Marketing Minor

The course introduces the global business system in the context of the economic, political, social and technological environments, relating business to society as a whole. Topics covered include the international scope, function, and organization of firms, and other fundamental concepts of multinational business. The course also addresses functional areas such as the value chain, production, marketing, human resources, and accounting.

This course is an introduction to the tools and concepts used in the marketing process for consumer and industrial products as well as for services. The focus is on the basic marketing concepts (product, place, price, promotion) as they relate to the field of global marketing. Emphasis is placed on the increasingly important role of interdisciplinary tools to analyze economic, cultural and structural differences across international markets. Specific consideration is given to the development of integrated marketing programs for a complex, global environment.

This course introduces students to the most common qualitative and quantitative techniques for conducting marketing research with an emphasis on their application. The definition of marketing research problems, the set-up of research plans, and the subsequent data collection and analysis are illustrated and applied by means of real world projects. Students are required to implement, in groups, the skills covered in class, and to prepare a final research report to discuss and present in class.

This course exposes students to an integrated, global approach of two-way communication with consumers, customers and suppliers, and other stakeholders of companies and organizations. Students explore the communications process that is essential in contemporary global business cultures. Media options are explored for a range of target audiences. Discussions on the use of advertising, public relations, sales promotions, internet promotion, direct marketing and other techniques will be included. It takes a contemporary approach to the field of integrated marketing communications, highlighting how recent changes and rapid changes in the family, business environment, technology and the world in general are forcing communications specialists and advertisers to make major changes in the way they reach their markets. The course will draw on knowledge in fields such as psychology, sociology and anthropology, as well as media studies and communications.

This course focuses on the understanding of the consumer as fundamental to marketing efforts. The course includes observational research in the community where students develop a greater understanding of consumers' consumption and decision-making behavior. Areas of focus include the consumer decision making process, research techniques, learning and motivation, segmentation and targeting, the impact of lifestyle and values, the role of society and culture in consumption, and ethical issues in consumer relationships.

This course will expose students to the challenges of creating a market for artistic products, in particular for movies. Marketing movies requires a deep understanding of the needs consumers are trying to satisfy when deciding to consume an experience. At the same time, dealing with artists and managers of artistic institutions requires a solid understanding of their mindset and the intrinsic motivations for creating artistic pieces. There is thus a constant trade off between market orientation and product orientation. This course will focus in particular on understanding the specifics of creative production and aligning it with the right audience. Students will learn how to create a marketing plan for such an endeavor. The travel component will explore two cities in Italy, Rome and Bologna, so as to take advantage of the Rome Film Festival and the Cineteca (in Bologna).

The course focuses on how to build and manage a brand, based on the concept of Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE). The goal of the course is to expose students to the challenges that today brands face both from competitors' but also from consumers' points of view and to make students aware and to experience the potential tools companies can use to manage brands today.

This course focuses on new developments and trends in research methodology. The class, building on BUS 256, covers the creation of effective data analysis techniques such as cluster and conjoint analysis, ANOVA and MANOVA for quantitative research and content analysis and data coding for qualitative research. Software usage (SPSS, STATA and NVIVO) is also required in the course.

Green Economy'' and Sustainability'' are consolidated and solid managerial approaches that companies today need to embrace when managing their businesses. The course therefore illustrates the main sustainability models and contributions that green marketing can give to managers and outlines the main fundamental marketing decisions in order to enable students to define and implement a green marketing strategy.

This course focuses on how Internet technology and its pervasiveness shapes the most common business and marketing practices today. This course outlines the impact of the digital revolution and how it has transformed decision-making processes in marketing including the development of relationships with clients, delivering the customer experience, the implementation of a communication campaign, and the evaluation of channel performances. Through discussion of cases and lectures, the course will provide students with the tools to interpret and forecast the ever-shifting digital environment for companies.