam #2 15%
Exam #3 15%
Exam #4 20%
Group Project
Project Milestone #1* 5%
Project Milestone #2* 10%
Project Report* 15%
Project Presentation* 10%
* NOTE: Individual grade for all the project milestones will be reflective of the peer evaluation.
I reserve the right to revise and reduce the scores of team members who do not contribute to the
group project based on the input of the other members of the team. An individual’s non-
performance will result in significant decrease from the team grade. A team member who does
not contribute to the teamwork at all will receive a score of ZERO (0) for the graded components
of the Group Project.
Grading
Grading in this course will be assigned as follows:
A+ : 98-100%
A : 93-97%
A- : 90-92%
B+ : 88-89%
B : 83-87%
B- : 80-82%
C+ : 78-79%
C : 73-77%
C- : 70-72%
D+ : 68-69%
D : 63-67%
D- : 60-62%
F : Below 60%
Although the course is graded on a curve, grading standards will never exceed those listed. Thus,
any student accumulating 90% will always earn an A- grade and so forth. However, the cut-off
for each letter grade may fall below the listed standard depending on the aggregate performance
of all the students in the section.
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Exams
A laptop computer is required to take all exams. All exams are taken in the CLASSROOM.
Exams consist of multiple choice questions. These questions will cover material from class
activities, lectures, and the textbook.
All exams will be taken on your laptops IN THE CLASSROOM. If you do not have a laptop,
you can borrow/rent one from the library and from the Technology Service Center in Forney
Building, Floor 1, on a first-come, first-served basis. You cannot take the exams without a
computer. There are no paper exams. No extra computers available. No other means of
completing the exams.
Tablets typically do not work effectively for taking exams. Be sure your computer can connect
Canvas before exam day.
I design exams to include material from textbook, lectures, and in-class assignments. Therefore,
if you do not read the book and attend class, it will be difficult to pass the class.
NO MAKE UP EXAM WILL BE GIVEN WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION IN WRITING
OF DIRE OR UNAVOIDABLE CIRCUMSTANCES (**being sleep deprived or unprepared is
not dire or unavoidable**). A DAY AND TIME WILL BE ARRANGED FOR YOU TO
COMPLETE THE EXAM. The specified time may be before or after the exam date.
Documentation substantiating your circumstance will be required.
SPECIAL NOTE: No special arrangements will be made for any student to take exams
earlier than the scheduled date, in order to accommodate travel for any holiday. Please
plan accordingly.
GROUP PROJECT
Objective. To integrate and practice the various components of marketing strategy, teams will
analyze the marketing strategy of a corporation. The objective is to simulate real world
marketing situations requiring consideration of customers/consumers, competition, marketplace
changes, micro and macro environmental changes and the marketing mix elements.
Summary of Project Deadlines
1. Team formation : Thursday, January 18th, 2018
2. List of potential firms : Thursday, January 30th, 2018
3. Milestone #1 : Thursday, February 22nd , 2018
4. Milestone #2 : Friday, March 30th, 2018
5. Presentation : One of the dates reserved for project presentations
6. Final Project Report : Tuesday, April 24th, 2018
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Below I provide the summary of milestone requirements. I will post the data template files on
Canvas. More importantly, I will discuss how to search EDGAR website in class. While I will
post some guidelines about the project on Canvas, I will discuss the details of the project
milestones in class. If you choose not to attend class, you will have to learn how to search for
financial statements and the type of information you need to collect on your own.
Team Formation – Due 11:30 pm on Thursday, January 18th, 2018
Due: Excel (XLS) file that lists the full names (the first, middle, and the last names) and the
university email addresses of the team members. Upload the Excel file on Canvas latest by
11:30 pm on Thursday, January 18th, 2018.
The group project will be done in groups of 5 students. You will be forming your own groups.
Form your group, give your group a name that you like, and email the first and the last names of
your group members to me as soon as possible. If you are not a member of a team by
Thursday, January 18th, I will RANDOMLY assign you to a team. For this project, you will
collect financial data for a public firm, analyze the marketing strategy of one of the firm’s
products and present it in class. Detailed instructions for the Group Project are posted on Canvas
and will also be discussed in detail in class. Once the team is formed, it is your responsibility to
get organized for the project. In order to help you get organized as a team, I will create a group
environment on Canvas.
