09511 - Marketing

Learning outcomes

The purpose of the course is to help students develop expertise in evaluating and formulating strategic marketing decisions. The course introduces a series of frameworks and tools that can be used to solve general business problems and to develop specific marketing strategies or plans. At the end of the course students will be able to understand and use the main variables, theories and basic applications in marketing management. By learning the theoretical background, students will be able to apply the studied concepts to real firms and markets, measuring satisfaction, analyzing and segmenting the market, developing marketing plans, taking decisions about distribution, pricing, and communication. During the course students are encouraged to engage in teamwork to increase the quality of the learning activity and to obtain, as a by product, some learning about the important issue of working with other people and presenting the outcome of their study.

Course contents

The first part of the course introduces the role of marketing within companies and organizations and focuses on analyzing customers' needs and behaviors both at the consumer and organization level, developing segmentation and positioning strategies. One of the purpose of this first part is to familiarize students with the fundamentals of marketing research, that is developing research questions, analyzing data and drawing inferences, with a view to making better business decisions. It will provide the conceptual framework and improve the analytical and creative skills that are necessary to define and develop superior value, profitably deliver it to a carefully selected target market, and sustain both the value and the profitability in the face of ever-changing customer needs and competitive offerings.

The second part focuses on marketing decision making and customer relationship management. Students will discuss how a product can be launched and managed and how a marketing strategy can be implemented through distribution decisions, sales force management, pricing decisions, communication decisions.

Specific topics on service marketing will also be included.

Readings/Bibliography

The required textbook is:

Title: Marketing Management,
Authors: Russ Winer, Ravi Dhar

Publisher: Prentice Hall (International Edition) Fourth Edition
Year: 2014

Additional material (e.g. readings, assignments, exercises, datasets) is required for the exam and must be studied. This material will be distributed as needed and will be available at AMS Campus

Teaching methods

Each class is either primarily a lecture or a case analysis and discussion. Exercises and teamwork will be also developed to open discussion about how to analyze read data and apply the concepts to real cases.

Assessment methods

Written exam and team work activity

Teaching tools

teaching materials essential to the course and compulsory for the exams will be available on AMS CAMPUS.

Office hours

See the website of Sara Valentini