MKT - Marketing

COM3500 Business Storytelling
4 Advanced Management Credits

This 4-credit course provides students with the opportunity to research and explore areas of business interest by engaging with and re-telling the stories of entrepreneurs. In this course, students will have the opportunity to learn about an area of entrepreneurial interest directly from entrepreneurs through guest lectures, one-on-one interviews, and secondary research. The goal of this course is to immerse students in the stories of entrepreneurs and to provide them with the business communication competence to retell these stories to a wider business audience. 

Students will attend guest lectures by entrepreneurial leaders who will discuss their experiences and provide students with material to help them find and craft effective entrepreneurial stories. Students will develop skills in project planning, interview technique, recording and transcribing, and they will explore the ethical and legal considerations of presenting the stories and ideas of others. Students will complete 4-6 blog posts of varying length and topic to a predetermined business audience. Students will complete shorter activities (background subject research, designing interview protocols, peer review, editing exercises, business audience analysis) to support their business blog portfolio. Students will also consider how digital writing environments help writers address multiple audiences.

The course will culminate in the public presentation of their pieces as part of a digital takeover of one of Babson’s storytelling channels. 

Prerequisites: SME Courses

COM3501: Proactive Crisis Management and Communication

4 advanced electives credits

Proactive Crisis Management and Communication focuses on the key elements of crisis and issues management – before, during and after a crisis. In an age when a company’s every move is subject to instant, unfiltered, and global scrutiny and attack, the need for effective, proactive crisis management is greater than ever.

Prerequisites: MKT2000

COM3504 Communicating in Global Virtual Teams
(Formerly MOB3504)
4 Advanced Management Credits

If you took and passed MOB3504, you cannot register for COM3504, as these two courses are equivalent

In this course, students will learn how to successfully engage, collaborate and communicate in global virtual teams. Students will begin by reading and discussing assigned course reading on global communication, virtual collaboration, organizational communication, and writing in groups in preparation for a major cross-institutional global project.

In collaboration with Marshall School of Business at USC, students will participate in the 6-week global Virtual Business Professional (VBP), project, which puts students in diverse international teams using Slack’s communication platform to complete a written social media assessment project for Google, Amazon, or Starbucks. At the conclusion of the project, faculty teaching in the program will choose the best report for each company. Google, Amazon, and Starbucks are partnering with the project and a representative from each company will pick one of the three winners.

Students will be expected to hold virtual meetings, use project management tools, create online presentations, and write a final report using state-of-the-art technology used in today’s corporate environment. The VBP project runs from approximately week 4 to week 9 of the academic semester. During this time, class work will include discussing experiences working in the project, identifying and considering shared challenges, and engaging with scholarly and popular reading that can help students in the project.

Prerequisites: None

COM3511 Business Presentations
(Formerly MOB3511)
2 General Credits

If you took and passed MOB3511, you cannot register for COM3511, as these two courses are equivalent

This is a performance course designed to build upon basic presentation skills and concepts. Focus will be directed toward presentation strategies for informative and persuasive speeches for business settings. Students will present virtual and in-class, high-impact presentations. The course will enforce communication concepts to allow students to become effective critical thinkers as creators and consumers of messages.

Prerequisites: RHT II

COM3511 Business Presentations
(Formerly MOB3511 Business Presentations)
2 General Credits

Students who took this as MOB3511 cannot register for this course

This is a performance course designed to build upon basic presentation skills and concepts. Focus will be directed toward presentation strategies for informative and persuasive speeches for business settings. Students will present virtual and in-class, high-impact presentations. The course will enforce communication concepts to allow students to become effective critical thinkers as creators and consumers of messages.

Prerequisites: RHT1001 or WRT2000

COM3522 Business Writing

4 Advanced Management Credits

Business Writing is an interdisciplinary writing course designed to improve the business communication competency of undergraduate students. In this course students will gain the tools necessary to produce effective business writing in a variety of multi-modal contexts. Students will read, discuss, and respond to materials that provide historical context for business communication norms and genres and present research-driven strategies for communicating effectively to a variety of audiences. Students will complete practice cases where they will be expected to apply a problem-solving approach to producing audience-driven, goal-oriented business communication genres. These cases will build toward a larger service learning project with an external partner in order to deepen their understanding of business norms and practices.

