Indian Institute of Management SAMBALPUR

PGP TERM IV, 2020-22

Course Outline

Course Title : Strategic Marketing

Credits : 3
Type : Elective
Session Duration : 90 minutes
Faculty : Dr. Ashita Aggarwal (drashitaaggarwal@gmail.com)

This course will introduce you to the application of principles of marketing. It will focus on how to approach
marketing problems and strategic marketing decisions. By the end of the course, you should be able to parse marketing
problems, consider their relationship with overall strategy.
Introduction

Effective marketing depends on a marketing manager’s ability to evaluate alternatives and make choices compliant
with the firm’s overall direction. To do that, managers must learn to design marketing strategies that are both effective
and accountable. Porter says that operational effectiveness, although necessary to superior performance, is not
sufficient, because its techniques are easy to imitate. In contrast, the essence of strategy is choosing a unique and
valuable position rooted in the system of activities that are difficult to replicate. A business strategy is strongly linked
to a marketing strategy, which is about designing, communicating and executing the firm’s customer value proposition
in keeping with larger organizational goals. In this course students will learn to take effective marketing decisions by
minimizing (though not completely removing) much of the uncertainties through disciplined analysis and prudent
judgemen

Course Objectives
1) Think strategically about marketing
2) Use marketing frameworks to analyze situations and make decisions
3) Apply marketing concepts in a simulated environment
4) Understand the relationship between marketing strategy and business results
5) Enhance decision-making skills in a team set-up

Pedagogy
The course is predominantly based on a group simulation exercise across sessions supported by conceptual case
discussions on marketing strategy formulation and implementation. The simulation is a cloud based one and must be
downloaded for seamless execution. The office will give the details regarding that separately.

Evaluations
Component Weightage Details
Quiz 20% Before Session 3
Markstrat Performance 30% (group) Calculated based on performance in
simulation
Markstrat Presentations 20% (group) Session 19-20 in class
End Term Examination 30% Objective Type
Total 100%

Course Reading
Markstrat Handout: Lerreche & Gatignon: Markstrat 3: Student Manual (M&M)

Reference Text:
Ref Book: Marketing as Strategy by Nirmalya Kumar- Harvard Business School Press

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Special Instructions
Please read and prepare well in advance for case presentation & discussion in the class. Case for each session is
indicated in the Session Plan. The sessions will be of 90 minutes’ duration. ‘R’ indicates additional readings. ‘C’
indicates cases.

Please ensure that you are prepared for the case-sessions and have read the case before coming to the class, to
make the best of this learning-experience.

MARKSTRAT Experience
Each team will be assigned a MARKSTRAT company to manage. Your task will be to
(1) Set marketing objectives within given resources
(2) Develop strategies to achieve those objectives, and
(3) Implement your strategies with appropriate tactical decisions.

1. Performance:
Student teams are expected to maximize Share Price Index of their companies. The performance score is calculated on
following parameters- SPI, Cumulative Profit, Cumulative Revenue and Cumulative ROI.

2. Student Presentation
Objective: Provide a clear statement of how your strategy has evolved over years gone by and why. Include
key learnings and applications of concepts in business and marketing.

Markstrat Presentation Guidelines: Team presentation: Maximum 12 slides.

a. Main strategies pursued at various stages
b. Recommendations for the future
c. Learning from the Markstrat experience across business functions
 Key learnings from Markstrat regarding marketing in general. The learnings should be
outcomes of the Markstrat experience but reflect the marketing world in general.
d. Predict Net Contribution and Stock Price Index after the last period play

3. Quiz: Markstrat Handout (to evaluate if the participant has read the manual and remembers the key
aspects needed to work on Markstrat Simulation.

4. End Term Examination: Objective application exam. The exam would test student’s ability to
identify key issues and think strategically about their applications.

