Marketing 407
Professor Deborah Rosen
Spring 2001
 
Professor: Deborah Rosen
210 Flagg Road; Room 110
Phone:  874-5000
e-mail:  drosen@uri.edu
Office Hours:  Tuesday 11:00 a.m. -12:00 noon and by appointment 
Text:   Strauss, Judy and Raymond Frost (2001) E-Marketing,
            Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Readings Packet Available at URI Bookstore
Course Description and Objectives

The purpose of this course is to provide you with a foundation in channels management, with a specific emphasis on one direct marketing technique, electronic commerce. When you complete this course you should have an understanding of:

  • the fundamental concepts in channel management,
  • how distribution fits into the total marketing picture,
  • how to use distribution channels as a strategic tool,
  • why electronic commerce is getting increasing attention as a channel option, and

    • how to design an effective electronic commerce distribution strategy.
     
    Course Mechanics

    The format of this course combines lecture, class discussion, small group discussion, written assignments, and oral presentations. The intent is to give you amble opportunities to express your knowledge of the course material, practice skills, and exchange ideas.

    Grading

    You will earn your grade for this course through exams, individual assignments, participation, and a group project. The distribution of these elements will be:
    Quizzes 30%
    Individual Assignments 45%
    Project 25%
    Make-up Quiz

    Instructor must be notified in advance that a student will be unable to take a regularly scheduled quiz. Make-up quizzes will be given at a time established by the instructor.
     

    Individual Assignments
    You will be given four individual assignments during the semester. These assignments include:
    • purchasing a book online DUE February 2, 2001 (worth 5%)
    • critique of the Beacon site DUE February 16, 2001 (worth 10%)
    • purchase diaries DUE March 9, 2000 (worth 15%)
    • lab assignments due throughout the semester (worth 15%)
    Each of these assignments will be explained in detail later in the semester.

    Internet Use

    The Internet will be used extensively in this class. If you are not familiar with navigating on the Internet, start practicing. Be sure to check your e-mail between class periods because I will be using it as a means of communicating with the class. You should also make use of e-mail in communicating with me as I may not always be in my office but I do check my e-mail frequently during the day.

    Project

    Students will form teams of no more than three and develop a Web organization. This assignment requires a written paper and an oral presentation. More details will be supplied during the semester.

    Late Assignments

    No late assignments will be accepted.

    Schedule
    A tentative schedule is on the next page. Please note that the actual coverage may vary. I will try to minimize any deviations from the printed schedule. However, if a change in the syllabus is announced in class, you are responsible for knowing about changes to the syllabus whether or not you are present in class when the change is announced. Starting the second week in class this information will be available on my Web site.


Course Outline

Introduction

1/17 Course Overview
    Channel Management

    1/19 LAB-Meet in Ballentine 202

    Reading:  Underhill, Paco (1999), Why We Buy:  The Science of Shopping, New York, NY:  Simon and Schuster.  Chapter 17:  "In Cyberspace, No One Can Hear You Shop."
1/22 Channel Concepts

Reading:  Stern, Louis, W., Adel I. El-Ansary and Anne T. Coughlan (1996), "Marketing Channels:  Structure, Functions, and Relationships," in Marketing Channels, 5th Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Prentice Hall, 1-33 (Packet).
1/24 Channel Participants
    Reading:  Rosenbloom, Bert (1999), "The Channel Participants," in Marketing Channels:  A Management View, 6th Edition, New York, NY:  Dryden Press, 32-77 (Packet).
1/26 LAB - Channel Participants - Retail Online Environment-meet in Ballentine 202
1/29 Channel Participants (cont.)

Readings:

  1. Byrnes, Nanette (2000), "Toys 's' Us:  Can CEO John Eyler Fix the Chain?"  Business Week, December 4, 128-140.
  2. Gulati, Ranjay and Jason Garino (2000), "Get the Right Mix of Bricks and Clicks," Harvard Business Review, Vol. 78 (3), 107-114.
         1/31Channel Design
    Reading:  Bowersox, Donald and M. Bixby Cooper (1992), "Channel Management," in Strategic Marketing Channel Management, New York, NY:  McGraw-Hill, 305-338 (Packet).
2/2 Channels and Relationship Marketing
    Reading:  Pelton, Lou E., David Strutton and James R. Lumpkin (1997), "Cultivating Positive Channel Relationships," in Marketing Channels:  A Relationship Management Approach, Chicago, IL:  Irwin, 318-336 (Packet).
2/5 Channels and Relationship Marketing (cont.)
2/7 Channels and Customer Service

