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A Closer Look
 
at Business Education
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JANUARY 2007
:
MARKETING
INTRODUCTION:
 
In recent years, attention to social and environmental issues in product marketing has become amainstream practice and offers opportunities for firms to differentiate themselves in the market. Popular examples abound: organic produce, hybrid cars, and fair trade coffee, to name just a few. While businesscoursework is quickly following practice in the field, our data show that a critical examination of thesocial impact of marketing is limited in some instances to issues of legality and ethics. When ethicalconcerns are raised, they are commonly discussed in the context of avoiding harmful marketing practices,especially prohibitive product pricing and deceptive advertising. On the other hand, internationalmarketing classes do a good job of discussing socio-cultural considerations in the analysis of new targetmarkets.It is noteworthy that a handful of MBA programs offer courses specifically addressing “socialmarketing”; that is, using concepts from commercial marketing, such as the traditional “four P’s”marketing mix (i.e., Product, Place, Promotion, and Pricing), to bring about social change. Also,academic research has highlighted the use of, and further potential for, social marketing for environmentalcauses.
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A few of these forward-looking strategic marketing courses are highlighted in the “notablecoursework” section below.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
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According to Dr. Bruce Hutton, several years ago topics related to the environment andsocial issues were considered “add-ons” and were included at the end of marketing texts. Now, these issues are better integrated throughout such texts.
 
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There are many social impact management topics in marketing that are worthy of inclusion into coursework. Examples include the impacts of product development,design, and pricing decisions on both consumers and business sustainability, as well asthe impacts of “niche marketing” on both target markets and sustainable competitivecorporate strategy.
 A FACULTY POINT OF VIEW:
Dr. Bruce Huttonis a Professor of Marketing at the Daniels College of Business at theUniversity of Denver. He has also served as Dean and Chairman of the Marketing Department inhis twenty years at Denver. Additionally, Dr. Hutton is a co-founder of the Colorado Ethics inBusiness Awards,a unique grassroots effort to recognize individuals, companies, and nonprofitorganizations for ethics and socially responsible actions.On cutting-edge issues in marketing: “Every aspect of the traditional marketing mix is being affected bythe opportunities provided by the expansion of marketing thought to include social and environmentalissues in the development of marketing strategy. New ways of greening the supply chain, pressuringsuppliers to be environmentally sensitive and have ethical practices with regard to labor and human rights provide ways of differentiating brands. Engaging in partnerships with civil society organizations as wellas government is providing access to new markets and resources. Perspectives, such as those presented in
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For example, see Edward Maibach’s “Social Marketing for the Environment: Using Information Campaigns toPromote Environmental Awareness and Behavior Change”,
 Health Promotion International
, Vol. 9, No. 3, 209-224.Oxford University Press, 1993. Additionally, Oxford University presented, “Social Marketing for the Environment:Using Water Wisely”, a conference in November 2006. Seehttp://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cpd/env/courses/social.asp for the announcement.
 
