Fwd: Marketing Class
Zhaoyun (Stephanie) Wu
From: Iris Liu <iris...@gmail.com>Subject: Fwd: Marketing ClassDate: May 3, 2012 4:59:47 PM PDTTo: ACSAA Emember <acsaae...@googlegroups.com>Reply-To: acsaae...@googlegroups.com---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Zhang, Ke <Ke.Zha...@marshall.usc.edu>
Date: Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 10:59 PM
Subject: Marketing Class
To: Iris Liu <l.ca...@gmail.com>
MKT-512 Marketing and Consumer Research
Che, Hai
Spring 2011
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Che is a very thorough and kind professor. He gives ample notes on the statistical regressions and patiently works with students until everyone understands complex concepts. Even if you are not comfortable with Statistics, Che makes it easy to understand and is very approachable to students who need extra help. I highly recommend this course with Professor Che. For the most part, the homework provided is time-intensive - because it takes time to learn the features of SPSS software system. But the deliverables and concepts are not complicated. If you're willing to put in the time and effort, you can perform the assignments. There are about four time-intensive homework assignments (1 about survey structure and the others on SPSS), 1 group research project, and 2 group presentation (1 preliminary and 1 formal).
Che provides ample notes and explanatory information which walk students step-by-step through the marketing research concepts on SPSS software. He also provides surveys and real world cases of companies who used the consumer research methods and the outcomes. He is very thorough in his lectures and notes. He is very kind and patient and never makes students unwelcome to ask even the simpliest questions. He really cares about each student understanding the core concepts. The methods he covers are not too complex and keeps out complicated deviations that are outside the scope of the class.
Not a bad workload. Each lecture came with one reading, and it was usually short. Some of the class was like a review of Stats. The pace is a little slow, but that's good for people who really want to learn this stuff (some of it's deceptively hard). Most of the second half will be about a group survey you have to make. Deliverables: about 3 individual assignments in addition to the group project. No final, no quizzes.
He is a considerate person. He really cares about people understanding the topics and is very accessible. He provides encouraging feedback and during class explains things carefully. One of the most approachable professors, I'd say.
Covered survey design, statistics, regressions, and survey data analysis. The workload was not too intense, but the homework assignments were too long and took too much time. There was no final exam but a group project in which we administered a survey and had to analyze the results. Useful skills include understanding how surveys are designed and interpreted.
The instructor is 'ok' and means well, but the class was a little dry and relied too heavily on outdated software called SPSS which was frustrating to work with. Classes could be better with an easier format to follow, but SPSS could stall during the lecture and then you would lose what the professor was lecturing about.
Too many homework and assignments. Heavy loading.
Great lecturer.
First part is lots of case discussion. Rest is statistics review, questionnaire design, data analysis, using SPSS, and doing a big group project. About 3 homework turn-in assignments, plus a final.
Instructor is really sweet and tries hard, but has trouble getting students to participate. A fair bit of the material is dry and he lectures most of the time.
boorrrrring
Very nice
this course covers basic market research techniques and spends a majority of the time on analyzing survey results using SPSS = you will become an SPSS pro. workload is medium - 4 homework assignments and a bit of reading, but no mid-term or final. just a final project. This class is interesting for marketing types, but not quite as useful for finance people. I give this class a B+
Very good natured, smart, and available. He memorizes everyone's name! One of my favorite professors thus far.
MKT-526 Advertising and Promotion Strategy
Wasiak, Hank
Spring 2011
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Light work load. Interesting homework assignments that help you learn in the areas you want to learn.
Very experienced in the advertising industry. Brings in real cases into classroom discussion.
This course is very creative and hard to expect how well one will do. However, the prof covers a lot of useful topics. There are many deliverables for this class.
Prof Wasiak is very caring, understanding and flexible. I recommend this course to folks who don't know what ad agencies do.
