Course Syllabus

This syllabus describes the course and provides information on learning outcomes and course requirements. The instructor reserves the right to update the syllabus as needed during the quarter. Students will be informed by email and discussion board announcements in a timely manner if and when the syllabus is altered; changes will only be made if they improve the student learning experience in the course.

 

Instructor Information

 

         Bob Bentz

BIO -- About the Instructor

Bob Bentz, 58, is president of Advanced Telecom Services, founded in 1989, in suburban Philadelphia. Advanced Telecom Services operates several companies, including two involved in mobile in the United States and Canada -- Rocky Point Media (web development) and Purplegator (mobile marketing agency). Purplegator's headquarters are in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and it has a remote office in Des Moines, Iowa and on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.  Advanced Telecom Services also has offices in London (established 1992), Toronto (established 1993) and Prague (established 1997). It grew from a start-up, with no outside funding, to $62.2 million in annual sales. In September, 2013, his company's Advanced Mobile division, which provided mobile marketing tools for automotive dealers, was sold to the publicly traded Autobytel.  In 2006, his first mobile offerings in the ringtone business, Ringingphone and Monstertones, were sold to the publicly traded Zim Corporation, headed by Dr. Michael Cowpland, founder of Corel and Mitel, of Ottawa, Canada.  Bentz is the author of Relevance Raises Response: How to Engage and Acquire with Mobile Marketing. (354 pages, publish date - 2016)  The book can be found at RelevanceRaisesResponse.com, at Amazon, or other fine online book retailers.

Prior to starting Advanced Telecom Services in 1989, Bentz worked in television advertising for three television stations in West Virginia and Connecticut. He is a graduate of West Virginia University (BS - journalism) and Marshall University (MBA - marketing).  He began teaching at the University of Denver in 2015 and this will be the sixth time that he has taught this class.

Bentz is a baseball coach and has seen six of the players that he has coached go on to play professionally, including one who is currently on the Tampa Bay Rays. He is also very active as a dog rescuer and has fostered over 40 dogs from shelters until they were able to find their "fur-ever" homes. He loves backpacking and mountain climbing and has climbed several fourteeners in Colorado and California. Bob is married to Barb who works as an office manager for a dentist. They have two children: Brooks, a graduate of Virginia Tech, who is a salesperson for a plastics company, and Brittany, a recent graduate of Clemson who is a graduate student at UConn and works for Indeed.com. He lives in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia near the Villanova University campus, with his two permanent rescue dogs Pilgrim and Hope.

 

Award Winning Mobile Apps and Websites

 

Contact information:

I urge you to follow me on Twitter @BobBentz and Link In with me.  You may also wish to follow my digital agency on Facebook for further mobile marketing news.

Note -- From time to time, I will refer you to some things that are published by my own company.  To ensure that there is no conflict of interest, I will always note such when referring you to such content.

Please contact me with any questions.  I am here to help and pride myself on being available to you as much as possible.  If I can't take your call due to business or other commitments, I will tell you so and arrange for a mutually-convenient time when we can chat. 

Please call me "Bob."  I don't need, nor am I worthy of, any fancy titles.

 

Email	Robert.Bentz@du.edu
Skype	ballparkbob 610-254-7191 (office) 610-513-0900 (mobile)

 

OFFICE HOURS -  I do run my businesses during the day and I am often out of the office.  If in the office, I will try to answer your questions there, but I'll be sure to check in almost every night to check for any inquiries from students.  My preference is to answer any questions on Skype and I am on Skype for most of the day and it does go to my mobile as well. On Skype, we will be able to communicate one-on-one via text chat, voice, or video voice calls.  You can also reach me via email, text, and phone calls as well.

This course is presented in the Mountain Time Zone, but I live in the Eastern Time Zone. I don't care if it's late or the weekend; you will have my attention regardless.  If you see me logged on to Skype, go ahead and contact me.

The class will be using my new book Relevance Raises Response: How to Engage and Acquire with Mobile Marketing.  If some things are not clear in the book, please let me know so that I can improve them for the second edition.

Course and Website Communication: General questions/comments that may benefit the whole class should be asked in class or on the discussion board. Please contact me directly via email with personal questions.

Communication Timing: All questions will receive a response within 24 hours.

 

Course Information

Course Description:

Mobile technologies can be found in your pocket, on your coffee table, at your workplace, and even on your wrist. If a business’s marketing plan doesn’t include mobile, that business plan simply isn’t complete. The growing field of mobile marketing has created a new set of communication imperatives and business opportunities. This course is designed to familiarize students to the tools used to implement a robust mobile marketing strategy. Current and future organization and business leaders will learn mobile marketing best practices and gain the knowledge to implement and analyze the results of their mobile marketing efforts.