Reading:  Berman, Barry (1996), "Relationship Marketing and Customer Service," in Marketing Channels, New York:  NY, 201-240 (Packet).
2/9 LAB - Assignment #2:  The Beacon
Meet in Ballentine 202
2/12 Direct Marketing/Direct Selling

Reading:  Beiles, Nancy (2000), "Avon Gets a Makeover," The Industry Standard, December-January, 62-63.
2/14 Channels Issues

Reading:  Meehan, Robert (2000), "Create, Review Channels for Customers," Marketing News, October 23, 48.
2/16  Introduction to Group Project - A Class Exercise
2/19  No Class-President's Day
2/21  Quiz #1
Electronic Commerce as a Channel of Distribution

As electronic commerce is a rapidly changing field, the remainder of the readings assigned in this syllabus are likely to change. To get the updated list of readings, check my Web site which is scheduled to open the second week of class. If you have any questions during the semester regarding assignments, etc., you will be able to find guidance on my Web site.
2/23 The Internet

Readings:

  1. Strauss and Frost (2001), "Introduction to E-Marketing," pp. 2-30.
  2. Branwyn, Gareth (1999), "How the Porn Sites Do It," The Industry Standard, March 12. Internet.
  3. Visit and read information on several links of the Internet Society’s Web page. 
2/26 Internet Buying Behavior-Consumer Markets

Readings:

    1. Strauss and Frost(2001), "Internet User Characteristics and Behavior," pp. 32-83.
    2. Visit CyberAtlas site and read some of the articles on demographics.
2/28  Marketing Information and the Internet

Reading:  Strauss and Frost (2001), "Marketing Knowledge," pp. 84-127.
3/2 LAB
3/5  Workshop
3/7  Workshop
3/9  Project Design Workshop
3/12-17   SPRING BREAK
3/19 E-Marketing Strategy

Reading:  Strauss and Frost (2001), "The Internet Marketing Plan," 328-361.
    3/21  Product & Pricing on the Internet

    Reading:  Strauss and Frost (2001), "Product and Pricing," 128-175.
3/23  LAB - Microsoft Front Page Workshop Continues
3/26  Branding and the Internet

Readings:

  1. Clarkson, Blair (2000), "Let's Get Physical," The Industry Standard, December-January, 106-109.
  2. Jones, Helen (2001), "Attack of the Killer no-coms," Revolution, March, 48-56.
3/28  LAB - Design Issues

Class Meets in Ballentine 202

Readings:

  1. Visit Vincent Flanders Web page and skim some of his thoughts.
  2. Check out ZDNet's Developer section.

    3. Visit Business Week's Online Web Site Makeover site and skim some of the articles.
3/30 LAB 
4/2  Marketing Communications on the Net

Reading:  Strauss and Frost (2001), "E-Marketing Communications," 216-279.
4/4  Relationship Marketing and Customer Service on 
         the Net

Reading:  Strauss and Frost (2001), "E-Marketing Communications," 280-327.
4/6 Quiz #2
4/9  Site Design Issues-Driving Traffic to Your Web Site

Reading:  Hoffman, Donna L. and Thomas P. Novak (2000), "How to Acquire Customers on the Web," Harvard Business Review, Vol. 78(30), 179-183.
4/11 Design Issues

Reading:  Poole, Gary Andrew (2000), "The Riddle of the Abandoned Shopping Cart," The Industry Standard, December-January, 76-82.
4/13  LAB
4/16  LAB
    4/19  Technology Issues

    Reading:  Strauss and Frost(2001), "Leveraging Technology," 360-405.
4/20  Ethical and Legal Issues

Readings:

  1. Strauss and Frost (2001), "Ethics and Law," 406-444.
  2. France, Mike (2001), "Snares of the E-Signatures Act," BusinessWeek Online.
  3. Rich, Laura, "Hollywood Prepares to Fight File-Swappers," The Industry Standard, January 9.

    4. Rosner, Jordan (1999), "What's in a Name?" The Industry Standard, October 8.
4/23 Quiz #3
4/25 Presentations
4/26 Presentations
4/30 Presentations