MKT-530 New Product Development
Rook, Dennis
Spring 2011
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Course gets a bit slow at times, but overall it wasn't too much work. Heavy on the group project.
Great professor, very funny.
Very applicable to those interested in pursuing the innovative side of marketing.
Very entertaining and passionate instructor.
Not much work on a day-to-day basis. A lot of reading and one case write-up, 2 exams and a large group project
Rook is absolutely hilarious. Every class is a lot of fun. Rook has a lot of industry experience, and his stories on this are interesting. I don't feel like actually learned as much in the class as I would have liked. Most of the material you have to teach yourself in the readings.
If you ever want to launch that business you have been thinking about it is helpful but also very cpg oriented.
He is very funny and engaging but this class should be a seminar not an entire semester long course. He is hilarious though its almost a standup routine.
Pretty significant amount of reading. Only a few quizzes and assignments due though.
Professor Rook is hilarious. Definitely the most laid-back class I've taken at Marshall. It a fun class to be in, though not very challenging overall.
NPD provides a broad look at the NPD process using class participation as well as case examples to effectively teach the material. The individual as well as group projects provide students with an opportunity to learn the material in a hands-on manner.
Professor Rook is as high energy as they come. His enthusiasm for and knowledge of the course material help to bring many of the cases to life and make for much more interesting class discussions. He is courteous and professional, and always available by email or in office hours.
This course is fascinating. There's a good amount of reading, but not unmanagable. The group assignment is worth a large portion of your grade and can't really be left for the last minute.
Prof Rook is engaging and really brings the material to life!
This is a must-take class. The readings are excellent, and while there is quite a bit of reading it isn't overwhelming. The course covers everything related to new product development, and grading entails two tests and a group project. The amount of work required is average.
Rook is fantastic. He is by far the most entertaining professor that I've taken at Marshall. Sitting through the class is like having eighty minutes of stand-up comedy. He comes off as somewhat soft, but has actually accomplished quite a bit and is able to share a remarkable amount of personal examples from his career that are interesting and pertinent.
This course has a lot of reading that is necessary for the mid term "quizzes", however the articles an cases are fun and well chosen. There is plenty to do, but it's very manageable.
This is one of my favorite professors I've had. He weaves his real legit experience with his hilarious personality. Every lecture is entertaining and fun to be at. If you're not careful, you could go to all of his classes and miss the key points though, because sometimes it just seems like you're joking around with a friend. Although he seems to take everything lightly and with a sense of humor, Rook knows what he's talking about, and has real experience to share. This class is educational and totally painless.
Fairly light workload though there is a heavy reader. the articles are short and manageable if you stay on top of them. There are 2 non-cumulative tests, a short paper assignment and a team project. It is an entertaining class and Rook is funnnny.
I think that there can be more questions posed to the class to think of how to apply some of the concepts. While the lectures are entertaining they could inspire some more thought for how to apply the information. Mostly, wouldn't change anything.
Two midterms and one team project. Professor uploads course notes ahead of class.
Very enthusiastic professor. Knowledgeable on the subject with a lot of real world experience that he brings into the class discussion.
Takes you through the stage gates of new product development. 2 quizzes, 1 write up, 1 team project that's worth most of your grade. No final exam (he doesn't like them). Very mellow workload, great readings.
Rook is fantastic, very low key, very accessible. Hilarious.
2 midterms, and a large group project.
Class is always fun with great stories and brings in a lot of humor.
Reasonable workload, but I don't feel like I am learning what I'm supposed to. Overall, I am very disappointed as this class is very pertinent to my career.
Prof. Rook is entertaining but he doesn't really teach NPD. We spent part of multiple sessions introducing students to the class. I would have much preferred to learn more about NPD topics. This class is all right for someone who goes into CPG, but if you're planning to go into tech, avoid this class. Prof. Rook does not keep up with the latest tech. In fact, we read a case on cassette tapes-- talk about outdated! At the same time, I do give him credit for his stellar experience in CPG.