Identification of the Firm for the Project- Due: 11:30 pm on Tuesday, January 30th, 2018
Due: Excel file with the list of potential firms you would like to work on. The list should
have the names of FIVE firms whose shares are publicly traded.
Upload the Excel file on Canvas latest by 11:30 pm on Tuesday, January 30th, 2018.
You need to identify FIVE firms whose shares are publicly traded. You need to check the list of
firms you CANNOT choose on Canvas. You will be tasked to work on one of these firms for the
group project. The earlier you submit your list of potential firms, it is more likely that you will be
tasked to work on your top choice. Keep in mind, the matching of firms to the teams will be on
first come, first serve basis. Each team will analyze a different firm. In sum, it is in your best
interest to form a team and submit the list of firms you would like to work on. Once you submit
the list of five firms, I will let you know which firm you will work on as a team.
When identifying a firm to work on, my suggestion would be to select firms that have ONE or
FEW product lines. For example, if you were to choose a firm such as General Electric, then you
would have to select a particular business or product line to analyze as General Electric has a
wide range of offerings. In contrast, if you were to choose a firm such as Netflix, then it will be
easier for you to analyze the marketing strategy of the firm as the firm has only one type of
service offering.
Late submission of the list of potential firms will lead to point reduction in the first project
milestone score.
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Project Milestones
Project Milestone #1 (5%)
Due: Load the XLS files into Canvas by 11:30 pm on Thursday, February 22nd, 2018.
Delivarables:
1. Identify TWO publicly traded competitors of the firm you will analyze
2. An XLS spreadsheet with the financial information of YOUR FIRM and its TWO publicly
traded competitors.
Data file: The data file template (“GroupProject_DataTemplate”) is posted on Canvas. The file
contains certain balance sheet and income statement information of the firm that you will work
on. You need to collect QUARTERLY data for the 2011-2017 period. You can access the firm’s
financial statements at:
https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html
Project Milestone #2 (10%) – Due by 11:30 pm on Friday, March 30th 2018
Due: Upload the first draft of the project report, your presentation, corrected data file (if
correction requested) on Canvas by 11:30 pm on Friday, March 30th 2018.
Delivarables:
1. First draft of the project report
2. Presentation file in Power Point format
3. If I request corrections/revisions for the XLS file for Milestone #1, then you need to
submit the corrected/revised file.
Deliverable #1: First Draft of the Project Report
You need to follow the project report template posted on Canvas. The SUMMARY of the
required project report content is provided below.
The project report should provide the following content:
- Resource allocation to marketing
o The profit, revenue and the marketing spending trend of the firm
o Present a chart that tracks the following ratio over time: Marketing
Spending/Revenues
o Do you observe a particular trend? Is the marketing spending as a percentage
of revenues increasing or decreasing?
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o Is the firm’s marketing spending more or less than its competitors?
- Marketing mix strategy of the firm (If the firm has multiple product lines, pick one
product line to work with.)
o What are target markets of the firm?
o Which set of firms is the focal firm competing with?
o What is the value proposition of the firm?
o What are the product/service features?
o What kind of marketing channels is the firm using to market its products
(e.g.,online, physical stores) ?
o What is the integrated communications strategy of the firm?
o What is the pricing strategy of the firm?
- Recommendations
o What should the firm do in order to improve its marketing mix strategy? Do
you observe any specific problems in the marketing mix strategy of the firm?
o If the firm currently does not have any major issues with its marketing
strategy, what should the firm change in its marketing mix strategy to achieve
higher growth rates?
The report will be graded based on the breadth and rigor of the analysis, the relevance of the
recommendations, and structure and readability of the report. Typos and poor grammar will hurt
your ability to get a high grade. Please read and edit the report before it is submitted.
Suggestions and guidelines for the project report
- The better reports are the ones that clearly analyze the marketing mix strategy of the
product and present areas of weaknesses or opportunities. Understanding what the
firm does with respect to its marketing mix is one part of the picture. The other, more
important part is about identifying the problem or opportunity areas.