Prerequisites: MKT2000

MKT2000 Principles of Marketing

4 Credits

Marketing is involved with the task of ethically marketing products and services in a global environment. In order to survive in the contemporary business world, organizations have to continually bring new ideas and products/services to the market - think creatively, act entrepreneurially and utilize analytical rigor. The Principles of Marketing course will examine how marketers can recognize and utilize changes in the political, economic, social, and technological environments to identify and target opportunities; how to develop and communicate value propositions; and how to develop successful marketing strategies. These strategies will emphasize market analysis and the Four Ps (product, pricing, place, and promotion). Students will also be introduced to the analytical tools and methods crucial to understanding the role of these variables in achieving marketing goals and reaching performance metrics. This stream will also explore issues associated with: social media, marketing research and marketing analytics, buying behavior, market segmentation, branding, retailing, value-based pricing, advertising, sales, and other marketing topics as they are applied to the management of marketing goods and services. Methods of instruction will include lecture, discussion, experiential (involvement) learning, and integrative teaching.. Methods of assessment will include: quizzes, presentations, exams and participation. The material and the various methods of instructions are guided by Babson’s learning goals.

Prerequisites: FME1000

MKT3500 Social Media and Advertising Strategy

(Formerly Marketing Communications)
4 Elective Credits

How do customers learn about or build the desire to pick one product or service from another? The answer is social media and advertising. Making a great product or providing superior service is not enough if no one knows about it. IN the 21st century, traditional advertising strategies are not enough. Now companies need to have social media strategy at the center of their advertising planning. You should take this course if you want to learn how to effectively communicate about your product or service to your target segment(s) across social media platforms and how to coordinate your overall advertising strategy.

Examines the nature and role of social media platforms and advertising strategies, focusing on the goals and uses of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing, in achieving the communications objectives of marketing. This course first explores online consumer behavior and microtargeting, then discusses content and creative strategy planning. The course will then examine how to apply these strategies to various social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and others along with integrating with traditional media. Students will be involved in determining the promotional budget, creating a message strategy, planning the social media mix, targeting communications to select market segments, executing the promotion program, and measuring overall effectiveness.

Prerequisites: SME2011

MKT3501 Communicating for Consumer Behavior Change
4 Free Elective Credits

In this course, students learn and draw upon interdisciplinary theories in psychology, marketing and persuasion/influence to explore the nature of behavioral change at the individual, consumer and societal levels. Centered around a major social marketing project, students will test theories of persuasive communication and choice architecture to explore how to use the knowledge of human experience to shape behavior for social good.

Prerequisites: MKT 2000

MKT3502 Developing Effective Advertising

4 Advanced Management Credits

Developing Effective Advertising is an immersion in "creative thinking" in a "virtual" internship experience in a “virtual” best-of-breed advertising agency where students learn about developing effective advertising alongside some of the most talented and experienced advertising professionals in the industry. The ”virtual” ad agency internship experience provides students with “real-world” learning in all aspects of current advertising and firsthand exposure to exciting career paths they may not otherwise encounter in a conventional advertising course.

Students learn about effective advertising by application of concepts, principles and fundamentals vis-à-vis lectures, readings, discussions, interactive exercises, case analysis, team projects and featured guest speakers from blue chip advertising agencies and media companies in the U.S., including Google, Cayenne Creative, MullenLowe U.S., NAIL Communications, Mediahub Worldwide, PHD Media, Wheelhouse Executive Recruiters and Babson College.

Students work together in 3 different assigned teams over the course of the semester and are assigned 3 team projects. Students also have individual assignments (readings, discussion board contributions and one mid-term paper) to complete. Methods of assessment is evenly balanced between individual and team assignments.
 

Prerequisites: MKT 2000

MKT 3503: Fan Behavior

4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits

This course provides an in-depth analysis of audience behavior in sports and entertainment. Students will learn how to use data analytics to understand fan behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns, and how to develop effective marketing strategies to maximize revenue and fan loyalty.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the fundamentals of audience analytics and consumer behavior in sports and entertainment.
2. Learn how to collect, analyze, interpret, and present fan data using various quantitative and qualitative research methods (communication).
3. Develop skills in data visualization, data storytelling, and data-driven decision-making.
4. Explore the latest trends and technologies in audience analytics and consumer behavior in sports and entertainment.
5. Apply the knowledge and skills learned in the course to real-world scenarios (problem solving).
6. Utilize knowledge from this course in an applied project (problem solving).
7. Interact with industry professionals in the areas of audience analytics and consumer behavior in sports and entertainment (collaboration).

Prerequisites: MKT 2000

MKT3510 Consumer Insights and Research
(Formerly Marketing Research)
4 General Credits

This course provides students with hands-on experience with marketing research and analysis. Marketing research is simply an organized way of developing and providing information for decision-making purposes. The quality of information depends on the care exercised at each step of the marketing research process. These steps include problem definition, research design, data collection methods, questionnaire design, measurement, sampling, data analysis, data interpretation. The class will discuss key elements and issues in marketing research including sources of data, data collection techniques and analytical approaches for providing information to be used in managers' decision. The first part of the class will focus on research process and design. In this section students will learn how to formulate a research problem, determine a research design, evaluate methods for data collection and develop instruments for data collection. The second part of the class will focus on how to analyze the data and recommend the appropriate action to management.

