BUY MORE SHIT

OR WE’RE

ALL FUCKED

COMM204(07) Introduction to Marketing Tues 2:30 – 3:50 pm, Instructor: Prof. David (Stormy) Williams,

Office: Edwards 72 Phone: 306- 966-8423, 306-220-0144 (cell) E-mail Williams@edwards.usask.ca Office Hours: When I’m in.

Land Acknowledgement As we engage in Remote Teaching and Learning, I would like to acknowledge that the Saskatoon campus of the University of Saskatchewan is on Treaty Six Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respect to the First Nation and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. I would also like to recognize that some may be attending this course from other traditional Indigenous lands. I ask that you take a moment to make your own Land Acknowledgement to the peoples of those lands. In doing so, we are actively participating in reconciliation as we navigate our time in this course, learning and supporting each other.

This a remote teaching class is taking place in complex circumstances.

Remote teaching is new to the Professor and you; so please interact with

empathy and care.

All the Panopto lecture videos are posted on Canvas and it is my

assumption you will have watched them before that the topic is

scheduled to be covered in the class schedule.

A copy of the PowerPoints will be available on Canvas for download.

Links to all the required videos and readings are contained in the class

materials folder for each class on Canvas.

In the assigned class time, we will answer the assigned questions and

I will be available to answer questions over Zoom

Guiding Principles:

• The learning objectives for the course should not be impeded as a result of remote delivery.

• To uphold the experiential components of the course, students will engage virtually in applied class discussions and group exercises.

• Clear and regular communication is critical to understand the perspectives of others. • Adapting to a remote approach will require engagement, flexibility and understanding

from all. • Engaging in a virtual medium requires mutual trust, please do not record any lectures or

2

discussions and do not post any material to YouTube or other venues.

What Students Need to Know About the Process for Remote Delivery: Synchronous Discussions

• The instructor will attempt to use some synchronous delivery to remain connected as a cohort and vary course delivery for unique learning styles

• Zoom will be the technology medium used. • Video is encouraged but not required while engaging in synchronous

discussions – consider uploading a picture if video is not an option • Be prepared for polls, screen sharing, break-out groups, discussions and ‘cold calls’

from instructor • Kindly attempt to limit distractions, mute audio when not speaking • Come to class prepared having read the assigned materials (i.e. case study)

Group Work • Students will form groups and are expected to complete a group project over the course. • Spend time building rapport and identifying “roles and goals” in addition to methods and

times of remote communication (process) before engaging in group work (content)

1. Required Materials

• Kerin et al., (2021). Marketing: The Core, (6th Edition), McGraw Hill. Connect is not required.

• Marketing simulation Cadotte, Ernest R. Introduction to Marketing, Innovative Learning Solutions, Inc. Introduction to Marketing can be purchased online with a credit card at the Login page (https://game.ilsworld.com).

• Course materials on Canvas

2. The Nature of the Class and Teaching Philosophy

In this class, emphasis is placed on applying the material. However, before you can master and apply the knowledge of a discipline you must know it. Acquiring this information (facts, principles and concepts) is best achieved by your own reading and studying. To facilitate this, key definitions and diagrams cross referenced with the textbook in PowerPoint handouts will be posted on Canvas. Definitions will not be explicitly covered or regurgitated in class. However, you may be tested on them along with other material covered in class.

3

3. Course Objectives

a. To make it through to the midterm break. b. To make it through to Dec. 7, 2021. c. To apply, vividly illustrate and bring to life the discipline of marketing and

successful marketing practice. d. To discover how marketers make us buy ‘shit’ that we don’t really need. e. To make you smart, informed, demanding and discerning consumers so you will

be smart, informed, demanding and discerning marketers. f. To develop an understanding of: the nature and scope of marketing; the

relationship of marketing to the overall organization; the terminology used in marketing; and, a basic knowledge of specialized marketing topics.

g. To develop skills in assessing, formulating and communicating solutions to real life problems involving the marketing process

4. Strategies for Success

• Lower your expectations.

• Lower them some more.

• Study the assigned materials before the date they are scheduled to be covered in class. I will teach on the assumption that this has been done.

• Study the Panopto lecture videos and class materials on Canvas

• Study textbook, assignments and class notes and apply principles and concepts to all assignments and projects.

• Prepare assignments and projects as directed.