Course Overview/Purpose:

The course is designed to give students a working knowledge of the burgeoning field of mobile marketing.  This information will enable future and current business and organization leaders to identify best practices of mobile marketing and have the knowledge to implement and analyze results from such efforts.

The instructor intends to teach the course in such a way that the students can use the knowledge that they gain in their current work life.  We will use real life examples that pertain directly to what you do for a living or plan to eventually do for a living after college.  For example, if you work in the retail industry, we will have you create sample mobile marketing solutions for your own business vertical rather than something completely unrelated.  We will also solicit your creativity for some of the real life examples of work that my company is in the midst of doing or has recently completely.

Course Outcomes:

• Articulate the major developments in the field of mobile marketing, describe current challenges facing mobile marketers, and explain how these developments and challenges will impact the future of mobile marketing.
• Ensure company’s mobile presence is robust and responsive on all mobile devices
• Utilize tools specific to mobile technologies to meet desired marketing goals
• Articulate the importance of merging social, local, and mobile technologies
• Design a mobile app and marketing plan that articulates how the app’s features will engage customers at first use and over time
• Develop and present a formal mobile marketing strategy, real or hypothetical, that effectively integrates the tools learned in this course

 

Readings and Website

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS:

Bentz, Bob, 2016. Relevance Raises Response: How to Engage and Acquire with Mobile Marketing. 1st ed. Valley Forge, PA: Skill Bites. 

There is no other required book for the course.  All other reading, watching, and listening materials will be provided via the internet (that thing is going to catch on one of these days).  All such additional items will be available via web, social media, or sites such as You Tube.

 

 

 

REQUIRED WRITING MANUAL:

On research, writing, and documentation, the official, required University College (UCOL) style is Turabian Author-Date Style.

Turabian, Kate L. 2013. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. 8th ed. Rev. Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, and University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/manual/index.html

 

RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

None of these books are required reading, but they are a few of my favorites.

Eslinger, Tom. Mobile Magic: The Saatchi & Saatchi Guide to Mobile Marketing.

Kawasaki, Guy, and Peg Fitzpatrick. The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users. Portfolio / Penguin, 2014.

Martin, Chuck. Mobile Influence: The New Power of the Consumer. Palgrave MacMillan, 2013.

Schadler, Ted, and Josh Bernoff and Julie Ask. The Mobile Mind Shift. Groundswell Press, 2014.

My book Relevance Raises Response: How to Engage and Acquire with Mobile Marketing is available as an e-book and paperback on Amazon and other fine online retailers.  The paperback is also at the DU Bookstore.  On Amazon, a new copy of the book is $19.99 and the e-book is $14.99.  To purchase on Amazon, use this convenient link.  You can also purchase the book at my website RelevanceRaisesResponse.com and if you'd like to have it autographed, please let me know.

 

Other Helpful Resources:

Since the business of mobile marketing is so constantly changing, textbooks are often outdated quickly.  Therefore, I recommend the following industry websites to further your knowledge of mobile marketing.  These are things that I read almost every day and they often have email newsletters as well.

• Mobile Insider
• Mobile Marketer
• Mobile Marketing Watch
• Mobile Commerce Daily
• Mobile Marketing Association

Course Website:  Canvas will be used and students are expected to access it often. If you need help, first try the Student Support Center at 303-871-2291, then University Technology Services at 303-871-4700.

Student Responsibilities

• Course Agreement: The syllabus is the course agreement between you and the instructor. It is your responsibility to know and follow the policies and procedures of the course as presented in this syllabus and to ask for clarification as necessary. If necessary, this syllabus may be revised during the quarter; syllabus revisions will only be done for clarification or to make changes to the advantage of the students.
• Communication: Early and prompt communication is essential to success in any course. Questions and problems cannot be taken care of if I am not aware of them. Please contact me with any questions you may have. If you have conflicts with the course schedule or concerns about the course content, you must contact me prior to any due dates that may be affected to make arrangements. In the case of an emergency, please contact me as soon as possible.
• Email: You must have an active email account that you check frequently to which your DU email address forwards. No exceptions. If you have problems with your DU email account, now is the time to get those resolved – you may find many answers to your questions at http://www.du.edu/uts/. Make sure that your DU emails are not being filtered to your Junk Mail box; this does happen occasionally, and you want to make sure you receive all the information regarding this course. Due to the intensive nature of the course, important communications may be sent multiple times throughout each week. It is imperative that you check your email frequently. A daily check is recommended when possible.
• Courtesy: Follow the rules of common courtesy in all your email messages, class discussions, and critiques/reviews of another person's works. Any comments the instructor deems to be inappropriate or offensive will have academic consequences including possible expulsion from class. A good reference for netiquette questions is: http://www.onlinenetiquette.com/.
• Honor Code: Honor Code: Adhere to the University of Denver Honor Code and the University College Academic Integrity Statement. 
• Written Communication: Use appropriate grammar, punctuation, and capitalization in ALL written communication. Cyberspeak in any form should not be used in assignments and only sparingly in discussion board posts to indicate tone and intent.
• Assignment Completion: Complete all written assignments in compliance with all format, style, and documentation requirements with proper citations, examples and references by their respective due dates. The majority of writing should be in third person voice. First person (“I,” “me,” “my”) may be used as appropriate.
• Course Content: Read and follow all content items and assignment directions.
• Preparation: Demonstrate strong preparation to meet deadlines and actively participate in the course.
• Class participation: Attendance at all on campus class sessions is mandatory, or if attending online classes your weekly participation in all discussions is mandatory. Adjust to fit your policy – The following is an example: If you do not participate in class two weeks consecutively, your final grade will be lowered by one letter grade. In the case of an absence from any class session the student must 1) Notify the instructor prior to the absence, 2) Make arrangements to complete missing assignments and class activities, and 3) Complete any make-up work allowed by the instructor.
• Technology: All University College courses have an online course component; thus students are required to have computer access. University College recommends that students have a personal computer. Computer and software requirements can be found on the DU website at: http://www.du.edu/uts/laptops.  Students must have access to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as an Adobe Reader. Other technology requirements will be communicated in a timely manner as needed. Students may use laptops and mobile devices in class if it enhances note taking ability or class assignments. It is expected that students will not check email or social-media websites during any synchronous components of class (whether face-to-face or online). Quick reference searching and course related internet use is encouraged. During any synchronous components of the class (face-to-face or online), students will silence cellular phones and all other electronic devices.
  

