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Tech Management

UCSB

COURSE INFORMATION

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Even with the very best technology, 9 out of 10 new products fail. More often than not, the reason for the failure of a new venture isn’t technology – it’s marketing. Marketing plays a crucial role not only in developing, producing, and selling products or services but also in guiding recruiting efforts and raising capital. And yet, far too few ventures are begun without careful pre-venture marketing – which can prove to be a costly and often fatal mistake.

This course introduces the student to marketing management’s role in an organization’s total business strategy. The most basic objective of this course is to provide students with a broad introduction to marketing concepts, the role of marketing in technology firms, and the various factors that influence marketing decision making.

By the end of the course, the student will have a solid understanding of the major decision areas under marketing responsibility, the basic interrelationships of those decision areas, and an appreciation of how to apply key frameworks and tools for analyzing customers, competition, and marketing strengths and weaknesses. This course will help students develop insight about the selection of target markets and blending decisions related to product, price, promotion and place (i.e. the marketing mix) to meet the needs of a target market.

CASES AND READINGS:

Required:

• “Positioning–The Battle for Your Mind”, Ries and Trout, 1981, Warner Books
• Case Pack of Harvard Business School cases and readings
• Miscellaneous readings/handouts as assigned

Suggested:

• “Entrepreneurial Marketing: Lessons from Wharton’s Pioneering MBA Course”, Leonard Lodish, John Wiley and Sons Inc
• “Lovemarks, The Future Beyond Brands”, Kevin Roberts, Powerhouse Books
• “Marketing that Matters”, Chip Conley, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
• “Marketing High Technology”, William Davidow, The Free Press
• “Building Strong Brands”, David Aaker, The Free Press
• “Chasing Cool”, Noah Kerner, Atria Books
• “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding”, Al and Laura Ries, ebook
• “Total Access”, McKenna, HBS Press
• “BrandSense”, Lindstrom, Kogan Page Ltd.
• “Managing the Customer Experience”, Schmitt, FT Prentice Hall

GRADING

Class Participation + Pop Quizzes 25%
This includes attendance and active participation in discussions, case studies and classroom presentations. Pop quizzes will be at random and will cover class readings.

In Class Quizzes (3) 30%
These are scheduled, quick quizzes (20 mins.) Intended to test grasp of key concepts that are discussed in class and in readings.

Take Home Exercises (2) 20%
These are short exercises to be completed outside of the classroom. They will include analysis of product categories, finding examples of concepts discussed in class and original thinking on new product ideas.

Completed creative brief on new product idea 25%
Final class session will include presentations by 3-5 person teams that brief an advertising agency on new product or service using the creative brief concept developed in class.