Office
hours for Spring Semester 2019 (January 9 to April 26)
Tuesday & Thursday, 7-7:40 a.m.; 11
a.m.-noon; Wednesdays 8-10 a.m. AND whenever the door is open (most
weekdays from 7 a.m. till early afternoon)
Course prerequisite
Grade of C or better in MKTG 3310 or MKTG
3317. Students may not get credit in both CAHS 3800 or MKTG 4410
Required Purchases
None!
A book could not be found that fits the AU
Bulletin description of MKTG 4410, a "critical review and analysis of
possible pragmatic applications of consumer behavior theories used for
marketing decision making." All book options reviewed were a collection of
logical inconsistencies, self-contradictions & a vexing inability for
authors to delete their descriptions of theories that have long-since been
falsified in the research literature. Instead of providing content that
could lead to substantive class discussions, the books were written in a
way to provide instructors with slides to read to the class and data banks
for multiple choice tests. Instead of a required textbook purchase,....
Required reading, listening and/or viewing
+Articles, essays & videos available via
links in this syllabus
+AU email distributed attachments or links to additional articles, essays
& videos
+AU email distributed lecture supplements
Recommended or suggested reading
Adventures in Misplaced Marketing,
ISBN: 9781567203523.It will be referenced at a few parts of the
assignments. If you can find a cheap used copy or grab one from a library,
it would help you understand the materials. It isn't a textbook, it isn't
filled with irrelevant distracting pictures, cartoons, graphs or
meaningless charts. Instead, Adventures in Misplaced Marketing has
200-plus pages with a lot of words to be read, including some interesting
comments in the footnotes. The book also has some archaic references, and
maybe too many bad jokes, including one set up on page 1 with the
punchline on the last page. At worst, reading the book might provide a
drug-free cure for student insomnia.
Important dates Day 1: Full period lecture discussion!
"Syllabus Day" is not a thing in this course Test #1: February 14, 2019 Test #2: [TBA] American Academy of Advertising International
Conference, Dallas: March 27-31 Comprehensive final exam: Wednesday, May
1, 12:00-2:30 pm
As per university policy, the final exam will
be administered at the assigned time. An earlier test will not be granted
for students wanting to depart for jobs, job interviews, graduate school
interviews, family vacations, sobering up from celebrating too soon, or
General Jack O’Neill inviting you to visit to the extra-terrestrials held
at Cheyenne Mountain where they keep the star gate.
A signed class contract is a precondition for
anyone to be considered present for class, to take any tests, or to have
scores counted for any quiz or homework
Grades will be determined by the sum of the raw scores on
tests, assignments and on the comprehensive final exam. Scores will be added
together and grades will be based on total points, not averages or
percentiles. There might be extra points possible on any of the tests,
assignments or the final exam, but the availability of extra points on any
tests will not alter the number of points required for each letter
grade as described below.
→ Two tests of 30 points each (at least 60
points)
→ writing assignments (at least 30 points)
→ Comprehensive Final Exam (at least 60 points)
A = 135-150 points
B = 120-134 points
C = 105-119 points
D = 90-104 points
F = 0-89 points
FA = 0-89 points AND either (a) absent from all or part of more than 25%
of the non-test class days, or (b) an unexcused absence from any test or
the final exam. "Absences" includes arriving late, leaving early, stepping
out for a significant part of the period, or unauthorized use of
electronic equipment. Further details on absences are outlined in the
class contract
Course
Learning Objective is to develop a perspective for
understanding published research and the resulting psychological
theories of how consumers respond to marketing tools, perspectives that
can guide marketing managers when evaluating decision alternatives. It's
not tied to any specific job, but develops an important job skill of
evaluating information for making marketing decisions. The readings and
discussions will often use the theories to take a perspective of
consumer protection advocates. Consumer protection does not mean that
business decision makers are dishonest, bigoted, lazy or dumb, nor does
it assert that consumers are not mindless gullible fools in need of
protection from evil business. But not all marketing managers follow a
marketing orientation, sometimes they abuse a marketing orientation in a
disservice to their customers. And sometimes consumers don't know what
they "should" need, and in those cases, business should not serve those
mistaken consumer desires
Consumer behavior theories & research
in marketing can be broadly characterized as as either: 1) providing
insightful perspectives for business decision making; or 2)
pragmatically-useless academically-interesting studies that generate
discussion among faculty; or 3) useless manure that somehow stays in
textbooks & student memories despite their logical inconsistencies,
conceptual weirdness or absence of any confirmatory support in research
data. Our class will try to stay focused on #1, sometimes with a side
trip to #2, and whenever possible derisively noting #3 by some socially
acceptable expletive
The MKTG 4410 Prime Direction is a
requirement that all course work and test answers must start from a
presumption that the business' managerial decisions makers are not
dishonest, bigoted, lazy, cheap or dumb and that their customers are not
mindless gullible fools
starts
from fact that marketing managers are rarely, if ever, the same types of
people as their customers. The job often requires that they deal with
products or consumer choices with which they personally disagree.
