Marketing Trends and Strategies in Latin America

Description
Marketing is part of modern life as we are continuously exposed to products, services, advertising, media messages, personal sales approaches. However there is not a clear understanding of what Marketing means.
The basic idea behind Marketing is that companies can survive and growth by satisfying the needs of the consumers. But in continuously changing markets this is not an easy challenge to achieve. The environment is increasingly complex, there are strong cultural changes, technology evolves at amazing rates, within other economic and political decisions that impact directly the business environment.
The understanding of these changes and the marketing process allows companies to define the adequate strategies to achieve the everyday battle of the consumes budget and develop profitable businesses with long term sustainability.

Aims
At the end of the course the students will be able to:
1. Understand the importance of Marketing in the business environment.
2. Understand the concept of marketing environment and its application in L.A.
3. Asses the importance of understanding the process of market research and consumer behavior for developing company strategies.
4. Understand the meaning of the concepts market Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning.
5. Understand the concept of marketing mix (4P: product, price, promotion & place).
6. Understand the concept of Business Intelligence related in marketing Enviroment (Case studies).
7. Understand how the process of the Data Mining and impact company strategies in L.A.

Methodology
The course will have a total of 45 hours including evaluation processes. Each session will be of 1 hour 15 minutes. During each session there will be an introduction to the basic concepts of Marketing & Strategies according to the schedule detailed below and the discussion of practical applications through cases analysis and student presentations. For each class students will be required to read relevant material in advance. The course will also include a field trip within the region for a better view of some business areas.

Schedule of Topics
1 Introduction to the course, methodology, motivation
2 The marketing concept
3 External analysis : The Macro Environment
4 Internal analysis : The Micro Environment
5 Group Presentations of L.A. Countries
6 Introduction of Market Research concept
7 Introduction of Buyer Behaviour concept
8 Introduction to Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning terms
9 Marketing Strategy and Competitive advantage
10 Field trip ? Retailing business
11 The marketing Mix Concept : Product Policy
12 The marketing Mix Concept : Promotional Plan
13 The marketing Mix Concept : Distribution Channels
14 The marketing Mix Concept : Pricing policy
15 Business Intelligence and Marketing
16 Business Intelligence concepts and cases
17 Case studies by country Chile
18 Case studies by country Argentina
19 Case studies by country Peru
20 Case studies by country Brazil
21 Case studies by country Mexico
22 Final Presentations of groups
23 Final written exam

Evaluation
· 15% First groupal Presentation (3 or 4 people)
· 20% First Theory test
· 20% Second Theory Test.
· 15% Final groupal presentation ( 3 or 4 people)
· 30% Final Theory Exam

Bibliography
· Essentials of marketing, Charles W. Lamb, Joseph F. Hair, Jr., Carl McDaniel, Mason, Ohio : South-Western Cengage Learning, c2012.
· Introduction to marketing: a value exchange approach / Mark Gabbott editor, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Prentice Hall, 2004.
· Marketing / David Stokes, New York; London: Continuum, 2002.
· Key concepts in marketing / Jim Blythe, Los Angeles, Calif.; London: SAGE, 2009.
· Contemporary direct & interactive marketing / Lisa D. Spiller, Martin Baier, Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, c2010.
· Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing communications / Kenneth E. Clow, Donald Baack, Boston: Prentice Hall, c2012.
· Assessing the marketing environment / Diana Luck, Burlington: Elsevier Science, 2010.
· Home Depot in Chile, Case of Study. Constanza Bianchi, Journal Business Reasearch, 2006.
· U.S. versus Latin America: business & culture, Stanley M. Davis, Harvard Business Review 2000.
· Eldenor, Jordan Siegel, Harvard Business School 2009.