This is an introductory marketing course intended for business and non-business students, interested in a first approach to marketing planning and addressing urban Latin American markets. The course has been designed under the consideration that, once graduated, many non- business students will be working in multinational companies implementing marketing activities in foreign countries. Thus, the course aims at showing these non-business students the logic and operations behind marketing activities in a foreign context.
The course focuses in analytical skills of market and local macro environment variables, since differences among Latin American countries challenge generalizations. Thus, foreign professionals working in this area have to resort to these skills in order to identify the way these differences, as well as cultural andsociological traits, affect Marketing decision-making.
Regarding market analysis, our approach goes beyond traditional positions: we included the identification of values and belief systems from an anthropological point of view, due to the fact that in many Latin American countries aspects of modernity express themselves through market activities.
Students completing this course will be able to apply marketing tools to their professional fields, or they might work as assistants to marketing professionals specialized in Latin American markets.
Prerequisites:
None
Learning outcomes:
After completing the course students will be able to:
• Conduct basic market analysis in order to detect business opportunities
• Conduct basic market analysis taking in consideration local cultural and social characteristics
• Identify values and belief systems among segments
• Identify differences among local markets
• Articulate the satisfaction of needs with values and belief systems
• Relate identified needs and their satisfaction with marketing mix tools
• Identify competitors
• Describe their main characteristics
• Plan a business strategy targeted to Latin American markets
• Identify key operations
Method of presentation:
The course was designed as a seminar: this means that reading and applying concepts is key for learning. Class activities include lectures, discussions on readings, fieldwork and presentation of assignments. This course has a 300-level option which is satisfied by completing additional assignments and projects, as determined by the instructor. Please see the instructor for specific details and requirements.
Lectures will be based on readings; these will be the basis for class discussions.
Assignment instructions will be handed out during classes and distributed through e-mail.
Students will show project advances in class; these will be discussed based on theory as well as fieldwork.
Assignments are designed in order for students to explore subjects and concepts beyond those of reading materials; thus, following reading and assignment guides as well as conceptual creativity is key for the successful completion of the course.
Assignments will be evaluated based on formal aspects, the application of concepts and the inclusion of pertinent and actual data. Assignments not following these instructions will be given an F. There are no make-up assignments in the case an assignment was given an F.
Class time dedicated to these activities are described as follows:
Lectures based on reading assignments: 33 %
Discussions on readings: 33 %
Assignment instructions and discussions on project assignments: 33 %
Field study:
The language of instruction is English: class activities will be conducted in this language. Reading materials are also in English. Fieldwork will require survival communication skills in Spanish.
Required work and form of assessment:
Cases 10%
Report on fieldtrip 10%
Marketing report 30%
Midterm and final 50%
Midterm is scheduled for week 7. The cumulative final examination is scheduled for week 14. All tests as well as assignments are obligatory. In these terms, failing to take the examinations as well as not presenting assignments in due time will be computed as an F. Neither make-up tests nor extra credit assignments are scheduled for this course. Please be aware that attendance is mandatory. IES general policy on attendance applies.
content:
Week 1: Introduction
Syllabus description
Course organization
Latin America: an introduction
Week 1 and 2: Marketing Basics
Latin America: Mexico, Brazil and Argentina
Core concepts of Marketing
What is strategic planning and its relation with Marketing planning
Marketing planning
Reading assignment
McDaniel, Carl and Gates, Roger. “Chapter 1: An Overview of Marketing” and “Chapter 2: Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage”, in Marketing Research with SPSS. Wiley, 2007.
Transparencies based on De Soto, Hernando. “Chapter VII, 1.0: Características del Mercantilismo” y “Chapter VIII, 3.0: Subsistencia del Mercantilismo”, en El Otro Sendero. Editorial El Barranco, 1986.
Assignment 1
Desk research on a local or Latin American company.
