Mercer University Atlanta
Stetson School of Business and Economics
The Stetson School of Business and Economics (SSBE) promotes the advancement and integration of quality business education and practice. In support of Mercer University’s mission, the School provides undergraduate and graduate programs that are designed to enable, enhance, and expand professional careers, civic responsibility and lifelong learning.
Spring 2006
Executive Masters of Business Administration
EBA605: Seminar in Strategic Marketing
Click below to go to the:
Course Schedule or Simulation Results.
Note: If I am online, you can contact me using my AOL IM name of 'drjecmercer'
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Please note that the detailed information about this course is valid only for the term and section indicated below. Instructors, textbooks, and other details are subject to change. |
Professor: Dr. James E. Coleman If you'd like to know more about the professor, you can click this link to go to my Mercer University home page. There you will find links to other courses I teach, my resume, and some other possibly interesting links.
Class Related email: dr.jec@comcast.net (Please include the course number and your last name in the subject line of all emails.)
(During the term, please use the email above for class related questions, since I check it at least daily. Email sent to my Mercer administrative account may not be read in as timely a manner.)
Office: Room 209 in the Business & Education Building on the Atlanta campus
Office Hours: 4:00-6:00 pm Tuesday. Every other Saturday 12:30-1:30 & 5:30-6:30 (other times by appointment). Please email me in advance if you plan to come by to avoid scheduling conflicts with other students.
You can always reach me by email. dr.jec@comcast.net
Note: If I am online, you can contact me using my AOL IM name of 'drjecmercer'
Telephone: 678-547-6303 (Note: email provides a quicker response.)
I. Protocol for Electronic Submission of Course Work:
Students bear sole responsibility for ensuring that papers or assignments submitted electronically to a professor are received in a timely manner and in the electronic format(s) specified by the professor. Students are therefore obliged to have their e-mail client issue a receipt verifying that the document has been received. Students are also strongly advised to retain a copy of the dated submission on a separate disk. Faculty members are encouraged, but not required, to acknowledge receipt of the assignment.
Note: I will acknowledge receipt of assignment & simulation files submitted electronically, but not routine emails. I generally respond within 1 day to emails. All electronic submissions for this course should be submitted to dr.jec@comcast.net, unless otherwise instructed. If you send them to my general Mercer email account, I may not see them for several days, and they will be considered late.
II. Protocol for use of Cell Phones and Pagers:
Out of courtesy for all those participating in the learning experience, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off before entering any classroom, lab, or formal academic or performance event.
Note for this class: If an urgent need exists, it is acceptable to leave these devices on if you have them set to a silent mode. If you decide to answer, please do so outside of the classroom.
III. Mercer University Honor Code:
Any student who engages in any form of academic misconduct will be subject to the maximum allowed disciplinary action including suspension and expulsion. If you are unsure what constitutes academic misconduct, please consult the Mercer University Atlanta Catalog under the heading of "Academic Honesty".
Of particular importance is the following definition of plagiarism.
Plagiarism: The use of ideas, facts, phrases, or additional information such as charts or maps, from any sources, without giving proper credit to the original author. Using direct quotations, paraphrases, or reproductions of any material which is not of the student’s own authorship without giving proper credit is also considered plagiarism. Failure to reference any such material used is both ethically and legally improper.
Remember, if you can easily find a source on the web, I probably can just as easily. If you engage in plagiarism, I will assign a grade of zero for that portion of the course.
IV. Students with Disabilities:
Students with a documented disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting. The instructor will refer you to the Assistant Dean of Campus Life, (678-547-6823) for consultation regarding evaluation, documentation of your disability, and recommendations for accommodation, if needed. To take full advantage of disability services, it is recommended that students make contact immediately. The office is located in the Davis Building, Room 223.
Course Description: An analytical examination of the decision making process in producing a marketing strategy consistent with the goals of the corporation is the focus of this course. Case analysis methodology is emphasized to help develop strategic marketing skills.
