M ASTER I N B USINESS A DMINISTRATION

C O U R S E S Y L L A B U S

CREATIVE MARKETING AND SELLING

Course Code: CMS

Faculty: Prof. Jose M. Faustino
Class: MBA 2006
Sessions: Second Trimester: 20 sessions

Course Objective

This course combines two electives given separately in the past. The CMS combines
the two into a continuous creative experience, first at a macro level and then micro
marketing level. The CMS emphasizes the critical issue of differentiation, that all
marketers must accomplish and convert into a competitive advantage. For the
marketer, that differentiation can be at times exhilarating, other times frustrating, and
still other times, just plain hard work. CMS students will likely experience the whole
gamut as the course expects hands-on involvement from them.

The second half CMS is the micro marketing level of professional selling sometimes
called the last five minutes of marketing. Many who will pursue marketing careers
after their MBA will find themselves in selling situations at a managerial level. Many
will also deal with, even train field sales people, whose level of respect for the MBA
graduate will much depend on their evaluation of the latter’s selling ability. “We are
reporting to someone who does not know selling at all,” is starting in negative territory.

The most immediate benefit of the CMS will be the capability to sell creatively and
professionally the most important product of the MBA graduate, i.e., him/herself to
potential employers.

The overall objective of the CMS is to develop creative and innovative thinking, not
only in the marketing context, but also in any management function. We shall discuss

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 why it takes more than innovativeness for the creative manager to succeed. Indeed,
being creative, innovative and persuasive at work is a crucial personal skill that spells
career competitive advantage. The boss likes the subordinate who has more ways to
solve the problem, more approaches for the important customer, more strategies to
choose from.

Course Description

CMS asks the student to push his/her thinking to the limits of ingenuity and
resourcefulness, to use the whole brain not merely the rational left-brain.

In the Creative Marketing portion, the student will study innovative approaches which
achieve positive differentiation while fulfilling challenging marketing objectives. We
shall study cases of unusual marketing strategies, some using state-of-the-art IT,
other just sheer creativity, still others by insightful research. Most will be success
stories but there will also be try-hard innovations that came up short of succeeding.

During this macro portion, students will form groups of four/five, each of which will
work on their own creative marketing strategies for a specific business.

The micro portion, Creative Selling, will start the process of developing professional
selling skills and the process of developing optimum relationships with target
customers. The feature of this portion is demonstrating selling skills during role-
playing in class (with video replay) and in small groups. Students will get instant
feedback on what they have done well and what could improve in their selling.

This elective has a low demand for work and preparation. For this reason, Prof.
Faustino is tough in grading those who do not even take the minimum amount of time
to prepare. This behavior is tantamount to lack of interest, which in turn brings a
failing grade.

At the start of the class, students will be asked to team up in groups of four/five
members each. At the end of the course, each team will prepare and present a
Creative Marketing Plan. The choice of the topic (a product or service) and the
manner of presentation will be the responsibility of each group. In our experience, the
CMPs in past classes have been remarkable presentations with surprising verve and
fluency.

Learning Methodology and Approaches Used

Case discussion, Role Play Workshops, Group Work and Class Presentations

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Evaluation and Feedback System

The system of grading the student is straightforward:

Class participation and discussion including

Individual role playing 50%

Instant Creations (brief, written exercises) 20%

Creative Marketing Plan 30%

Students interested will write a maximum one-page essay on “Why I Want To

Take CMS.”

Course Outline

SESSION READINGS, CASES, AND EXERCISES

Part One: Creative Marketing
1 Topic: Briefing on Seminar Objectives/Self-Test on Business Creativity/Creativity and Its
Role in your Marketing Career

Case: Lessons from an Asian Company: Beating the Global Competitor

No abstract available.

Materials: “Lessons…” Self Test on C, Creativity +4, 10-Myths of C

2 Topic: Creative Synergism Between the Advertiser and the AD Agency

Case: M & M /Mars (Executives) Inject Fun Into Their Candies’ Advertising

No abstract available.

