1st Trimester:

Name: Chris Medlin
Location: Office 10.14, Level 10 Nexus Buidling, 10 Pultney Street
Telephone: 8313-3361 ( preferred contact by email)
Email: chris.medlin@adelaide.edu.au
Course Website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au

Consultation times: Directly after class or by appointment.

By the end of this course students will:

1. Compare and contrast the key principles of marketing strategy
2. Explain marketing and strategy concepts and ideas in their own words
3. Think strategically about marketing issues and provide recommendations
4. Successfully work as a team
5. Deliver an oral presentation in a professional, engaging manner
6. Prepare a professional, logical and coherent report in the form of a marketing plan

Due to the complexity of the subject, many texts can aid understanding. The main text is:

• Walker, O,. Gountas, J,. , Mavondo, F,. Mullins, J,. Marketing Strategy: A Decision-Focused Approach. McGraw-Hill, 2012 (or an earlier version). The key references (as recommended resources) are listed in 3.2, below.

• Students also need to purchase a license for the Markstrat computer simulation.   The Markstrat Simulation MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE THE FIRST SESSION.  
  
  • To purchase a NEW MarkStrat Online Handbook with its own serial number (an old one will not work), go to: http://estore.stratxsimulations.com/

Details on registering will be posted on MyUni one (1) week before the first session. 

• Aaker, D.A., and Mills, M.K, Strategic Market Management, (Pacific Rim Edition): Brisbane, Wiley, 2005;
• Best, R., Market-Based Management – fourth edition, Pearson, 2005;
• Brown L., Competitive Marketing Strategy - second edition, Nelson ITP, 1997;
• Jain, S. Marketing Planning & Strategy – sixth edition, Thomson. 2004;
• Wee Chow Hou et al, Sun Tzu War & Management, Addison-Wesley, 1991
• A range of additional articles is also provided to add depth of understanding on the subject area and to provide information on the latest thinking within the discipline.

Periodicals:

• Asian Wall Street Journal;
• European Journal of Marketing;
• Fortune;
• Harvard Business Review;
• The Economist.
• Read also the Business Section of The Australian and The Age.

Additional case studies and articles will be distributed in class or via MyUni.

Seminars are 3 hours each week.  The classes will be a mix betweeen
discussion, class exercises and/or student presentations along with the
presentation of a new topic by the lecturer.  Students in this
course are expected to attend all classes throughout the trimester. 

Students will be expected to have reviewed the topic to be discussed and
attempted any set questions/exercises prior to each seminar.  There is a
strong assumption that students will engage in seminar discussions in
an informed way as class participation is a major aspect of the learning
experience.

Students will be using Markstrat, a marketing
simulation program and must be prepared to fully participate in a agroup
in order to make ongoing strategic decisions.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The University expects full-time students to devote a total of
48 hours per week to thier studies.  This means that you are expected to
commit approximately 9 hours for a three-unit course or 13 hours for a
four-unit course, of private study outside of your regular clasess. 
Students in this course are expected to attend all classes througout the semester.

Week 1
Introduction to strategy Markstrat introduction;
Form Groups – group dynamics; Markstrat Practice decision (1)                                      Walker 1, Markstrat3

Week 2
Corporate and business strategy Markstrat Decision (1)                                                   Walker 2             (Best 2,  Aaker and Mills 1, 2)

Week 3
Understanding opportunities Markstrat Decision (2)             Student presentation              Walker 4 (Best 3, 4, 5)

Week 4
Measuring market opportunities Markstrat Decision (3)        Student presentation              Walker 5 (Best 3, 4, 5)

Week 5
Targeting attractive segments Differentiation and positioning Markstrat Decision (4,5)
                                                                                          Student presentation
                                                                                          Marketing Plan Due                 Walker 6, 7    (Best 6, 7)
Week 6
Strategies for new market entry Markstrat Decision (8,9)    Student presentation             Walker 8,(Best 6, 7)

Week 7
Strategies for growth markets Markstrat Decision (10,11,12)
                                                                                         Student presentation             Walker 9(Best 11, Aaker and Mills 10)

Week 8
Strategies for mature and declining markets Strategies for new economies Markstrat Decision (13,14,15)
                                                                                         Student presentation            
Walker 10, 11(Best 12, 13, 14, 15)

Week 9
No lecture PUBLIC HOLIDAY                                               Markstrat Decision (spare)         n/a

Week 10
Implementation and control (ppt-11)                                                                               Walker 12, 13


Week 11/12
Presentations

Students will work in groups of up to five, to position the products of a
firm in a simulated market place. This requires students to analyse
large amounts of provided market and product data, to make decisions in
their group on the basis of the information they create, and so compete
against otehr student teams in the MarkStrat world.