5. Evaluation

Marketing Simulation 35.0 First Online Quiz 20.0 Second Online Quiz 20.0 Final Exam 25.0

4

6. Class Schedule

TOPIC CHAPTERS Sept 7 The Nature of Marketing / CRM 1, 14 14 Strategic Marketing Planning,

Marketing Environment 15, 2 Sign Up Deadline

21 Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning 6 Decision 1 28 First Online Quiz 1, 2, 6, 14, 15 Oct 5 Consumer Behaviour 3 Decision 2 12 “Thanksgiving” 19 Product 7, 8 Decision 3 26 Pricing 9 Decision 4 Nov. 2 Second Online Quiz 3, 7, 8, 9, 9 Midterm Break 16 Marketing Channels & Retailing 10, 11 Decision 5 23 Marketing Communications 12 30 Digital Marketing Communications 13 Decision 6

Dec 7 Marketing Simulation Wrap Up Executive Report Due 8-23 Final Exam Period

7. Exams

The two online quizzes will be administered through Canvas. They must be completed on the day that they are assigned and once started students will have 90 minutes to complete the quizzes. The quizzes will consist of approximately eighty multiple choice questions with no penalties for incorrect answers. The second quiz will test the material covered since the first quiz. The final exam likely be an applied case study or short answer questions covering all components of the course. It will be administered and submitted through Canvas.

Exams must be taken as scheduled. The only acceptable reasons for missing an exam are the death in the family member (pets don’t count) or serious and prolonged illness (a medical certificate is required for the latter). Your wedding in Mexico doesn’t cut it – even if you are the wedding party. If the exam is missed, for the legitimate reasons cited the weighting will automatically be assigned to the final exam. Copies of the midterm, final exams or other forms of assessment will not be available or returned. There will be no make-up exams before and after the scheduled exam date.

All material covered in class, including lectures, class discussion, web-links, blog posts, guest speakers and videos will be deemed as legitimate topics to include in examinations whether or not it is explicitly covered in the text. Similarly, all assigned material in the text is considered as appropriate to include in midterms and the final exam whether or not it is explicitly covered in class. Students will not be tested on the facts and details of cases.

5

Final exam dates are scheduled by the Examinations Department of Student and Enrolment Services. Do not make travel plans prior to the final examination date. The last day for second term final examinations is Dec. 23, 2021.

8. Policy regarding Late Assignments, Project and Midterm Exam(s)

Late assignments will automatically receive a zero grade. Final exams and midterm exams must be taken as scheduled. The only acceptable reasons for missing an exam, assessed work and assessed in-class activities are the death of a family member (pets don’t count) or serious and prolonged illness (a medical certificate is required for the latter). Your wedding in Mexico doesn’t cut it – even if you are the wedding party. If the exam is missed, for the legitimate reasons cited the weighting will automatically be assigned to the final exam.

9. Marketing Simulation

The focus of this course is a strategy exercise filled with tactical details. Through computer simulation, we will place you into a very realistic international business setting where you will run a marketing division for six quarters in compressed time (six rounds of decision-making).

Learning Objectives

The Marketplace simulation is a transformational experience. You will learn what it will be like to compete in the fast-paced, competitive market where customers are demanding and the competition is working hard to take away your business.

In the Marketplace, you start up and run your own marketing division, struggling with marketing fundamentals and the interplay between product, price, place, promotion, budgets, and financial performance. You are given control of a simulated business and must manage its operations through several decision cycles. Repeatedly, you must analyze the situation, plan a marketing strategy to improve it, select the tactical options to implement that strategy and then execute the strategy and tactics out into the future. You face great uncertainty from the outside environment and from your own decisions. Incrementally, you learn to skillfully adjust your strategy as you discover the nature of your real-life decisions, including the available options, linkages to other parts of the business, conflicts, tradeoffs, and potential outcomes.