MKT-533 Branding Strategy
Park, C
Spring 2011
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Pretty light work load. Reading is interesting and short.
Professor Park is one of the sweetest professors. He's very nice and funny. Although, the lectures are pretty slow moving. If you're looking for an interesting, fairly easy marketing class, take this one!
The course discusses general strategies for branding products. The workload is very light - consists of weekly readings that are all very short. There's a midterm and final, and a group project worth 15% involving the reading of a book entitled "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. / / Overall, this is a relaxed course with a fun professor. Take it!
Professor Park is a really funny guy and keeps class entertaining. Sometimes, he drifts off-course on his lectures and leaves me wondering, "what is he talking about?" Several times throughout the semester, he shows videos and buys pizza and soda for the class. He's a great professor and cares about his students.
Grade consists of a group paper, mid-term, final, and class participation. Very little homework. Very interesting guest speakers.
Dr. Park is funny and entertaining. He is very knowledgeable on the topic, but I get a little lost in some of his examples.
This class has a VERY light workload. There is little reading, one minor group assignment, and two short exams. I feel like this class moved at a snails pace. Prof Park could have covered twice the material in the semester.
Prof Park is engaging and funny. He's really rereshing. Unfortunately the class pace is too slow. I also wish we could have a real world assignment with a current company.
Midterm, group project, final. Topics include creating, strengthening, and expanding scope of brand equity.
Professor is an engaging lecturer which helps to understand the material.
Lots of material covered but the exams are fair.
Great sense of humor. Helpful if you have a question or needs his assistance.
This class is very straightforward and almost too easy. The midterm and final are worth 40% each. The midterm was easier and shorter than expected. The material covers what a brand is, how to establish a new brand, how to build the strength of a brand, and how to extend a brand into related products/categories. He brings in guest speakers including a former CMO of McDonalds (who was also the President of Marketing at Warner Brothers Pictures). Another guest speaker was the founder of StorQuest storage facilities. Another guest speaker is a high level executive at GE. Good class, though I feel the content could have been taught thoroughly in about half the number of classes. Good if you are looking at adding a marketing class without having to spend too much time investing in it.
Professor Park is an entertaining professor with a very corny sense of humor. The class is mostly lecture based, but he finds ways to involve the students. He is always very kind and greets visitors to the class warmly. Very nice person and an enjoyable class.
Two exams and a book report are the major deliverable. Basically the course discusses branding strategies that different companies have used and been both successful and not successful.
Park is a great professor. He has a great sense of humor and makes sure he knows each student by name. The course at times can be repetitive, but regardless I feel like I have learned a lot.
Topics covered were branding strengths and weaknesses, what makes a brand successful, how do you extend a brand successfully, what mistakes to avoid when working with brands (in brand management or otherwise), etc. The workload is not intense at all and the exams (to date) have not been that difficult.
Professor Park is one of the nicest and funniest professors I have, and I love going to his class. Discussions can move slowly at times, but his personality and comedic timing make up for the lags in momentum. The slides are very structured and cover topics methodically.
MKT-543 Market Demand and Sales Forecasting
Siddarth, Sivaramakrishnan
Spring 2011
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Topics include customer lifetime value, conjoint analysis, pricing, sales forecasting, salesforce allocation and promotion profitability - extremely relevant for strategy, marketing, and even finance positions - this class will help you in your internship / first job out of school // Lots of excel use so brush up before you begin the class! Nothing too difficult but examples are in real time, so if you are slow in Excel you may not be able to follow // Courseload is moderate-to-heavy and assignments include: 2 individual assignments, 2 group assignments, group project, and final exam // Best marketing class that I took at Marshall
Siddarth is a really funny guy, but he is also quiet, so you need to make sure that you are paying attention // He really cares about people learning and is very responsive to requests for help
Great material, workload right amount. Good speakers, interesting content, nothing to complain about.
