Required Resources
Text Chapters
White, S. (2012). Principles of marketing [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://ashford.content.edu
Chapter 1: Marketing Fundamentals
This chapter relates to Discussion 1. In this first chapter, we explore the foundations of marketing as well as its history and evolution. Key concepts:
- The fundamental concept on which all marketing is based
- The 4 eras of marketing history and the changes that ushered them in (and out)
- The 4 Ps of marketing
- The 4 utilities of value
In the case study, youll learn more about the craft brewery movement and one brands bold efforts to communicate value and differentiate itself in a crowded marketplace. And dont forget to check out the short embedded videos where youll witness the emergence of homo industrialus!
Chapter 2: The Marketing Process
This chapter relates to Discussion 2. Explore the stages of the marketing process from situation analysis to strategy formulation to campaign development to execution to measurement. Key concepts:
- Microenvironment versus macroenvironment influences
- The 5 stages of the market research process
- Qualitative vs. quantitative research
- Mass marketing vs. one-to-one marketing
In the featured case study, youll see the marketing process in action with Project Flogton (a little backwards spelling reveals all!) and its efforts to inject more fun and broaden interest in a popular if rather staid pastime.
Article
Oliver Wight Americas, Inc. (2012). New white paper Marketings role in the integrated business planning process: An advanced version of sales and operations planning (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.oliverwight-americas.com/news/marketing-role-integrated-business-planning.htm
Multimedia
Forbes showcase video: A.G. Lafley defines effective business strategy
Recommended Resources
Deepen your understanding of this modules concepts by exploring the following:
Four new premises for creating strategic advantage through marketing
Bettencourt, L. A., Lusch, R. F., & Vargo, S. L.(2014, Fall). A service lens on value creation:Marketings role in achieving strategic advantage.California Management Review, 57(1), 44-66
A brief history of marketing
Canal+ (Producer). (2009). Brief history ofmarketing [Video segment]. In Neuromarketing:Consumers Under the Influence. Available fromFilms on Demand database.
Choosing the right name for your brand
Manning, S. (2014, January). Whats in a name?Entrepreneur, 42(1), 74-75
Three strategies for marketers to lead change, rather than react to it
Yohn, D.L. (2014, February 24). Why marketersneed to stop following trends and start advancingmovements. Forbes. Retrieved fromhttp://tinyurl.com/oabmx5h (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Presentation
Introduction
This slide presentation highlights some of the key concepts of Week 1 including the fundamental question of what is marketing?View the Presentation
View the Week 1 Presentation.
QUESTIONS?
Please post any presentation questions to our week 1 Help forum.
Week 1 Discussion 1
11 unread reply.11 reply.
Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
Role of the Marketing Function
Ill take the job!
Heres the scenario to imagine: a new 5 week marketing manager internship has opened up at each of the organizations listed below. And based on your past accomplishments (and that awesome business card), they all want you. The internship involves researching your employers current marketing efforts and then creating a marketing plan for a new product or service that you dream up. So, the question is who would you choose to work for and why?
The List
Your choices span a variety of categories as well as marketing approaches. Weve provided website links, so you can learn more before making a decision. You will be working with this brand throughout the course, so choose carefully.
- Toms Shoes (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Netflix (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Dunkin Donuts (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- IKEA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Mini Cooper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Red Bull (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Target (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Guided Response:
Youre going to create a discussion post that includes the information below. See our sample post for Harley Davidson (which is not one of your choices).
1. The brand youve selected to do your marketing internship with
- Choose from the list above
2. The reasons you selected the brand you did
- Give at least two reasons. No right and wrong answers here!
3. A link to a representative tweet from your brand
- That you believe captures their brand essence
- See the step-by-step tutorial on how to find a tweet and copy the link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
4. The answers to these questions about your brands unique selling proposition
- How would you describe your brands unique selling proposition?
- How is that USP reflected by your chosen tweet?
- Refer back to the text as to what constitutes a USP.
Respond to at least three of your fellow marketers, including one who choose your same brand and two who did not.
- How are your rationales, USPs and sample tweets similar or different?
- Try to respond to those who do not yet have three replies.
I Need Help! I Can Help!
Got questions/issues with Twitter or this activity? Or maybe a helpful tip to share? Please post to our week 1 Help forum, so others can benefit!
Do I need to create a Twitter account?
You do not need to create a Twitter account to do this assignment.A sample post
I have chosen to do my marketing manager internship with Harley-Davidson as I think theyve done a great job in crafting and maintaining thier brand image. Plus Im a big fan of the TV show Sons of Anarchy which features lots of Harleys.
I would characterize Harley-Davidsons unique selling proposition with the phrase American rebellion.
The holiday themed tweet I have chosen expresses this USP in the tagline for badness sake and the dominant use of black, silver and gold as well as the skull motif.
Whats remarkable about this tweet (which is for Harley themed gift merchandise) is that it doesnt include a motorcycle and the Harley logo is only shown subtlely. The brand is so established that it can rely on its Twitter followers to mentally supply all the associated motorcycle imagery and rebellious associations that the brand has built-up over time.A step by step Twitter tutorial
View online tutorial (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Week 1 Discussion 2
11 unread reply.11 reply.
Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 5 (Saturday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
Products and Services
Products and Services
Every year hundreds of millions of dollars are spent marketing products (or services) that fail. Millions of dollars those companies would love to get back.
Fortunately you happen to have a functioning time machine that you bought on Craigs list. And now youve got one chance to fix what went wrong in the marketing research process and convince one of those companies not to spend that money.Guided Response:
Youre going to investigate and document the story of a famous new product flop (and market research failure) and how you went back in time to fix it. And since were marketers, were going to do this all in stylish, web 2.0 fashion with Storify.
- Identify and research a prominent new product/service failure.
- The press loves failures, so you wont have any problem finding examples.
- Identify the following: product/service name, the company who marketed it, the year it was introduced and where (particularly if not in the U.S.).
- Find a sample ad for your failed product/service.
- YouTube is great for TV ads; image searches are great for printed ads. If you cant find an ad, you probably havent picked a big enough flop!
- Grab the link for your ad.
- Answer the following questions about the market research process.
- Refer to section 2.3 of the text as needed.
- What are the steps in a market research process? Provide a brief explanation of each step relating it to your product as possible.
- Where was the failure in your products market research process? Which step was missing, not followed correctly, misinterpreted, or misrepresented?
- What, in a single sentence, is the market research finding that youre going to go back in time and share with management to stop this introduction?
- Package all this information into a Storify story.
- First, check our our example Storify assignment (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Now see our Storify step-by-step web tutorial (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Dont forget to respond to your fellow marketers.
- Respond to at least three of your fellow marketers.
- Explain how their market research failure was similar or different than yours
- Try to respond to those who do not yet have three replies.
I Need Help! I Can Help!
Got questions/issues with Storify or this activity? Or maybe a helpful tip to share? Please post to our week 1 Help forum, so others can benefit!FAQsDo I need to create a Storify account?
Yes, but it is free.Got to go back in time
image: Gary Knight via Flickr (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (CC BY 2.0)A step by step Storify tutorial
View online tutorial (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
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