MKTG 3310:  Marketing Concepts

Course Description

“Marketing is so basic that it cannot be considered a separate function. It is the whole business seen from the point of view of the final result, that is, from the Consumer’s point of view. Business success is determined not by the Producer, but by the Customer.” - Peter Drucker

This course is designed specifically for non-business majors and business minors. We will examine three major areas within marketing: the nature of marketing decisions; the environment in which these decisions are made; and the relationship of these decisions to the firm, business, and society. Classes will consist of lecture, video and written cases, class discussion, and small-group activities during which students will learn from each other. Student participation demonstrating preparation and understanding of the material is expected and encouraged.

Instructor Biography

Chip Besio has been an Adjunct Professor in the Marketing Department of the Cox School of Business at SMU since 1983. He currently is a full-time member of the faculty serving as a Senior Lecturer. He was awarded “Outstanding BBA Teacher of the Year” for 2009-10 and 2010-11. He is also the Director, Center for Marketing Management Studies at the Cox School. His academic credentials include an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BBA from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Chip joined the Sewell Automotive Companies in 1992 to head its newly created Marketing Center. The Marketing Center was developed to provide a number of services for Sewell dealerships including customer follow-up and direct marketing programs. As Director of Marketing for Sewell, he initiated several customer retention programs and directed the organization’s advertising and public relations efforts. He brought an extensive background in marketing to Sewell, having developed his marketing skills as a marketing officer in three professional service companies. Thereafter, he entered the advertising profession where he worked in two Dallas agencies before opening his own firm in 1981. He operated his agency for seven years before entering marketing and management consulting.

Learning Outcomes and Benefits

• A thorough vocabulary of the concepts for marketing and management of the marketing processes
• An understanding of market segmentation what it is and when it is used; able to recognize factors used to segment and target consumer markets; and explain how marketers position their products in the marketplace
• An understanding of the ways by which marketers manage a product’s life cycle and recognize the importance of branding and the alternative branding strategies available to marketers
• The ability to recognize the major factors considered in setting a price for product or service, and to describe how various combinations of price, fixed cost and variable cost affect a firm’s break-even point
• The ability to describe the factors and considerations that affect a company’s choice and management of its marketing channels
• The knowledge of the elements of the integrated marketing communications mix and recognize their strengths and weaknesses