A Closer Look
 
at Business Education
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Prahalad’s book,
The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid 
, are opening up heretofore ignored marketsand are leading to new innovations in meeting the needs of the poor.”On student interest in environmental, social, and ethical issues in marketing: “Students respond very positively to such topics when they are presented in the context of the overall marketing process, so theycan see the linkage between these practices and the creation of firm value, customer satisfaction, brandreputation, innovation, competitive advantage, etc.—and the fulfillment of the marketing concept. It isalso true that, increasingly, students come to the business school seeking training in such issues andwanting to go to work for socially responsible companies and make a difference, as well as a living, intheir careers.”
NOTABLE COURSEWORK:
The following course descriptions are drawn exclusively fromBeyond Grey Pinstripes, aresearch survey conducted biennially by the Aspen Institute.
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ESADE Business School
Managing Marketing from Global HQ(Core Course)
 Instructor: Josep Franch
“The course on ‘Managing Marketing from Global HQ’ presents cultural and environmental impactas an element to be taken into account in the strategy of internationalization. The course is principallyconcerned with the application of a genuinely global perspective from headquarters: it insists on theneed for taking the cultural values of each region into consideration in order to design marketing thatrespects these values; furthermore, it examines issues concerned with the social reputation of thecompany as a result of its contribution to the development of an emerging country, its social investingand its environmental policy. Moreover, marketing strategy is also planned with reference to socio-economic criteria, seeking to favor depressed areas through the implementation of lastingentrepreneurial projects.” 
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Asian Institute of Management
 Marketing Management(Core Course)
 Instructors: E.M.P. Santos and A.V. Concepcion
“Marketing Management is a core subject in the two-year Master in Business Administration (MBA) program. It is given on the first year of the MBM program to introduce students to the concepts andtheories of Marketing Management with focus on ASEAN business systems. It aims to help thestudents learn a comprehensive and systematic approach to strategic marketing process and to learn tothink critically (ask intelligent questions) and strategically. Also, it aims to develop an appreciationand understanding of marketing's roles and social responsibilities in a global society.”
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Boston University, School of Management (
 2003 data
)
 Marketing Social Change(Elective Course)
 Instructor: C.B. Battacharya
“Corporations have recently shown tremendous interest in corporate social initiatives by supportingsocial causes and non-profit organizations. Many companies now have social responsibility managers.Phrases such as "cause branding," "strategic volunteerism," and "enviro-preneurial marketing" haveinfiltrated the mainstream business vocabulary as companies look for ways to integrate social perspectives into their marketing strategy. This course trains students to be leaders who will catalyzethis management revolution.”
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
,
Kenan-Flagler Business School
 Legal and Social Environment of Marketing(Elective Course)
 Instructor: Paul Bloom (now at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business)
 
A Closer Look
 
at Business Education
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“Students become familiar with various topics, including the design of more effective campaigns for socially- or environmentally-beneficial behaviors (for instance, a “stop smoking” or “don’t litter”advertising campaign). Students also learn about corporate societal marketing initiatives that earn profits and promote social welfare, antitrust issues, and public policies that protect consumers frommaking poor marketplace choices and encourage vigorous competition for customers. Studentsacquire skills and an improved ability to market socially and to assess government and corporatesocial initiatives.”
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Stanford University
,
Graduate School of Business
 Global and International Marketing(Elective Course)
 Instructor:Wasim Azhar  
“This course addresses the opportunities and challenges associated with the development andimplementation of marketing strategy in international markets. It aims to develop frameworks andknowledge that will enable future managers to better formulate and effectively implement marketing plans in different regions of the world. Topics covered include global brand management; analysis of various international market structures; market entry strategies in developed and emerging marketsincluding country selection and marketing program design based on consumer, country andcompetitive analysis; international marketing mix strategies including the globally standardizedversus locally adapted marketing program debate; and international pricing, advertising and promotion strategies.”
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Georgetown University
,
Robert E. McDonough School of Business
 Social Marketing(Elective Course)
 Instructor: Alan Andreasen
“This course gives students a set of frameworks and tools valuable in bringing about sociallydesirable behavioral outcomes beyond the economic marketplace. We consider the need for structuralchange as well as changes in behavior by those carrying out undesirable practices. We discusschallenges of raising issues on the public, media and political agendas, developing strategies toinfluence legislators, business leaders, community leaders and the media to bring about social change.Many of the examples discussed in class are in public health, violence prevention and economicdevelopment.”For additional courses on related subjects, search 1,672 descriptions atBeyond Grey Pinstripes.
NOTABLE TEACHING MATERIALS:
Materials referenced are meant to represent the diversity of related teaching resources availableat Caseplace.org. Most are available as free downloads to registered faculty members.
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Case Study:
 Procter & Gamble and Population Services International (PSI): Social Marketing for  Safe Water  
Source: INSEAD, 2006 
PuR, the water purification product sold in small sachets, had suffered a string of failed market tests, but the public health benefits of the product had been demonstrated repeatedly in bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets where finding clean drinking water can be a daily calamity. As part of itsglobal CSR (corporate social responsibility) expansion initiative, Procter & Gamble (P&G) move the product from the commercial to the corporate sustainable development (CSD) unit, which took the pressure off PuR brand managers to meet market sales projections. This move created new pressures,however, for those managing CSR initiatives - to take the product global on a philanthropy budget.Partnering with Population Services International (PSI), the global NGO (non-governmental
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