MKTG 498 Home Page

Course Prerequisites
Enrollment in this course for business majors requires completion of MKTG 380 and/or permission from the instructor.

Required Texts
The required readings for this course are all online and indicated in this syllabus.
Reading packet from the Copy Center

Optional Texts
Strategic Internet Marketing, by Tom Vassos, QUE (ISBN: 0-7897-0827-2). You can purchase this book online. This is the best text on Internet Marketing I have seen, and it will be the text for future versions of this class. Unfortunately, I did not discover it until after the course began.

Semester subscription to Fortune or the Wall Street Journal (I will circulate a subscription form)
If you are unfamiliar with Netscape Navigator Gold 3, I recommend the book Netscape 3 for Windows by Elizabeth Castro, Peachpit Press (ISBN: 0-2-1-69409-3)

Office Hours
My office is located in Zane Showker Hall #520 and my office hours will be on M 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; TTh 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; and W 11:00 to 12:00 p.m. Other times by appointment. My office phone number is 568-3240. You may call me at home (828-2184) provided you call no later than 8:00 p.m. I am an early riser and also have small children. If you call me at home after 8:00 p.m., I deduct 25 points from your semester point total.

The easiest way to communicate with me is by e-mail. I read e-mail several times daily and usually respond quickly to your messages. My e-mail address is wrightnd@jmu.edu. Since this is a class about marketing on the Internet, I have also developed a web that will carry a lot of pertinent information. The URL for the web page is:

If you have any questions about the project, the class, the homework assignments, or anything else, stop by the page. You might be surprised what you can find there.

Course Objectives
This course will focus on implementing strategies for successfully marketing products and services on the Internet. It is not an HTML course, though we will go over some of the basics of HTML programming. Also, this is not a Netscape course, though we will go over some of the features of Netscape Gold 3. Rather, the focus will be on strategic Internet marketing.

I am assuming the following:

• You have completed MKTG 380
• You are familiar with Windows 95
• You are at least marginally familiar with Netscape Navigator Gold 3.0
• You have a strong desire to apply marketing principles with which you are already familiar to an online environment.
• You are willing to learn other software packages that will help you in developing Web sites
• You will bring a blank, formatted diskette to class each week.
• You will show up to class each week, prepared to contribute to the discussion and hands-on learning projects.

If these assumptions are inaccurate, I recommend that you drop the class and make room for someone else.

Attendance
Since part of your grade is based upon team projects and class attendance, it is important that you attend every class and be an active class member. If you happen to miss one class, it is your responsibility to determine the assignment, find any changes in the schedule, learn any material you missed, and be prepared for the next class. Since this class only meets once a week, I am instituting the following attendance policy. If you miss three class periods for any reason you will fail the course, regardless of performance in other areas of the course. I will take roll twice each evening: at the beginning of class and at the end. If you miss one of these roll calls, you will be marked absent for the entire class.

General Information
This course will feature a mixture of lecture, discussion, and in-class exercises. Students should come to class prepared. Often a reading or a case will be assigned before class time. If the student is not prepared then her/his grade will suffer.

Technology can be cranky, and teaching a course of this nature is risky because we are relying on technology to work. If it doesn't work, we are dead in the water. Hence, we must all be very flexible during this course.

Grading
You will be graded on four components: in-class exercises, homework assignments, class participation, and a group project. More information on these grading components will follow.

In-Class Exercises: 100 points
Homework Assignments: 100 points
Professional Behavior: 100 points
Group Project: 300 points

Grading Scale
A=540-600 points
B=480-539 points
C=420-479 points
D=360-419 points
F=Fewer than 360 points

Tentative Course Schedule. This schedule is more tentative than most, as the Internet changes daily, along with the marketing strategies necessary to stay on top of this changing medium. Hence, any and all assignments may change from week to week.