- Copying others’ ideas is the worst form of stealing because it is free-riding on other
people’s creativity. So, if you rely on an article, report or any other resource in
writing your report, you need to clearly and honestly reference that source in your
report. I reserve the right to assign a score of zero (0%) to all members of the team if I
detect plagiarism in any part of your report.
Start working on the project as soon as possible. You do not need to wait for us to cover certain
topics in order to make progress in your project.
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Deliverable #2: Presentation file
For the firm you selected, you will analyze the elements of the marketing strategy. If you
selected a firm that has multiple products, then you need to select one product to work on. For
example, for s company like General Electric, you would have to pick one of their product lines
such as refrigerators, or light bulbs for marketing strategy analysis.
1. Target markets of the product (1 slide)
2. What is the value proposition of the firm? (1 Slide)
3. What are the product/service features? (1 Slide)
4. Which companies is the firm competing with? (1 Slide)
5. What kind of marketing channels is the firm using to market its products
(e.g.,online, stores, brick&mortar) ? (1 Slide)
6. What is the integrated communications strategy of the firm? (1 Slide)
7. What is the pricing strategy of the firm? (1 Slide)
8. Is the firm’s marketing spending more or less than its competitors? (1 Slide)
9. Recommendations (1 Slide)
In total, there should be NINE slides in the PowerPoint file.
Recommendations section should address the following questions:
o What should the firm do in order to improve its marketing mix strategy? Do
you observe any specific problems in the marketing mix strategy of the firm?
o If the firm currently does not have any major issues with its marketing
strategy, what should the firm change in its marketing mix strategy to achieve
higher growth rates?
Deliverable #3: Corrected/Revised Data Files
After reviewing your Milestone #1 data file, if I request a revision to your data file, then you
need to submit that as part of your Milestone #2.
In-Class Project Presentation (10%) – Final version of the Presentation File Due before class
on the day of scheduled presentation date
Due: Each team will be randomly assigned a presentation date. UPLOAD the FINAL
version of your presentation on Canvas on the day of your presentation before class begins.
Each team will present their work in class. All members of the team are expected to present some
portion of the project. All students are expected to attend all the presentations. Absence on the
presentation dates will lead to reduction in your project score.
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Please note that one of the reasons for you to present your work is to practice presentation skills
which are extremely valuable in all the careers. So, the goal should be to capture the attention of
the audience as much as possible. For example, reading all of your presentation cards is NOT a
good method of presenting. The notes are there for you to remind the content if you need to use
that. Therefore, I will deduct points from presenters who read significant portion of their
presentation content.
Your presentation should have 9 slides in total.
Final Project Report (15%) – Due by 11:30 pm on Tuesday, April 24th 2018
Due: Upload the final version of your project report into Canvas by 11:30 pm on Tuesday,
April 24th 2018.
Your team should revise the report based on my feedback after project milestone #2. It is
important that you think about my comments and how to address them.
As part of evaluation of your final report, I will assess whether you made an effort to
address my questions and/or concerns regarding your analysis.
Peer Evaluation
It is critical that each group member contributes equally to the effort for group project. All of us
have busy schedules juggling personal life, school work, outside work, etc. I take a dim view of
“free-riding”. At each milestone, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback on your team
mates. This will enable me to know the contribution of each member to the project report. I may
adjust the grade of a team member for a milestone based on the input of the other team members.
If a team member does not contribute to the team effort at all, then you need to let me know of
the situation early in the semester. This will allow me to remind the team member of his/her
responsibilities.
Firing Non-Performers
The team has the right to fire any member who is not carrying his or her share of the work. The
decision to fire an individual can occur at anytime, must be unanimous, and the reasons must be
documented in writing. The final decision to fire a team member will be based on my approval.
I expect the teams to address these issues as quickly as possible. For example, if a team member
does not contribute to the first milestone at all, then my preference would be that the team makes
a decision about that team member after Milestone #1 evaluation. The fired individual cannot be
re-hired. There is no cost (no charge) to the team for firing a team member.
