Strategic Marketing - Courses

This course provides diverse graduate learners with a big picture overview of generally accepted marketing definitions and principles that are applicable in both for-profit and non-profit settings.  A strategic marketing framework will be introduced for the purpose of integrating marketing tactics and maximizing customer satisfaction and loyalty levels across broad stakeholder groups.  Topics will include:  stakeholder theory, relationship marketing, internal marketing, SWOT analysis, the sales/marketing relationship, the marketing mix, and more.  Graduate learners will be given the opportunity to explore case studies and will develop a marketing audit as well as a strategic marketing plan. While it is writing-intensive, the content is intentionally designed to appeal to a variety of backgrounds and experience levels in an effort to get all graduate students on the same page at the beginning of the program. 

This course is designed to help students recognize the role of systematic information gathering and analysis in managerial decision making, and to help them develop an appreciation for the potential contributions and limitations of marketing research data whether developed internally or purchased externally.  The course is aimed at training students to become the ultimate users of research, responsible for determining the scope and direction of research activities conducted on their behalf. Theoretical and practical aspects of the research process are covered. Key topics covered include fundamentals of research design, measurement issues, questionnaire design, sampling theory, data collection, and entry and the use of statistical analysis

The purpose of this course is to examine the basic concepts underlying consumer behavior with the goal of understanding how these concepts can be applied in developing marketing strategies and customer relationship management. We will apply principles and research from the social sciences (on such topics as attention, memory, motivation, attitudes, decision making, learning, social influences, and culture) to marketing strategies such as segmentation, positioning, and communication.

This course will address the strategic importance of branding, provide theories and strategies for building, leveraging, and defending strong brands, and discuss current opportunities and challenges facing brand managers. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding psychological principles at the consumer level that will improve managerial decision-making with respect to brands.  The course includes best practices in branding covering a wide range of companies.  Attention is given to brand strategy; visual identity, emotional and experiential branding, including organizational branding issues. Also included are frameworks, concepts, methodologies, and tools to manage a branding project.

This course provides students with an overview of the creative process as it relates to the development of an overall message, and the application of that message into creative executions. It looks at the various processes that are used in the industry, how these processes apply to all communication disciplines, and the understanding of what a true central idea is in the development of a creative marketing campaign. In addition, the course provides students with techniques to develop creativity and creative problem-solving skills to face the challenges in today’s complex and competitive work environment. Content marketing creation is covered in depth as well as messaging specific to a variety of platforms such as email, print, radio, and video. The course adopts an integrated marketing communication perspective and provides analytical skills useful for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of various elements of the communication mix.

This course provides a fundamental overview of digital marketing channels as well as covers emerging digital media trends and tactics. The class emphasizes hands-on, applied learning through case study analysis, the creation of a comprehensive strategic digital marketing plan for a company, and a simulation where students can run PPC, email, and SEO campaigns to practice digital marketing first-hand. This course reinforces foundational marketing principles in the context of the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape. The business impact of new media and associated technology on marketing strategy is discussed in detail. Class participants will leave with a working understanding of the terminology, technology, and digital marketing principles that will enable them to consult and create digital marketing plans in the future. 

The roles of advertising and public relations are crucial in effectively developing an organization’s long-term reputation and image.  This course includes a broad introduction of advertising: advertising from the viewpoint of clients, advertising agencies and media; as well as both the marketing aspects (strategy development; account management) and creative aspects (copywriting; art direction, production, and editing) of advertising.  Students will study all forms of advertising: print, broadcast, out-of-home, and the latest advertising media such as direct mail and response, cable TV, and internet/interactive. Equal weight is given in this course to the study of public relations and all of the communication pieces that can be used to influence the firm’s public image and to establish its position in the marketplace.  Specific content will include identification and nuances of publics, paid advertising versus earned publicity, crisis communications, special events, community relations, internal marketing, blogging, paid social media, media training, the press release and media kit, ethics, and current PR trends across various industries and consumer groups.  Students outcomes for this course include the development of a PR plan and the creation of ads and commercials.

This course examines strategic processes that influence the direction of an organization.  Graduate students learn techniques for defining the mission and objectives of an enterprise, understanding competitive forces and industry dynamics, analyzing components of sustained competitive advantage, matching organizational strengths with environmental opportunities, and developing strategies and policies to achieve the organization's mission and balance the interests of relevant stakeholders. The graduate learners are introduced to the client company and will apply the theory and analyses to the development of a strategic audit, strategic objectives, marketing strategies and value proposition for the Strategic Marketing Plan: Client Project.

As the second course in the two-course capstone sequence, this module will pull together learning from the entire program.  Graduate learners will be challenged to develop and assess marketing tactics that align with a broader strategic framework.  Students will be introduced to relationship mapping for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of proposed marketing tools.  The ethical implications and the importance of transparent reporting will be discussed as well.  Building on the strategic direction that was presented in GMKT 5800, graduate learners will complete a strategic marketing plan for a local client, with a goal of maximizing the return on the marketing investment.  Throughout this course, students will be introduced to emerging trends within the marketing academic discipline as well as within the practice of marketing, and will explore the relationship between these two perspectives.

Embedded within the two-course capstone sequence, graduate learners will develop a strategic marketing plan for a local client.  The driving forces behind this project include:  identifying external consumer/client needs and opportunities, and organizational strengths and capabilities that can be leveraged to increase brand equity.  Students will apply learning outcomes with a focus on strategic objectives for the client, culminating in the identification of a strategic marketing recommendation and implementation plan within GMKT 5900.  Through faculty/alumni mentorship, module assignments, and a consistent strategic framework, graduate learners will be prepared to develop a value-adding strategic marketing plan for the client organization.  The students will be coached to synthesize their module-level learning in an overarching strategic framework. Upon successful completion of this project, graduate learners will be able to: Demonstrate competencies in creativity, ethical decision-making, communication, customer focus, adding value, planning and time management, work-life balance, presentation skills, and strategic insight and agility; Demonstrate the ability to analyze and diagnose a company’s brand health and identify critical internal and external strategic factors; Demonstrate the ability to prescribe appropriate strategic change and the marketing initiatives necessary to support implementation; Demonstrate project management skills.