MKTG-550–Marketing Strategy

MW 11:10AM - 12:05PM Thursday 8:00-8:55 Room D-114

Zoom Monday-Wednesday https://rit.zoom.us/j/93683633812
Zoom: Thursday: https://rit.zoom.us/j/99658438556
Instructor Office Phone Email Semester-Year
John Ireland C-307 371-2709 jjicad@rit.edu Spring 2021
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday 10:00-11:00 https://rit.zoom.us/j/92450282672
Tuesday, Thursday 1:00 -2:00 https://rit.zoom.us/j/91357251202
Discipline: Business and Management Course Approval Date: Fall 2013
Last Revision Date: May 2019
Course MKTG-550 Course Title: Marketing Strategy
Number:
Undergraduate: New Course: Course Deletion: Credits: 3
X
Graduate: Prerequisites: MKTG 230, Senior Co-requisites: None
Status, one co-op
Completed.
Designated Innovation Journey Course: No

Required Books/Readings:
● Students will purchase the Markstrat simulation which includes the student handbook for “Markstrat 3, The
Strategic Marketing Simulation”. The link will be made available once we know the number of students.

Suggested References/Readings:
 Kotler and Keller: A Framework for Marketing Management,
Global Edition, 6/E 978-1-292-09315-4 A good source for the marketing plan. Available in the bookstore.

Official Course Description:

A capstone course that gives the student an in-depth knowledge of middle- and upper-management-level
marketing problems and processes. Topics include tools used by marketing managers in the development,
implementation and control of marketing plans.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, students will be Method of Assessment
able to:
Quizzes
MArkstrat
Theory
Marketing
Exam on

Analyses
Case

reports
Markstrat

performance
Team
MArkstrat

Develop and support a marketing plan for a X X X

product or service.
Analyze and evaluate marketing strategies and X X X X X
tactics.
Work effectively in group and individual X X X
situations and interpret/apply syndicated
research so as to analyze and forecast market
trends.
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MKTG 550

Mapping of CLOs to PLOs:

Please refer to the link below to see the mapping of the Course Learning Outcomes to the Program
Learning Outcomes:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Onf2Pmq66KfAwTXiU6NMtQWpuWdDZJEb?usp=sharing

Teaching & Learning Methodologies:

Only a few sessions are given to theory. The rest of the course is dedicated to cases and a very realistic simulation.
Teamwork will be key to success.

Grading Scheme (please edit as per the course)

Excellent Good Satisfactory Minimal Pass Fail

B+ 87-89.99 C+ 77-79.99 D 60-69.99 F 0-59.99
A 93-100 B 83-86.99 C 73-76.99
A- 90-92.99 B- 80-82.99 C- 70-72.99

Coursework and Distribution: The final grade for the course will be calculated based on the following
assessments:
The final grade for the course will be calculated based on the following assessments:
Student work to be evaluated CLO Mapping Weight
Individual Grades
Exam on Marketing Theory 1,2 15%
Cases (8) includes class participation. 1,2,3 24%
Markstrat Quizzes (3) 1,2 15%
Individual grades 54%

Markstrat (Group grade)

Markstrat Management Report 1 1,2,3 10%
Markstrat Management Report 2 1,2,3 10%
Markstrat Management Report 3 1,2,3 10%
Team Performance (see below) 10%
Final Presentation 3 6%
Group grades 46%
Individual adjustments on report,
Markstrat performance.
Attendance: proportional to presence
Contribution to reports
Total 100%

Description of Assessments:
Exam on Marketing Theory

There will be an exam on theoretical topics related to Marketing Strategy to assure that students are prepared for
Markstrat.

Markstrat quizzes

There will be three very brief multiple-choice tests on Markstrat. They are developed by Markstrat so they have
been taken by tens of thousands of students. Two are to assure that everyone is prepared to play while the third
tests your level at the end of Markstrat. Please study the manual to prepare for the first two quizzes. The members
that participate deeply in decisions will do well on the last quiz.
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MKTG 550

Cases

As mentioned in the introduction, this is an applied course and the way most MBA programs teach application is
through case analysis and discussion. Consequently, we will study several cases. To receive a grade for a case you
must attend the case discussion as well as answering the written questions.

Markstrat management reports

There are three Markstrat written reports in which students explain their decisions and contrast these with results.
Careful, logical planning and constructive self- criticism will be valued. Each group member will be assigned one or
more section of each report. The group leader will compile and edit these into a final report BUT all contributions
from group members will be identified and graded individually. The group leader will receive a bonus of 10% on the
team’s grade for the report.

Beware, any decision that is not backed-up with appropriate calculations will earn a “C” or less. Phrases such as,
“We decided to produce X units” or “We changed our perceptual objectives to ….” must be the result of calculations
and Marketing logic. The manual explains these calculations. A form, available on mycourses, will guide students
through some of the calculations and decision-making process.

Team Simulation performance

Performance will be based on the achieved share price. A share price of $1.00 (unhanged from the beginning) is a
“C-”; 70%. The grade rises 10% with each $0.50 increase in share price so that 100% is achieved with a share price of
$2.50. The lowest grade given would be 50%. Last year, one team achieved $10.00 while the other fell to $0.22.

Final Presentation

This is a final opportunity to review the learning that has taken place in this course and in the Marketing program in
general.

Adjustments to individual MarkStrat grades:

Participation in decisions

Each team member will be responsible for making, justifying and writing-up one or more decisions each round. Each
student will be graded on his/her section.

