Marketing 250 – Principles of Marketing, Fall 2002 Syllabus

Swetman Hall, Room 105 – 5:30 – 6:50 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday
Instructor - Ian Cuthill. Telephone: 315-312-2525, Fax: 315-312-5440, E-mail: cuthill@oswego.edu

Instructor’s Office Hours – Swetman Hall, Room 109A, Friday, 10:00 – 12:00 p.m., or by appointment.

Course Purpose
The objective of this course is to give students with no previous knowledge of marketing a comprehensive
review of the subject in sufficient depth to form a basis for further study, or to allow them to apply marketing
principles in other fields. The course covers those elements of marketing strategy which are controllable by the
firm, and the environmental factors which are not controllable but must be accommodated, such as ethical and
global issues, and political/legal, socio-cultural, economic, technological, and demographic diversity influences.
The course will feature a group project involving preparation and presentation of a marketing plan for a product or
product line. This will develop creative thinking, marketing research using electronic data sourcing, quantitative data
analysis, written and oral communications and interpersonal and team-building skills.
Course Outline
The course follows closely the structure of the required text, Principles of Marketing, 9th Edition, by Philip
Kotler and Gary Armstrong , available from the college bookstore. The authors are two distinguished marketing
scholars, one of whom, Dr. Kotler, is the most widely read author of marketing texts. Dr. Kotler has also been
credited with pioneering mathematical modeling of marketing practices and the extension of marketing principles to
non-profit organizations.
In order to facilitate preparation of the marketing plan, a software package, Marketing Plan Pro, has been
bundled with the text. This contains templates which will walk students through clearly defined steps from strategic
planning to implementation.
The course explains what marketing is, its origins and how it is evolving. Like all fields of study that
involve people, marketing is in a state of continuous change. The marketing plan project will provide a focus for the
marketing principles covered in the course. In keeping with the evolutionary nature of marketing, marketing plans
must also be flexible to change.
Marketing has been perceived by the general public as prone to ethical lapses in business practices.
Throughout the course we will discuss the legal and moral issues that challenge marketing practice. The societal
marketing concept of business described in the text refers to the inclusion of the well-being of society as a whole in
marketing planning. It is the position of the instructor that attention to ethical standards is not only a moral issue but
also a feature of good business practice.
Student Requirements
Attendance
Attendance is expected at all classes and a record of attendance will be kept. Attendance records are mandatory and
are maintained for Financial Aid purposes. Students who are unable to attend and who notify the instructor of their
absence in advance of class will be excused. Unexcused absence will lead to loss of class participation points.
Preparation
Students are expected to have read ahead and to be prepared to discuss the topics at each class according to
the schedule in this syllabus. Being present is a necessary but not sufficient condition for learning which requires
active participation. A large part of the learning experience in this class will come about through student interaction
with the instructor and with other students.
Standards of Behavior
Students are expected to behave in a courteous manner towards each other and to the instructor. This
includes refraining during class from eating or drinking, personal conversations, use of telephones, or other behavior
which distracts from and disrupts class learning activities. The instructor reserves the right to exclude any student
who disrupts class activities.
Exams
Three exams will be given on the dates indicated in the class schedule. These will consist of multiple
choice and/or simple essay questions. Five random quizzes will also be given during the semester to emphasize key
concepts and reward attendance.
Group Exercises
There will be a group exercise consisting of the preparation of a formal marketing plan for a new product or
an existing one and oral presentation of the plan to the class. The plan will be prepared using the Marketing Plan
Pro template. Note that a product may be a good or service provided by a for-profit or a not-for-profit organization.

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 Marketing 250, Principles of Marketing, Fall, 2002 Syllabus – Instructor Ian Cuthill

The purpose of the group project is to integrate the application of the various elements of marketing principles and
to assist in the development of team-building and oral and written communication skills. Group composition will
be assigned by lottery. Each group will decide upon a subject for the marketing plan project. Points will be
awarded for the team project as follows: Content – 70 Points, Organization/Layout/Appearance – 3 points,
Spelling/Grammar – 2 points. The oral presentation will be graded for Clarity of Subject Matter –20 Points,
Presentation Style/Visual Appeal - 5 points. A copy of the presentation in the form of three slides per page
handouts must be given to the instructor at least two days before the presentation date so that copies can be made for
the class. Team members may vote non-participants less than the total points awarded for the group exercises.
Groups should organize themselves as a team and formally assign responsibilities to each member. This
will make it easier to manage the project and to measure each member’s contribution. It is a good idea to keep a
record or meeting minutes of who was present and what transpired each time the team met.
Individual Written Exercises
Two short case studies will be assigned to test individual grasp of concepts, analytical skills, and writing
ability. The class will submit write-ups and discuss the cases on the due dates. Points will be awarded as follows,
Content – 45 Points, Organization/Layout/Appearance – 3 points, Spelling/Grammar – 2 points.
Class Participation
Class participation is measured by attendance and relevant contribution to class activities and discussions.

