Course Introduction

Commerce 1MA3: Introduction to

Marketing
Lan Yu
 • Lan Yu, Ph.D. Candidate
• DeGroote School of Business,
Marketing
A little bit • yul47@mcmaster.ca
• Contact me with your McMaster
about myself email
• Office Hours: Tuesday from 2:30
pm – 4:00 pm or by appointment.
• Please book by email in advance.
 • Teaching Assistants aid in the administration of
Teaching this course and are a resource for students
throughout the semester:

Assistant • If you have a question about this course, you

should first email your Teaching Assistant.
Mr. Iman Sadeghi • Teaching Assistants mark students’ exams and
sadeghii@mcmaster.ca assignments and will provide feedback on request.
• All our Teaching Assistants are highly qualified
graduate students (MBA and PhD-level)
Course Outline
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to complete the following key
tasks:
• Understand the principles, techniques, and terms used by marketing
practitioners;
• Formulate a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis
as it applies to your chosen industry and company, within the Canadian
marketplace;
• Write business reports that integrate your research and analysis;
• Apply ethical principles and practices in marketing research;
• Develop your time management, organization, communication (both oral and
written), and research skills while working in a team.
What is
Marketing
Course Components and Weights

In-class test First class of week 3 (July 8), 30 minutes duration 5%

Midterm exam Friday, July 19, 2024: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM 20%

Final exam cumulative In class final exam, Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM 35%

Team Contract Due July 10, 2024 (mandatory) 0%

Group Report Friday, Report due July 26th 25%

Class Activities Class exercises and activities administered through 8%

Connect. Lowest activity grade will be dropped at
end of the semester.

Smartbook Assignments to be completed prior to attending 7%

class. Administered through Connect/Smartbook.
See below for additional information and deadlines.

Total： 100%
Exams
• Midterm Scheduled for Friday, July 19, 2024: 3:00 – 5:00 PM EST (T13 125)
• Final exam will be hold during the last class. Aug. 7th, 6:30-8:30 PM EST
• Midterm and Final exam are both 2 hours in length
• Midterm covers roughly the first half of the course; Final exam is cumulative but
with an emphasis on second half of the course
• Exams consist of theory and application based questions. Covers all material from
textbook, readings, class lectures and class discussions.
• Exams made up of Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions.
• NOTE: Students who do not write the midterm exam, with approval, will write a
cumulative final exam (55% of final grade).
In-class test

• An opportunity for many of you to get used to the question

• Covers Chapters 1 and 2, will be 30 minutes in duration, and is worth 5% of your
grade
• Takes in the first class of week 3. (July 8)
• Consist of both Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions (just like the exams)
Group Project
• Semester long group project analyzing a public Canadian company.
• Groups of five students
(ANY PREFERENCES Email your TA by July 3)
• Team Contract (due July 10)
• Report (due July 26)–Worth 25% of your Final Mark
• Group Logs
• Format and Referencing – Please refer to Syllabus
Team Contract Template
Course Materials and Readings
Required: Marketing with Connect, 6th Canadian Edition – Grewal,
Levy, and Lichti
• Our course is participating in the Inclusive Access Program
• Day 1 access for everyone through Avenue
• Discounted price negotiated by bookstore
• Cost of textbook will be charged to your student account after
add/drop date of July 5
• Opt-out deadline if you would like to buy print copy July 5
• Refer to the letter on Avenue for more details
Connect Registration Instructions
1. Log in to Avenue to Learn and navigate to your course.
2. Click on Content in the top navigation bar of your course homepage.
3. Select any of your upcoming Connect assignments.
4. Click Begin. This will open a new window.
5. Click Register or Sign In if you already have a Connect account.
6. If creating a new Connect account, enter all the required information.
7. You will be given access to the Connect course automatically (no code
required).
8. Confirm your registration and click on [Go to Connect].
Accessing Your Required Course Materials
Connect: Smartbook and Class Activities
• Smartbook: Pre-class study tool – 7% of Final Grade
• Chapters 1-3 due Sunday June 30, 11:59 P.M.
• 4 out of 6 Chapters due by Sunday July 16, 11:59 P.M.
• 4 out of 6 Chapters due by Sunday July 30, 11:59 P.M.
• Class Activities – 8% of Final Grade
• Instructions given at the end of class. Activity then opens 10 minutes after
class is done. Stays open for 24 hours.
• Lowest activity grade dropped at the end of the semester.
• Please ensure that you use a device with browser capabilities - a
computer/laptop is preferred and recommended.
The McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF)
• The McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF) will not be accepted for
your group Assignment
• It is University policy that examination results cannot be changed if an
examination was written while sick or under the influence of a crisis
or compassionate situation. In such situations, speak directly with
your Academic Advisor before any deadlines so that you can explore
next steps.
Accommodations
• Students requiring accommodations must submit their requests to
the relevant program office.
• For Student Accessibility Services: 905-525-9140 ext. 28652 or e-mail
sas@mcmaster.ca
• For Religious, Indigenous or Spiritual Observances:
https://multifaith.mcmaster.ca/riso
The Next Few Weeks
WEEK TOPICS SOURCE

1 Course Intro Course Outline

June 24 Overview of Marketing Chapter 1
1 Chapter 2
June 26
Strategic Planning in Marketing

2 Chapter 3 – video recording on

Canada Day-- no classes
July 1 A2L
2 Marketing Research Chapter 7
July 3 Consumer Behavior Chapter 4
3 Segmentation, Targeting, and Chapter 6
July 8 Positioning
3
Developing New Products Chapter 8
July 10
4
Product, Branding, and Packaging Chapter 9
July 15