COURSE NUMBER: MBA269.1

COURSE TITLE: Pricing

UNITS OF CREDIT: 3

INSTRUCTOR: Wasim Azhar

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

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Monday and Wednesday, 4:30 - 6:00 PM

PREREQUISITE(S): MBA 206

CLASS FORMAT: The course will primarily use cases which will be supplemented by lectures.

REQUIRED READINGS: 

In the course we will use the classic textbook by Nagle and Holden to supplement a variety of cases drawn from diverse industries. The cases will enable us to examine and analyze in detail the application of pricing concepts and principles in actual company situations and market settings. In addition, handouts will be given out during the semester.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: 

The final grade for participants will be based on both individual and group work as follows:

A. Class Participation            30%
B. Group Case Write-up       30% 
C. Final Exam                      40%

FACULTY AUDIO CLIP: Click here to listen to the instructor giving a brief overview the course.

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 for consumer and industrial products and services.  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 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.  It will also be useful for students intending to major in Finance as it will provide a perspective of marketing, economic and game theory aspects of pricing in the marketplace.  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 in B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer) marketing.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Dr. Wasim Azhar is a Lecturer in Marketing at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University as well as the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. Wasim Azhar was formerly Professor of Business Policy and Marketing, and the Pro-Vice Chancellor at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Pakistan. He was the Academic and Administrative Head of the LUMS from 1989 to 2001. At Stanford since 2001 he has been teaching electives in the MBA program, the core marketing course in the Sloan Program, and in short Executive Education Programs. Since 2005, Prof. Azhar has taught elective courses in the MBA and EWMBA programs at UC Berkeley. In the 2005-2006 Fall and Spring semesters, he was placed in the elite 6 + club in teaching evaluations in all courses he offered.

Wasim Azhar has taught in many executive programs in Pakistan, and some in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, varying in duration from two days to three weeks.  These programs were jointly conducted by McGill University of Canada and LUMS and were attended by senior executives from leading multinational and local corporations from over thirty countries. He has also conducted seminars in India. Wasim Azhar is a Partner and Marketing Director of Amzone LLC. He is also on the Board of Directors of AmWest Ventures Corp. and SoftWeb Corporation.