Read: Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking-5 Pitfalls that Hinder Innovation

3 Topic: Creativity in the Corporate Setting

Case: Kao in Singapore

No abstract available.

Read: How to Kill Creativity

Based on 22 years of breakthrough research, this article by Teresa Amabile, MBA Class
of 1954 Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School provides
insightful guidelines for any executive who wants to nurture and stimulate one of the
most powerful competitive weapons in the realm of business today: creativity: In today
knowledge, economy, creativity is more important than ever. But many companies
unwittingly employ managerial practices that kill it. How? By crushing their employees’

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 intrinsic motivation- the strong internal desire to do something based on interests and
passions. Managers don't kill creativity on purpose. Yet in the pursuit of productivity,
efficiency, and control-all worthy business imperatives-they undermine creativity. It
doesn't have to be that way. Business imperatives can comfortably coexist with
creativity. But managers will have to change their thinking first. Specially, managers will
need to understand that creativity has three parts: expertise, the ability to think flexibility
and imaginatively, and motivation. Managers can influence the first two but doing so is
costly and slow. It would be far more effective to increase, employees intrinsic
motivation. Take challenge as an example: Intrinsic motivation is high when employees
feel challenged but not overwhelmed by their work. The task for managers therefore
becomes matching people to the right assignments. Managers can make a difference
when it comes to employee creativity. The result can be truly innovative companies in
which creativity doesn't just survive but actually thrives.

SUBJECT: General Management; Creativity; Innovation; Motivation

COPY YR: 1998

LENGTH: 12

4 Case: The Employee-Customer-Profit Chain at Sears

It is no longer news that over the past five years, Sears, Roebuck and Co. has radically
changed the way it does business and dramatically improved its financial results. But
the now-famous Sears turnaround was more than a strategic and financial break with
the past. It was a radical change in the logic and culture of the company, based on a
new business model--not so much "the softer side of Sears" as the softer side of
measurement. Led by CEO Arthur Martinez, a group of more than 100 top-level Sears
executives spent three years rebuilding the company around its customers. In rethinking
what Sears was and what it wanted to become, these managers developed a business
model of the company--the employee-customer-profit model--and an accompanying
measurement system that tracks success from management behavior through
employee attitudes to customer satisfaction and financial performance.

SUBJECT: General Management; Customer relations; Customer service; Employee

attitude; Employee empowerment; Organizational management; Performance
measurement; Retailing

COPY YR: 1998

LENGTH: 16

Read: Creativity Promoters and Inhibitors

No abstract available.

Written Assignment: Prepare a framework how CEO Arthur Martinez was able to
achieve a financial turnaround at Sears in his full fiscal year (1993)- to be submitted at
the start of class

5 Topic: Creative Marketing for the MBM Entrepreneur

Case: Zarhak Moulders, Pvt. Ltd. (Part One)

In June 1996, Blaise Costabir was General Manager of Zarhak Moulders Private
Limited, a plastic products manufacturing company newly established in Goa, India.
The plant was just finished and Costabir now had to finalise his marketing strategy to
compete effectively with Sintex, the domain market leader in plastic tanks.

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 SUBJECT: Marketing; Marketing Management, Plastic tanks, Competition

COPY YR: 1998

SETTING: India
LENGTH: 15

6 Topic: Creative Marketing for the MBM Entrepreneur

Case: 1. Zarhak Moulders, Pvt. Ltd. (Part Two)

Case: Toppan Moore Paragon Sdn. Bhd.

Toppan Moore Paragon (Malaysia) (“TMP”) was a premium producer of high quality
office forms. It is a joint venture partnership with Toppan Moore Ltd of Japan. As the
Asian markets boomed and expanded in the 1980’s and 1990’s, TMP wished to expand
to other Asian markets. However, as they were always dissuaded by the Japanese
partners from doing so, TMP bought out its Japanese partners and was now free to
expand overseas.

In 1997, the company had 2 decisions to make i.e. change the name of the company
and announce the new name in an effective and cost-effective manner.