Marketing Strategy: A Decision-Focused Approach, by Walker, Mullins, Boyd & Larreche, 5th edition, 2006, McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
In addition, each team will need at least one copy of The Marketing Game simulation workbook and CD, third edition by Mason and Perreault. If you purchase this used, make sure the CD is included.
Class Objectives: The objectives for this course are for students:
Once the term begins, class related questions should be sent to:
dr.jec@comcast.net
Course Format:
A portion of most classes will consist of a lecture explaining key analytical tools and/or key components of marketing strategy related to the topic under discussion. However, the primary learning tools in this class are the computer simulation exercise and Marketing Strategy Project and related analysis, discussion and presentation. You will be formed into teams for this class. Full participation of each student is critical. If you let down your team members on your portion of the assignments, it will have a significant impact on your term grade. Your team members are required to rate your level of participation. If you receive negative comments, it will affect your grade. Be sure to retain copies of any and all work you complete individually. If you disagree with any negative feedback, I will ask for this information as a means of determining the validity of the comments.
Marketing Simulation:Your grade for this portion of the course will be determined by the level of cumulative unit sales and cumulative profits your company generates. Both unit sales and profits are equally important in the weighting.
On time submission of Marketing Simulation decisions is absolutely essential. Therefore, there will be a significant penalty associated with late submissions. The deadline for each set of decisions is clearly indicated in the class schedule below. Further details will be covered in class.
Marketing Strategy Project:
In this course, we will use the Case Method to analyze the strategies employed by a company within an industry of your choice. The case method differs from other approaches to learning because it requires that you take an active rather than a passive role in the analysis of problems and the formulation of alternative courses of action. Because case analysis is an applied skill, it is something you learn through experience. The more you practice, the more proficient you will become at identifying problems and creating workable solutions. Your responsibilities include active participation, interaction, critical evaluation, and effective communication. The case method requires individual participation in class discussions based on thorough preparation, entailing more than a casual reading of a couple of articles. You should download and review the Intro to Cases file to become familiar with this approach. Chapter 12 of your text also covers the elements of a marketing plan.
The Marketing Strategy Project contains both group and individual assignments. Part of your team's responsibility is to locate current information on the industry under review. See the websites listed on my research links page for suggested starting points. One of the keys to developing a successful marketing strategy is following a logical process designed to consider all of the relevant variables that are likely to affect a company and industry for the foreseeable future (typically around 5 years). This particular project will employ the approach described in your text as the ‘4 C’s’ (company, competitors, customers, context) and should be coordinated with the requirements of the finance class project (i.e., use the same company as you do for the finance class project). I have divided the overall project requirements into three phases:
Note: The assignments and topics shown in this schedule are subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class and via email. If you are unable to attend class please make sure that you contact me in advance by email or phone to verify the following week's assignment.
Click on the
hyperlinked chapter numbers to download the PowerPoint file.
If asked for a password, just click cancel and the file will then download.
Class |
Reading Material & Project Assignments |
Marketing Simulation |
Class One:
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Course & Project Overview Assignment 1: send an email to dr.jec@comcast.net confirming that you have read and understand this entire web-based syllabus. Please include the course number (EBA605) & your last name in the subject line of the email. You will miss some important information during the course if you forget to do this. Please send this email from the email address that you would like me to use to contact you regarding this class. Do Not send it from another address and ask me to use a different one, because my class email list function is automated. Email Privacy Policy: I will not use your email address for marketing purposes and I will not sell or intentionally disclose it to third parties. After this class ends, I will delete your email address from my class records. Some corporate and ISP email systems block my class emails because they assume them to be SPAM due to the number of recipients and my use of 'bcc'. If you have that problem, an easy solution is to set up a free email account at Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. and send your email from that address. Just remember to check it regularly during the term. |
Marketing Simulation Team Formation We will have 4 teams assigned the following identifiers: A1, A2, A3, A4 Simulation Assignment 1. Each team member should first read the workbook that comes with the Simulation. Chapters 2, 3 and 7 are most critical. If you don't read the material, you will not understand what's going on and you will very likely make some costly mistakes in your decision making. 2. Each member should develop their individual strategy recommendations and complete the Strategy Summary Form on their own. 3. Each group is required to meet as a team and develop and document their planned initial strategy for the Simulation using the same Strategy Summary Form as in step 2 for the individual strategies. This will probably require some patience, compromise and negotiation on the part of all team members. Teams should have a clear idea of their desired decisions for the first few game periods. Of course, you are not required to follow these since actual results of the game may affect your decisions, but it is best to try to plan for several periods in advance. 4. Email ONLY your Group Strategy Summary Form as an attachment to the same email you use to submit Period 1 decisions. Keep the individual strategy forms for your own reference. |
Class Two:
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Chapters 1,
2 & 3:
Corporate & Marketing Strategy.