If a student is not present in class when the group discusses and takes a decision, he will not receive a grade for
that decision. If he misses, say, one session in a week in which there is a decision, he will lose one half of that grade.
This reduction is automatic; teams are not allowed to carry absent members.

USEFUL TOOLS/ADVICE
 Read the entire MarkStrat Student Handbook as soon as possible, preferably before the course begins. Then,
read it again. This small book provides everything that you need to know to be successful in the simulation. Keep
it with you at all times and refer to it often. Students who perform best in the simulation are those who are most
familiar with the contents of this book.
 Use your instructor! Do not be afraid to meet with the instructor to pick up useful MarkStrat tips and pointers,
especially on Market research reports but also consult on strategic marketing plans, or to just have a “how are
we doing” check-in.
Course Calendar:
1 10-Jan Overview and Introduction. Read Syllabus
Read slides.
Define Strategy, strategic marketing topics: quality, competition, See text for
12-Jan customer centricity (ACSI, orientation), new product development. details.
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MKTG 550
13-Jan Selecting opportunities: PIMS, BCG, ADL, Porter
2 17-Jan Case1: Malin prepare
19-Jan Case 1: Malin discuss Case 1 due
Defining the business: synergy, competition.
20-Jan Reading: Abell
3 Product Life cycle
24-Jan Reading:
26-Jan Value Chain
27-Jan Exam on Marketing Theory Exam
4 31-Jan Case 2: Bisutera
2-Feb Case 3: Cucinaria Case 2 due
3-Feb Case 4: Tesla: Case 3 due
5 7-Feb Case 5: Shopping Bags Case 4 due
9-Feb Case 6: Josiah Doncaster Case 5 due
10-Feb Case 7: Poultry Products Case 6 Due
6 Case 7 Due
MarkStrat
14-Feb Introduction to Markstrat Handbook
16-Feb Introduction to Markstrat
Prepare first practice decision (requires reading the handbook
17-Feb before class, discussion in class and a long meeting outside of class)
7 21-Feb MarkStrat Practice Decision 1:
Review Practice Decision 1 establish decision-making policies and
23-Feb procedures..
24-Feb MarkStrat Practice Decision2
8 28-Feb Review results. Learn. Organize processes.
Markstrat
Prepare decision 1: explain all decisions.
2-Mar Quiz 1
MarkStrat
Competition
3-Mar MarkStrat Decision 1 MarkStrat Strategy and goals begins
9 7-Mar Think, analyze, decide
9-Mar MarkStrat Decision 2
10-Mar Markstrat review Market Research tools
10 14-Mar MarkStrat Decision 3 MarkStrat Product Positioning
16-Mar MarkStrat Decision 4
Write report MarkStrat
Report I (1-4)

Markstrat
17-Mar Quiz2
11 21-Mar MarkStrat Decision 5 Product Portfolio Planning
23-Mar Think, analyze, decide
24-Mar MarkStrat Decision 6
12 28-Mar Spring Break
30-Mar Spring Break
31-Mar Spring Break
13 4-Apr MarkStrat Strategic Review/Course Correction-Decision 7
6-Apr MarkStrat Strategic Review Decision 8
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MKTG 550
MarkStrat
7-Apr Report II (1-8)
14 11-Apr MarkStrat Decision 9
MarkStrat
Final MarkStrat Decision 10.
13-Apr Quiz3
Write report MarkStrat
Report III
14-Apr (1-10)
15 18-Apr Case 8: Lambsa
20-Apr Write presentation in class
21-Apr Reading day
Final Presentation

The Rubric for Case analyses is presented below. It is applied to each question asked.

Rubric is applied to each question

100 75 50 25 0
Answer partially
Answer responds to the
responds to the question but either No clear relation
question avoids some between the
logically based relevant facts or answer and the
on the facts in makes logical question or the
the case mistakes. facts in the case.

Rubric for Markstrat Reports

 Each decision taken will be evaluated with the following rubric.
 Report 3 has a section on "lessons learned" as well worth 20%. This section applies to groups that were relatively
unsuccessful. and allows them to get a good grade on the report through learning.
100 75 50 25 0
Group Group No clear
Group
Group improved continues relation
recognises
recognises as each using weak between the
successes
successes round. processes decision and
and
and failures Comments and the situation
failures
due to the obtaining as well as
due to
errors and changes bad results terrible
errors
corrected without without grammar
without
the errors. recognizin recognizin and
changing
g errors. g mistakes. formatting

Presentation Rubric
100% 90% 80% 70% 0%
Treated teamwork
Treated process
Treated learning
Applied to Marketing theory
Treated weak members
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MKTG 550
Well-prepared

Course Policies:
The Official Attendance Policy Will Not Be Applied But:
 Only students that are present for case discussions and for Markstrat decisions get credit for those cases and
decisions.
 Definition of a session attendance is being present from the very start of the class session until the very end.
Arriving to class late or leaving early will be counted as an absence.

RIT Dubai Honor Principles:

Refer to Policy 5.1.1- RIT Dubai Honor Code in the Student Handbook

Academic Integrity:
Refer to Policy 3.1.7- Policy on Academic Responsibility (section 2. Academic conduct) in the Student Handbook.
A description of what constitutes academic integrity and resources that can help you properly credit others for
their work while taking appropriate credit for your own can be found here:
https://www.rit.edu/twc/academicintegrity/.
Procedures for handling Academic Dishonesty:
Refer to Section 2. Academic Conduct of Policy 3.1.7- Policy on Academic Responsibility