Very lively, energetic, and passionate. Offers alot of help. Great professor, one of the better ones at Marshall.
2 individual assignments, 2 group assignments, and a final exam. Reading for about half of the class sessions.
Siddarth is a good teacher. He's very funny and tries to make the class entertaining. He locks the computers so you are forced to pay attention, which is very helpful.
Great application of quantitative studies to marketing decision making.
Very engaging and humerous.
We go through several different types of forecasting models to help understand how a product would sell in the marketplace using different types of available data (focus groups, surveys, scanner data, etc). This class is mostly excel based, and many lectures have excel activities associated with them. There are 2 individual assignments and 3 group assignments. The assignments take several hours to complete and are a lot of work, but a good learning experience. This class is a pretty good amount of work when a due date is coming up, but everything is very relevant.
Siddarth manages to take somewhat dry material and make it fairly interesting. He has a funny sense of humor that the class likes to mimic. Sometimes lectures can be dry and it can be easy to tune out, but overall, he does a very good job and cares about his students learning.
This class is way over my head. I wouldn't say it moves too quickly or has too much work, but the work we have to do is too advanced for me!
A very intense and rigorous course. Somewhat complex Excel modelling is involved from the get-go. The assigned daily workload is light, but a lot of independent study is necessary simply to understand the concepts taught in class. With that being said, though, the material covered seems to be extremely useful in building skills that an MBA should have. Though difficult, the course teaches concepts and modelling methods that every MBA is expected to know.
Passionate, funny, and extremely willing to help students. A true expert on the subject matter and a professional at teaching. Makes a dry subject compelling and interesting.
Completely necessary course for anyone who plans to go into marketing. Workload is not easy; difficult and very quantitative class. Two tough individual assignments, two tough group assignments, one final group project, and a final exam that the professor describes as "brutal"
Professor is so much fun and is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. Makes a somewhat boring topic very interesting and fun. This course is taught in a computer lab so the professor makes half of the class lecture-based and the other half hands-on working in Excel. Very necessary mix!!!
Really valuable topics that quantifies marketing decisions. The class moves fast, but if you like statistics then you'll be fine.
He is really interactive with students. He pushes you by asking good questions. Really fun and lively teaching style.
Really interesting topics even for those not interested in going into marketing as a post-MBA career. Three group projects that really helped me learn the material. Two individual assignments and a final exam. Very reasonable work load, balanced throughout the semester. Great way of teaching theory, then providing in-class examples that translate the theory into practice. I'm neither a statistics nor marketing person, and still found this course to be interesting.
Even with all the positive feedback from surveys and classmates, he still exceeded expectations. Very engaging teaching style. Sincerely wants students to understand the material. I laugh in every class. He always finds time to stick around after class to answer questions. Can't say enough great things about him!
The class is very challenging, but definitely useful for a variety of marketing functions. The class sessions are sometimes fast-paced, and to really understand the material takes a lot of focus and work outside of the class. If you are a great statistician or Excel pro, you have an advantage.
He's funny, but definitely keeps you alert and on your toes in class.
Individual assignments, group work. A difficult lecture and excel based course however, the material selection is very good.
Excellent professor. Very available and genuinely cares about the students' learning experience. Great sense of humor.
Sales forecasting models, etc. Occasional homework and group projects.
Awesome professor who engages the students. Great teaching style.
incredibly challenging for those who do not have a solid modeling/excel background. Less challenging for those who do. Workload is not signfiicant but requires a lot of self motivation to work on things outside of class or else...you will be screwed. Material is incredibly helpful.
Siddarth is amazing. This class would be utterly boring otherwise.
Not too bad, but there are a few group projects.
Generally just not bad.
topics are relevant; workload is very intense especially for the assignments; takes up a lot of time;
teaching style is hand on, has a sense of humor, keeps the class in good spirits; the classroom (HOH) needs to be changed for this course.
