About Us

Undergraduate Program

Scholarships

Graduate Program

Research

Extension and Outreach

Faculty and Staff

Centers. Services, and Resources

Contact Us


Home

BBE 3503/5503 Marketing of Bio-based Products (4 credits)

Introduction

BP 3503 provides an introduction to the marketing function as it relates to current and emerging bio-based products industries (building materials, paper, fuels, etc.). Issues of product positioning, pricing, promotion, and channel management within the overarching themes of strategic planning and environmental marketing management will comprise the core of course instruction.

Case study and class discussion focusing on issues impacting the bio-based products industries will supplement daily readings drawn from multiple academic and industry publications.

Course Objectives

This course aims to foster strategic thinking, enhance decision-making abilities and improve communication proficiencies through case study interpretation, report writing, and in class presentations. In addition, this class will introduce students to the core concepts of marketing from a renewable resource perspective.

The Case Method of Instruction**

Descriptions of business situations are frequently referred to as cases. A case is a statement of conditions, attitudes, and practices existing at a particular time in a company's history. It usually describes a situation in which the company is facing or has resolved some challenging problem or problems. A case differs from a problem in several respects. A case typically contains several problems. Some of these problems may be self-evident, but more frequently the analyst has to identify key problem or problems. One of the very real assets of the case method of instruction is the extent to which it forces us to identify the key problem or problems. A second distinguishing feature of the case method of instruction is the reality of the situations they describe. A problem might be posed as a question, "Should a manufacturer adopt a program of national advertising?" A case could suggest the same problem, but, by describing the conditions under which it arises, we recognize that the real world is much more complicated than a single problem stated as a question. Indeed, we recognize that this question should only be asked and answered in the context of a specific situation. A case provides some, but usually not all, of the information that was available to executives at the time they had to resolve a challenging problem. It frequently includes data on alternative courses of action. Because it is an attempt to reconstruct a real life situation, a case is purposely written in a manner that requires the rearrangement of facts and interpretation of these facts, including the evaluation of opinions, behavior and intentions. Many of the facts available are relevant to the solution of the problem presented in the case, but some may be irrelevant. This arrangement of the descriptive material on a somewhat unstructured basis in itself simulates experience. Data available for the solution of a problem are rarely orderly and systematically presented.

In preparing for a case discussion, it is usually desirable to read the case through quickly to find out what it is all about. Once you have done this, a more careful reading with some underlining and note-taking is appropriate. You will probably want to make some notations or computations that will be helpful for reference purposes during the case discussion. In approaching a case discussion please recognize the following:

1. Learning under the case method calls for the maximum individual participation.
2. In a case discussion, you must accept a critical atmosphere and be willing to submit conclusions to rebuttal.
3. While learning under the case method is a group process, this does not imply conformity to group opinion.
4. Effective case discussion and analysis can be best realized if each participant has the "facts" of the case and his/her analysis well in hand. One does not seek to uncover facts or make his/her analysis during case discussion, although modifications of both facts and analysis will evolve from the insights provided by the group's efforts.
5. There may be several acceptable solutions to the problems posed in the case. Definitive answers are rarely, if ever, available. The solution is not as significant as the basis on which it is derived.

Writing a Case Study

Three written Case Summaries based on case analysis are required. Although students are encouraged to work in teams to analyze the case, each student is expected to turn in an original analysis. Students who fail to turn in any assignment before the beginning of class on the due date will lose a full grade (C instead of a B, etc.). Students will have an opportunity to re-write all cases submitted one time to not only improve their grade, but also gain additional practice in business writing. The text of the written case study must fit on two 8 1/2" x 11" pages with 1" margins all around. The font should be no smaller than this. Paragraphs may be singled spaced with double-spacing between paragraphs. Text beyond the first two pages will not be read. Unlimited appendices may be used as supporting material, but they must be: (1) referenced in the text of the summary, and (2) kept in order of their reference in the text. Be careful that the point you make in the text by using an appendix is clear and that, in combination, the appendices are logically consistent.

Case Studies should follow the following format:

Introduction/Statement of Purpose: This section should provide a statement as to the purpose of your analysis. Given that you have limited space, eliminate the text about "how you have been hired to do a study" and quickly get to the point of what your analysis found and what the implications are for the firm should they fail to consider the recommendations you have outlined. The key to writing a good statement of purpose is to identify the situation confronting the firm (threat to profitability, market share, etc.) and how a failure to consider your recommendation could have deleterious consequences (further erosion of profitability due to cost escalation, market share shrinkage due to competitor encroachment, etc.). Students usually err in this paragraph by providing too much descriptive information about the situation. Remember, company personnel are either mired in details or have biased insights. Your goal is to identify the "big picture" implications of the situation.

Recommendation: In many of the cases you will be asked to choose from a finite set of alternatives. Thus, it is important to both identify the alternative you think is preferable and the key steps required to implement this alternative. Where alternatives are less clearly defined, your first job is to succinctly identify the alternatives. The key to writing a good recommendation is identifying the timing of interdependencies and key uncertainties in the steps or stages of your recommendation. Your goal is to provide written evidence that you understand the second and third-order effects of your recommendation. For example, some steps in a recommendation will clearly lead to the next step (decision to expand into new geographic or product market requires capacity) and may be written as an assertion. But, this step may lead to the consideration of multiple alternatives and hence, the development of contingency plans (additional capacity might be pursued by revamping existing production facilities, construction of new facilities, or formation of alliances, all of which vary in the amount and sources of capital required)-. Indeed, thinking about your recommendation as a system of relationships with varying time dependencies may lead you to revise the order in which the steps in the recommendation are presented.

Rationale: Here is where you link your recommendation to your analysis of the firm and its markets. The rationale should clarify how your recommendation helps the firm overcome the situation you identified in the introduction. For example, if, in your introduction, you argue that the firm's profitability is threatened, be sure to identify how your recommendation specifically improves the firm's profitability. The key to writing a good rationale is to make your logic or line of reasoning come full circle. Again, as in the introduction, this should not be a descriptive analysis of the situation. It is a statement of how your recommendation helps the firm's managers address the key external and internal issues confronting them.

*Notice there is no conclusion. Unlike academic writing, writing for a business audience requires you to say your peace as quickly and succinctly as possible. Therefore, your busy reader – if willing to trust you – shouldn’t have to read past the introduction to know what you are recommending and why.

** This statement of the case method of instruction is borrowed from Dr. Rocki DeWitt and Dr. Stewart Bither, The Pennsylvania State University.

Class Participation/Quizzes

Students are expected to be prepared and attend class. Class participation is an extremely important part of this course, not only because it accounts for a significant percent of your grade, but also because it is essential to a productive learning experience when using the case study approach. In order to receive full class participation credit, students should contribute consistently to class discussion by bringing in relevant information from cases and readings that further the development of class dialogue. Quizzes will also be administered to provide an objective complement to this portion of your grade.

Topical Outline