課程的本質與目的
本課程著重於行銷扮演替顧客創造價值的角色。強調創造及捕捉價值、確認消費者需求以及瞭解購買流程、形成目標市場區隔、將產品定位以及管理品牌資產。議題將包括廣告及溝通、配銷、定價產品以及市場研究。此外，本課程將著墨於電子商務以及網路。
針對不同的行銷議題，我們將會用個案研究、討論、閱讀、來賓演講以及電腦模擬來提供一種結合理論以及親自動手的解決問題方式。為了增進對管理相關資料的瞭解，我們假設學生對於統計學（譬如：平均數、變異數、相關性）和經濟學（譬如：邊際成本、邊際收入、彈性係數）已經有基本瞭的解。
本課程是為了介紹理論以及行銷應用而設計。
課程參考書
本課程相關閱讀資料包含個案研究、指定閱讀以及背景閱讀。本課程不需要教科書。關於行銷基礎教科書，含括行銷專有名詞、範例以及一般議題，我們推薦：Armstrong, Gary, 與 Philip Kotler 合著的《行銷概論》(Marketing: An Introduction)第六版，Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. ISBN: 0130351334。
課程專題、作業及計分
本課程經過組織，每一課都以一個個案討論以及理論討論為中心。理論討論的投影片副本可在授課筆記頁面取得。
學期中，學生會被要求
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參與課程中的積極討論
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請舉出三個主要概念以證明對每週個案的瞭解度。需在每一個個案討論之前完成，並Email給助教。
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以三人或四人一組的方式，分析、修正、及測試一個廣告（報紙、廣播、雜誌、電視、網路等等）在這個專題你將被要求運用課堂所學對一則廣告以目標對象、所提供的利益、及運作的方式（將廣告想成是一個工具並且描述它的功能）提出詳盡的分析。以你的分析為基礎，建議一個改進的廣告版本，並且針對適當的目標消費群測試這新廣告來檢視它是否的確更有效。請注意這是一個模糊的任務並且範圍界定並不明確，真實狀況的大部分就是如此。課堂中請準備十頁以內的報告，以及五分鐘的簡報。
這個主題如同其他史隆管理學院授課的主題，我們的目標是幫助你學習這些資料，讓你可以成為一個更好的經理人。在這堂課，有很多方法可以達到此目標，所以請不要過於重視成績。
課程參與
對課堂包括對個案的分析和討論對談有貢獻是你學習經驗的一部份。學生將不會直接被評分參與的表現，但是萬一分數有模糊（譬如，你的平均分數接近A-，並且你希望被提升），課堂參與將會用來解決模糊地帶。不可避免地，對參與度的評估是主觀的，但將會加權考量你的投入品質，低度及不相關的討論將不會被獎勵。最後，每一次缺課將會有2.5%的處罰，同時也不接受遲到。如果你不持續的上課，過去經驗指出你很難把這堂課學好。
行銷是一個廣泛的領域。通常，我們會在一兩堂中討論一個議題，那是許多人花費很多時間試圖想要瞭解以及專精的。很明顯的，我們不會有時間來兼顧每個議題細節問題。因此，這是非常重要的，在上課之前學生必須要每天閱讀。在課程中，我們將強調每個議題的重要面相。如果你還沒有完成閱讀或是個案事先準備工作，你從授課或討論中獲得不多，而且你上課時將會感到痛苦。
個案意在容易討論真實情況中的行銷問題。你應該仔細閱讀個案並且來上課前準備好討論你如何處理這個情況。一位或兩位學生會被詢問確認主要的決策問題和他們建議的行動以開始進入討論。你應該在上課前準備好回答以預備被詢問到。如果你不能在上課前完成或是準備好上課的討論，請在24小時之前知會助教。
一旦個案討論開始，當全班一起努力陳述個案的議題時，請準備好建設性投入。個案的情況很複雜。很少只會有一個正確的答案，雖然也可能會有錯誤的答案。也很少全班會有一致性答案因為適當的回答通常要看假設的前提。當你看別人如何陳述你深思過的問題，實際的學習就開始了。因此，你準備的愈多，你學習的愈多。
多樣化練習
學生將會被要求交上一些與今日議題相關的練習。這些練習意圖在加強你對教材的理解度。
考試
將會有兩個考試，一個期中，一個期末。考試是為了測驗學生對於基本的行銷術語以及概念而設計的。考試將由一個問題（譬如：請舉出三個行銷的重要概念以及闡述為什麼？）以及一個個案分析組成。
課程的學習訣竅
準備好個案討論
為了準備上課，我們推薦你閱讀個案三次。第一次的閱讀可以快速閱讀個案文字部分。他會讓你感覺出個案的大概以及包含了何種型態的資料。你的第二次閱讀應該更深一層。很多人喜歡在個案畫線或是做標記來找出他們需要事後知道更多的重點。你第二次閱讀的主要心力在於瞭解決策問題以及背景脈絡。譬如，分析個案有關於消費者行為和趨勢，競爭者行為和趨勢，以及公司的優勢及弱勢。
在你的第二次閱讀，仔細檢視個案中的資料圖表。通常個案的作者加入這些資料圖表是有目的的，雖然有些資料是多餘的或是可能前後互相矛盾的 - 如同真實的資料一樣。但是大多數，這些資料包含一些資訊將會有助於分析情狀。你通常將發現你需要對一個資料使用分析的技巧，以從中找出有用的資訊。平均數、比率、損益平衡分析和其他資料作比較通常會有幫助。
在第三次的閱讀，你應該對於個案的基本認知有較好的想法。現在你將搜尋以瞭解特定的決策問題。個案研究的某個部分就像真實生活一樣，需要在大量的資料及資訊中，確認真的決策問題。你的工作就是去找出該做什麼樣的決策（如果需要做決策），建議實際行動，並且考量你如何明確地執行你的建議。
有時候學生會思考個案的問題。在第三次閱讀之前，你需回顧這些問題去刺激你的思考並且在課程討論之前你需有一個可行的知識來明朗化議題。這些問題並不一定是「一個個案解決成功的秘訣」。但是確保每個人瞭解個案的基本面和讓討論可以在同一個基礎上開始。
在課堂討論時，你應該準備好分享你對於真實問題以及個案議題的觀點並且對你所提的建議作具說服力的摘要陳述。並且準備好解釋你為何拒絕其他明顯的行動方案並且提供重要的事實來支持你的建議接受度。你的目標是說服全班你的建議是最好的。然而，一個嚴謹的方法將會考慮每一個建議的兩面。你應該坦率面對可能遇到的潛在問題當執行你的建議時。
最後，在任何訓練上，一個重要的考量是參與者的品德。在行銷以及廣告這也是十分真確的。道德議題通常在個案討論及課堂討論中被提起。的確，個案中有些經理人的行為你可能會覺得不道德（在某些情況中，這些行為會被提及來討論道德問題）。我們鼓勵你在課程中陳述這些議題。
優質課程參與
優質的課程參與是：
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課堂討論的連貫性。這可避免怪異的評論或是 將討論轉到不恰當的議題。
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允許可能被視為爭議但卻機智的評論，能表達出對議題的理解。
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討論任何人接續的問題可以增進我們對於事情整體的理解。
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最後，對於熱烈討論的應對，要求保有禮貌以及尊重。
優質的課程參與不是：
跟上課程進度
人偶爾會有些意外影響到課堂準備或課程時程。除了上課之外，最快也最有效的保持溝通方式就是電子郵件。
Nature and Purpose of the Course
The course focuses on the role of marketing as creating value for customers. Emphasis is placed on creating and capturing value, identifying customer needs and understanding purchasing processes, forming target segments, positioning the product, and managing brand equity. Topics to be covered include advertising and communicating the product, distributing the product, pricing the product and market research. In addition, the course will focus on electronic commerce and the Internet.
