MKT3601 Marketing Strategy

at GIBT

Term 3, December 2010

Introduction
This marketing unit is designed to develop your overall skill in strategic marketing. A marketing manager, as a
planner-coordinator-controller of marketing activities, must be analytical and skilled in decision-making.
Therefore, emphasis is placed on the analytical and decision-making functions of managers in the planning and
implementation of marketing strategies at all levels of an organisation. This unit is comprehensive and covers
the following sections in depth: (a) external and internal analyses (b) application of popular strategic models &
concepts, and (c) planning for market-orientation and strategy implementation. The unit is heavily case-
oriented, and you will be expected to be well versed in the case method.

Unit Objectives
 Demonstrate the ability to analyse and evaluate business strategies and marketing opportunities.

 Demonstrate the ability to solve problems by formulating sound and practical marketing strategies.

 Understand the major strategic marketing concepts including situation analyses, strategic
models/options and planning for market-orientation.

Lecturer Information

Name

Phone

eMail

Lecture Notes & Textbook

A complete set of Lecture Notes is provided for this unit.

Recommended textbook:

Aaker, David A. (2008). Strategic Market Management (8th.ed). New York: John Wiley

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Study Schedule / Lecture Programme

Date Week Topics Exercise/Assessment

1 Introduction

Read Module 1A of Lecture Notes Practice Cases

Read Chapter 1 of Textbook

2 Situation Analysis:

Market and Environmental Analysis Practice Cases

Customer and Competitor Analysis

Read Modules 2 & 3 of Lecture Notes

Read Chapters 2-5 of Textbook

3 Situation Analysis: Internal Analysis

Read Module 4 of Lecture Notes Practice Cases

Read Chapter 6 of Textbook

4 Strategic Model I: Competitive-Position

Strategies
Practice Cases
Read Module 6 of Lecture Notes

5 Strategic Model II: Product Life Cycle

Strategies
Practice Cases
Read Module 6 of Lecture Notes

Read Chapter 14 of Textbook

6 Strategic Model III: Portfolio Analysis &

Planning

Read Module 7 of Lecture Notes

Case Test I
Read Chapter 14 of Textbook

Case Test I

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 7 Strategic Model IV (A): Concept of
Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Practice Cases
(SCA)

Read Module 8A of Lecture Notes

Read Chapters 7 & 8 of Textbook

Strategic Model IV (B): Strategies for

SCAs

Read Module 8B of Lecture Notes

Read Chapters 7 & 8 of Textbook

8 Strategic Model V: Growth

Matrix/Strategies
Practice Cases
Read Module 9 of Lecture Notes

Read Chapters 10 & 11 of Textbook

9 Case Test II Case Test II

10 Planning and Implementation:

Organisational Structure & Systems
Practice Cases
Implementation of Strategies

Read Modules 10 & 11 of Lecture Notes

Read Chapter 15 of Textbook

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Assessment Information
Case-Study Test I (20%)
Case-Study Test II (20%)

This component of the unit is designed to address the managerial concepts, theories & practices as they apply
to given strategic marketing problems. The case method shall be used to develop and test your analytical and
problem-solving skills pertaining to realistic business problems and issues. Throughout the semester, several
cases will be discussed in class (practice cases), at the same time setting the standard expected of you in case
analysis. The case-study tests will be held in Week 6 and Week 9.

Marking Criteria
For the case-study tests, marks will be allocated for:

 identification and analysis of key issues

 depth of such analysis

 application of strategic marketing concepts and tools

 recommendations & justification of strategies (if any).

Final Examination (60%)

The content of this unit is wide ranging and may extend beyond the materials covered in the textbook or
Lecture Notes. In this capstone unit, you must prove your worth as a well-educated and decisive marketing
professional.

The final examination aims to assess that position, and will consist of a case-study worth 20% and essay-type
questions worth 40%. Questions will be drawn from the material covered in the Lecture Notes and textbook.

You must pass the final examination to pass the unit.

Cheating and Plagiarism

As approved by Academic Board on 18 July 2002: “Edith Cowan University regards academic misconduct of
any form as unacceptable. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

 plagiarism;

 unauthorised collaboration;

 cheating in examinations;

 theft of other students’ work.

A staff member, who has reasonable grounds to believe that a student has committed some form of academic
misconduct, will discuss the matter with the student. If some form of academic misconduct has been committed
then an appropriate penalty will be applied as outlined in Statute 22 and Rule 40 of the ECU Handbook.”

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