B.Sc. Marketing Course Notes from Dr. Karin Lauer

Class Rules

  • Attendance is mandatory.
  • Be punctual to class.
  • Avoid distractions during lectures.
  • Engage actively in class discussions.
  • For questions, ask during class, during breaks, or via email (include degree program, track, and case study group).

Agenda of the Course

  1. Introduction & Marketing Strategy
  2. Consumer Behaviour
  3. Market Research
  4. Segmenting, Targeting, Positioning
  5. Product Decisions
  6. Pricing Decisions
  7. Place Decisions
  8. Promotion Decisions
  9. Case Presentations (Part 1)
  10. Case Presentations (Part 2) & Q&A

Literature Sources

  • Homburg, Ch. (2020). Marketingmanagement: Strategie – Instrumente – Umsetzung – Unternehmensführung. 7. Auflage, Wiesbaden.
  • Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Harris, L., & He, H. (2020). Principles of Marketing. 8th European Edition, Pearson.

Grades Composition

  • The final grade consists of:
    • Case Study: 40 points
    • Written Exam: 80 points
  • A passing grade requires a minimum of 60 points (4,0).

Group Work for Case Study

  • Form groups of 5-6 students on Canvas and choose a brand by February 1, 2025.
  • Tasks for the case study:
    1. Brand Introduction (1 slide)
    2. Market Environment (3 slides)
    3. Consumer Analysis (2 slides)
    4. 4P Analysis (6 slides)
    5. SWOT (1 slide)
    6. Recommendations (3 slides)
  • Group presentations must be within a max. of 20 slides and submitted by March 31, 2025.

Scientific Integrity

  • Ensure there’s no plagiarism in your work, referencing any AI assistance used (e.g., ChatGPT).

Generative AI Usage Considerations

  • Clearly state how AI was used in assignments, outlining prompts and models employed.
  • Keep in mind the environmental impact associated with AI technologies.

Kick-off Presentation for Case Study

  • Groups must present a brief introduction of team members and the brand chosen on March 1, 2025. Each group must prepare a max. 3-minute oral presentation without slides.

Learning Goals for Marketing Concepts

  1. Understand what marketing means in different contexts.
  2. Know how to define a market and calculate market shares.
  3. Learn about marketing myopia and societal marketing.

Sample exam questions may include:

  • Definition and avoidance of marketing myopia.
  • Calculation and implications of relative market share.
  • Difference between societal marketing and classic marketing.

Consumer Behaviour Insights

  • 4Ps Overview: Product, Price, Place, Promotion are central in influencing consumer behaviour.
  • The consumer decision-making process involves need recognition, information search, evaluating alternatives, purchase decisions, and post-purchase behaviour.

Marketing Strategy Framework

  • Embed marketing into overall corporate strategy using PESTEL, SWOT analyses, and Porter’s approach.
  • Understand mission vs vision within a company context.

Market Research Fundamentals

  • Learn about the defined process of market research which includes problem definition, research design, data collection, data analysis, and reporting findings.
  • Familiarize with qualitative vs quantitative approaches in research methodologies.

Price Strategies in Marketing

  • Understand various strategies such as skimming and penetration pricing pertinent to products.
  • Relationship between price and demand illustrating basic forms of demand functions.

Promotion Tools and Communication Policy

  • Develop communication strategies using the AIDA model for marketing success.
  • Analyze tools like advertising, sales promotions, and digital marketing strategies effectively.