Marketing management presents the fundamentals of contemporary marketing and elaborates on the role marketing plays in various organizational settings. Through readings, cases, discussions, and assignments, you will examine the components of a marketing strategy and understand how that strategy links to the rest of the organization’s business strategy.
Specifically, you will learn how to apply marketing concepts and theory to real marketing problems. Throughout the course, alternative, perhaps even contradictory, views may be presented for you to consider. While the general principles of marketing are well established, there are differences in the nuances and interpretation of the observed data. You will be challenged to consider all views and decide which are most applicable to a situation.
When you finish this course, you will be able to relate modern marketing concepts, theory, and strategies to a business situation. Each lesson will cover particular areas of marketing theory and, through the course assignments, you will apply these areas to your own work environment.
Outline
The course is divided into eight lessons.
Lesson 1 – Understanding Marketing Management
Lesson 2 – The External Environment
Lesson 3 – Segmentation, Targeting, and Differentiation
Lesson 4 – Positioning and Branding
Lesson 5 – Product and Service
Lesson 6 – Channels of Distribution
Lesson 7 – Pricing, Communications, and Advertising
Lesson 8 – Ethics and Global Marketing
Objectives
The learning objectives for this course are to
learn important definitions and concepts used in the marketing planning process
evaluate the macro environment and buyer behaviour
understand market segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies
learn the four “Ps”of marketing: product, pricing, promotion, and place (distribution)
write a coherent marketing plan
Evaluation
Your grades will be based on two assignments, weekly postings and your participation in discussions.
Activity
Weight
Participation in Discussions (Initial posts—10%; Discussion posts—15%; Weekly Learning posts—5%)
30%
Site Selection (by email, required prior to starting Assignment 1)
0%
Assignment 1—Interim Report
30%
Assignment 2—Marketing Plan
40%
Total
100%
Component marks for this course are translated into letter grades as per the Graduate Grading Policy .
Materials
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). A framework for marketing management (6th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc. (eText)
Wood, M. (2014). The marketing plan handbook (5th ed.). Prentice Hall. (eText)
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.