BUS 227: Marketing Communications

BUS 227: Marketing communications

Course syllabus, Spring 1999

Instructor: Dr. Sheri Bridges Office hours: MW 10-11,

Office: 222 Calloway Hall and anytime by appt.

Phone: 758-4589 E-mail:

Required text

Belch, George and Belch, Michael, Introduction to Advertising and Promotion, Chicago: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1998.

Course objectives

The essence of business is planning, decision-making, and implementation. Planning entails analyzing the situation facing the firm (with respect to the company itself, its customers, competitors and channels, and the general environment); setting objectives that will allow the firm to address/redress problems, exploit opportunities, or meet challenges; and identifying alternative, feasible courses of action for achieving those objectives. Decision-making involves evaluating the pros and cons, costs and benefits, risks and rewards of the alternatives and then choosing the “best” alternative. Implementation requires allocating resources, organizing people and monitoring results.

In general, then, business is about problem-solving, where this term is used in its broadest possible sense: Problem-solving includes not only responding to difficulties, dilemmas, troubles or predicaments, but also proactively exploiting opportunities and meeting challenges. Planning, decision-making, and implementation are the critical components of problem-solving.

The principal objectives of the course are:

1.) to acquaint you with marketing communications concepts, processes, and frameworks;

2.)   to enhance your ability to identify, analyze and solve marketing communications problems;

3.)   to get you enthusiastic (and maybe even excited!) about marketing communications;

4.)   to demonstrate that, when you are employed in marketing communications, you must fire up both sides of your brain – the left side AND the right side – in order to think creatively AND critically;

5.)   to increase your understanding of the important issues in planning and executing marketing communications campaigns;

6.)   to help you develop Calloway’s core competencies: ethical decision-making in a global environment; technological know-how; written and oral communication skills; ability to work in diverse teams; analytical and creative problem-solving skills; understanding of the important interdependencies among business disciplines.

Role of textbook vs. Role of classroom: Acquiring knowledge vs. Solving problems

When analyzing and solving problems, it often is necessary to use terminology, theories, models and frameworks that are commonly accepted in a particular field. Thus, in this course it will be necessary for you to have some knowledge of the language and system of concepts inherent to marketing communications. The purpose of Belch and Belch is to help you expand your marketing communications knowledge. I expect you to read assigned chapters before you arrive at class. We will not talk about the information contained in the textbook unless you have specific questions about it. We will spend our time in the classroom applying the text’s concepts to problem-solving. Hence, knowing the concepts is not enough; you must learn to use those concepts to help you analyze and solve problems more effectively.

Course requirements

A variety of instructional methods will be used to communicate course material. All the methods conceive of class members as active partners in the learning process, not as passive information receptors. Under such a conceptualization, my role is to facilitate the exchange and discussion of ideas among all members of the class, and to provide a framework for evaluating and assimilating those ideas. The more responsibility you assume for your own learning, the more you will learn.

1.)   Class contribution. To help ensure a positive learning experience for everyone in the course, you are expected to prepare adequately for, attend regularly, and participate fully in each session.

Your final grade in the course will depend in part on your contribution to class discussions and to the creation and maintenance of a positive environment for learning. In general, class contribution is a reflection of an individual student’s attitude, behavior, and effort level.

As a learning partner, there are many ways in which you can help make the course enjoyable and educational. Among them:

· Be in class.

· Be on time.

· Be prepared. You might be called on to make an oral presentation to the class of an assignment.

· Stay alert and attentive.

· Participate meaningfully in class discussions. Aim to create light, not heat.

· Refrain from disrupting others with side conversations.

· Seek outside information about class topics and share this information with the class, either directly or through me.

2.) Case analyses. Four cases will be assigned during the semester. Please prepare each case in anticipation of being called upon to share your analyses and insights with the class. For each case you should bring to class a one-page typed write-up. A template for the write-ups will be handed out in class.