Here is a list of what Marketplace players do:

• Analyze market research data • Design brands to appeal to different market segments • Devise advertising campaigns, sales force plans, and price option • Plan and roll out a marketing campaign • Manage cash

6

• Compete head-to-head with other business teams • Adjust strategy and tactics in response to financial performance, competitive

tactics, and customer needs

The specific goal of the exercise is to develop your marketing management skills by giving you an integrated perspective of the entire marketing operation. In terms of specifics, the exercise can:

• Develop strategic planning and execution skills within a rapidly changing environment

• Crystallize the linkages between marketing decisions and financial performance • Instill a bottom line focus and the simultaneous need to deliver customer value

• Internalize how important it is to use market data and competitive signals to adjust the strategic plan and more tightly focus marketing tactics

• Promote better decision-making by helping individuals see how their decisions can affect the performance of marketing activities & the organization as a whole

• Facilitate learning of important marketing concepts, principles and ways of thinking

• Build confidence through knowledge and experience

Organization of the Exercise

Each quarter or decision period has a dominant activity and a set of decisions that are linked to it. These dominant activities take you through the product and firm life cycle from introduction, to development, to growth, to near maturity. As you work through your firm’s life cycle, we will phase in the disciplinary material as it becomes relevant to the current decisions of the team.

Each quarter's activities not only result in new material being introduced, but also build upon the prior content so that there is considerable repetition. We have found that marketing activities such as value creation in product design, pricing, distribution and sales force management, ad copy design, media planning, budgeting, profit analysis, and strategic planning and management are not easily absorbed. They require repetitive exercise in order to set them into the natural thinking of the students.

Required Software

Cadotte, Ernest R. Introduction to Marketing, Innovative Learning Solutions, Inc. Introduction to Marketing can be purchased online with a credit card at the Login page (https://game.ilsworld.com).

Software Demo

Software demos have been prepared to introduce you to the Marketplace software. Please go to the http://www.marketplace-simulation.com/introduction-to-marketing-demo (http://www.marketplace-simulation.com/introduction-to-marketing-demo) or the Introduction to Marketing – Bikes simulation demo (http://www.marketplace-simulation.com/introduction-to-marketing-bikes-demo) and review the demo.

7

Grading

Report to Executive Board ........................................................................................ 10% Cumulative Balanced Scorecard for Q 3 through Q 6 ............................................... 25%

Total ............................................................................................................... 35%

Reports

A brief written report regarding your performance and marketing strategy over the course of the last 6 quarters is required at the end of the exercise.

Questions to the Instructor

The help files in the software contain all of the directions you will need to participate in the marketing strategy simulation. Nonetheless, there is a tendency for students to ask the instructor for help rather than look in the help files. With the number of students currently playing the game, it can become a very large burden. For this reason, the instructor will charge $10,000 to answer any question already addressed in software.

Computation of Simulation Performance

A Balanced Scorecard will be used to measure your firm’s performance. The firm’s total marketing performance will be based upon its financial performance, marketing effectiveness, and market performance. A total score will be computed for each firm competing in Marketplace.

Student Sign-up Instructions

If you need any assistance feel free to contact technical support. The support team is available 7 days a week from 8am to 9pm Monday - Friday and 10am - 7pm on Saturday and Sunday, Eastern time.

Support email: support@ilsworld.com / Phone: +1 865-522-1946

Step 1 – Create Account

1. Go to the Login page (https://game.ilsworld.com/). 2. Click on the “Create a new account” button NOTE: You can also sign up using

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Twitter, or Facebook by following one of the links at the right of this page.

3. Click on the “Student” button, complete the required fields, and click the “Create Account” button.

You may reset your password directly from the Login page (https://game.ilsworld.com/) “Forgot your password?” link.

8

Step 2 – Purchase License Number

1. Enter your Game ID into the “Game ID” field. The Game ID is 15078-00007-75777

2. Click the “Get license number” link beneath the “License” field. 3. Here you will enter your credit card or PayPal details. 4. You will then be given a license number. It will automatically fill into the form

for you after a successful purchase. If you close out of the webpage you will also receive a copy of this license number at the email address that you specify on the credit card or PayPal information page. (You might need to check the “spam/junk” folder in your email client.)

Step 3 – Join Game

(You will need a license number for this Step. See Step 2 to obtain a license number.)

1. In the “Join a new game” form, after filling in both the game ID and the license number, you will be able to select your team number. NOTE: Teams that are full will not be available in this drop down menu.

When you join a team these are the people you will be working with for the semester. If you wish to work with specific individuals you have to arrange this when you sign up but your selection depends upon availability and cannot be guaranteed.