Student Evaluation
Exams 150 Points
Research Project 100 Points
Case Studies 100 Points
Quizzes/Participation 50 Points
Total 400 Points

Grades : A ≥ 90%, B ≥ 80%, C ≥ 70%, D ≥ 60%, < 60% = F

Academic Integrity Policy

Intellectual honesty is a mandatory requirement. Examples of dishonesty include, plagiarism, unauthorized
collaboration on assignments, use of cheat sheets on exams or tests, buying or selling papers and exams, personal
misrepresentation, submitting the same work for credit in different courses, falsifying or fabricating data, etc. If any
students are in doubt about whether certain actions violate the policy, they should consult with the instructor prior to
undertaking such actions.
Degrees obtained by fraudulent means devalue all degrees from that institution. It is in the interests of
students to assist in preventing the actions of others from degrading their hard-won qualifications.
Instances of dishonesty will automatically result in zero credit for the assignment for the perpetrator and
any accomplices. A letter written to the student describing the offense and the instructor’s disposition will be
copied to the student’s academic record file. More than one offense will result in an “F” for the course and may
incur more severe penalties. Students who do not accept the instructor’s disposition may appeal to the Dean’s
office.
Learning Disability
Any student requiring consideration from the instructor to compensate for a learning disability or difficulty
in class participation must discuss this in confidence with the instructor at the beginning of the course. Wherever
possible, disabilities will be accommodated. Students may also seek counseling from the Office of Disability
Services ( Telephone 312-3358).
About The Course
Marketing 250 is an extremely useful course whatever career a student wishes to pursue. The
subject matter is particularly useful for someone entering the job market. A marketing manager attempts to provide
a persuasive answer to the question, “Why would anyone want to buy this?” A job candidate has to be able to
provide a persuasive answer to the question, “ Why would anyone want to hire me?” As the text shows, a person in
the job market is a product and prospective employers are the job-seeker’s target market.
Students will get out of this course only what they put in. Class participation is particularly important
because it helps to store the subject matter in memory, makes it personally relevant and easier to deploy.

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 Marketing 250, Principles of Marketing, Fall, 2002 Syllabus – Instructor Ian Cuthill

Revised Class Schedule 9/19/02

Date Topic Assignment
9/03/02 Review of Syllabus & Course
9/05 What is Marketing? Ch 1, K & A
9/10 Team Assignments – Marketing Strategy & Process Ch 2, K & A
9/12 Marketing Environment Ch 3, K & A
9/17 Yom Kippur Holiday
9/19 Marketing Research & Information Systems Ch 4, K & A
9/24 Consumer Buyer Behavior Ch 5, K & A
Group Project Selection Due
9/26 Business Buyer Behavior Ch 6, K & A
10/01/02 Market Segmentation/Positioning Ch 7, K & A
10/03 Exam 1 Chapters 1-7 K&A
10/08 Product Strategy, Goods & Services Ch8, K&A
Group Project Situation Analysis
Section Due
10/10 New Product Development Strategy & Product Life Cycle Chapter 9

10/15 Pricing Products Ch 10, K & A

10/17 Pricing Strategy Ch 11, K & A
10/22 Marketing Arithmetic Appendix 2, K&A

10/24 Distribution/Logistics Chapter 12, K & A

Group Project Strategy Section
Due
10/29 Exam 2 Chapters 8-12, K&A
10/31 Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy Ch 14 K&A
11/05/02 Advertising/Public Relations Sales Promotion Ch 15 K&A
Group Project Financial Analysis
Section Due
11/07 Case Study , Enterprise Rent A Car, p. 285 Enterprise Case Study
Write-Up Due
11/12 Personal Selling/Sales Management Ch 16, K & A
11/14 Direct Marketing Ch 17, K & A
11/19 Competitive Strategies Ch 18, K&A
Group Project Controls Section
Due
11/21 Measuring/Forecasting Demand Appendix 1
11/26 Case Study, Lowe’s Companies, p.703 Lowe’s Case Study Write-Up Due
11/28/02 THANKSGIVING
12/03/02 Global Marketing Ch 19, K&A
12/05 Marketing Ethics Ch 20, K&A
12/10 Team Presentations Presentations
Group Project Write-Ups Due
12/12 Team Presentations Presentations
12/17/02 Exam 3 Chapters 14 -20, K &A