TEACHING PURPOSE: To select a brand name for Toppan Moore and introduce the
new name to the various stakeholders. Selecting a brand name, announce the new
name in a effective and cost-efficient manner.

SUBJECT: General Management, Marketing Brand choice, Communication campaigns;

Office supplies

COPY YR: 1994

SETTING: Malaysia
LENGTH: 13

7 Topic: Product Innovation and Customer Research

Case: “I’m In Control”

Materials: “I’m In Control” case + readings Team Creativity/creative Managers

8 Topic: Marketing a Brand New Product Concept

Case: James Hardie

Mr. McGowan, manager in charge of Asia for James Hardie, a major Australian
company in the building products industry, must decide whether to recommend a
proposed $50 million investment in the Philippines. If James Hardie is to make the
investment, should it do so as a joint venture with Jardine, James Hardie's Hong Kong-
based distributor in the Philippines, go it alone, or form a joint venture with a Philippine
company? This is a major investment for James Hardie and marks the beginning of its
new initiative into Asia after a period of consolidation. If the project goes ahead James
Hardie's Asia headquarters would be moved from Kuala Lumpur to Manila.

SUBJECT: Finance; Asia; Glass & glassware industry; International finance; Joint
ventures; Market analysis

COPY YR: 1997

SETTING: Philippines

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 LENGTH: 10

Read: The Science of Creativity

No abstract available.

Tough- Minded Ways to Get Innovative

Companies can be consistently innovative by concentrating on five key ideas: 1)

innovation begins at the top, with a CEO or general manager who believes change is
the way to survive; 2) new ideas need a champion, a sponsor, a mix or creative types
and operators, and a separate system to get ideas to top management early and fast; 3)
know the competitive dynamics of your business cold; 4) look hard at your customers to
find new segments, your competitors to see what's already working, and your business
to see where you can leverage existing strengths; and 5) once an idea is well
developed, put all your efforts into it: set priorities and think through every step.

SUBJECT: Marketing Management; Competition; Creativity; Innovation

COPY YR: 1988

LENGTH: 8

Materials: “James Hardie” case, past ads of Hardiflex

9 Topic: Creative Marketing Against A Dominant Competitor

Case: Vinod Khosla and Sun Microsystems (A)

Describes how Vinod Khosla got Sun Microsystems started, and a critical marketing
challenge the company faced at the end of the first year. Objective is to illustrate how
bold creative thinking can make or break start-ups.

SUBJECT: Marketing Management; Computer Industry; Entrepreneurial Management;

Marketing Strategy

COPY YR: 1989

SETTING: US
LENGTH: 34

Materials: “Vinod K” case (A), in class cases (B) & (C)

10 Topic: Creative Product Launch

Case: Message and Muscle: An Interview with Swatch Titan Nicolas Hayek

As CEO of the Swiss Corp. for Microelectronics and Watchmaking (SMH), Nicolas G.
Hayek has engineered one of the world's most spectacular industrial comebacks - the
revitalization of the Swiss watch industry. But SMH is more than a turnaround story. It
is a case study of Hayek's management philosophy and strategic thinking, both of which
are strikingly at odds with prevailing wisdom about how to compete in the new economy.
For example, conventional wisdom suggests that "stateless" global companies should
seek low-cost production wherever they can find it. Yet SMH is committed to its Swiss
home base. Ultimately, Hayek's unconventional philosophy embraces corporate muscle
and strategic imagination: "If you combine powerful technology with fantasy, you create
something very distinct.

