Project-Based Marketing Consulting

BUSML 4204: MARKETING PROJECTS

Fall 2016

Project-Based Marketing Consulting

Professor:Leslie M. Fine, PhDThursdays, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Office:550 Fisher HallFridays, 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Email: ffice Hours:By appointment

Course Objectives

From this course you will:

• Develop critical analysis and problem-solving abilities with respect to managing the marketing process.

• Gain first-hand experience in developing a comprehensive, integrated marketing implementation plan for an actual business client.

• Develop collaborative skills and expertise, working as part of a high-functioning team in a high-stakes competitive environment.

Course Materials

There is no textbook or course packet required for this course.

Class materials will be posted on Carmen, as and when necessary. You must be well-versed in all materials prior to the first day of class.

Course Overview

Project-Based Marketing Consulting (BUSML 4204: Marketing Projects) is an action-based learning experience as well as a competition.

You will work in a team on a real-world, “live” project. Your task is to develop and provide the following deliverables:

1. A comprehensive marketing implementation plan for a client organization.

2. A fully developed set of sample tactical elements that will be utilized within the plan (e.g., a set of print and/or broadcast advertisements; sample pages from a website; sample sales promotions, sample YouTube videos, etc.).

3.Research insights, findings and other analyses to support your recommendations.

4.A final presentation to your client, communicating in a compelling fashion your recommendations, plan and supporting research.

This course represents a capstone experience in your education as a marketing major at the Fisher College of Business. It is an opportunity to integrate and apply everything you’ve learned to date in diagnosis, analysis, research, and making strategic and tactical recommendations for your client. Teams will also compete with one another, and winning teams will be announced, based on team performance in this marketing consulting project.

A Marketing Consulting Team

In this course your team will take the perspective of a project team working within a marketing consulting firm. True marketing consulting firms are well-versed and competent in all aspects of marketing strategy and tactics as opposed to one narrow area such as PR or social media. This means they are skilled in aiding clients across various marketing domains including segmentation, targeting, positioning, the traditional “4Ps, branding, managing customer loyalty, and mining customer insights for innovation.

You will be assigned to a team at or before the first class session. It is expected that students in a team will have different class and work schedules. However it is extremely crucial for each team to manage meeting times, and effectively delegate work among team members to ensure smooth progress on the project.

Working in a team is NOT OPTIONAL, and you are expected to be a productive member of the team. If you are not a productive member of your team, the team has the option of removing you. If you are removed, you will receive a 0 on the peer evaluation and “progress” component of the project, regardless of your team’s grades.

Policies

You must attend the first class session or you will be dropped.

Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated and should inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901,

It is expected that you will work AT LEAST 6 hours per week, outside of class meetings, on this course. However, since the course is a competitive, capstone experience, you should plan to do whatever is necessary to succeed in the course.

Class Format

We will meet as a class for only some of the designated class sessions (please see the Deliverables schedule). Teams will meet with the course instructor at regular intervals, by prior appointment.

Grade Structure

The following grade structure will be utilized for this course:

Graded Component % of the Final Grade

1. Implementation Plan, Report & Supporting Materials 60%
2. Final Presentation 20%
3. Peer Evaluation 10%
4. On-course Project Progress 10%

______

Total100%

Grading Scale

The grading scale and point conversion that will be utilized for the final grade are as follows:

GPE GPE

A = 93 – 100% 4.0 C+ = 77 – 79.99% 2.3

A- = 90 – 92.99% 3.7 C = 73 – 76.99% 2.0

B+ = 87 – 89.99% 3.3C - = 70 – 72.99% 1.7

B = 83 – 86.99% 3.0D+ = 67 – 69.99% 1.3

B- = 80 – 82.99% 2.7 D = 63 – 66.99% 1.0

A: Exemplary Performance; A-: Strong Performance; B+: Good Performance; B: Adequate Performance; B-: Adequate Performance, with Some Deficiencies; C+: Weak Performance, with Serious Deficiencies; C: Poor Performance, with Pervasive Deficiencies

(Note: Performance below the “C” level will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.)

Explanation of Graded Components

Implementation Plan, Report & Supporting Materials: 60% of the Final Grade

The implementation plan that you develop based on your research, analysis and recommendations should follow the outline shown on in this syllabus. In the appendices of this report, please detail your research design, analysis and findings as well as a section containing all executions (e.g., a set of print and/or broadcast advertisements; sample pages from a website; sample sales promotions, sample YouTube videos, etc.). The instructor is the sole evaluator of this part of the course, for grading purposes.