Learning Management System Requirements

Discussion Boards

The classroom experience is simulated in the discussion boards. Because this course is asynchronous, the class discussion should develop over the whole week, in multiple topics. The success and value of these discussions depend on your participation in the discussion with good questions of each other and thoughtful responses to questions that are posed. Be aware you will need to log on multiple times during the week to contribute to the discussions. Discussion posts are not graded solely on length, but on timely, thoughtful responses that further the discussion and that do not de-rail it by moving off-topic. Strong opinions are welcome but must be supported by evidence and reasoning. Courtesy is expected–always. This course is driven by your participation. Your weekly participation will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Quantity of participation on the Discussion Boards
• Quality of research and intuitive ideas.
• References to real life uses of mobile marketing from the "Other Helpful Resources" and other efforts that you have come into contact with.
• Helpful comments made to other fellow students.

Please note that the Discussion Boards are just that -- discussions.  That means that you not only have to post your own opinion on the topic, but you need to interact with other students in the class.  You will probably have to check the boards three times per week to be effective.  I expect you to not only make your own post, but to also discuss with at least three of your co-students' entries to earn the maximum points.

Explore the Course Structure Prior to Class

• Course Syllabus: The course syllabus may be updated throughout the course; watch your email and announcements for updates.
• Announcements: Check the announcements frequently for changes, updates, and answers to questions.
• Grades: The online gradebook will be updated throughout the quarter.
  
• Modules: The modules contain your course content.

Canvas has a helpful Canvas Student Orientation available here: https://canvas.du.edu/courses/190.  You can access the Canvas Student Guide here: http://guides.instructure.com/m/4212.

VeriCite 

University College uses VeriCite to assess written assignments for originality. VeriCite is an online tool that provides originality checking to prevent plagiarism and encourage best practices for using and citing other people's written material. VeriCite should be used as a tool for review prior to assignment submissions when possible, so changes can be made if needed.  

Click on the following link to access the Office of Teaching and Learning VeriCite guides: http://otl.du.edu/knowledgebase/vericite-help/. These guides will provide you with step-by-step information on how to submit papers, view reports, save reports, and set up assignments.  

If you need support, please contact VeriCite directly at 1-844-VERICITE (837-4248) or fill out this support form (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. 

Assignments

With the exception of emails and discussions, ALL writing should be completed in the required course format and style, with proper citations, examples and references.

The complete assignment schedule will be available in the Modules portion of Canvas.  The course calendar listed below is to give you an idea of the topics that we will be discussing each week.

Assignment Schedule/Course Calendar

Week 1 -- Jan. 2 - 7, 2018

• Introduction to Mobile -- Turning Traditional Awareness Into Mobile Engagement

Week 2 -- Jan. 8 - 14, 2018

• Advantages of Mobile -- There is No Prime Time Any More

Week 3 -- Jan. 15 - 21, 2018

• The Mobile Web -- One Site, All Devices

Week 4 -- Jan. 22 - 28, 2018

• Text Message Marketing -- The Workhorse of Mobile Marketing

Week 5 -- Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, 2018

• Social Media -- Social, Local, Mobile

Week 6 -- Feb. 5 - 11, 2018

• Mobile Advertising -- Relevance Raises Response Rates (and Revenues)

Week 7 -- Feb. 12 - 18, 2018

• Mobile Apps -- A Walking Billboard in the Pocket of Your Customer

Week 8 -- Feb. 19 - 25, 2018

• Mobile Commerce -- Multiple Touch Points on the Path to Purchase

Week 9 -- Feb. 26 - Mar. 4, 2018

• The Age of Mobile -- What Does the Future Hold?

