Units and learning outcomes

Unit 1 - Marketing Research and Information

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

Identify appropriate marketing information and marketing research requirements for business decision-making
Plan for and manage the acquisition, storage, retrieval and reporting of information on the organisation's market and customers
Explain the process involved in purchasing market research and the development of effective client supplier relationships
Write a research brief to meet the requirements of an organisation to support a specific plan or business decision
Develop a research proposal to fulfil a given research brief
Evaluate the appropriateness of different qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to meet different research situations
Design and plan a research programme
Design a questionnaire and discussion guide
Interpret quantitative and qualitative data and present coherent and appropriate recommendations that lead to effective marketing and business decisions
Critically evaluate the outcomes and quality of a research project
Explain the legal, regulatory, ethical and social responsibilities of organisations involved in gathering, holding and using information

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

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

Explain the role of marketing communications and advise how personal influences might be used to develop promotional effectiveness
Explain how the tools of the promotional mix can be coordinated in order to communicate effectively with customers and a range of stakeholders
Devise a basic media plan based on specific campaign requirements using both offline and online media
Develop marketing communication and brand support activities based on an understanding of the salient characteristics of the target audience
Explain the main elements, activities and linkages associated with the formulation and implementation of a marketing communications plan
Recommend a suitable marketing communications budget
Explain the importance of developing long term relationships with customers, channel members, agencies and other stakeholders and transfer such knowledge to the development of marketing communication activities
Suggest suitable methods to influence the relationships an organisation has with its customers, any marketing channel partners and other stakeholders, using marketing communications
Use the vocabulary of the marketing communications industry and be able to communicate effectively with other marketing practitioners

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

Explain the roles and structure of the marketing function and the nature of relationships with other functions within various types of organisation
Interpret qualitative and quantitative data and present appropriate and coherent recommendations that lead to effective marketing and business decisions
Develop marketing objectives and plans at an operational level appropriate to the organisation's internal and external environments
Use appropriate management techniques to plan and control marketing activities and projects
Use appropriate techniques to develop, manage and motivate a team so that it performs effectively and delivers required results
Define measures for, and evaluate the performance of, marketing plans, activities and projects and make recommendations for improvements