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 SUBJECT: Marketing Management; Business policy; Consumer goods; International
business; Interview; Leadership; Organizational development; Product design;
Switzerland

COPY YR: 1993

SETTING: US
LENGTH: 12

Materials: Swatch

Part Two: Creative Selling

11 Topic: Introduction to Professional Selling Skills

 Significance of selling skills to the MBM career

 Why professional sales people are rare birds
 The psychological base for selling
 Six most common mistakes of sales people
 Four levels of an acquired skill
 Characteristics of unsuccessful sales people
 Benefits of professional selling skills

Materials: Basic PSS package of readings + Review of PPS

12 Topic: Introduction Selling Skills

 The Icebreaker
 The crucial skill Probing
 Relationship building skill: Support
 Countering skepticism: Proof
 Answering Easy and Difficult Objectives
 Closing the sale

13 Role Playing Workshop

Props: Each role play will be on video for immediate playback and critique

Topics: Understanding the buyer’s motivation

Words to avoid, what to use instead
Guidelines for professional selling

Materials: Maslow pyramid, 5-step decision process, words to avoid

14 Role Play Workshop

Props: Video to record and playback each role play

Topics: Major influences on business buyers, relationship marketing

Materials: Major influences, relationship marketing

15 Role Play Workshop

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 Props: Video to record and playback each role play

Topics: What makes a top sales person

Materials: What makes a top…

16 Role Play Workshop

Props: Video to record and playback each role play

Topics: Skills for a strategic sales person

Materials: 10 Skills for a strategic sales person

17 Role Play Workshop

Props: Video to record and playback each role play

Topics: Most common mistakes of sales people

Materials: Most common mistake
18 Role Play Workshop

Props: Video to record and playback each role play

Topics: Selling yourself to your organization (The Bonus)

Materials: Political Strategy

19 & 20 Presentation of MakStrat Assignments

Topic: as approved
Props: Whatever presenting groups want to use

Knowledge, Competencies, Skills, Values and Attitudes Sought

Sessions Knowledge Skills/Competencies Values & Attitudes

Module1:
• Myths About • Creativity can happen • Intuition is helpful but
Creative Creativity at Work at any level in the get hard facts and
Marketing • The Role of organization figures if available
Creativity in Your • The manager must • A good manager
(Sessions 1- Marketing Career create the right resists the temptation
10) • Creativity in a environment for to take over in every
Corporate Setting creativity to be situation
• Creativity Promoters beneficial • Persistence is good,
and Inhibitors • It pays to develop but know when to put
• The Creative Serendipity the new idea on the
Entrepreneur in • The three factors of waiting shelf
Action effective creativity in an • A good leader will
• Product Innovation organization: the develop his people’s
and Customer technical/functional creativity by exposing
Research capability, the ability to them to new
• Marketing a Totally develop the new idea, approaches, unusual
New Product the skill to motivate the solutions
Concept people to make the • Creativity + EQ =

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 • Creative Product idea work success in
Launch implementation
• STRATEGIC
MARKETING PLAN

Module 2:

Creative • Without EQ, high IQ • Developing the skill of • Dealing with frequent
Selling is insufficient for Empathy rejection in selling
success in selling • Using Emotion • Ensuring positive
(Sessions 11- and persuasion effectively in creative dialogue in selling
18) • The four attributes of marketing • Relationship building
successful sales • The professional selling with the customer
people skills: • Listening to the
• The basic skill for - the icebreaker customer’s objection
selling: active - probing and showing the sales
listening - empathy response person cares
• The psychology of - providing proof
professional selling - answering objections
- closing the sale

• Developing one on one

communication skills
• Making a sales
presentation to the
group
• Building and nurturing
the network
• Ten strategic skills of
the effective sales
person
Module 3:
• Developing • Scanning the operating • Always customer
Strategic marketing strategy environment, doing a centric: “customer
Marketing for a product or SWOT analysis first before profit”
Plan service • Analyzing the major • Disciplined about
Presentation competitor(s) choice of PTM:
s • Defining the primary “opportunity =
target market, its capability”
(Sessions 19- needs/wants, • Find the unusual if not
20) aspirations unique way(s) to
• Conducting research on satisfy the PTM needs
the PTM, their buying and wants
behavior, looking for
creative opportunities
• Setting the marketing
objectives
• Developing the
marketing mix, the
specific creative
strategies
• Developing the
contingency plan

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