Final Presentation: 20% of the Final Grade

Teams will make their final presentation to the client and the instructor. In this presentation, each should communicate the main selling points of your plan to your client (and/or other relevant stakeholders) and the strength of your recommendations. Your team’s presentation will be evaluated BY THE CLIENT on dimensions including clarity, persuasiveness and professionalism. The client determines which team receives the highest grade.

Peer Evaluation: 10% of the Final Grade

Each team member will provide a performance evaluation of the other members, using the form that will be provided before the end of the course.

On-course Project Progress: 10% of the Final Grade

An effective marketing consulting team works in a disciplined way to structure the project, conduct primary and secondary research, analyze the research, formulate strategy and make strategic and tactical recommendations. This process required consistent work at a high level of competence and efficiency. Pulling it all together at the very last minute doesn’t translate to a strong project. Based on your regular meetings with the instructor and updates of your progress, the instructor will evaluate each team on how consistent and on-course your team’s performance was, on the project.

Attendance Policy, Professionalism and Etiquette

To maintain the highest professional standards expected of a senior-level class that offers a capstone experience, the following attendance and classroom policies have been designed for this course -

1. Attendance is mandatory for the sessions that we meet as a class. Students who miss the first class session (August 25 or 26) will be dropped from the class unless the student is absent on official university business and can provide documentation. There is no exception to this policy. University business does NOT include job interviews, organization or club activities, personal travel, or employment conflicts. If you anticipate being absent for that class session, please talk to your undergraduate advisor to enroll in another course altogether, as you will be dropped from this class.

1. For each of the class sessions, please arrive on time.

1. Please be professional and courteous in your communication with the client, with other team members and classmates, and with the instructor. Respect your client’s time and be fully prepared for meetings. The client is busy and is trying to run a business – so work on the client’s preferred schedule, not your own.

Suggested Outline for the Marketing Plan Deliverable:

1.Executive Summary (the opportunity to create a positive first impression and to create excitement about your biggest and best ideas)

2.Situation Analysis (information gathered through secondary and primary research)

1. Current strengths of the client
2. Current weaknesses of the client
3. Significant opportunities in the client’s environment
4. Significant threats in the client’s environment
5. A description of the client’s likely target audiences
6. An overall conclusion about the direction the client should take based on your assessment of these situational variables.

3.Objectives and Strategy (Based on the situation analysis, what can you recommend that is congruent with the SWOT and the needs of the target audience?)

A.What customer behaviors are the strategies designed to change (for each target segment)?

B.What attributes and benefits of the client’s offering are likely to encourage each target segment to engage in desired behaviors?

C.How is the client positioned to deliver the attributes and benefits? What, if anything, should the client do differently?

D.What is the most effective way to communicate those attributes and benefits?

E.What is the key theme or brand promise upon which the executions will be designed? Why is this theme or brand promise the BEST way to influence customer behavior for the client’s offerings? Why will this resonate with each target audience?

4.Execution

A.Clear and concise articulation of tactics (what, when, where and how). Execution is the explicit determination of which elements of the marketing mix (product/service, price, place, promotion) you will use, and why. In this project, promotion is likely to be most important. Which specific tools from each aspect of the marketing mix will form the basis of your plan (for example, which promotional methods will you use, and why?).

You must provide examples of ALL recommended executions (sample advertisements, promotional videos, e-mail blasts, Facebook Pages, Tweets, signage, business cards, promotional swag, radio spots, press releases…) as well as contact information of the appropriate sources at media outlets, etc.

B.Timeline – a calendar or schedule showing the timing of each execution, including information on the lead times required to schedule executions (such as for print ads).

C.Monitoring – what data should the client collect to measure the success of the executions, and how should this data be collected and used?

D. Budget – a complete breakdown of the costs associated with all executions and monitoring.

5.Conclusion and strong closing (this is your last chance to make a great impression. End on a strong, positive note).

6. Appendices

1. Bibliography (You must provide a complete list of all secondary sources of information, presented in a proper citation format. If you use footnotes throughout the report, then your bibliography will be presented in the order that the information is presented. If you don’t use footnotes, your bibliography must be presented in alphabetical order of author or source).
2. Research Results (Including a copy of your survey [s] and the results of your statistical analysis)
3. Copies or pictures of all your executions
4. Other Supporting Materials such as charts or graphs that were not included in the report.

General Guidelines for All Deliverables:

1. Always include a cover sheet listing the TEAM NUMBER, NAMES of all team members in alphabetical order (last names), the date and the nature of the contents.