Discussion of Team Project Proposals (Due by Jan. 26) |
Submit your decision
files and the group strategy form via email
by Midnight on:
Period 1:
January 18 (Your team's PlanX#.tmg
file must be emailed to dr.jec@comcast.net) I will discuss the Production Report & Forecasting in class. Bring your Period 1&2 results reports to class for a free consulting session. Example of specific question that I will answer: What does this number on this report mean? Example of question I won't answer: What should we do next? |
Class Three:
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Chapter 4 & 5: Market Opportunity Analysis.
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Decision files
and forms are due
by Midnight on: (Your team's PlanX#.tmg file must be emailed to dr.jec@comcast.net) I will offer a marketing simulation consulting session at the end of class, so have your specific questions ready. |
Class Four:
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Chapters 6 & 7: Market Targeting & Positioning.
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Decision files
and forms are due
by Midnight on: (Your team's PlanX#.tmg file must be emailed to dr.jec@comcast.net) I will offer a marketing simulation consulting session at the end of class, so have your specific questions ready. |
Class Five:
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Situation Analysis Presentations. The PowerPoint files should be submitted by noon the day before class. Submit midterm Team member effort evaluations. Click Here . |
Decision files
and forms are due
by Midnight on: (Your team's PlanX#.tmg file must be emailed to dr.jec@comcast.net) I will offer a marketing simulation consulting session at the end of class, so have your specific questions ready. |
Class Six:
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Chapters 8 & 9: Strategies Appropriate for New Products and/or Growth Markets.
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Decision files
and forms are due
by Midnight on: (Your team's PlanX#.tmg file must be emailed to dr.jec@comcast.net) I will offer a marketing simulation consulting session at the end of class, so have your specific questions ready. |
Class Seven:
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Chapters 10 & 11: Strategies for Mature Markets and New Economy Markets. |
Decision files
and forms are due
by Midnight on: (Your team's PlanX#.tmg file must be emailed to dr.jec@comcast.net) Final simulation results and team grades will be posted. We will discuss the strategies used by teams and their results in class, so come prepared to describe what your team did and why over the course of the term. No written report is needed. |
Class Eight:
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Individual Marketing Strategy Reports Due at start of class. Marketing Strategy Presentations. The PowerPoint files should be submitted by noon the day before class. Come to class prepared to present and defend your group's recommended strategy for your company. |
Submit final team member effort evaluations. Click Here |
Late assignments will be accepted only in the most unusual circumstances. Also, if you can't make it to class you should notify me in advance and make alternative arrangements with your group members to ensure that you complete your portion of any group work.
Grading Structure:
| Marketing Strategy Project: | ||
| Situation Analysis Presentation (Group) | 15% | |
| Marketing Strategy Presentation (Group) | 15% | |
| Marketing Strategy Report (Individual) | 40% | |
| Total Industry Project | 70% | |
| Marketing Simulation (Group): | 20% | |
| Class Discussion & Participation (Individual): | 10% | |
| 100% |
One final but extremely critical reminder: If your team members do not believe that you carried out your responsibilities as agreed within the team structure, they are required to indicate this during the team member evaluation process. Should I receive indications that you did not fulfill your obligations in a timely manner, you must be able to show exactly how and when you contributed to the team effort. Therefore, please keep all rough drafts or other information you collected until the end of the term. If you are unable to document your participation, any negative comments provided by your teammates will affect your grade. Hopefully, this policy will encourage more complete group participation.