Similarly, class will discuss products or services you would never buy,
with product features you'd never need, using mass media messages which
would never consider you as part of the target segment, resulting in the
class discussing examples that you might find personally offensive. In
MKTG 4410, as in life, it is unavoidable. In addition, many video segments
are used in class or for assignments because they present class materials
in a more interesting fashion than the charisma-challenged instructor
would be capable of delivering. These video segments are not screened to
protect adult university students from being exposed to scatological
references, expletives heard on SyFy, FX, CBS, TNT or NBC networks, coarse
slang that children repeat without understanding, and formerly innocent
metaphors or acronyms whose contemporary coital innuendoes might not be
discerned by anyone not familiar with current Urban Dictionary
definitions.
The fact that marketing managers are rarely members
of their target segments does not create bad decisions, but any
manager's inability to realize that the fact exists does. The
need to understand, explain and predict those consumer decisions is why
courses such as MKTG 4410 have become a program requirement for marketing
majors at many universities. In any marketing class, students must realize
that they can no longer view products or services as a customer purchasing a
new jacket, part of the audience watching commercials in their video stream,
or students in class deciding to inhale from the vape device hidden up their
sleeve. Instead, you will need to view consumers from the point of view of
marketing managers whose customers make decisions for a variety of different
reasons. The managers' options must be evaluated in terms of what interests
the market segments, not in terms of what personally appeals to the decision
maker.
All tests and assignments
will require writing. As it is in life, nothing in
the class will be multiple choice. This is not a class that the teacher
reads the textbook-based slides to the class, followed by multiple choice
tests where you mark down the answers that were spoon fed earlier. What you
get from it will depend on what you put in. An experiment in open-ended
structure means students are expected to keep up with the assignments, ask
questions, and try to think of the applications. If you are tired of slacker
classmates that pass courses on the work of others, there won't be any group
work. Those who weirdly pay tuition while actively seeking to avoid an
education would see this
link as a “how to” manual.
Homework assignments tied to topics
after the first test will require short answers to specific questions drawn
from the reading assignments, or applications of readings to a current
situation. Homework will be collected from those present at the start of the
designated class. Of those assigned, the worst score will not count toward
your point total. Extra points on individual homework or extra assignments
will not alter the point cut-offs for grades. All homework with instructor
comments will always be returned before the start of the next class meeting.
Students must be present and on time to turn in the assignment. No
assignments will involve egalitarian group
activity
No make-up assignments will be given. A student who is absent for a due date
for any reason will have that homework be the one dropped as the worst
score. If a student has a excuse absences from multiple due dates resulting
in too few assignments, documentation and verification contacts of excused
absences must be provided for all relevant days missed, not just those in
excess of the one dropped. If such materials can't be provided, the
additional missed homework is considered unexcused for grade purposes.
The assignments are important because everyone needs to study assigned
readings before the topic is covered in class. That is a critical to
understanding the class meetings. Students tend to perform poorly if they
have a semester of erratic attendance, a chronic propensity to come to class
without reading the assigned chapters and/or an inability to take notes on
anything other than what appears on a screen. Coming to class unprepared
makes it difficult to understand lectures and an ongoing semester-long
practice of reading that should make preparation for tests and final exams
easier. Since you need to study the reading assignment before, not during,
the class in which it will be discussed, you should be listening, asking
questions and taking notes. Attendance & Class Participation are
not part of the grade point totals except for homework or FA grades.
However, the
classroom experience is considered an integral aspect of this course
and your attendance is an important part of the learning experience. Classes will always start on time in the
business sense of the term: at the time designated for the start of class,
students are expected to be in their seats and ready to work. As a more
basic matter, it is disrespectful to your classmates when you repeatedly
drift in late and a distract those present. In business, you get fired. On a
sports team, you literally "miss the bus."
Tests and final exam will be essay format
Scores will be returned before the start of the next class
meeting after each test date. After each test, class time will not be spent
going over the test answers. On test days, the essay answers will be at the
front table for student reading before leaving the test room. In addition,
for 5 business days after scores are returned, students may come to my
office to read (not write) the answer key. No make up exams will be given
without a university-approved excuse. Prior notice and approval must be
obtained for any planned events; unexpected emergencies require direct
notification as soon as possible by phone or email, with documentation and
verification contacts provided as soon as you return to campus. If you wait
till the next class day to drift in with an excuse, the delayed
notifications will not be accepted.