We will use cases, discussions, readings, guest speakers and a computer simulation to provide a mix of theory and hands-on problem solving to a variety of marketing issues. In order to move through managerially relevant material, it is assumed that students have a basic understanding of statistics (e.g., mean, variance, correlation) and economics (e.g., marginal cost, marginal revenue, elasticity).
The course is designed to be an introduction to the theory and application of marketing.
Course Materials
The course draws upon a Reading Packet containing cases, required readings, and background readings. There is no required textbook for this course. For a basic textbook on marketing, including marketing terms, examples, and a general taxonomy of issues we recommend: Armstrong, Gary, and Philip Kotler. Marketing: An Introduction. 6th ed. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. ISBN: 0130351334.
Course Projects, Tasks, and Grading
The course is organized so that each class revolves around a case discussion and a theory discussion. Copies of the slides for the theory discussions will be available on the lecture notes page.
During the semester students are asked to:
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Participate in active discussion during class.
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Demonstrate understanding of the weekly case by pointing out three of its major concepts. This should be done prior to each case discussion, and submitted to the Instructors via email.
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In groups of three or four analyze, improve, and test one advertisement (newspaper, radio, magazine, TV, Internet, etc). In this project you will be asked to use what you have learned in the class to provide a detailed analysis of an ad in terms of target audience, the benefits it provides and the way it works (think about an ad as a tool and describe its function). Based on your analysis, suggest an improved version of the ad and test the new ad on the appropriate target customers to see if indeed it is better. Note this is a fuzzy task and the parameters are not well specified, which is true about most aspects of life. Submit a short paper (up to 10 pages) and prepare a 5-minute presentation for class.
In this subject, as in all subjects at Sloan, our goal is to help you learn the material so that you can become a better manager. There are many ways to succeed in this course, so please do not become overly focused on the grade.
Class Participation
Contribution to class discussion, both to the case analyses and the regular class sessions, is an integral part of your learning experience. Students will not be directly graded on participation but in case of ambiguity in grading (for example, your average is close to an A- and you could be "bumped up"), participation will be used to resolve this ambiguity. Evaluation of this is necessarily subjective, but will be heavily weighted in terms of the quality of your input. Sheer quantity of comments with little depth or relevance to focal issues will not be rewarded. Finally, there will be a 2.5% penalty for each class you miss, and late arrival is unacceptable. Past experience indicates that it is difficult to do well in this course if you do not attend class on a regular basis.