Week 3 and 4: Business and Marketing Research
Latin America: Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela
Data and information sources
Research designs and their relation with managerial decision-making
How to carry research on limited resources
Reading assignment
Transparencies based on McDaniel, Carl and Gates, Roger. “Chapter 1: The Role of Marketing Research in Management Decision Making”, “Chapter 3: Problem Definition, Exploratory Research and the Research Process”, “Chapter 4: Secondary Data and Databases” and “Chapter 5: Qualitative Research”, in Marketing Research with SPSS. Wiley, 2007.
Assignment 2
Marketing problem, marketing research objective, design and methodology definitions.
Week 5, 6 and 7: Argentina’s and Latin America's Marketing Environment
Latin America: Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Central American countries and the Guyanas
Demographic environment
Economic environment
Natural environment
Technological environment
Legal and political environment
Social and cultural environment
Reading assignment
McDaniel, Carl and Gates, Roger. “Chapter 4: Developing a Global Vision”, in Marketing Research with SPSS. Wiley, 2007.
Korzanny, Felipe and Korzanni, Bett. “Chapter 3: What Makes Hispanic „Hispanics‟”, in Hispanic Marketing. Butterworth Heineman, 2005.
Transparencies based on McDaniel, Carl and Gates, Roger. “Chapter 11: Questionnaire Design”, “Chapter 12: Basis sampling issues” and “Chapter 18: Communicating the Research Results & Managing Marketing”, in Marketing Research with SPSS. Wiley, 2007.
Assignment 3
Request for Proposal (RFP)
MIDTERM SCHEDULED FOR WEEK 7
Week 8: Strategic Planning
Identifying competitors and substitutes
Identifying competitor‟s strategies, objectives, strengths and weakness
SWOT Analysis
Reading assignment
Lamb, Charles, Hair, Joseph and McDaniel, Carl. “Chapter 2: Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage”, in Marketing. South-Western College Pub, 2007.
Assignment 4
Case 1 - Strategic Planning
Week 9: Buying Behavior in Consumer Markets and Segmentation
Model of consumer behavior
Factors influencing consumer behavior
Local cultural and social factors
Personal and psychological factors
Segmentation
Patterns
Strategies
Bases
Segmentation procedure
Reading assignment
Lamb, Charles, Hair, Joseph and McDaniel, Carl. “Chapter 5: Consumer Decision Making” and “Chapter 7: Segmentation”, in Marketing. South-Western College Pub, 2007.
Assignment 5
Case 2 – Consumer decision-making and segmentation
Week 10 and 11: Positioning, Differentiation and Distribution
Positioning and differentiation:
Product and service differentiation
Positioning strategies
Distribution:
Channel structure
Marketing channel decisions
Wholesaling
Retailing
Reading assignment
Lamb, Charles, Hair, Joseph and McDaniel, Carl. “Chapter 9: Product Concepts”, “Chapter 10: Developing and Managing Products”, “Chapter 12: Marketing Channels and Supply Chain Management” and “Chapter 13: Retailing”, in Marketing. South-Western College Pub, 2007.
Assignment 7
Case 3 – Positioning
Week 12: Product Management
Product management:
Type of products and different type of purchase decisions
Product management
Product mix decisions
Branding decisions
Packaging decision
Services
Reading assignment
Lamb, Charles, Hair, Joseph and McDaniel, Carl. “Chapter 11: Services and Non Profit Organization Marketing”, in Marketing. South-Western College Pub, 2007.
Assignment 8
Case 4 – Product management
Week 13: Pricing Decisions
Pricing decisions:
Offer and demand
Elastic and inelastic demand
Fixed and variable costs
Pricing objectives and methods
Price adaptation
Reading assignment
Lamb, Charles, Hair, Joseph and McDaniel, Carl. “Chapter 17: Pricing Concepts” and “Chapter 18: Setting the Right Price”, in Marketing. South-Western College Pub, 2007.