Honor Code
Upon enrollment at James Madison University, each student is automatically subject to the provisions of the Honor System. Each student has a duty to become familiar with the provisions of the Honor Code and Honor System procedures (see pages 18-22 of the 1996/1997 Student Handbook). Examples of Honor Code violations are copying off of someone else's test, using unauthorized materials to complete a test or assignment, and plagiarism. Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else's ideas, words, or materials (this includes paraphrased materials) as one's own without properly indicating by footnote or some other appropriate form of citation the source or origin of the material.

Overall
This course is designed to be an extremely useful and interesting course. However, it is also a course which will demand additional time and effort on your part since it has a project component. You will be expected to exhibit self-motivation, initiative, the ability to be a full participant in a project, and the ability to work with others.

The professor reserves the right to add or delete work based on his assessment of the professional development of the students. This change may be for an individual student or for the class as a whole. Any changes will be announced in class and it is the students' responsibility to keep abreast of these changes.

Information on In-Class Exercises, Homework, Professional Behavior, and Group Project
Your grade consists of four required and one optional components: in-class exercises, homework, professional behavior, and group project.

In-Class Exercises. During most class periods, we will have in-class, hands-on exercises designed to reinforce the material we have discussed that day. Often, you will be given an assignment to explore certain WWW sites and report your findings in front of the class. If necessary, we will even have quizzes. Obviously, if you are not in class, you won't get credit for these activities, so attendance is very important. I will not provide make-up activities for missed in-class exercises. However, I will drop the lowest in-class exercise score.

Homework. At the end of most class periods, I will distribute a homework assignment to be completed and turned in at the beginning of the next class period. Often, these homework assignments will require you to provide an annotated bookmark file on diskette. As with the in-class exercises, I will drop the lowest homework score.

Professional Behavior. Professional Behavior is a catch-all category that will include attendance, showing due respect for guest speakers, not leaving in the middle of lectures, arriving to class on time, helping other students, etc. This measure is designed to instill the type of professional behavior you will be required to use in the working world. Companies that hire JMU graduates expect their employees to show up on time every day with a good attitude.

Two tardies will count as one absence. You will also be marked down if you leave early, walk out on lectures or guest speakers, sleep in class, or engage in other unprofessional behaviors. Essentially, this is an either/or grade: you will either get all of the points or none of the points.

Group Project.
You will be assigned to a group to work on an Internet marketing problem for a local client. In essence, you will act as a consultant, research the market, design a WWW site, and make recommendations to the client about your findings. You will also be required to present your semester project to your client (remember to wear business dress during the presentations). Your group project will include an individual component, as well as a personal evaluation of your efforts by other group members (see the "Team Evaluation Form" at the end of this syllabus). The written project is due on April 15th, 1997, at the beginning of class.

• Practice the presentation in front of others and obtain their feedback.
• Spend adequate time preparing. The number one reason for a poor presentation is lack of preparation.
• Do not memorize your presentation. Outline your presentation in topic form on paper. If all you have is an outline, you can't read your presentation and you will be forced to be prepared (see #1).
• When practicing your talk, concentrate on speaking clearly and slowly. People tend to talk faster when nervous, so make a conscious effort to slow down.
• Be professional in your dress, word choice, and demeanor.
• Speak with enthusiasm in your voice.
• Speak loud enough for everyone to hear you.
• Look at your audience, not at your paper, feet, overhead, ceiling, etc.
• Do not talk to the transparencies or PowerPoint graphics, talk to the audience.
• Be aware of your body movements. Don't rock back and forth, don't tap your foot, don't lean against a wall, etc.

Set Rules and Guidelines Up Front

1. Make sure all members are present. Everyone must agree to the rules you set.

2. Give everyone a chance to state their ideas. Some people are naturally quieter than others, but some of the best ideas will come from them.

3. Establish expectations for:

• Attendance of members at group meetings.
• Completion of tasks assigned at the last meeting.
• Preparedness for the work planned for the current meeting.
• Methods for dividing work and assigning tasks to members.
• Policies for settling disagreements.
• Ways to ensure all members contribute to discussion and to avoid monopolization of discussion by individuals.
• Any other matters which may be important.