The fired individual will be assigned to a different team or s/he may have to work on the project
on his/her own depending on the availability of another team. The fired individual will have to
analyze a different firm than the initial team’s firm. If the individual does not complete a
particular milestone, then the individual will be assigned a score of Zero (0).
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Special Accommodations
Students with disabilities may be eligible for accommodations in this course. Please let me know
early in the semester or as soon as you are eligible. You will first need to provide documentation
of the disability to the Student Disability Services. Contact the Director of Services for Students
with Disabilities http://ods.dept.uncg.edu/services/. Confidentiality is guaranteed.
Honor Code & Pledge
Students are expected to know and abide by the UNCG Honor Code in all matters pertaining to
this course. Violations of the Code will be pursued in accordance with set code. All written work
submitted is subject to “plagiarism check.” Violations include: using oral or written materials
previously prepared by former students in this or other marketing classes. Cheating is
dishonorable and the repercussions are severe and final. (http://bae.uncg.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2012/08/faculty_student_guidelines.pdf
Keep in mind:
- I reserve the right to modify any of the material in the Syllabus and Class
Schedule.
- Each student is responsible for obtaining all handouts, assignments, and
schedule changes.
- Important class announcements may be communicated by email or on Canvas.
You are responsible for checking both regularly.
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Tentative Course Outline – Spring 2018
Date Day Topic Reading
Assignment
Assignment Due
1/9 T Course Overview
Overview of Marketing
1/11 Th Overview of Marketing (Cont’d)
Developing Marketing Strategies & A Marketing Plan Chapter 1
Chapter 2
1/16 T Developing Marketing Strategies & A Marketing Plan
(Cont’d)
Social and Mobile Marketing
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
1/18 Th Social and Mobile Marketing (Cont’d)
Marketing Ethics
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Due: UPLOAD the information
of all group members on Canvas
1/23 T Marketing Ethics (Cont’d) Chapter 4
1/25 Th EXAM #1 Ch.1, 2, 3, 4 BRING YOUR LAPTOPS
1/30 T Analyzing the Marketing Environment Chapter 5 Due: UPLOAD the list of the
candidate firms you would like to
work on.
2/1 Th Consumer Behavior Chapter 6
2/6 T Consumer Behavior (Cont’d)
Business-to-Business Marketing
Chapter 7
2/8 Th Business-to-Business Marketing (Cont’d)
Market Segmentation and Targeting
Chapter 9
2/13 T Market Segmentation and Targeting (Cont’d)
2/15 Th EXAM #2 Ch.5, 6, 7, 9 BRING YOUR LAPTOPS
2/20 T Marketing Research Chapter 10
2/22 Th Product and Branding Decisions Chapter 11 Due: Project Milestone #1
Upload the XLS file on CANVAS
2/27 T Product and Branding Decisions (Cont’d)
Marketing Services
Chapter 13
3/1 Th Strategic Pricing Methods / Project Q&A Chapter 15
3/5-7 T/R SPRING BREAK – NO CLASSES
3/13 T Strategic Pricing Methods (Cont’d)
3/15 Th EXAM #3 Ch. 10,11,13,15 BRING YOUR LAPTOPS
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Date Day Topic Reading
Assignment
Assignment Due
3/20 T Supply Chain Management
Retailing and Multi-Channel Marketing
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
3/22 Th Retailing and Multi-Channel Marketing (Cont’d) Chapter 17
3/27 T Integrated Marketing Communications Chapter 18
3/29 Th Integrated Marketing Communications(Cont’d)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Sales Promotions
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
3/30 F Project Milestone Deadline Due: Project Milestone #2
Upload the file on CANVAS
4/3 T Advertising, Public Relations, and Sales Promotions Chapter 19
4/5 Th EXAM #4 Ch.16, 17, 18,
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BRING YOUR LAPTOPS
4/10 T Project Meeting with the Professor All team members must be present.
4/12 Th Project Meeting with the Professor All team members must be present.
4/17 T Project Presentations Upload your presentation
4/19 Th Project Presentations Upload your presentation
4/24 T Project Presentations
Group Project Report Submission Deadline
Upload your presentation
Due: Group Project Report.
Upload your final project report on
CANVAS
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