Assessment Task                     Task Type                   Due                         Weighting                  Learning Outcome


Marketing Plan                         Summative                 Week 5                    10%                         1, 2, 3, 5, 6


Simulation Review 
and Long -term
Recommendation Report         Summative                  Week 12                  Total 20%                 All
                                                                                                                 Includes Written
                                                                                                                 report 15%,
                                                                                                                 Group presentation 5%
Markstrat
(weighted ratio of
Game Score)                          Summative                  Week 12                   10%                         1, 2, 3


Group Case Study
Presentation and  
Participation                            Summative                  Weeks 3-10               Total 10%                 All
                                                                                                                   includes: 
                                                                                                                   Presentation 5%,
                                                                                                                    audience participation 5%

Final Exam                              Summative                   TBA                           50%                         1, 2, 3, 6

1. Criteria that will be used to assess student's work are available in course Assessment Detail.

2. To gain a pass for this course, a mark of at least 45% must be obtained on the examination as well as a total of at least 50% overall. 

3. Students not achieving the minimum exam mark will be awarded no more than 49.All assignments are to be lodged by the due date and time. 

4. A late assignment where no extension has been granted will be penalised by a reduction of 10% of the mark given for each day, or part of a day, that it is late.

1.  MARKETING PLAN
10% Group assignment
Due Week 5 hard copy handed in during class, soft copy put through Turnitin no later than 8:30pm on the day of class

Written report 1500-2000 words
Each Markstrat company will produce a strategic marketing plan that will
form the basis of the decisions to be made for periods 1 to 10. It is
emphasised that the plan should have a longer-term perspective, which
will guide the decision making to period 10 and beyond. The plan will contain:
           An internal and external analysis of past performance, competition, the markets, the environment, resulting in a SWOT
           Objectives and strategic direction for individual brands
           Targets for ensuing periods
           Strategies for individual brands
           A brief rationale for making these decisions

2.  MARKSTRAT SIMULATION 
10% Group Assignment
Due for completion by Week 12

Students will participate in the computer-based marketing management and
strategy simulation Markstrat Online.  It is a sophisticated marketing
simulation that provides a challenging decision-making exercise in which
complex strategic marketing decisions must be made within a competitive
and realistic context.  Students will participate in their allocated
group, and as a group, will manage their hypothetical firm in
competition with other teams over the course of the program.  The
objective of this exercise is to place students into a realistic
operating environment that requires the integration of complex strategy,
makreting research, planning and decision-making.   Groups will be
evaluated on the basis of their overall strategies and competitive
results.  Groups are expected to be democratic and self-managing.  The
decision rules of the game are detailed and extensive.  Thus, it is
essential that each studen thas access to a copy of the student manual
and makes continula reference to it.  The game requires decisions to be
made simulating a specified number of years of operations.  Decisions
will be made according to the program in this guide.  Decisions must be
received by due dates/times.Marks will be awarded based on the
financial performance of each group in the simulation.  A weighted score
based on your group's shareholder index compaared to other groups. 
This score is a reflection of your understanding of the Markstrat world
and also your Marketing Strategy over the assigned period.  the grade
reflects your commitment to understanding the intricacies of Markstrat. 

3.  SIMULATION REVIEW AND LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATION REPORT 
20% Group Assignment Due Week 12

20 minute Group verbal presentation
5% Written report approximately 2500 words handed in immediately on completion of the presentation 
15% Soft copy of the report to be put through Turnitin no later than midnight on the evening before presentation date

In the final session of the course, each Markstrat company will present in class a briefing to the new team that will take
over the management of their firm, and should include the following elements:
       Analysis of past performance
       Main strategies pursued
       Main adjustments made to changes in the environment
       Key points learned through past successes and failures
       Recommendations for the future

4.  CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS AND PARTICIPATION 
10% Group Assignment
Due between Week 3-10 (Groups assigned a week)

Maximum 15 minutes
Provision of articles and presentation and the degree of discussion generated 
5% Quality of contribution by each audience member is graded for participation  
5% Students are expected to interact and engage in active discussion during class
sessions.  At the end of every class a mark will be awarded based on the
level of activity and contribution to class discussions. It is
also a requirement that student groups take it in turn to provide an
up-to-date series of articles relating to marketing strategy for class
discussion.  The nominated Markstrat group will present the related
strategy issues and lead a class discussion.

5.  FINAL EXAM  50%
The format and exam apporach will be discussed in class.

Market Plan - Week 5
Group oral presentations - weeks 4 - 10
Final report submission - week 12
Final oral presentation - week 12