Overview
The emergence of smartphones has tremendously changed the marketing landscape. Some marketing strategies are now completely outdated, others are being massively transformed, while new – often data-driven – marketing techniques are continuously emerging and changing the way firms interact with their customers. Familiarity with mobile marketing strategies and techniques have become indispensable to the leading digital marketers of today and tomorrow’s firms.

Learning outcomes
Upon completing this course, student should:
• Understand how mobile marketing differs from other forms of marketing
• Appreciate the key technologies and strategies used by firms for mobile marketing campaigns
• Understand the key metrics to measure the success of mobile marketing campaigns
• Appreciate the importance and sensitivity of new data sources including aspects such as privacy and data security

Teaching/learning method(s)
The course combines a variety of learning experiences: video lectures, virtual case discussions and student presentations.

Cases, Presentation and Exam

Day 1: Tuesday, 02.06.2020

Case I – Bank of America: Mobile Banking

This case is about a bank’s approach to mobile banking. In January 2010, Jen McDonald, head of Bank of America Corporation's (BoA) Digital Marketing group, was discussing the bank's mobile strategy with Douglas Brown, senior vice president, Mobile Product Development. BoA launched mobile banking in 2007 and within three years it had 4 million active customers. This success prompted line-of-business managers to request Jen and Doug to include more functionality in the bank's mobile app that were specific to their businesses such as credit cards and mortgages. Jen and Doug had to decide how to leverage the mobile platform for various businesses of the bank without creating confusion or increasing complexity for the consumers. Recognizing the potential impact mobile technology could have on the entire banking industry, they also had to decide on how to position BoA's mobile banking in the long run.

Your task is to prepare a write-up (no more than 1 page) of the case (see write-up guidelines).

Due date: Monday, 01.06.2020, 11:59PM (CET). Please submit via email; be prepared to answer questions about this case in the virtual class.

Day 2: Wednesday, 03.06.2020

Case II – Showrooming at Best Buy

This case is about a retailer’s strategy to combat showrooming. Best Buy is a consumer electronics retailer with nearly 2,000 stores worldwide. In 2012, the rising popularity of price-matching apps for mobile phones made price differences between retailers transparent, online and offline. Shoppers' desire to test electronics first-hand before purchase drove them to use Best Buy stores as "showrooms" to see new products and then search for better deals on their smartphones. This case examines how brick-and-mortar stores battle showrooming through changes in product assortment, the development of apps, loyalty programs and changes in pricing policy. The case asks whether Best Buy can survive by permanently price-matching their online-only competitors, primarily Amazon, despite having higher costs.

Your task is to prepare a write-up (no more than 1 page) of the case (see write-up guidelines).

Due date: Monday, 01.06.2020, 11:59PM (CET). Please submit via email; be prepared to answer questions about this case in the virtual class.

Day 3: Friday, 05.06.2020

Exam
The take-home exam will cover all topics from the past two days (specific exceptions might be announced).

Time: The exam will be available on Friday 5.62020, 3PM. The submission deadline will be announced soon.

Presentations

The presentations will be held in groups of 4 and 5. Each group must present for approximately 20 minutes (groups of 5 approx. 25 minutes), followed by a few questions. Each presentation will just be attended by the group and me. You should plan to spend about 2 minutes per slide, which adds up to approximately 10 core slides.

Due date (slides): Tuesday, 02.06.2020, 1PM. Please submit via email.

Grades for the course will be based on four components:
• Final Exam (40 %)
• Case write-ups (30 %)
• Presentations (30 %)
 

Availability of lecturer

The main form of communication will be email (via MyLEARN). Students are expected to check their university email accounts regularly as emails will be sent to make announcements and provide materials prior and between sessions. Please keep in mind that I am in the US. Dependent on your time of the day, my response time might be a bit delayed. Note, however, all times in the syllabus refer to Central European Time (CET).