2. You can now continue to sign into the simulation by going to the Login page (https://game.ilsworld.com/) and entering your email and password (created in Step 1)

Timetable Sept 14 Sign Up Deadline

Overview of Game Scenario Sept 21 Quarter 1 Decisions due. Oct 5 Quarter 2 Decisions due

1st Peer Evaluation Oct 19 Quarter 3 Decisions due Oct 26 Quarter 4 Decisions due

2nd Peer Evaluation

Nov 16 Quarter 5 Decisions due Nov 30 Quarter 6 Decisions due

3rd Peer Evaluation Dec 7 Short written report on the firm’s performance, strategy, tactics, and

9

competitive position

Report to Executive Board of Corporate Headquarters (10%)

Format: 5 pages

Using appropriate marketing terminology and quantitative data the Report to the Executive Board should include the following components:

A. Assessment of strategy and its execution (looking back) Review your financial and market performance over the six quarters.

Highlight the key features of the firm’s marketing plan throughout the exercise

1. Brand Strategy 2. Pricing Strategy 3. Advertising Strategy 4. Sales Channel

B. Assessment of current situation Assess your current situation and the market. (What are your firm’s and competitors strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats?)

C. Investments in the future (looking forward) Summarize how you have prepared your firm to compete in the future.

D. Lessons learned What were the lessons learned?

The communication style should emphasize objectivity and candor.

10. Final Exam Schedule

The final exam is scheduled by the Office of the Registrar. The final exam schedule will be posted in PAWS under the Academics tab in the My Exams channel, and an email will be sent to all students once the exam schedule has been finalized. Final exams will be held from Dec. 8-23, 2021, including Saturdays. Students should avoid making prior travel, employment, or other commitments for this entire period. Students must regard registration as a commitment to accept final examination dates.

10

11. University Regulations

Academic Accommodation

Access and Equity Services (AES) offers services to students with documented disabilities ranging from learning deficit, learning disabilities, chronic health issues, hearing and visual impairment, disabilities and temporary impairment due to accident, illness or injury. It is the student's responsibility to request academic accommodations. If you are a student with a documented disability who may require academic accommodation and have not registered with AES, please contact their office at 966-7273. Students who have not registered with AES are not eligible for formal academic accommodation

Academic Honesty

In short, do not cheat. Academic honesty is the cornerstone in the development of knowledge. A single offence of cheating, plagiarism or other academic misconduct on term work, tests or final examinations or assignments can lead to disciplinary probation, suspension or expulsion from the university.

Every student who is registered in this class is expected to have read and understood the rules regarding student academic dishonesty available at: http://www.usask.ca/honesty Each student is expected to know the rules regarding academic dishonesty.

This course uses a plagiarism detection software called SafeAssign to evaluate student’s submitted work for the following reasons:

• Prevention – to prevent students from using improper citation methods and from knowingly copying information from any source without giving proper credit;

• Protection of honest students and their work; • Detection – with the type of technology in common use today, it is necessary to

use a detection tool which checks academic work against the Internet;

Any student’s work submitted to SafeAssign remains the sole property of the student. Students do not relinquish their intellectual property rights. To the extent that the student authorizes the inclusion of his/her written work in the global Blackboard database, the student and the university agree that Blackboard may maintain a copy of this work indefinitely and may use the work for the purpose of plagiarism and prevention for others using the system.

Students who do not wish to give permission for the use the Safe Assign plagiarism software must provide a written request to their instructor asking them to opt out. Students who request to opt out will be subject to other plagiarism detection techniques.

11

12. Grading System

The college endeavours to ensure consistency of final grades across courses and sections. Variations in distribution will always be considered by the instructor where called for by the performance in each individual class. The student does not have any ‘right’ to a certain grade, but is responsible for earning grades. The instructor has unfettered discretion to evaluate student performance and assign all grades.

The University of Saskatchewan uses a percentage system for reporting final grades. The university-wide relationship between literal descriptors and percentage scores for undergraduate courses is as follows:

90-100 Exceptional A superior performance with consistent strong evidence of: • a comprehensive, incisive grasp of the subject matter; • an ability to make insightful critical evaluation of the material given; • an exceptional capacity for original, creative and/or logical thinking; • an excellent ability to organize, to analyze, to synthesize, to integrate ideas, and to express thoughts fluently.

80-89 Excellent An excellent performance with strong evidence of: • a comprehensive grasp of the subject matter; • an ability to make sound critical evaluation of the material given; • a very good capacity for original, creative and/or logical thinking; • an excellent ability to organize, to analyze, to synthesize, to integrate ideas, and to express thoughts fluently.

