Marketing management is a complex business function that requires a balance of analytic and synthetic skills towards strategy formulation, tactic development and program implementation. The course is a study of marketing concepts and strategies, such as demand analysis, product/market positioning, distribution, promotion, and pricing strategies. There is an emphasis on integrating such concepts and strategies into strategic marketing program.
The course is required in the Master of Business Administration.
This is a fully online class that meets synchronously and also requires students to complete work outside of the class zoom meeting time. The course is organized into weeks, where students can access all material (lecture, readings, assignments, activities, videos, etc.). Students are responsible to watch the video lectures and complete all the required readings and discussion boards and presentation assignments before the live meetings on Thursdays, as the discussion will be heavily based on each week's material.
The course design focused primarily on building consistent weekly modules that can provide student with all the course material needed for each week of class (lecture, readings, videos, links, assignments, class activities, and other resources). Each week offers learning objectives, to-do lists, readings, PowerPoint slides, lecture videos and recorded Zoom videos, weekly discussion board assignment, Harvard Business review case assignment instructions, and weekly Harvard Business Review case discussion board assignment.
A key goal for the class is to increase student engagement by creating opportunities for both discussion and group work during each week. Each week, two teams create video presentations of their answer to the central “Case Question” for HBR cases. These presentations are informal—but teams prepare formal slides. Answering the case questions requires that teams not only generate a solution, but also expand their solution into an implementation strategy. This focus on implementation reduces redundancies between the presentations. After the two teams present their case strategies, the rest of the class plays the role of Devil’s advocate. During the Devil’s advocate discussion boards, the rest of the class probes the rationale behind the teams’ decisions. The goal of the Devil’s Advocate discussion board is to ask insightful questions and further the case discussion. Upon completion of the Devil’s advocate question period, all members of the class whose teams did not present will vote in the weekly Zoom on Thursdays from 6:00-7:00pm PST on which team they believe presented the better case solution. Students are graded on their presentations, their questions to the teams, and their responses to questions.
During the weekly Zoom case debriefs, the students must bring the case to present day and discuss their solutions in a modern context. This achieved using breakout rooms with students presenting their work after returning.
In addition, each week students post about what they took from the readings, lecture videos, and weekly learning objectives and how they could apply these lessons to their current job, a previous job, or a company they have seen in the media. They must discuss how will they will use this content after graduation. Students are graded on these posts and the professor highlights student posts during the weekly zoom sessions and ask students to expand on the topic.
Course Student Learning Outcomes
By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
Students will be able to apply a series of marketing frameworks and tools to solve general business problems as well as to develop specific marketing strategies and programs with 90% of all students scoring 80% or higher on the final exam.
Students will be able to articulate and understand a 3 C analysis (customers, company and competitors)
Students will be able to develop a strategy for chosen product/market(s)
Students will be able to translate this strategy into designing tactics through elements of the marketing mix, the four P’s (product offering, pricing, promotion and physical distribution).
Students will develop a way of thinking through realistic global business situations to answer the following questions – which customers should be served, what is the optimal product bundle for these customers, and how the two are to be brought together.
Students will be able to present their recommendations and defend their strategic actions with effective communication scoring at least 80% for all components of presentation rubric.
Students will be able to challenge, question, and praise recommendations made by other students in the classroom. Consequently, they will compare and judge multiple courses of action and choose the most superior strategic suggestions.
Students will be able to collect and analyze appropriate consumer data for relevant California business situations (in-depth interviews, focus groups, Qualtrics surveys).
The consulting project involves a unique opportunity to learn about current issues related to marketing with local brands. All teams will use one focal company (Rebuild Paradise Foundation in 2019 after Camp Fire and Stoble Coffee Roasters in 2020 during Covid-19). Teams are required to research their specific issue in the context of relevant comparable companies. There are three topics per term and teams compete for winning consulting solutions with the company.
Assessment of Student Learning: this was eye opening and every assignment is tied into learning outcomes. Rubrics and examples are provided for all assignments
Student Interaction and Community: 2 discussion boards per week, weekly zoom, breakout rooms, polls, and zoom chat box proved to be invaluable. By the end, the students had multiple inside jokes and a real community.
Facilitation and Instruction: Daily announcements are required to keep students on track. In addition, feedback within 24 hours is preferred
Course Summary and Wrap Up: Online students want more feedback than in-person students. This is a HUGE amount of work but also rewarding for all parties involved
Extra: Support from the administration and other faculty is necessary. Continual guidance from Academic Technology Officer Kathy Fernandes, Director of Faculty Development Chiara Francesca Ferrari, and OMBA Director Ken Chapman was invaluable.