In general, your write-ups should:

a.)   summarize the problem/opportunity/challenge facing the key player(s),

b.) analyze the situation in which the p/o/c exists (in terms of the company, customers, competition, channel, and environment),

c.)   identify potential alternatives for meeting the p/o/c, and

d.) recommend an appropriate course of action based on your analysis of the pros and cons associated with each alternative.

Although there is no single “right” answer to a case problem, some recommendations are more appropriate than others. The best recommendations are those based on identification of the company-, customer-, competition-, channel-, and environment-related factors that are likely to be of primary importance and concern to the firm. Thus, sound recommendations are well-grounded in the situation analysis.

3.) In-class learning opportunities and exercises. Unannounced in-class learning opportunities may be given periodically as a means of gauging your level of preparation and your understanding of issues covered in the assignments for the day’s class. In addition, do-at-home or do-in-class exercises that allow you to apply course concepts might occasionally be assigned and collected.

4.) Diagnostic tests. Your understanding of the material covered in the textbook will be assessed on three exams consisting of multiple-choice, true-false and short-answer questions.

5.) Team presentations. Throughout the course you will work as a member of a team on a marketing communications plan for a branded product. Each team will make two short presentations to the class describing proposed marketing communications strategies and tactics for the product.

6.) Midterm exam. The midterm will assess your analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills – written and oral. You will be given a case to analyze and will present both a written and an oral briefing to management on your analysis and recommendations.

7.) Final exam. The final will consist of both an oral and a written case analysis.

Evaluation

Most assignments will be graded on a traditional A, B, C or D scale. An “A” indicates that your work is virtually perfect. As vice-president of marketing for the organization, I would accept such work without change, give you a raise, and promote you on the spot! As you might imagine, “As”are earned with uncommon frequency.

A “B” is a mark of solid work: you see the big picture, but have overlooked a few important details I need to make a decision or plan a course of action.

A “C” is for work that demonstrates an unclear understanding of the big picture and, consequently, lacks both focus and detail.

A “D” is for work that requires major revision before it could be of any value in strategy-setting or decision-making.

Course requirements will be weighted as follows:

Class contribution 13%

Case analysis write-ups 16%

ICLOs/exercises 4%

Diagnostic tests 15%

Team presentations 20%

Midterm exam 12%

Final exam 20%

Your final grade in the course will depend upon the weighted average of the above components, as follows:

X ³ 90% = A

80% £ X 90% = B

70% £ X 80% = C

60% £ X 70% = D

X 60% = F

Basic rules of the course

1.)  Turn in ALL work on time. Late work WILL NOT be accepted or graded.

2.)  Prepare ALL work (even arithmetic calculations) on the computer. Handwritten work WILL NOT be accepted.

3.)  Prepare ALL work using type of at least 12 points. Work submitted in type smaller than 12 points WILL NOT be accepted.

4.)  Staple multiple pages. Do NOT paper clip them or fasten them using any technique or device other than a staple. Unstapled work WILL NOT be accepted.

5.)  Keep in mind that there are NO make-ups for missed exams or in-class learning opportunities.

6.)  Arrange for another member of the class to be responsible for picking up handouts and assignments for you if you are ever absent. DO NOT look to me as a source of misplaced, forgotten, or missed material.

7.)  Refrain from calling or e-mailing me with questions that can be answered by reading the syllabus or by contacting another student in the course (see #6 above).

8.)  Plan your work schedule with this in mind: I will not reply to e-mails or return phone calls regarding an assignment on the weekend or after 4 p.m. the day before it is due.

9.)  Do not deviate from either the letter or the spirit of the Honor Code guidelines contained in the syllabus.

10.)  Check to be sure that your name is on all your work, and that your spelling and grammar are correct.

11.)  Comport yourself at all times as a professional. This refers to your attitude, your behavior, your effort, and your output.

12.)  When in doubt, read #11.

Play to win!

Honor Code Guidelines

1.)  Unless I state otherwise, you are welcome (and, indeed, encouraged) to use outside sources -- publications or people -- in preparing assignments for class.