Prerequisites: SME2011 or MKT2000

MKT3515 Digital Marketing
4 General Elective Credits

This course is intended to prepare students to lead marketing initiatives in digital environments, where companies and professionals are transforming the way to provide value to consumers, and to develop mutually beneficial relationships with them. Lectures, readings, case discussions and project assignments will offer both an integrative management perspective and a comprehensive framework on digital marketing. The course will cover a wide spectrum of topics, including marketing strategic approaches on the Internet, e-CRM, e-marketing research, digital positioning and branding, managing social networks, integrated communications on digital media, new pricing approaches, digital competition, virtual merchandising, and e-commerce strategies. Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired competencies in designing marketing programmes that develop the innovative potential of online consumers and social networks.

Prerequisites: SME2011 or MKT2000

MKT3540 Retailing Management
4 Credits

Retailers lie at the end of the supply chain. They interface with the ultimate consumer as well as with suppliers. Retailers make investments in real estate and solicit funds from the investment community. Importantly, most of the major retailers in the United States are involved in multichannel strategies that involve selling over the Internet. As a result, this course should appeal to students with varied interests: retailing management, suppliers to retailers (or any business selling inventory), entrepreneurs, retail services, real estate, IT e-commerce, and finance. The objective of the course is to familiarize students with all of the major decisions retailers make, e.g., developing strategies, buying, financing, locating stores. The course is designed around experiential learning exercises-We get out and do it!

Prerequisites: SME2011 or MKT2000

MKT3550 Consumer Psychology and Shopper Marketing
(Formerly Consumer Behavior)
4 General Credits

This interdisciplinary course discusses how the consumer is the focus of the marketing system. Drawing on research from sociology, psychology, strategy and economics, this course focuses on the factors that shape consumer needs and influence buying behavior. The content of the course explores individual behavioral variables (needs, motives, perceptions, attitudes, personality, and learning) and group influences (social groups and culture) as they affect the consumer decision-making process. The objective of the course is to help students understand how to analyze marketing programs, especially the communications mix and market segmentation, to improve consumer satisfaction.

Prerequisites: SME2011 or MKT2000

MKT3574 Customer Acquisition and Persuasion
(Formerly Managing the Sales Process)
4 Advanced Management Credits

Customer acquisition and retention is the driver of revenue and hence the lifeblood of every company. Therefore, organizations continuously seek people with strong persuasion skills. College graduates often become sales professionals, business development executives, customer relationship managers, or end up in positions that complement these roles. In addition, many entrepreneurs realize, often too late, the critical role of professional selling for the growth and survival of their nascent ventures. This course will equip students with the knowledge and skills to excel in professional selling, business development, and entrepreneurship.

Prerequisites: MKT 2000

MKT3575 Sports Marketing
4 General Credits

This course focuses on the application of marketing concepts in the dynamic and high-profile sports industry that has become a significant economic and social force on a global scale. Among the topics to be explored in the context of the sports field are: sponsorship, branding, marketing research, consumer behavior, product development, licensing, distribution, pricing, segmentation, targeting, positioning, media, marketing communications, advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal selling, legal issues, ethical issues, women's sports professional sports, collegiate sports and others. Emphasis will be on the need for an integrated approach for marketing of sports, by sports or through sports. We will view sports as a product and sports as a vehicle. Using a text, custom-designed materials, cases, special assignments, a major project creating a comprehensive integrated marketing plan, and guest speakers from the sports field, the course will promote critical integrative thinking and analysis relative to the important issues and challenges confronting marketers in the sports industry. As we go about this course, we will be guided by the following principle: the genius of managing a sports marketing program is acquired largely through a genuine understanding of the activities and relationships that constitute fully integrated marketing, relying on a system of learned skills and experiences.

Prerequisites: SME2011

MKT3580 Marketing for Entrepreneurs
4 Advanced Management Credits

This course provides an in-depth study of entrepreneurial marketing strategies for the 21st century. It examines how start-up and small/medium-size companies reach the marketplace and sustain their businesses, within highly-competitive industries.

Recognition is given to the need of management to operate flexibly, make maximum effective use of scarce resources in terms of people, equipment and funds, and the opportunities that exist within new and established market niches.

Classes focus on a combination of brief lectures, extensive case study analyses and a term-long group assignment involving student-generated entrepreneurial product or service offerings.