2. Good writing is imperative. You are showcasing your knowledge and talents. If your deliverables are not written in proper and correct business English, the content of your work is less compelling.

3. Proper citations in the body of your plan (especially the situation analysis) are imperative. If you do not know how to provide citations in the body of a plan, use your internet searching skills to find out how it’s done. Anything that is not your original thinking must be cited.

4. Each deliverable must be presented as, and must read as, one cohesive whole. If it is obvious that different team members wrote different parts of the document, your grade will suffer.

5. Make sure that you are crafting an interesting and persuasive story as you work on different elements of the plan. The situation analysis should create an obvious bridge to the objectives and strategy. Key themes should be used throughout to tie the entire narrative together.

Deliverables and Meeting Schedule:

All deliverables, unless noted otherwise, are to be submitted via the appropriate drop box in Carmen.

For each deliverable, please include your team number and the names of all team members in alphabetical order, and the submission date on the cover sheet of the document. Please also include your TEAM NUMBR in the name of the posting to Carmen, so I can check at a glance which teams have submitted documents.

Late deliverables will receive a deduction on the “progress” component of the final grade.

Obviously, Thursday dates are applicable to the Thursday section, Friday dates are applicable to the Friday section.

Classroom or meeting session: / Deliverables Due: / Activity
8/25 or 26
Mandatory attendance / Read all posted materials before class.
Non-disclosure agreement due BEFORE
CLASS / Classroom session
BUSINESS CASUAL DRESS TO MEET THE CLIENT
1. Course Overview
2. Course Expectations
3. Course Rules
4. Team Formation
5. Student Designate from Each Team
6. Project Briefing by Client
7. Opportunity for Q&A with client
9/1: 530 – 7:00 p.m.
9/2: 9:30 – 11 a.m.
Mandatory attendance / 90 minute classroom session:
Discussion of research process and expectations
Q&A
9/12
NOON / DUE: Post to Carmen Drop Box:
1. A draft of the situation analysis (part 2 of outline), based largely on secondary research (USE CITATIONS!).
2. A draft of survey questions that will be used to collect primary data.
Mandatory Attendance / 9/15 or 9/16 / Individual team meetings, exact time TBA
Feedback on situation analysis and survey. Discussion of situation analysis and subsequent research process.
10/3 NOON / Due: Post to Carmen Drop Box
1. A discussion of the statistical analysis of your primary data, noting key relationships among variables. Provide not only the statistics, but a discussion of the key findings and how those findings will influence your objectives and strategy.
10/6 or 10/7
Mandatory Attendance / At start of team meeting / Individual team meetings, exact time TBA
Due at this meeting: a 5-10 minute informal powerpoint presentation reviewing research results and describing how you will develop strategic direction based on those results. Bring a hard copy of the powerpoint for the instructor to the meeting.
10/24
NOON / Due: Post to Carmen Drop Box
Revised Situation Analysis (final draft, based on secondary and primary research), plus discussion of Objectives and Strategy (Part 3 of outline) based on research results
10/27 or 10/28
Mandatory attendance / Individual team meetings, exact time TBA
Due at this meeting: a 5-10 minute informal powerpoint presentation reviewing all executions (Social media examples, scripts for e-mail blasts, signage, press releases, etc.) and be prepared to show any videos you are using. Also be prepared to discuss any concept testing you have done, or plan to do, before the plan is finalized.
11/7 NOON / Due: Post to Carmen Drop Box
Complete Draft of Final plan, including strategy, tactics and execution (videos, web pages, facebook pages, etc.), budget and timeline for execution and a plan for measuring the success of these strategies and tactics. This will be presented as a formal document of Items 1-6 on the Outline. This should be complete and well-written, requiring only minor editing before sharing it with the client.
11/17 or 11/18
Mandatory attendance / Rehearsals of your presentation to client. Additional rehearsals may be scheduled this week and time/location will be announced in advance, if necessary.
Due: DRAFT of powerpoints for presentation. Bring a hard copy of the powerpoint for the instructor to the meeting.
11/28 NOON / Due: Post to Carmen Drop Box
Complete Final Plan, Client-ready.
12/1 or 12/2
Mandatory attendance for full class meeting / Client Presentations
Due: Hard copies of your powerpoints. The number of hard copies needed will be announced prior to this meeting.
Business Casual Attire required. No jeans, no athletic wear, no ball caps, etc.
Course debrief, announce winners.