Professional Development

History and Concept of Marketing is an overview of the evolution of Marketing in a constantly changing environment. It highlights the fact that few organizations are truly marketing oriented and explores the difference between public and professional perceptions of the practice. Emphasis is given to understanding the customer as the centre of Marketing and the fundamental concepts of exchange, relationships and competition.

After successfully completing this course you will:

• Have an appreciation of the historical development of Marketing and the underlying theory on which modern Marketing strategies and techniques are built 
• Be able to apply the course to your own marketing plans by learning from both the successful and less than successful experiences of others

Understanding Segmentation, Positioning and the Marketing Mix is vital to the marketing manager.

After successfully completing this course you will:

• Understand segmentation and show why segmentation reduces waste and increases profitability 
• Understand the requirements for effective segmentation 
• Select appropriate target segments 
• Position correctly 
• Apply the principles in your own job

By the end of this module you should be able to:

• Explain the role of the marketing plan within the context of the organisation’s strategy and culture and the broader marketing environment (ethics, social responsibility, legal frameworks, sustainability)      
• Conduct a marketing audit considering appropriate internal and external factors      
• Develop marketing objectives and plans at an operational level appropriate to the internal and external environment      
• Develop the role of branding and positioning within the marketing plan      
• Integrate marketing mix tools to achieve effective implementation of plans      
• Select an appropriate co-ordinated marketing mix incorporating appropriate stakeholder relationships for a particular marketing context      
• Set and justify budgets for marketing plans and mix decisions.         
• Define and use appropriate measurements to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing plans and activities      
• Make recommendations for changes and innovations to marketing processes based on an understanding of the organisational context and an evaluation of past marketing activities

After completing this course you will:

• Appreciate the complexity of buyer behaviour and be able to categorise buying situations 
• Develop solutions to these situations using problem solving and other models 
• Be able to effectively discuss the basis of the psychology of buying behaviour and how personal factors influence this behaviour directly and indirectly 
• Understand the differences between organisational buying and consumer buying

Marketing Research is carried out to reduce risk.

After completing this course you will:

• Understand how and be able to list the information components of one approach to a marketing information system 
• Be able to plan a marketing research programme and distinguish between quantitative and qualitative research and primary and secondary research 
• Be able to understand the differences between consumer and organisational marketing research. IT is increasingly important in marketing 
• Identify a range of areas where IT affects marketing 
• Have confidence in a common sense approach to research

Product and Design Decisions are influenced by marketing managers.

After completing the course you will:

• Be able to identify the core, tangible and augmented layers of a product 
• Understand that designing in quality is a long term strategic commitment that affects repeat business and profitability 
• Recognise market conditions change making it necessary to list the advantages and disadvantages of product line extension 
• Understand and be able to apply well known models such as the Ansoff and Boston matrices to assist product decisions 
• Be able to understand the new product development process, the diffusion of innovation and the product life cycle 
• Appreciate the importance of product and packaging design research

Service Decisions are becoming more important

After completing this course you will:

• Be able to understand the reasons for the growth of services and list the five key characteristics of services 
• Be able to list the criteria for evaluating the quality of services 
• Understand how and why service organisations expand beyond their core service and you will be able to list the advantages and disadvantages of brand extension.  To the four P's of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place) will be added the three P's of the service mix (people, process, physical evidence) 
• Understand the pricing of a service and apply the concepts of psychological, promotional and contribution pricing

Pricing Decisions are key to profitability.

After completing this course you will:

• Understand the price-quality relationship and how it integrates with the rest of the marketing mix  
• Be able to list and explain major pricing objectives  
• Be able to differentiate between pricing strategies; penetration and skim; rapid and slow; regional and line and identify the right strategy to suit a specific marketing objective  
• Understand the three C's, competition, customers and costs are integrated factors that affect pricing  
• Understand the many types of costs that affect pricing, the implications of price wars and the importance of playing to your strengths  
• Understand the three approaches to pricing
  • cost oriented approach  
  • market oriented approach  
  • systematic approach involving eight stages and be prepared for new challenges

Distribution Decisions affect sales, profits and competitiveness.

After completing this course you will:

• Understand the inevitability of change and how it effects distribution decisions 
• See how the world famous football club Manchester United use a multi-channel distribution policy 
• Become familiar with a range of distribution options, define the difference between vertical marketing systems and horizontal marketing systems and differentiate between intensive, selective and exclusive distribution strategies 
• Be able to list the seven functions of a distributor and the three functions of an agent 
• Understand how large retailers control markets 
• Understand sales force and direct marketing contributions 
• Be able to select, control and motivate channel members

By the end of this module, you should be able to

• Formulate marketing communications strategies with particular regard to consumers, business-to-business markets, members of the marketing channel and wider stakeholders such as employees, financial markets, environmental groups, competitors and local communities    
• Determine communication activities based upon the key characteristics of the target audience and the influence of product positioning    
• Determine appropriate levels of marketing communications expenditure/appropriation    
• Be aware of the impact technology makes to marketing communications    
• Appreciate the issues associated with cross-border marketing communications     
• Advise on the impact corporate communications can have on internal and external audiences