Mktg 301 – Sec. 010 – Boise State University – Su11 – McCain Page 1 of 5

Mktg 301 – Principles of Marketing – Summer 2011 Sec. 010 – MTuWTh 7:30 – 11:10 a.m. – ILC 203

Professor: Gary McCain Phone: (208) 426-1615 Office: B 306-I Fax: (208) 426-5384 Hours M - Th 11:15 – 12:15, when door is open

or by appoiontment E-mail: gmccain@boisestate.edu

COURSE OBJECTIVES By the end of the course, the successful student should be able to: 1. Recognize and correctly use the key terms of marketing. This will be demonstrated through in-

class discussion, by answering test questions, and by correctly using the terms in a descriptive marketing plan.

2. Identify current changes in the external environment (political, social, legal, regulatory, global, and technological) and describe how these changes create marketing opportunities and threats for a firm. This will be demonstrated through in-class discussion, by answering test questions, and by evaluating the external environmental situation for an actual business in a descriptive marketing plan.

3. Understand how to make logical marketing tactical decisions such as promotion or pricing strategies. This will be demonstrated, through in-class discussion, by answering test questions, and by describing the marketing mix tactical decisions made by an actual business in a descriptive marketing plan.

4. Become professionally current by applying classroom topics to real-world marketing problems. This will be demonstrated through in-class discussion, by writing a descriptive marketing plan for a business, based on personal interviews with a practicing manager who is responsible for marketing decisions.

5. Understand and apply behavioral science in marketing contexts such as customer behavior analysis, personal selling, advertising, marketing communications, information processing, and organizational behavior. This will be demonstrated through in-class discussion, by answering test questions, and by evaluating the external environmental situation for an actual business in a descriptive marketing plan.

6. Recognize and discuss ethical issues involved in marketing. . This will be demonstrated through in-class discussion, by answering test questions, and through discussions with practicing marketing managers.

REQUIRED TEXT: Contemporary Marketing 2011, Boone and Kurtz. ASSIGNMENTS There will be two Exams, which will be a mix of short answer and computer graded objective questions. A key component of the course is the development of a marketing plan. The Marketing Plan will be completed in two major stages. This will be an examination of a local business, its marketing environment, and how it applies marketing principles. The first stage analyses the business environment and the second phase analyses the market plan and implementation of the business. The graded earlier draft must be returned along with their revisions for each submission. Each student chooses an existing business. Personal contact must be made with the executive responsible for marketing decisions. This would typically be the owner for small businesses or a marketing vice president for larger firms. No exceptions will be made to the personal contact requirement. The company must sell a product or service. Companies may be producers, wholesalers, or retailers. The contact person must have responsibility and authority to make all marketing decisions.

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Do not sent someone the outline and ask for a written response!!! Franchisees are not acceptable. Sales managers or sales representatives are not acceptable. Commodities at the production level (farm and ranch products, timber, most minerals, memory chips, etc.) won't work in most cases, because they are "price takers." Non-profit organizations are generally too complex for this course. Self-employed contractors are usually not a good idea; they are often more a job than a business. Proposed businesses are generally bad ideas. If you would like to use any alternatives to these recommendations or have any problems contacting a “client,” talk to me personally by May 18. A set of guidelines is provided to assist you. For substantive direction on what should be useful content see your text, specifically the Table of Contents. GRADES Exam 1 = 150 Exam 2 = 150 Marketing Plan : Client Approval = 5 Cover page, Section I Situation Analysis = 45 Sections I – IV, It may require revision Marketing Mix = 50 Revised situation analysis (sections I - IV) and sections V - VI Total = 400 points Anything late loses 5 points at the end of the due class period and 5 points each calendar day after that. SCHEDULE I may get slightly ahead or behind on specific days, but I rarely change the exam dates. Look at the schedule and plan your own personal schedule accordingly. If you need some kind of make up exam for serious reasons (not, "I need more time to study"), let me know in advance and by appointment only. Make up exams will consist of essay questions only. Date Chapters Subject Assignments 5/16 1 & 2 What is marketing?/ marketing planning 5/17 3 & 4 The marketing environment 5/18 5 & 6 Customers: Consumers and B2B Client Approval 5/19 7 & 8 Global information needs 5/23 9 & 10 Organizing for marketing success 5/24 1 - 10 1 - 10 continued, Exam 1 Situation Analysis 5/25 11 & 12 Product concepts 5/26 13 & 14 Distribution concepts 5/31 15 & 16 Organizational buying behavior 6/1 17 - 19 Sales and Pricing 6/2 11 - 19 11 – 19 continued, Final Exam Marketing Mix, Final Plan

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MARKETING PLAN OUTLINE Marketing 301

Boise State University

Cover Page: Company name, address, contact information, “Marketing Plan,” “Principles of Marketing 301,” date, by “your name.”

I. Background

A. This section is the introduction to the company. What is it? What does it do? A brief history of how it got to today. Who are the main principals, and what are their roles? Who is your source(s) of information, position in the company, relation to owners?

II. Mission, Goals, Objectives

A. What is the purpose of the company? What is success? How is it measured? Long-run and short-run? B. How are goals and objectives set? When? By whom?

