Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
– Benjamin Franklin

+ The course format is determined by two key decisions: determining what to teach and choosing how to teach. Deciding what to teach involves selecting which topics to cover and how to organize these topics to create a cohesive marketing course. Deciding how to teach is about selecting the format in which to present the material. A key decision here involves choosing a lecture-based, case-based, or problem-based course format. The lecture-based approach is more appropriate for undergraduate and MBA students with relatively little business experience. The case-based approach is more appropriate for advanced MBA, EMBA, and non-degree executive education programs. The hybrid method is the most universal and can be applied across all types of courses. 

+ The lecture-based approach is instructor-driven and is based on deductive learning. Students are presented with the key marketing concepts and principles and subsequently asked to apply these concepts and principles to specific problems and scenarios. Case discussion, if used, are presented in a narrative format as an illustration of the topic presented in the lecture.  The development of a lecture-based course typically involves the following steps:

• • Define the overarching organization (the “arc”) of the course. What are the key modus to be covered and what is the logical connection among them?
  • Identify the relevant topics based on the course goals and the desired structure. What are the specific lectures included in each module?
  • Lay out the structure of each lecture. What are the key concepts to be covered and what visuals/examples best illustrate these concepts?
  • Develop a set of assignments to assess students’ understanding of the material. What are the best means—tests, problem sets, essays—to evaluate students’ knowledge?

+ The case-based approach is student-driven and is based on inductive learning. Unlike the lecture-based approach, which starts with a theory followed by an illustration of its practical application, the case-based approach begins with a problem and allows the theory to emerge in the process of solving the case. As a result, case-based courses are often organized by the type of problems addressed by each case. The key to sequencing cases is finding links that can be used to relate the problems addressed in each case—an approach that often calls for grouping cases illustrating a similar point and involving a similar solution. 

Case-based teaching is not a trivial undertaking. It requires students to be well prepared, motivated to discuss the case, as well as familiar with the basic principles of case discussion. As a result, using the case method in its purest form can be relatively straightforward in institutions that have fully embraced the case method but can be challenging in institutions that lack the tradition of case-based learning. 

+ The hybrid approach combines some of the key aspects of the lecture-based and case-based approaches to offer a systematic way to solve marketing problems. The hybrid approach often starts with a problem, typically presented in the context of a case, with the lecture component embedded in the case discussion. Thus, rather than relying purely on either inductive or deductive learning, the hybrid approach combines both types of learning to introduce the key marketing concepts and frameworks in the context of a case discussion. The hybrid approach can also involve free-standing lectures to introduce some of the key marketing concepts, frameworks, and tools. 

+ The hybrid approach combines some of the key aspects of the lecture-based and case-based approaches to offer a systematic way to solve marketing problems. The hybrid approach often starts with a problem, typically presented in the context of a case, with the lecture component embedded in the case discussion. Thus, rather than relying purely on either inductive or deductive learning, the hybrid approach combines both types of learning to introduce the key marketing concepts and frameworks in the context of a case discussion. The hybrid approach can also involve free-standing lectures to introduce some of the key marketing concepts, frameworks, and tools. 

A practical approach to add conceptual foundation to case discussions is to introduce an overarching framework for marketing management early on in the course. This framework serves two functions: (1) it organizes the core marketing concepts in a streamlined and logical fashion that can be readily applied to identifying market opportunities and solving marketing problems and (2) it imposes a structure around the case analysis and discussion. Thus, rather than introducing the key marketing concepts in piecemeal fashion throughout the entire course, a framework integrating the key marketing concepts is presented in the very first module and then is systematically used to analyze the cases throughout the course. Here is an example of a course organized in such a fashion: 

• • Fundamentals of marketing management (2–3 cases introducing some of the key marketing concepts and frameworks)
  • Identifying target customers and developing a value proposition (2–3 cases focused on identifying target customers and developing a value proposition) 
  • Managing value in business and consumer markets (2–3 cases focused on different strategies for creating customer [B2C], collaborator [B2B], and company value)
  • Developing a viable market offering (2–3 cases dealing with different tactical decisions: product, service, brand, price, incentives, communication, and distribution)
  • Gaining and defending market position (2–3 cases focused on managing sales growth, developing new market offerings, and customer relationship management)

+ The G-STIC framework. A common complaint from students is the lack of a systematic approach to course organization and case discussions: “I see how we solved this case, and it makes sense. But how do I know how to approach this case before we solve it in class?” This concern can be addressed by introducing a systematic approach to identifying market opportunities and solving business problems. The G-STIC framework (which serves as the organizing principle of the Strategic Marketing Management textbook) is a very intuitive yet powerful tool to organize marketing knowledge in an actionable format. The G-STIC framework identifies five main elements of marketing management: setting a goal, developing a strategy, designing the tactics, developing an implementation plan, and identifying a set of controls to measure performance and monitor changes in the environment. The G-STIC framework has broad application: it can help organize marketing content for lecture presentations, facilitate case discussions, and streamline the development of a marketing plan.