MKT-555 Marketing Channels
Frazier, Gary
Spring 2011
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Medium work load. Cases for most weeks (but for discussion not write-ups). Professor hands out all the course slides. Open book exam tests your understanding and ability to apply to theory to practice.
Very good professor. Knowledgeable on the subject and uses a lot of real world examples.
There's a case to read for every class, but the class is pretty light on work. There is a mid-term, final, class participation, group project and presentation. A lot of class discussion as opposed to straight lecturing.
Professor Frazier is pretty funny. He is pretty straight to the point and teaches using a combination of slides, lectures, guest speakers, cases, and examples from his career.
This course covers anything and everything related to sales and distribution strategy from a marketing perspective. The workload is about average. A case for every class meeting stretches to one for every two meetings because the professor likes to go with an issue until completion even if it throws off the syllabus. Do not take this class if you aren't going to do the readings and you aren't going to participate, because the class is small, the professor has an incredible memory, and he cold calls constantly, particularly when he gets to know everyone's name and his or her background. Grading is based upon participation, two exams, and a group semester project. This class provides excellent insight, and is by far the most intriguing and conceptually challenging class that I have taken at Marshall. Highly recommended.
Professor Frazier is outstanding. He knows everything, really, about sales, distribution and marketing channels. He repeatedly brings in examples from his extensive consulting experience, and doesn't care what your answer is to an issue as long as you can argue your point and back it up intelligently. He is friendly (although he tries to scare people on the first day of class), dry, and has a peculiarly humble and highly entertaining sense of humor. This is my favorite class that I have taken at Marshall; if you are going to work in marketing, this is an essential class to take.
Content covers many industries. Cases are great and stimulates discussion. Exams are fair.
Very knowledgeable. He has done consulting for many firms in the past and is a great discussion leader.
MKT-556 Internet Marketing
Weiss, Allen
Spring 2011
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Reasonable workload with 3 quizzes and a group project (no midterm or final). Group project consists of analyzing a website in-depth to uncover recommendations / develop a marketing plan that would improve the effectiveness of that website. Deliverable for the group project is a 20 slide PowerPoint presentation.
Weiss has the most hands-on professional experience of any professor I've had at Marshall. He owns one of the largest online communities for marketing professionals, and also runs a Buddhist meditation group in west LA. He brings his experiences from these sources into the classroom to provide students with real-world applications of internet marketing concepts. In sum, a highly practical class that is about as far away from dry academic theory as possible.
It's very different from a typical marketing class because it focuses a lot on optimizing a webpage to be found on search engines and leveraging digital tools to make internet marketing effective. i highly recommend this class.
The professor is funny and passionate about the subject matter.
Course moves a little too slowly, but is a great primer in online business models
Weiss is hilarious and very good natured
I love the broad range of topics covered in this class. As social media and online presence is increasingly becoming more important in business, I believe this class is a must-take for any business school students. It is NOT just for the "tech" or the "marketing" people. The class really gave us a good foundational view on how the internet works and how it can be properly used to increase (or misused to decrease) awareness for any business. It's very unique and insightful.
Professor Weiss does an excellent job in engaging students and bringing a very "techie" subject to the common folks level. He is funny and gives us many real-life examples (primarily his own websites) to help us better understand the topics at hand.
Multiple challenging quizzes. Good survey of all forms of internet marketing: paid search, SEO, advertising, email, social media, etc. Course concepts are challenging.
Weiss is very passionate about the subject and actually runs his own internet businesses. He demonstrates course concepts in class. Very accessible to students outside of class time.
This class is great for those of us who know little about the internet, websites, and website analytics. I think it will be extremeliy useful after I graduate.
I really like the Prof Weiss changes the syllabus as necessary to meet the needs of the students and the class.
Course covers all aspects of online marketing, which is a highly relevant topic in today's society. Workload consisted of 3 quizzes and a large group consulting-type project.
