Marketing Strategy (19M20293)

General information

Type:	OB	Curs:	1	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	2 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: A	Andrés Cuneo Zuñiga	Marketing	ENG

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: B	Andrés Cuneo Zuñiga	Marketing	ENG

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: C	Andrés Cuneo Zuñiga	Marketing	ENG

Case discussions in class: 40%
Discussion sessions/lectures: 50%
Others: 10%


Instructor Bio:

Andrés Cuneo is Associate Professor of Marketing at ESADE Business School. He holds a Ph.D. in Management Science (Marketing), an MS in Marketing and an MBA from ESADE. He has also had management and faculty training in US and European B-Schools such as Harvard (GCPCL), MIT and IESE (IFP). Before joining ESADE on a full time basis, he was a faculty member at Universidad Adolfo Ibanez (#1 MBA in Latam) in his native Chile. However, he has been linked to ESADE on a Visiting Professorship basis since 2003, teaching mainly MBAs and Executives.

Prior to Academia, Andres used to work in the corporate world where he held executive positions in marketing and sales, mainly in FMCG multinationals. He also spent part of his business career working on management consulting on several engagements with companies from different countries and sectors of activity such as consumer goods, telecom and industry. Some of the companies he has worked for either as an executive, consultant or instructor are: Nestle, Coca Cola, Unilever, APM Terminals, Nespresso, Ogilvy & Mather, Agrosuper, Ernst & Young, Wal-Mart, Government of Chile, Telefonica, Banc Sabadell, etc. Most of his working experience has been in Spain, Italy, The Netherlands and Latin America.

Andres currently teaches marketing management, marketing strategy and strategic brand management to MBAs, MSc and Executives. He also lectures in other partner b-school such as U. Adolfo Ibanez in Chile, Miami and Lima, SDA Bocconi, UCLA and Georgetown. He has also taught courses and seminars on global marketing strategies and branding in other Latin American countries like Brazil, Argentina and Perú.

Andres research interest is related to brands: why brands matter for both companies and consumers? And how to manage and grow brands? Currently, his research is focused on the development of Private Label Brands across categories and countries and the impact that they have on the competitive dynamics between manufacturers and retailers. His research has been published in academic journals such as the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Product and Brand Management among others.

Introduction:

Marketing is one of the most complex areas within a company, as it requires mastering a wide range of skills. Analyzing markets and planning strategies requires both knowledge of behavioral sciences and experience, as well as insights from the social momentum, and competitive vision. Marketing problems could be tackled analyzing quantitative data as well as qualitative inputs from individuals and groups. Besides the classical company-oriented decision making, marketing philosophy and tools are widely used in all areas of social activity (politics, social organizations, countries, cities, etc.). The field is becoming increasingly wide and the deep understanding of marketing concepts, frameworks and tools is key to perform well in the marketplace. Throughout this course we will deal with both the strategic and operational dimensions of marketing.

The objectives of the course are:

1. To introduce participants in the marketing discipline and guide them through the process of analysis, planning and implementation of marketing policies and strategies.

2. To understand and apply some major marketing concepts, such as market-analysis, market segmentation, positioning, brand management, product life cycle, etc.

3. To develop marketing decision-making skills. Throughout the course participants will develop abilities to analyze the marketing and business environment in which an organization is operating, to determine the major opportunities and problems facing the organization, to develop a creative set of alternative marketing strategies, to select the most appropriate one, and to convert alternatives into actionable plans.

1. Module I: UNDERSTANDING THE MARKETING FRAMEWORK 1. introduction: market orientation - market definition 2. Market Analysis: 3Cs (consumers, competitors, company) 3. Understanding consumers (consumer-centric management)

2. Module 2: MARKETING STRATEGY FORMULATION 4. Market segmentation & targeting 5. Defining Value Propositions I: Managing brands 6. Defining Value Propositions II: Positioning

The methodological approach will consist of: (1) case analyses and (2) lectures/discussion sessions.

1. Case Studies. Generally, the first half of the sessions will be devoted to the analysis and discussion of cases. The case method is one of the most effective pedagogical tools to sharpen your analytical and decision-making skills, as it requires you to be an active participant in marketing decisions. Cases intend to give you practice in assembling data, supporting and discussing decisions. Moreover, the case method provides a vehicle by which to apply theories, concepts, and frameworks that we discuss in class or which you find in the assigned readings. Finally, the discussion constitutes an opportunity to defend your position and to learn from others by listening to their comments and criticisms. This, on a safe environment where, there are low risks when mistakes are made. Classrooms are our training environments to prepare you for business.

When selecting the cases, I have tried to choose cases to be both interesting and relevant for participants. I have chosen cases from different industries, geographies and typology of companies in order to cover a wide range of business problems. You might feel that some of them appear to be far from your particular situation; however, lessons to be learned from each of the cases transcend particular situations.

Generally, I start the case discussion asking "cold call" one or more participants to start the class by answering a specific question or series of questions. You should come to class thoroughly prepared to answer questions and to start the discussion. After this, I will open the discussion to the rest of the class. In these discussions, I expect from each participant to be prepared to share his or her individual thoughts with the class. The objective of the discussions is to examine completely all aspects of the situation and come up with solutions. In these sessions, I will act as a facilitator. You should be aware that the direction and quality of the discussion is the collective responsibility of the group, not only my responsibility as an instructor.

2. Lecture/Discussion. The second half of the sessions follow a lecture/discussion format. These sessions are devoted to presentation and discussion of frameworks, concepts and theories that are useful for marketing practice. In general, these lectures are strongly linked to what we have discussed previously during case analyses.
The lecture/discussion sessions are often accompanied by assigned readings, which may be articles, book chapters or class notes. During these sessions I do not explain the readings, therefore sessions do not substitute your reading. In general, students participation in these sessions is not as deep as in the case discussions. However, I do expect that you debate some of the ideas and contribute with your experiences. I also expect from you that you read and study the assigned material prior to class, as this accelerates the pace of the session and make discussions richer.
Guest speakers might also be invited to these sessions. Sometimes is good to learn from experts and executives experiences. Q&A sessions are a good opportunity for this.

Course material:

1. Packet of cases and readings.

2. Suggested (not mandatory) marketing manuals:
Lambin (2012): Market-Driven Management, Prentice Hall, Kotler and Keller (2008), Marketing Management, Prentice Hall. If you have an older edition of this book could also work. For a concise alternative: Kotler and Keller (2008), A Framework for Marketing Management, Prentice Hall.

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: A	Andrés Cuneo Zuñiga	Marketing

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: B	Andrés Cuneo Zuñiga	Marketing

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: C	Andrés Cuneo Zuñiga	Marketing