Main Content
Syllabus
MKTG 450W: Marketing Strategy
MKTG 450W: Marketing Strategy (3 credits): Market-oriented problems of the firm; identification and selection of market opportunities; formulation of competitive strategies; marketing policies and programs.
Prerequisites: MKTG 330, MKTG 342
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Requirements | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Accommodating Disabilities | Additional Policies
Overview
This is a capstone marketing course that ties together everything you learned in previous marketing courses.
The prerequisite for this course is completion of MKTG 342 or MKTG 330. Although the formal prerequisite is just one of those two courses, you will be much better off if you have taken both courses prior to this one.
This course is designed to help you synthesize prior knowledge into a coherent vision of marketing and apply marketing theories to real-world tasks that you will likely face in your job. The overall goal of this course is to provide systemic and in-depth engagement with marketing strategy, putting all the knowledge acquired in other marketing classes together. At the end of the course, you should be able to develop a marketing plan for a business.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to
- provide an in-depth analysis of the external and internal marketing environment,
- summarize the results of a SWOT analysis,
- develop marketing strategies based on SWOT analysis results (i.e., set marketing goals and objectives, identify the target market, create market segments, and re-position a company or its product service(s);,
- develop appropriate pricing, products, distribution (supply chain), and promotion strategies,
- develop a marketing plan for a business,
- develop organizational arrangements.
- develop a schedule of marketing strategy implementation, and
- develop required control procedures, including appropriate metrics such as sales, market share, profit to be used by the business. (Note: The end result is to compare pre-determined objectives with performance outcomes. If there are gaps or discrepancies between the two, the company tries to identify what went wrong, take corrective actions, and overcome the discrepancies or put into action contingency plans to remedy the situation.)
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
Requirement 1: Quizzes
Quizzes will assess your learning of the material in each lesson. For each lesson, you will take an online quiz consisting of 10 questions.
Requirement 2: Case Analyses
Case analyses serve to apply and synthesize course material and to internalize problem-solving approaches to typical marketing situations based on real scenarios.
There are ten possible cases listed. You should decide which case you'd like to work on by the end of Lesson 2.
Here is the list of the cases for the lessons:
| Lesson | Case | Page # |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson 4: Collecting and Analyzing Marketing Information | Telsa case | p. 291 |
| Lesson 5: Developing Competitive Advantage and Strategic Focus | Gainsight case | p. 311 |
| Lesson 6: Customers, Segmentation, and Target Marketing | Uber case | p. 333 |
| Lesson 7: Branding and Positioning | Gillette Razor case | p. 441 |
| Lesson 8: Product Decisions | Mattel case | p. 409 |
| Lesson 9: Pricing | Apple case | p. 319 |
| Lesson 10: Distribution and Supply Chain Management | Zappos case | p. 431 |
| Lesson 11: Integrated Marketing Communication | Shopify case | p. 487 |
| Lesson 12: Marketing Implementation and Control | Herbalife case | p. 461 |
| Lesson 13: Developing and Maintaining Long-Term Customer Relationship | Walmart case | p. 477 |
The case analysis consists of two deliverables:
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a presentation (40 points: 20 points for the actual presentation, and 20 points for reviewing and commenting other students' presentations), and
- a case analysis report (60 points).
See the details for each deliverable below.
Case Analysis Evaluation
The instructor will evaluate your case analysis on
- the depth of the analysis,
- logical flow/contradictions (each section needs to logically flow from the previous ones),
- creativity, and
- a lack of errors (such as confusing external factors with internal ones or confusing what is an opportunity with what is not).
Additionally, your write-up needs to be proofread, have no grammatical and spelling errors, and be written using appropriate language.
Requirement 3: Group Marketing Plan
The marketing plan is a semester-long group project. Your group will develop a marketing plan and create sample creative materials (ads, promotional brochures, etc.) as needed.
In order to ensure progress on the project, your groups will be asked to submit parts of the marketing plan throughout the course. These submissions will not be graded, but the instructor will provide feedback to help improve your marketing plan.