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 Session Plan
Session No. Topic and Sub-topics Reference Readings Class Pedagogy

S-1
Introduction to Markstrat Simulation: Pre Read: Markstrat Manual Lecture and Discussion
Part 1 (MM)

S-2 Starting to manage a company- 5C R: Successful Share building Simulation playing

analysis strategies (HBS -81101) Period 1

Pre Read: Markstrat Manual

(MM)

S-3 Introduction to Markstrat: Part 2 Pre Read: Markstrat Manual Quiz on manual before
(MM) the session
Lecture & Discussion
S-4 Managing the organization in growing Pre Read: Markstrat Manual Simulation playing
market (MM) Period 2

S-5 Managing the organization in growing Pre Read: Markstrat Manual Simulation playing
market (MM) Period 2
R: Exploit the Product Life
Cycle- Theodore Levitt (HBS:
R65608)
S-6 Using Marketing Research for decision Pre Read: Markstrat Manual Discussion
making (MM) on research reports
S-7, Period 3- Markstrat: Managing Pre Read: Markstrat Manual Period 3 – Markstrat
company in growth markets. Being on market research reports Working on marketing
competition aware plan
S-8 Discussion on Resource Allocation Pre-Read: Markstrat Manual Period 3 submission
R: Resource Allocation and class discussion
perspective for marketing
analytics (HBS: UV6783)
S-9 Assessing Market Attractiveness/ Case: Clubb International: Case Discussion
Opportunity Revisit the marketing strategy
(W18079-PDF-ENG-
preread)
S-10 Managing company in late growth Pre-Read : Markstrat Manual Simulation- Period 4 in
stages- Period 4 Markstrat class

S-11 Competitive Growth Strategies – Case: Balaji Wafers: Taking Case Discussion
Leaders and Challengers the Pepsi Challenge. (HBS-
W18606-PDF-ENG)-preread

S-12 Managing company is early maturity R: Exploit the Product Life Period 5 in class
stages- Period 5 Cycle- Theodore Levitt (HBS:
R65608)

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S-13 Strategic Positioning- Importance of Video in class
identifying the right value- Video by Young-Me-Moon on
proposition? :Why differentiation and Brand Positioning
focus are important?
S-14 Experiencing Mature Market R: Break Free from the Product Period 6- simulation in
Dilemmas- Period 6 Life Cycle: Youngme Moon class
(HBS: R0505E)
S-15 Strategic Segments and Value Case: Aqualisa Quartz: Simply Case Discussion
Proposition a better shower
HBS: 502030-PDF-ENG-
preread
S-16 Experiencing late maturity in markets- Period 7 Simulation
Period 7

S-17 Brand Portfolio and Extension for Case: Mahindra Rise: A Brand Case Discussion
business growth Architecture Decision
W14691-PDF-ENG
S-18 Experience The dilemmas of declining Period 8 Simulation
market- Period 8

S-19 Analytical Debrief; Wrap up and Student Presentations Class Presentations

Presentations

S-20 Analytical Debrief; Wrap up and Student Presentations Class Presentations

Presentations

Questions for Case Discussions

Clubb International: Revisit the marketing strategy

1. What role did macroenvironment play in shaping Clubb’s future marketing strategy?
2. Critically assess the competitive landscape for Clubb. What are the strength and weakness of Clubb’s
business model?
3. Explain the timelines for Clubb’s journey so far. How would you describe their business orientation?
4. What is the state of Clubb’s financial health? Does Mullick need to take any steps to address it? Why
or Why not?

Balaji Wafers: Taking the Pepsi Challenge

1. How is Balaji Wafers doing? What are the reasons for success/ failure?
2. What are the alternatives available to Balaji Wafers for its future growth? Which alternative should it
choose and Why?

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3. Can Balaji Wafers build its equity on customized tastes/ variety/ innovations or all? Justify

Aqualisa Quartz: Simply a better shower

1. What is the Quartz value proposition to plumbers? To customers?
2. Why is Quartz shower not selling?
3. Aqualisa currently has three brands. What is the rationale behind this multiple brand strategy? Does it
make sense?
4. What should Rawlinson do to generate sales momentum for Quartz product? Should he change the
marketing strategy to target consumers directly, target DIY or the developers? Should he lower the
price? Any other strategy which is different from usual approach of the company?

Mahindra Rise: A Brand Architecture Decision

1. What are the key challenges faced by brand Mahindra, which made the organization rethink its brand
positioning and brand architecture?
2. What are the key takeaways from the analysis conducted by Landor for designing a brand
architecture solution?
3. What are the possible brand architecture solutions? Evaluate the pros and cons of each of the three
options given to the Mahindra Group.
4. What brand architecture would you recommend for the Mahindra Group? Why?