III. Situation Analysis

A. Industry 1. What overall industry is this?

a) How big, $, vol., NAICS b) Trends, cycles, seasonality

2. Same data for the segment(s) served by this company. a) By Product, Customer, Region, whatever methods relevant.

3. Competitive situation. a) Identify and describe the major competitors and discuss their impact on this company (both for the needs and by product category.) b) The Position this company has in the market. c) Share of the market estimation and how determined.

B. Economy 1. What and how economic issues affect the company and its markets.

a. What effect of local employment levels, national and world employment levels.

b. Inflation effects. C. Political/Legal/Regulatory

1. What and how governmental actions affect the company and its markets (local/national).

a. Licenses and permits b. Regulations c. Import/export actions d. Policy decisions

2. How is the internationalization of trade affecting the industry and company? D. Technology - What are the technological aspects influencing this industry?

1. What relevant changes have affected the company and its customers? 3. What changes may be expected to impact the future? 4. What is the current state of e-commerce advances in this industry? 5. Are there developments in unrelated industries today that might impact the future?

E. Socio-cultural 1. What overall influences from the human environment are important? 2. Are there social images relating to the industry? 3. Any gender, diversity, or cultural issues affect their industry or market area?

F. Other

1. Any other external factors that may be important: weather, geography...

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IV. Customers - Be sure to clearly distinguish between consumer and organizational markets. A. Describe the target market: demographics, size etc. B. What are the major determinants of product choice? Motives, Attitude, Perceptions, Learning, Memory, Life-Style, Use, Benefits. (Be relevant to business or consumer products) C. Users, Decision Makers, Purchasers, Influencers.

V. Marketing Mix Strategy (for all below, What is presently being done? How well is it meeting expectations? What should be done in the next period?)

A. Overall strategy – Penetration, Market Development, Product Development, Diversification B. Product

1. Customer benefits, product mix, image, brand, lines, package, label, augmented services 2. Life Cycle 3. Product development

C. Distribution 1. Local/trade area 2. Channel (Describe the full channel forward and back regardless of where your company fits.)

a) Structure b) Power c) Change? d) For retailers: location evaluation, atmospherics

D. Advertising 1. Messages, Media, Budgets, and who has which responsibilities 2. Hierarchy of Effects 3. Platform, Campaign . . . 4. Sales promotion tactics

E. Sales 1. Process and Type 2. Management

a) Recruit, Select, and Train b) Compensate, Motivate, and Control

F. Pricing Policy 1. Cost

a. Fixed, variable, marginal, incremental 2. Competition 3. Customer 4. Regulation 5. Elasticity 6. Price setting strategy

VI. Planning and Control A. Marketing Planning Process - How and how often do they go through their version of planning? B. Evaluation and Control Process - How and how often do they evaluate what they have done and evaluate their success and the performance of those responsible for that success?

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General Guidelines:

1. Use the College of Business Writing Guide for help on format for anything not given below. http://cobe.boisestate.edu/files/2009/05/writingstylesv12_0.pdf

2. Title Page should name the paper after the company you studied, have your name, date, Boise State University, and Marketing 301. Anything else is according to your needs for clarity purposes.

3. The title page goes on both submissions. 4. Margins should be 1 inch, not counting the page numbers, which should be there. 5. Single space. One space between paragraphs. No bigger than 12 font for text. 6. Subheadings are useful if not overdone. Use good judgment. The minimum would be the

lettered parts of the outline given above. 7. Spelling and grammar will be considered. Proof it. (I am particularly sensitive to correct use of

"effect" and "affect" and "to, too, and two" mistakes). Don't use mixed number such as, "Each sales representative knows their customers." If you don't like the generic "he," rebuild the sentence to say, "Sales representatives know their customers." If she/he or s/he and his/her impress you, OK. Although singular with plural pronoun structure is becoming the language of the streets, which includes "ad-speak," it is still interpreted as indicating a poorly educated writer in professional writing. Proof every part.

8. Revise the first assignment for the final draft to respond to any comments I may make. Don’t make the same type mistakes on the next section. Turn in the first graded draft with the final.

9. How long? Do what is necessary to represent your company. (Less than 5 pages or more than 12 for each of the two main parts probably misses the point)

10. Folders, blank pages, covers, tables of contents, . . . are not necessary. A simple white title page is the easiest to grade.

11. Any outside sources should be referenced. (Note for online sources. The electronic version of a citation is pretty much the same as the paper source version. Don't worry about clever graphics, etc. but be sure to show title, author, source and URL.)

12. Save a clean copy to give your cooperating business. There is text material to support every subject in this outline, which should serve as your guide on how to address each topic. Use it. CONFIDENTIALITY Business owners and managers are often concerned about the confidentiality of the information they may provide when they agree to be the "client" for a marketing plan paper. In most cases, there is little danger that revealing their information could cause any harm to their companies. This does not reduce the validity of their concerns. If they are willing to share information, their need for assurance is important. We will provide whatever it takes to make them comfortable. I will sign any form of confidentiality agreement your client wishes to assure I will not discuss the confidential aspects of any client's business. I cannot give credit for any section of a paper that is missing because of a confidentiality issue in the final stages. The best way to test sensitivity regarding the information you need is to ask your potential client to discuss the part V. Marketing Mix Strategy sections F1 and F6 in the outline as examples of what you will need to know when you first seek their cooperation. The paper does not need their profit or margin information. It does need their strategies, tactics, and processes for every topic, including pricing. If they are comfortable with this discussion, the rest will be no issue.