Weiss knows a ton about online marketing and loves the topic, particularly since he created an online marketing education company. He is also in charge of redesigning the Marshall website, which launched during this course so it provided a good case study in internet marketing.
3 Quizzes and a project. The class is very laid back, but the quizzes are pretty difficult.
Weiss is very knowledgeable and does a good job presenting topics; however, sometimes he can be intimidating to ask questions to
MKT-560 Marketing Strategy and Policy
Schorr, Dennis
Spring 2011
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As a company finance person looking for that 2nd and last marketing class, this is probably the best choice among all other marketing classes that focus on specific topics. I didn't feel that I learned about marketing from the required MBA marketing class, but this market strategy class I did feel that I learned a lot because I get a big picture and learn all the tools used by marketing professionals. / / The simulation in Markstrat (invented by Insead) shows the application of the tools we learned in class. Lots of numbers to crunch in the simulator. As a finance person, reading the numbers isn't so challenging to look and analyze. However, making decisions for the future periods is because I am interacting/competing with other teams in the class. The simulator is the most fun thing in the class.
The case studies may be a repeat from the required MBA classes but we get a different perspective from this professor. I was amazed at how analytical and logical the professor evaluated the strategies in the case studies.
MKT-565 Global Marketing
Schorr, Dennis
Spring 2011
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All courses were very educational / / Advertising and promotion strategy was more centered towards social media - this was taught by hank wasiak / Marketing and consumer research covered regression, peceptual maps, clustering, factoring and discriminant analysis - well taught by professor che / Marketing Strategy and Global Marketing were taught by Professor Schorr - Both these courses were very educational but the course work was more than normal for a 3 credit course
All courses were very educational / / Advertising and promotion strategy was more centered towards social media - this was taught by hank wasiak / Marketing and consumer research covered regression, peceptual maps, clustering, factoring and discriminant analysis - well taught by professor che / Marketing Strategy and Global Marketing were taught by Professor Schorr - Both these courses were very educational but the course work was more than normal for a 3 credit course
This class meets once per week and involves a case reading each week. It's a small class, so there's no cold-calling - just be ready to participate. Much of the material mirrors global strategy with an emphasis on adaptation in international markets and marketing strategies in a global setting. There's no midterm - only a final. The class is divided into groups of 4-5 students and each group is responsible for one large project that's due at the end of the semester. The project involves selecting a product, identifying two countries for new entry, and then outlining the marketing strategy for that product roll-out. The workload is very manageable, and I have really enjoyed the class.
Professor Schorr is a great professor. He is quite possibly the most well-traveled person I have every met. Most impressively, he has collected products from his travels around the world and uses them to illustrate concepts in class. This hands-on approach really brings the lecture to life and allows students to visualize and in many cases, actually see the product. Schorr cares about his students and is always available to answer questions. I highly recommend him.
MKT-599 Special Topics: Retail Strategy
Blumenthal, Judith
Spring 2011
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Too many project assignments. Heavy focus on fashion industry. Not suitable for people who are interested in any other kinds of retail.
Not very helpful when student needed assistance.
The course covers retail terminology, retail math, and various methods of strategy within the retail world. There is a mix of cases and articles. All very interesting. We had a number of group assignments, and a final exam. The class could be better served by having one fewer group assignment.
Professor Blumenthal is very knowledgeable and has a lot of industry experience. The class was not very well structured, though, and a lot of the class discussions seemed to get off topic, and it was not clear always what point we were supposed to get to. The class was very interesting, though, and Prof Blumenthal was very receptive to class feedback.
Ke (Tony) Zhang
MBA Candidate | Class of 2012 | Marshall School of Business | University of Southern California
Cell: 213-308-5957
ke.zha...@marshall.usc.edu
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Iris (Xu) Liu
Master of Communication Management
Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism
University of Southern California
xu...@usc.edu I iris...@gmail.com