70-79 Good A good performance with evidence of: • a substantial knowledge of the subject matter; • a good understanding of the relevant issues and a good familiarity with the relevant literature and techniques; • some capacity for original, creative and/or logical thinking; • a good ability to organize, to analyze and to examine the subject material in a critical and constructive manner.

60-69 Satisfactory A generally satisfactory and intellectually adequate performance with evidence of: • an acceptable basic grasp of the subject material; • a fair understanding of the relevant issues; • a general familiarity with the relevant literature and techniques; • an ability to develop solutions to moderately difficult problems related to the subject material; • a moderate ability to examine the material in a critical and analytical manner.

50-59 Minimal Pass A barely acceptable performance with evidence of: • a familiarity with the subject material; • some evidence that analytical skills have been developed; • some understanding of relevant issues; • some familiarity with the relevant literature and techniques; • attempts to solve moderately difficult problems related to the subject material and to examine the material in a critical and analytical manner which are only partially successful.

<50 Failure An unacceptable performance

12

13. Appealing a Grade

As the grading of exams and submission of final grades can be subject to human error, a student who has a concern with the evaluation of his or her performance shall consult with the instructor as soon as possible, but, in any event, not later than 30 days after the grades become available in PAWS.

14. Other Information:

Counselling Services for Students Dealing with stress, loneliness or anxiety can be challenging for students. Professionally trained counselors with backgrounds in clinical psychology and social work are available in Student Health & Counselling Services to provide advice, counseling and consultation at no cost to registered students. Any personal information shared with these professionals is treated with great care and utmost confidentiality. http://students.usask.ca/current/life/health/ 966-4920

Counselling Services for Professors

Dealing with stress, loneliness or anxiety can be challenging for Professors. Professionally trained counsellors with backgrounds in clinical psychology and social work are available in the Health & Wellness Resource Centre (966-4580) to provide advice, counselling and consultation at no cost to professors. Any personal information shared with these professionals is treated with great care and utmost confidentiality.

Professors requiring assistance or advice in areas like social skills, life skills, loading and unloading dishwashers, not swearing at their children or merely getting through the day can access the caring services of the Associate Dean Faculty Relations and Affairs.

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: For information on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act please visit http://www.usask.ca/corporate_admin/privacy/

University Learning Charter: While specific learning outcomes will vary, there is a set of core learning goals to which the University aspires for all graduates, to the extent feasible and appropriate within each program of studies. These are of five main types: Discovery, Knowledge, Integrity, Skills, and Citizenship. More information is available at: http://www.usask.ca/learning_charter/

0. Use of Video and Recording of the Course

Video conference sessions in this course, including your participation, will be recorded and

13

made available only to students in the course for viewing via Canvas after each session. This is done, in part, to ensure that students unable to join the session (due to, for example, issues with their internet connection) can view the session at a later time. This will also provide you the opportunity to review any material discussed.

Please remember that course recordings belong to your instructor, the University, and/or others (like a guest lecturer) depending on the circumstance of each session, and are protected by copyright. Do not download, copy, or share recordings without the explicit permission of the instructor.

For questions about recording and use of sessions in which you have participated, including any concerns related to your privacy, please contact your instructor. More information on class recordings can be found in the Academic Courses Policy https://policies.usask.ca/policies/academic-affairs/academic-courses.php#5ClassRecordings.

At times in this course you will be required to have your video on during video conferencing sessions. It will be necessary for you to use of a webcam built into or connected to your computer. This is to observe the completion of skills and to provide feedback.

For questions about use of video in your sessions, including those related to your privacy, contact your instructor.

15. Course Outline Cover and Course Content

The scarcest resource is consumers’ attention and most marketing in your Professor’s opinion is boring, predictable and ignored. To paraphrase various Seth Godin Blog posts, being normal means being boring and being boring means being ignored. Marketing practitioners must now be remarkable.

The front cover of this course outline and the class content is deliberately designed not to be boring and ignored. It is designed to be remarkable or worth making a remark about. However, this means it may not always be to your personal liking or approval but is permissible under the principles of academic freedom.

16. Office Décor

Some students may be uncomfortable to enter my office as the décor is unconventional. If this is the case, then please feel free to contact me to arrange a meeting at another physical location within the Edwards School of Business at a time that is mutually convenient to both of us.

17. Study Guide

14

To facilitate life-long learning in marketing and for ease of studying during the course a visual study guide is presented below:

15