ELE 3746 Tactical Marketing

ELE 3746 Tactical Marketing

Course code: 
ELE 3746
Department: 
Marketing
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Bengt Gunnar Lorentzen
Course name in Norwegian: 
Tactical Marketing
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor - Electives
Semester: 
2018 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Tactical marketing trains the student to make market decisions with the purpose to develop an organization that grows and survive in a demanding market. The students will be trained in evaluating market conditions, set up a competitive strategy and make tactical marketing decisions.

Tactical marketing differs from other courses in that it is build around a practical and realistic simulation game.

The students is put into position to run a marketing department in a large international company. The company experiences tough competition, demanding customers, and aggressive competitors. Through the simulation game the students is guided through different phases of work tasks. This consist of making decisions regarding product attributes and -variation, price strategy, availability, budgets, in addition to financial planning. Through the game the students develops their ability to analyze situations, understand consequences of decisions before they makes the decision, plus develop an understanding of how the marketing decisions affect the whole organisation, tradeoffs and potential outcomes.

 

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

After finishing the course the students should be able to understand the important concepts, principles and strategies in marketing which are relevant in any managerial post.

Learning outcomes - Skills

After finishing the course the students will be able to

  • Develop their marketing management skills by giving them an integrated perspective of the entire marketing operation.
  • Develop their strategic planning and execution skills within a rapidly changing environment
  • Analyze and follow their company’s market share and various other performance metrics
  • Analyze competitors, read and understand what is happening in the marketplace and plan preemptive moves against competitors’ decisions
  • Internalize how important it is to use market data and competitive signals to adjust the strategic plan and more tightly focus marketing tactics
  • Instill a bottom line focus and the simultaneous need to deliver customer value.
  • Crystallize the linkages between marketing decisions and financial performance.
Learning Outcome - Reflection

 

After finishing the course the students will have build their marketing confidence through knowledge and realistic experience.

Course content
  • Analyze market research data;
  • Design brands to appeal to different market segments;
  • Devise advertising campaigns, sales force incentives, and price option;
  • Allocate scarce funds to R&D, advertising, and distribution;
  • Select and prioritize R&D projects, leading to new product features;
  • Plan and roll out a marketing campaign;
  • Manage cash;
  • Compete head-to-head with other business teams;
  • Adjust strategy and tactics in response to financial performance, competitive tactics, and customer needs.
Learning process and requirements to students

The course has 40 hours. Of these 16 lecturing hours will focus on the syllabus and evaluation of the simulation (e.g. teaching students how to analyze and read the most common managerial metrics from company- and market research reports). 24 hours will be used on the simulation. The simulation can be solved individually or in groups of up to three students. If placed in groups, students must divide roles between various managerial posts they would take. It is expected that each group presents their plans and strategy for their company for their class mates. The project paper that the simulation builds on shall be submitted both electronically and in paper form.  

Students must submit a specific number of results from the simulations within specific dates and times. In the subsequent lectures there will be given an overview of the groups' position and results in relation to each other, together with a discussion on the most important aspects covered in a previous and subsequent game iteration. The objective is to profitably capture a dominant market position.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

Participation in the course requires the purchase of a student license in the simulation game. For the time the cost is $35 per student and is paid at registration in the game at the course's startup.

For electives re-sit is normally offered at the next scheduled course. If an elective is discontinued or is not initiated in the semester it is offered, re-sit will be offered in the electives ordinary semester.

Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Required prerequisite knowledge

Marketing management or other corresponding courses

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
100
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Exam code: 
ELE37461
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Ordinary examination
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
16 Hour(s)
Other in classroom
24 Hour(s)
Participation in the simulation
Group work / Assignments
70 Hour(s)
Working on the simulation decision
Submission(s)
90 Hour(s)
Develop the marketing plan
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.