How to Run a Group Meeting
Here are some ideas on how a productive meeting should be run:

1. Assign roles for each meeting and rotate these roles. Rotate these roles so they're performed by a different person at each meeting and everyone gets to perform every role. Examples of roles are:

• Leader-helps the group cover all the business at hand and ensures that all members are heard.
• Recorder-keeps minutes so agreements, schedules, and task assignments are on record.
• Room Arranger-schedules a room for the meeting and ensures all needed supplies and equipment are present.
• Agenda Setter-prepares agenda for the next meeting based on agreements from the current meeting.
• Duty Overseer-assigns tasks for members to perform by the next meeting and checks on the progress between meetings.

2. Recap what was done at the last meeting and what tasks were set for this meeting.

3. Follow the agenda. Stick to the subject; save changes in subject for after the meeting.

4. Sum up agreements and set goals for the next meeting.

5. Assign roles for the next meeting.

6. Assign tasks to be performed by the next meeting.

Take Time at Each Meeting to Evaluate the Group Process
Sometime during each meeting, usually at the beginning or at the end, take a few minutes to assess how you're working together as a group. Some things to consider are:

1. Does everyone feel listened to?
2. Are the group meetings fulfilling members' expectations and needs?
3. Is the group work reflecting everyone's best efforts?
4. Is someone not being heard from, missing meetings, or coming unprepared? What should the group do about it?

Work to Improve Your Own Interpersonal Skills
Here are some ways to work more effectively with others:

1. Criticize ideas without criticizing people. You may have reservations about a teammate's opinions, but calling that person a jerk doesn't resolve the problem. Be specific about the aspect of the idea that concerns you.

2. Support your statements with reasons.

3. Compromise.

4. Monitor what's going on in the group. How are other people reacting and participating?

5. Ask for justification of why another member's conclusion or answer is the correct or appropriate one.

6. Listen. Some ways to cultivate this most elusive skill are:

• Maintain eye contact with the speaker.
• Use body language to show the speaker that you're paying attention. Lean forward; nod when you agree; shake your head when you disagree.
• Try to paraphrase in your mind what the speaker is saying.
• Verify your understanding by restating what the speaker told you. "Let me see if I have this straight. You're saying that....."

7. Express support and acceptance by praising and seeking other members' ideas and conclusions.

8. Describe your feelings when appropriate. "I'm worried about your missing this deadline because the rest of us can't do our jobs without the results of your work."

9. Energize the group when motivation is low by suggesting new ideas, through the use of humor, or by being more enthusiastic.

10. When needed, give direction to the group's work by:

• Stating and restating the purpose of assignments.
• Setting or calling attention to time limits.
• Offering procedures on how to most effectively complete the assignment.

Your Name_____________________________________________________

This evaluation of your other team members will be kept confidential and is your opportunity to provide information to help me assign grades fairly. I will give a group grade for the presentation and the Internet marketing project. This grade normally counts for 90% of the presentation and Internet marketing project. The other 10% is calculated by having each group member rate each other group member on the quality of their input, the quantity of their input, and their cooperativeness in creating the presentation and preparing the Internet marketing project. Each rating is on a five-point scale with the following values: 1=55, 2=65, 3=75, 4=85, and 5=95. The average rating given to you by your fellow group members will be calculated and count for 10% of your group grade, except in the following case. If your average rating falls below a 75, you get a D (65) for the entire group grade. If your average rating falls below a 65, you get an F (55) for the entire group grade. This procedure is meant to discourage people who might otherwise let other group members do all of the work, and then benefit from the group grade.

Assign each of the other team members points based upon your perception of each member's overall contribution to this project. Some points to consider are:

• Interest and enthusiasm for the project
• Quality of Work
• Dependability-did the person do their work on time?

NAME and POINTS

1. ______________________________ __________

2. ______________________________ __________

3. ______________________________ __________

4. ______________________________ __________

5. ______________________________ __________

Please use the following blank space and the back of this page to make any comments you think are appropriate concerning your contribution or other members' contributions to the presentation and the project.