COURSE NUMBER: EWMBA 269-1

COURSE TITLE: Pricing Policy

UNITS OF CREDIT: 3 Units

INSTRUCTOR: Wasim Azhar

E-MAIL ADDRESS: azhar@haas.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB-PAGE LOCATION: bSpace

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Thursday: 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm

PREREQUISITE(S): EWMBA Core Curriculum

CLASS FORMAT: Primarily cases with lectures

REQUIRED READINGS: Textbook will be used plus cases and readings

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: The final grade for participants will be based on both individual and group work as follows:
A. Class Participation 25%
B. Group Case Write-up  25%
C. Individual Short Essays      25%
D. Final Exam   25%

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
Optimal pricing is an essential component of marketing strategy in a competitive business environment and yet many firms employ arbitrary rules and haphazard approaches to pricing that adversely affect their profits and competitive positions. This course aims to equip participants with innovative and useful concepts, techniques, and frameworks for assessing, formulating, and implementing optimal pricing strategies and tactics. The course will draw on behavioral and economic foundations, analytical marketing frameworks and techniques, principles of marketing strategy, and game theory to develop and describe effective systematic and structured approaches and frameworks for assessing, formulating and implementing optimal pricing decisions. Concepts and topics covered in the course will include new product pricing, pricing over the product life cycle, value pricing, segmented pricing, nonlinear pricing, price discrimination, promotional pricing, retail pricing techniques, pricing software products, internet pricing models and product line pricing strategies. Pricing strategies and tactics in competitive bidding situations will also be covered. The course will primarily use cases which will be supplemented by lectures. The cases will be drawn from B2B and B2C manufacturing and service industries. The course is primarily intended for managers who in their careers will be involved in evaluating, formulating, implementing and/or recommending pricing polices, strategies and tactics within the context of integrated marketing strategies. Upon completion of this course, participants will:

-Understand the significance and impact of pricing practices in manufacturing and service industries

-Develop and learn concepts and frameworks for analyzing pricing decisions

-Master techniques for formulating and implementing optimal and profitable pricing decisions.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Lecturer in Marketing at Haas, Wasim Azhar specializes in Pricing Strategies, International Marketing and Channels Management. Wasim won the Cheit award for Best Teaching in the EWMBA program for 2007-8. Wasim is also the Director of the Excellence Exchange and Coaching Connection programs at the new Center for Teaching Excellence at Haas. He was formerly a Professor of Business Policy and Marketing and Pro-Vice Chancellor at Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. Wasim taught electives at Stanford from 2001-2008. He is a Director and Partner of Amzone LLC , a Taco Bell franchisee. He is also on the Board of Netgate corporation.