Prerequisites: SME

MKT4505 Strategic Marketing
(Formerly Marketing Management)
4 General Credits

This capstone course is designed to apply skills and knowledge gained in prior marketing courses, which is why students must complete at least one marketing elective prior to this class. The course emphasizes issues of creating and implementing a successful marketing strategy in a competitive marketplace. Through case studies, course readings, and a variety of presentation opportunities based on current marketing issues, students will develop strategies to correct/minimize problems and capitalize on opportunities in the marketplace. A team-based client project is undertaken throughout the semester in order to immerse students in the “real world” of business and add substantial outcomes to resumes. Students will also be required to write a research paper involving development of a personal brand statement and a job search strategy to begin a career in the exciting field of marketing. This course is most beneficial to students in their senior year.

Prerequisites: (SME2011 or MKT2000) and one completed marketing elective

MKT4506 Marketing Analytics
4 Advanced Management Credits

Today’s marketers have access to more data and technology than ever before. To fully realize the benefit of these resources, marketers need to develop data analysis and analytical skills to convert raw data into insights and insights into more informed marketing decision-making. The objective of this course is to introduce the benefits of using a systematic and analytical approach to marketing decision-making. This course integrates marketing concepts with practice, and emphasizes _learning by doing._ Students will learn different ways to explore the relationships and patterns in customer and marketing data. Advanced analytical software will be used to perform many of the most commonly used descriptive and predictive analysis techniques that are applied in the marketing field.

The course builds on the marketing core course(s) through the direct application of marketing concepts such as segmentation, targeting and brand positioning. The course emphasizes the application of marketing analytics to a diverse set of business problems. This includes the use of marketing analytics to identify opportunities to cost-effectively acquire new customers, increase the value and loyalty of existing customers, and to improve the overall experience the customer has with a brand. It also includes the use of analytics to set up marketing experiments, assess the value of different product strategies and measure the ROI of marketing campaigns.

Prerequisites: SME2011 or MKT2000

MKT4515 Brand Management
4 Credits

Brand Management is an advanced marketing course that will prepare students to lead a brand-centered marketing team in the consumer products/services arena. The emphasis in the course is on marketing plans and day-to-day decision-making. Marketing decisions are usually made in a context of imperfect information, decision models that combine analysis with judgment, and a marketplace that is fast-changing. The course will prepare students to operate successfully in this real-world environment. The concept of _brand equity_ will be a unifying theme throughout.

Prerequisites: SME2011 or MKT2000

MKT4520 Sales in Action
4 Advanced Management Credits

A key challenge for any sales professional is the ability to communicate value to current and potential customers. While the sales knowledge gained in the traditional sales classroom is fundamental for learning about what needs to be communicated, the traditional classroom stops short of helping students to achieve the “ability” to communicate value. Through this course, students will engage in the practice of selling, receive exposure to how hard salespeople work, and become excited about professional selling as a career (or, alternatively, decide that professional selling is not the best career choice). Thus, this experiential course, Sales in Action, will allow students to observe and participate in sales processes.

Prerequisites: none

MKT4525 Sustainable Marketing
4 Advanced Management Credits

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the complexities of integrated sustainability from a managerial perspective. Both consumers and businesses are demanding solutions to sustainability issues for products and services throughout the value chain. Today’s sustainability issues are all encompassing and include strategies for managing structural injustice challenges, and ecological integrity concerns throughout the entire ideation to go-to-market process. Firms must make thoughtful investment and resource decisions that consider multiple stakeholder perspectives using a systems thinking lens, carefully evaluating all risks and rewards. Furthermore, entrepreneurs and marketers must learn to adapt their marketing strategies to sustainable products and services to redefine the value proposition.

Prerequisites: SME2011

MKT4530 Digital Analytics
4 Advanced Management Credits

The consumer buying journey continues to evolve, particularly as consumers become more comfortable and experience the benefits of using digital and mobile platforms to support all facets of the buying process. This rapidly expanding digital ecosystem generates an enormous amount of data. This course will explore how organizations can utilize the latest digital analytics techniques to turn structured and unstructured big data, into extremely valuable customer and marketing insights. This course is designed to complement Babson’s Marketing Analytics course and covers entirely different topics and materials specifically focused within the digital sphere.

Students will utilize industry-leading digital analytics tools to collect and analyze consumer data to support decision-making and the development of marketing strategies that are informed by the insights. This includes the use of social media analytics platforms to listen to the voice of the customer, monitor consumer sentiment, and perform a comprehensive share of voice competitor analysis. Students will also use a web analytics platform to learn how to track, segment and measure the online and mobile device usage behaviors of customers and visitors. Students will also learn how to construct digital marketing experiments, perform A/B testing, and measure the ROI of digital campaigns. The course design includes official certifications in each of the digital analytics platforms used in the course.

Prerequisites: SME2011 or MKT2000