ARC: Teaching: Assignments: Principles
ARContributions by Hope Corrigan, Rod Davis, Eric Karson, Jakki Mohr, Rex Moody, Sharyn Rundle-Thiele, Robert Tamilia
Related ARContent: Principles of Marketing Course Materials
This page came out of an ELMAR request made by Robert D. Tamilia in which he asked for recent undergraduate Principles of Marketing course syllabi. We received around two dozen responses, and those have been mined for useful assignment ideas.
Reports or Short Presentations
The Marketing Minute is a short two-to-four minute presentation of a marketing concept for which each student will be assigned and scheduled [Syllabus - Davis].
Written Paper Assignment. Each student selects a topic from a list of questions. Each topic can have a different due date and you can pass out a sign-up sheet in class during the first part of the term to distribute topics to students or groups [Syllabus - Mohr]. Variation - run it with small groups or as a class presentation.
A presentation or report on an "Emerging Industry" and the marketing issues raised [Syllabus - Corrigan]. A variation might involve industries of particular interest to the student population involved.
Teams present a product concept or advertisement. It could be judged in terms of consumer insights, but doesn't necessarily have to be a full marketing plan [Syllabus Rundle-Thiele].
The Wall St Journal Assignment
This assignment could be used with a different or local newspaper, or with any of the outlets listed on the ARC Trade Press page.
Have current events quizzes based on the content of pages A1 and B1 of The Journal, or the other media.
The Journal could be used each day in class as a basis for discussions. Students should come to class prepared to discuss articles found in the last few days of The Journal that relate to important business and marketing topics [Syllabus - Moody].
Longer and More Involved Projects
Trade Show Project [Syllabus - Karson]
- Product Description
- Consumer Analysis
- Advertisement or Press Release
- . Marketing Plan Overview
- Trade Show Presentation
Marketing Plan Assignment [Syllabus - Neil]
Students should focus on identifying a target market (consumer or business) whose needs are not currently being met, not being met satisfactorily or even recognized.
Students also should think about competitive offerings, and how their offering will be communicated and delivered.
Emphasis could be on the solution being actionable and realistic.
Marketing Plan with Preexisting Company [Syllabus - Walker]
Each group is assigned a company and is to create a new good or service.
The new product must be consistent with the company that the group is assigned.
Sample Marketing Plan [Syllabus - Walker]
- Executive Summary
- Company and Product Description
- Strategic Focus and Plan: the mission/vision and core competencies written at the company level, but goals are written at the product level. Identifying the mission/vision and core competencies of your company should help in creating your new product.
- Situation Analysis (factors affecting both your company as a whole and at the new product level)
- Market-Product Focus (for your new product)
- Marketing Program (for your new product)
- Implementation Plan (for your new product)
- Evaluation and Control (for your new product)
- Supporting information you may want to include (may be integrated within text or included as appendices): mock-ups of packaging/product, advertising, promotions, any helpful tables, charts, graphs, etc. You do not have to include all of these things – only what you feel is important to your plan. There is definitely room for creativity here!
Variation 1 - These can be written and/or presented in class.
Variation 2 - Team Challenge with the marketing needs of an actual firm that is participating [Syllabus - Rundle-Thiele].
Variation 3 - Students can serve as judges by voting.