Assignment 9
Case 5 – Pricing
Week 14: Promotion
Integrated Marketing Communications
Communication objectives and budgets
Communication tools
Media
Agencies
How do they work
Reading assignment
Lamb, Charles, Hair, Joseph and McDaniel, Carl. “Chapter 14: Integrated Marketing Communications” and “Chapter 15: Advertising and Public Relations”, in Marketing. South-Western College Pub, 2007.
This is an introductory marketing course intended for business and non-business students, interested in a first approach to marketing planning and addressing urban Latin American markets. The course has been designed under the consideration that, once graduated, many non- business students will be working in multinational companies implementing marketing activities in foreign countries. Thus, the course aims at showing these non-business students the logic and operations behind marketing activities in a foreign context.
The course focuses in analytical skills of market and local macro environment variables, since differences among Latin American countries challenge generalizations. Thus, foreign professionals working in this area have to resort to these skills in order to identify the way these differences, as well as cultural andsociological traits, affect Marketing decision-making.
Regarding market analysis, our approach goes beyond traditional positions: we included the identification of values and belief systems from an anthropological point of view, due to the fact that in many Latin American countries aspects of modernity express themselves through market activities.
Students completing this course will be able to apply marketing tools to their professional fields, or they might work as assistants to marketing professionals specialized in Latin American markets.
None
After completing the course students will be able to:
• Conduct basic market analysis in order to detect business opportunities
• Conduct basic market analysis taking in consideration local cultural and social characteristics
• Identify values and belief systems among segments
• Identify differences among local markets
• Articulate the satisfaction of needs with values and belief systems
• Relate identified needs and their satisfaction with marketing mix tools
• Identify competitors
• Describe their main characteristics
• Plan a business strategy targeted to Latin American markets
• Identify key operations
The course was designed as a seminar: this means that reading and applying concepts is key for learning. Class activities include lectures, discussions on readings, fieldwork and presentation of assignments. This course has a 300-level option which is satisfied by completing additional assignments and projects, as determined by the instructor. Please see the instructor for specific details and requirements.
Class time dedicated to these activities are described as follows:
The language of instruction is English: class activities will be conducted in this language. Reading materials are also in English. Fieldwork will require survival communication skills in Spanish.
Midterm is scheduled for week 7. The cumulative final examination is scheduled for week 14. All tests as well as assignments are obligatory. In these terms, failing to take the examinations as well as not presenting assignments in due time will be computed as an F. Neither make-up tests nor extra credit assignments are scheduled for this course. Please be aware that attendance is mandatory. IES general policy on attendance applies.
Week 1: Introduction
Week 1 and 2: Marketing Basics
Reading assignment
Assignment 1
Desk research on a local or Latin American company.
Week 3 and 4: Business and Marketing Research
Reading assignment
Assignment 2
Marketing problem, marketing research objective, design and methodology definitions.
Week 5, 6 and 7: Argentina’s and Latin America's Marketing Environment
Reading assignment
Assignment 3
Request for Proposal (RFP)
MIDTERM SCHEDULED FOR WEEK 7
Week 8: Strategic Planning
Reading assignment
Assignment 4
Case 1 - Strategic Planning
Week 9: Buying Behavior in Consumer Markets and Segmentation
Model of consumer behavior
Segmentation
Reading assignment
Assignment 5
Case 2 – Consumer decision-making and segmentation
Week 10 and 11: Positioning, Differentiation and Distribution
Positioning and differentiation:
Distribution:
Reading assignment
Assignment 7
Case 3 – Positioning
Week 12: Product Management
Product management:
Reading assignment
Assignment 8
Case 4 – Product management
Week 13: Pricing Decisions
Pricing decisions:
Reading assignment
Assignment 9
Case 5 – Pricing
Week 14: Promotion
Reading assignment
Assignment 10
Case 6 – Promotion.
CUMULATIVE FINAL TEST SCHEDULED FOR WEEK 14