Week 10 -- Mar. 5 - 11, 2018

• Final Projects -- What's Your Mobile Marketing Strategy?

 

Teaching mobile non-virtually

 

Assignment Submission

Please check specific assignment details for information on how each assignment should be submitted. All times are posted as Mountain Time and are based on the entry time noted on the website.

Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due on Sunday night at midnight Mountain Time.  Deadlines are critical as points will be deducted for late submissions.  That being said, I do understand that sometimes life gets in the way of school and you have jobs and families so I will be understanding in unforeseen situations.

Assignment details and requirements are found as a part of each week's module in the course shell.  The last assignment submitted before the deadline is the assignment that is graded.  If you need to make a correction after submitting an assignment, you may submit an additional version before the assignment deadline.  Feedback and grades are returned through the course shell.

Assignment Format

I don't really care what format you provide your assignments in so long as you keep to the basics (Word, Excel, Power Point, Prezi preferred).  Remember, I'm a marketing guy and not an engineer so please don't make me find somebody on my staff to teach me how to open something.

With the exception of emails and discussions, ALL writing should be completed in the required course format and style, with proper citations, examples and references. All written assignments must follow the Format and Style Requirements. Documentation must follow Turabian author-date style (Chapters 18 and 19 in the text). Refer to Turabian 8^th ed. for any format questions that are not covered in the University College Format and Style Requirements document.

When submitting a document, please name the file as follows: <Week Number>-<Assignment Title>

 

Grading Criteria/Evaluation Procedures

Grading will be assigned based on the following factors: on-time submission; understanding of material presented; effort; creativity; results.  Poor grammar and misspellings will result in deductions being taken.

The instructor will attempt to give feedback and grades on all submissions prior to the beginning of the following week's assignments.  Missed due dates will have a negative impact on grades.

Grades for this course will be calculated based on the following:

• DISCUSSIONS  30 @ 1 point each = 30 Points  (DISCUSSIONS ARE DUE BY THURSDAY NIGHT)
• EXERCISES   4 @ 5 points each = 20 Points  (EXERCISES ARE DUE BY SUNDAY NIGHT)
• ASSIGNMENTS  3 @ 10 points each = 30 Points  (ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY SUNDAY NIGHT)
• FINAL  1 @ 20 Points = 20 Points  (DUE AUGUST 17, 2017)

Your final grade in the course is based on the percentage of points you earn out of a possible total of  100 points. Grading follows the “standard” UCOL grading scale.

Standard UCOL Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage Range
A	94 – 100%
A-	90 < 94 %
B+	87 < 90%
B	84 < 87%
B-	80 < 84%
C+	77 < 80%
C	74 < 77%
C-	70 < 74%
D+	67 < 70%
D	64 < 67%
D-	60 < 64%
F	< 60%

 

Incomplete grades are only given at the discretion of the instructor and must follow all University of Denver, University College policies located in the student handbook on PioneerWeb.du.edu.

Course Evaluations

Course evaluations are essential in our development and improvement of courses and curriculum at University College.

• As part of being a sustainable and green campus, University College has moved from paper evaluations to online course and faculty evaluations. We hope that the electronic format will be more convenient, as well as allow time for more thoughtful responses. You will receive an email in your DU email account approximately a week before the end of the course with a link to the course evaluation. This allows you to complete the evaluation without having to login to the course shell. The online course evaluation will be available for approximately two weeks. The faculty/course evaluation is anonymous and will close prior to grades posting for the quarter. As was the case with paper evaluations, faculty will not receive evaluation data until after grades have been submitted.
• Please take the time to complete the course and faculty evaluations thoughtfully. The student responses from each evaluated course provide essential feedback concerning instructors and courses and assist in determining improvements for subsequent quarters. We appreciate your assistance in helping us maintain the quality of our academic programs.

University of Denver Policies

The plagiarism and academic conduct policy must be read and followed. You can find a copy of this policy in the course home and in your student handbook.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities may request accommodations at any time and are required to follow policies and procedures as outlined in the Handbook for Students with Disabilities.

If you have a disability protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and need to request accommodations, please make an appointment with the Disability Services Program (DSP: 303.871.2372 / 2278 / 7432) located on the 4^th floor of Ruffato Hall. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss his or her specific needs. Information is also available on line at http://www.du.edu/disability/dsp; see the Handbook for Students with Disabilities under Quick Links.

Communication is the key to success in your courses. If you have questions or concerns, please ask!

 

 Mobile can even sell $350,000 cars.

--  Bob Bentz