Each of the tests will only deal with materials assigned and discussed in
the period since the prior test. The comprehensive final exam covers all
materials from the entire semester. All assigned readings, additional
handouts, regular lectures, guest speaker presentations, video programs or
discussion by other students (everything covered from the first minute of
the first class) could be the basis for exam questions. If you feel that
there is a difference between lecture materials and the assigned readings or
videos content, the lecture materials should be used as the basis for
answering exam questions. Since readings and lectures are interrelated, it
will be impossible to say how much of the questions will come from one or
the other. Therefore, do not ask what to emphasize when you study, or
whether you should focus more on lectures or the reading assignments. Do not
ask what is more important in preparing for tests or the final exam. It is
all important. And it is important to understand what you study. No test
question asks for a recitation of a list. Test questions may apply the
materials to novel situations.
Other class directions plus university-required
stuff
→ All electronic devices are to be put
away during the class period unless a reasonable exception is requested in
writing & approved. Various options may be used to deter or penalize
violators
→ Videos in assigned links or shown in class are fairly
entertaining, but their use during the class period is not for students to
be entertained. They will either be discussed as examples of course
materials, or convey course-relevant information in a more interesting
fashion than other presentation options. Even if it is a segment from a
comedy program where their priority is to the joke, the selected videos
provide researched & documented information that can be part of any
test. Note taking is as important during video programs as it is during
other parts of class. (The obvious exceptions are videos before 12:30
p.m., the "pre-class entertainment")
→ If you find it difficult to take notes and be an active
participant in class at the same time, request permission to audio record
class for notes to be transcribed later. The lectures exist under
university and personal copyright, which means that any recordings made of
the class are for individual use as a study aid and are not to be sold,
publicly posted or otherwise distributed on any forum without written
permission from the instructor.
→ Anyone with difficulty completing tests during the time limits of
the class period can request an early start time, a consideration that is
not tied to any requirements from the Office of Accessibility.
→ Students are expected to do their own work in the classroom on
quizzes and tests as per the Auburn University student academic honesty
code in the Student Policy eHandbook (Title XII) Academic honesty
violations or alleged violations of the SGA Code of Laws will be reported
to the Office of the Provost, which will then refer the case to the
Academic Honesty Committee.
→ If you have a disability, you must meet with me in my office to
discuss possible accommodations after you electronically submit the
approved accommodations through AU Access. Course requirements will not be
waived, but accommodations will be made to assist in meeting the
requirements, provided you are timely to develop a reasonable
accommodation plan. Please note that the most commonly requested
accommodations are available to anyone in the class without reference to a
disability. If you need additional accommodations, make an appointment
with the Office of Accessibility, 1228 Haley Center.
Lecture topics & reading assignments
The numbers by each item is a topic number, and assignments will be by the
topics. This is a work in progress and assignments will be updated and
adjusted as we move along. Assignment updates, additional explanations
on lecture topics, or answers to student questions will sometimes be sent to
all registered class members via the Auburn University email addresses that
are provided for all students. You are expected to make a daily check of
university email for class related messages and information. Other items for
general interest (or amusement) are linked to the pictures at various parts
of the syllabus.
As far as can be checked, at the start of the semester all articles listed
below can be accessed via links to the titles. And you should not have to
pay for access to any of the articles. HOWEVER, some of the links require a
subscription that is paid by the AU libraries. To download these articles,
you have to using a campus computer or a computer, phone or tablet using the
campus network. When you click on these articles while using a campus
internet address, the publication's system recognizes the IP address and
gives free access to their subscription-required web pages. This also works
if you are logged into the AU VPN or are using the network of another
organization with a subscription such as the library of another university.
starts
from fact that marketing managers are rarely, if ever, the same types of
people as their customers. The job often requires that they deal with
products or consumer choices with which they personally disagree.
Similarly, class will discuss products or services you would never buy,
with product features you'd never need, using mass media messages which
would never consider you as part of the target segment, resulting in the
class discussing examples that you might find personally offensive. In
MKTG 4410, as in life, it is unavoidable. In addition, many video segments
are used in class or for assignments because they present class materials
in a more interesting fashion than the charisma-challenged instructor
would be capable of delivering. These video segments are not screened to
protect adult university students from being exposed to scatological
references, expletives heard on SyFy, FX, CBS, TNT or NBC networks, coarse
slang that children repeat without understanding, and formerly innocent
metaphors or acronyms whose contemporary coital innuendoes might not be
discerned by anyone not familiar with current Urban Dictionary
definitions.