To help you with the development of a strategic marketing plan. please consult with Marketing Plan Worksheets in Ferrell, Hartline, and Hochstein, Marketing Strategy: Text and Cases (2020, pp. 507–515).This is a very useful framework to be used.This group project requires you to do the following things:
- Deliver a presentation that effectively sells your suggested solution. The presentation should not be more than 15 minutes. The presentation will be due Thursday, 11:59 p.m. of the week before the last week of class. See the specific date in the schedule. From Friday to Sunday of that week, each individual student will watch the presentation video and make comments on the presentation. There will be 30 points associated with the presentation (20 points for the actual presentation, and 10 points for the reviewing and commenting).
- Submit a marketing plan paper written using the structure outlined in the textbook (pp. 36–42). The paper is worth 70 points and has to use business formal language. It will be graded based on how strong each part is and how well the parts fit together. By strong, I mean that the section is thorough, is detailed, makes sense and includes creative suggestions. The paper will be due in the final week of class. See the specific date in the schedule.
For both case analysis assignment and marketing plan project, I urge you to make use of databases available through Penn State library. You can have access to these databases from your home, office. The most important databases for our purpose are PROQUEST and ABI-INFORM, In both case analysis and marketing plan development, you are expected to integrate concepts and techniques of strategic marketing in text body.
Peer Evaluation
Five points will be awarded based on group members' evaluations of each other. Peer evaluation is important, as it gives the instructor insight into how well group members interact with their peers. In the final week, you'll have access to a peer evaluation form to be used for this purpose. The instructor will assign a point total that is the mean score of your group members' assessments.
Following are the four major evaluation criteria:
- actively participated in the discussion (e.g., frequently presented and commented with ideas, kept close contact with group members),
- exhibited a positive attitude through the process (e.g., provided constructive feedback, helped keep the group focused on the task),
- was willing to be a real team player (e.g., was willing to take on responsibilities, respected group members' opinions, helped make decisions), and
- contributed to developing the group presentation (e.g., initiated and shared ideas/resources).
Requirement 4: Discussion Participation
Discussion participation is what it sounds like: participation in the forums. It has to be consistent throughout the semester (logging in time after time and posting comments) and meaningful. (A post such as, "I agree with her" will not count as a meaningful response.) You should take responsibility for providing thoughtful comments and constructive feedback.
Also, to preserve the flow of conversation, you should submit your initial post by 11:59 p.m. (ET) Thursday. Also, provide meaningful and substantive responses to at least two of your classmates' posts by 11:59 p.m. (ET) Sunday. Thus, to earn full points, you have to complete the initial posting by Thursday and respond at least two postings by Sunday.
See the rubric for discussion participation below.
There are 11 discussion forums in the course.
| Discussion Forum | Points |
|---|---|
| Lesson 1 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 2 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 3 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 4 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 5 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 6 Consumer Behavior Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 7 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 8 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 9 Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 10 Nontraditional Channels Discussion Forum | 10 |
| Lesson 13 Discussion Forum | 10 |
Grading Scheme
| Category of assessment | Points per assessment | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson quizzes | 100 (the highest 10 out of 13 quizzes @ 10 points each) | 20% |
| Individual case analysis | 100 (Presentation 20 points, Criticques 20 points, Case Analysis Report 60 points) | 25% |
| Group marketing plan | 100 (Presentation: 20 points, Critiques 10 points, Marketing Plan Paper 65 points, peer evaluation 5 points) | 30% |
| Discussion participation | 110 | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
Late Policy
Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the due date unless otherwise indicated. Late assignments are not accepted without prior approval from the instructor. Failure to turn in a paper by the required due date may result in a deduction on the final score, up to and including failure of the assignment. Make-up assignments are given at the sole discretion of the instructor on a case-by-case basis.
Grading
| Numerical Value | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 93 and above | A |
| 90–92.99 | A- |
| 87–89.99 | B+ |
| 83–86.99 | B |
| 80–82.99 | B- |
| 77–79.99 | C+ |
| 70–76.99 | C |
| 60–69.99 | D |
| Below 60 | F |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Please see rubrics for individual assignments for specifics on assignment preparation and expectations.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
Late assignments are not accepted without prior approval from the instructor. Failure to turn in an assignment on time may result in a deduction on the final score, up to and including failure of the assignment. Please make sure that you submit all the assignments on time.
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Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Counseling and Psychological Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Veterans and Military Personnel
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Privacy Notice
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.Student Responsibilities and Conduct
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Principles
Report Bias
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