Limits: I will consider it a violation of the Honor Code if you use notes, material, or other written or oral information specifically developed by other individuals for the analysis of a particular case.

Translation:If we're studying a case on Kool-Aid, it's OK for you to do a Lexis-Nexis search for information about Kool-Aid, to look at the annual report for Kool-Aid, to talk to the president of Kool-Aid, to call your friend who used to work at Kool-Aid, to ask a financial analyst about Kool-Aid . . . etc. In your searches/conversations, you may look for/ask about information that directly relates to Kool-Aid and the situation it faced in the case.

However, you MAY NOT obtain Kool-Aid case notes or materials, by direct or indirect means, written or oral, from any individual who has previously studied/prepared/examined/analyzed/taught the Kool-Aid case at Wake or at any other university/college/school/place on the planet.

Bottom line: Thumbs down on case notes/information/material prepared by individuals who have encountered the case at some other time in some other place.

2.)  You may discuss cases and your analyses of cases with other students currently enrolled in the course. However, all write-ups must be individually prepared.

What this means: I encourage you to talk about the case and your approach to it with other students (or groups of students) taking the class this semester. However, when it comes time to compose your actual write-up, you must work alone, entirely without the cooperation or collaboration of anyone else.

Bottom line: No sharing, comparing, or exchanging written materials of any sort – on paper, on the chalkboard, in an e-mail message, or on a computer screen, disk, hard drive, or cd-rom.

3.)  You are free and welcome to use instructor's manuals or other publications that you think might be of value to you. N.B. Under #1, the use of instructor's manuals/teaching notes for cases is proscribed.

4.) I assume that a) you will follow all other tenets outlined in the Honor Code in your

student handbook, and b) you will consult with me if you have questions about whether a particular act or action would put you on questionable ground.

Class/day/date Topic Assignment

1: W, 1/13 Intro to course, each other

2: F, 1/15 Marketing communications illustrated

3: W, 1/20 Problem-solving framework

4: F, 1/22 Role of IMC in marketing C1-3

5: M, 1/25 The ugly side of IMC

6: W, 1/27 Perspectives on consumer behavior C4

7: F, 1/29 Perspectives on consumer behavior C4

8: M, 2/1 Segmentation, targeting and positioning

9: W, 2/3 STP Vistakon

10: F, 2/5 Communication process C5

11: M, 2/8 Source, message, channel factors C6

12: W, 2/10 Objectives and budgets C7

13: F, 2/12 Objectives and budgets C7

14: M, 2/15 Diagnostic test #1

15: W, 2/17 Creative strategy C8

16: F, 2/19 Creative strategy C9

17: M, 2/22 Creative strategy EarthShare

18: W, 2/24 Media planning C10

19: F, 2/26 Media planning C10

20: M, 3/1 Midterm case write-up due 9 a.m.; NO CLASS Sorrell Ridge

21: W, 3/3 Discussion of midterm case write-up

22: F, 3/5 Evaluating broadcast media C11

23: M, 3/15 Evaluating print media C12

24: W, 3/17 Support media C13

25: F, 3/19 Direct marketing C14

26: M, 3/22 Diagnostic test #2 C14

27: W, 3/24 Direct marketing C14

28: F, 3/26 Internet marketing C14

29: M, 3/29 Team presentations

30: W, 3/31 Team presentations

31: M, 4/5 Sales promotions C15

32: W, 4/7 Sales promotions C15,Cunard

33: F, 4/9 PR, publicity C16

34: M, 4/12 Personal selling C17

35: W, 4/14 Measuring effectiveness C18

36: F, 4/16 International advertising C20

37: M, 4/19 International advertising C20,BAir

38: W, 4/21 Workshop

39: F, 4/23 Diagnostic test #3

40: M, 4/26 Team presentations

41: W, 4/28 Team presentations

W, 5/5, 2 p.m. Final exam case write-up due Tenderflake