Marketing is a very broad field. Often, we will be covering in one or two class sessions a topic that many people spend their lives trying to understand and master. Clearly, we will not have time to cover the nitty-gritty details of every topic. As such, it is critical that students do the readings for each day before you come to class. In class, we will go beyond the readings to highlight critical aspects of each topic. If you have not done the readings or case preparation for the day, you will not get much out of the lecture and discussion and your participation will suffer.
The case is meant to facilitate the discussion of marketing problems in real situations. You should read the case carefully and come to class prepared to discuss how you would handle the situation. One or two students will be asked to start the discussion by identifying the primary decision problem and their recommended course of action. You should therefore come to class prepared to respond if called upon to open the case. If you cannot make it to class or cannot prepare for the case discussion, please let the instructors know 24 hours in advance.
Once a case discussion begins, be prepared to provide constructive input as the class works together to address the issues of the case. The situations in the cases are complex. Rarely will there be a single right answer, although there may be wrong answers. It is also rare that the class will come to a consensus because the appropriate response often depends upon which assumptions are accepted. Real learning takes place when you see how others address a problem about which you have thought carefully. Therefore, the more prepared you are, the more you will learn.
Miscellaneous Exercises
Students will be asked to turn in a few exercises related to the topic of the day. These exercises are intended to enhance your understanding of the material.
Exams
There will be two exams, a Midterm and a Final. The exams are designed to tap a student's understanding of basic marketing terminology and concepts. The exams will be composed of a single question (e.g. what are the three most important marketing concepts and why) and a case analysis.
Tips for Success in this Class
Preparing for Case Discussion
In preparing for class, we recommend that you read the case three times. The first reading should be a quick run-through of the text in the case. It should give you a feeling for what the case is about and the types of data it contains. Your second reading should be in more depth. Many people like to underline or mark up their cases to pick out important points they know will be needed later. Your major effort on a second reading should be to understand the decision problem and context. For example, analyze the case with respect to customer behavior and trends, competitor's behavior and trends, and the firm's strengths and weaknesses.
On your second reading, carefully examine the exhibits in the case. Usually the case writer has put the exhibits there for a purpose, although some exhibits will be superfluous and some may even be inconsistent -- just as real data are. But mostly, the exhibits contain information that will be useful in analyzing the situation. You will often find that you will need to apply an analytical technique to an exhibit in order to benefit from the information in the raw data. Averages, ratios, break-even analyses, and comparisons with other exhibits are often helpful.
On the third reading you should have a good idea of the fundamentals of the case. Now you will be searching to understand the specific decision problem. Part of the case analysis process, as in real life, is identifying the real decision problem amidst lots of data and information. It is your task to figure out what decision(s) must be made (if a decision needs to be made at all), make action recommendations, and consider how you would specifically implement your recommendation.
Sometimes students will get thinking questions about the cases. Before the third reading you may want to review these questions to stimulate your thinking and highlight issues that you should have a working knowledge of before the class discussion. These questions are not necessarily "tips for a successful case solution," but rather are meant to insure that everyone understands the basics of the case and the discussion can begin "on the same page."
During the class discussion, you should be prepared to share your thoughts on the real problems and issues of the case and present a persuasive summary of your recommendations. Be prepared to explain why you rejected any obvious alternative courses of action and provide vital facts supporting acceptance of your recommendation. Your goal is to convince the class that your recommendation is the best. However, a rigorous approach will consider both sides to every recommendation. You should be up-front about potential problems you might expect in implementing your recommendation.
Finally, an important concern in any discipline is the ethics of its practitioners. This is certainly true in marketing and advertising. Ethical issues will arise in the case discussions and lecture discussions. Indeed, some managers in the cases act in ways your might not consider ethical (and in some situations these actions are mentioned in the case specifically to raise ethical issues). We encourage you to address these issues in class discussion.
Quality Class Participation
Quality class participation is:
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Input that maintains the continuity of class discussion. This rules out off-the-wall comments or comments that switch the discussion to an irrelevant topic.
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Input that may be perceived as controversial, yet reflects intelligent comments that suggest an understanding of the issue, will be well received.
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Discussion that demonstrates an in-depth analysis of the issues being considered so that follow-up questions by anybody in the class improves our collective understanding of a perspective.
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Finally, civility and respect in the give and take of a heated discussion is a requirement.
Quality class participation is not:
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Class attendance. Simple physical presence in class is not the same as participation (on the other hand, not coming to class is a good way of ensuring no credit for class participation).
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Simple responses to questions, or expressing an uninformed opinion does not count as quality participation.
Staying Current
On occasion, circumstances or situations arise which may affect your preparation for class or the class schedule. Aside from our time in class, the next fastest and most efficient mode of communication will be email.
