Marketing Principles MK 204
Orla Higgins | Marketing Principles | MK 204 Page 2 of 6
Marketing Principles MK 204
J. E. Cairnes School of
Business & Economics
Orla Higgins | Marketing Principles | MK 204 Page 2 of 6
Marketing Principles MK 204
MARKETING PRINCIPLES [MK 204]
Semester 1
- Course Outline -
Objective / The objective of this course is to introduce students who have not formally studied marketing before, to the key marketing concepts and their application in both an Irish and international context.Lecturer(s) / Name / Office / Ext / E-mail
Ms. Orla Higgins / Room 305 JE Cairnes School of Business /
Times / Day / Time / Venue
Lecture / Wednesday / 5-6 p.m. / AC 202, Concourse
Lecture / Thursday / 2-3 p.m. / Tyndall Theatre
Overall Learning Outcomes / Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
· Understand the fundamentals of marketing theory and how they are practiced and applied by market leaders globally;
· Acknowledge the role marketing plays in the success of businesses in Ireland and internationally;
· Understand the relevance of the elements of the marketing mix;
· Recognise the importance of effective market research;
· Critique the impact of external influences on the marketplace;
· Demonstrate an insight into Consumer Buyer Behaviour;
· Identify ways in which markets can be segmented;
· Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing communication channels and tools relative to desired outcomes.
Format / The are 24 lectures for this course: 2 per week for 12 weeks.
There will also be 2 guest speaker slots (TBC)
Programme(s) / BIS; Fourth Year Industrial Engineering; Fourth Year Information Technology; Diploma in Business Studies; Corp. Law & Visiting Students.
Assessment / Continuous Assessment 50%
End of Year Examination 50%
Workload / Credit weighting: 5 ECT
Core Text / Students Need Their Own Copy.
Kotler, Philip & Armstrong, Gary. Principles of Marketing (13th edition), Pearson, Global Edition.
Supplementary Text(s):
As university students, you are expected to read widely to become knowledgeable about your subjects. It is essential that you have read the relevant chapters ahead of each lecture. Lecturers will refer to, but not simply repeat, what is contained in your required textbook. Instead lecturers will develop, augment and challenge the concepts in your textbook and as appropriate will provide Irish/European examples of marketing practice. While your textbook is comprehensive, you should read relevant sections of other leading textbooks, relevant articles in business and marketing journals such as the Harvard Business Review, the European Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing and the business supplements from the daily newspapers. For example other texts for you to consider include:
· Principles & Practice of Marketing : David Jobber
· Marketing – An Introduction for Irish Students : Donal Rogan
· Marketing: Real People, Real Choices : Solomon, Marshall & Stuart.
Students are expected to read all course material assigned in advance of class.
Date / Readings + Learning OutcomesSeptember 8, 2010 / Course Introduction
September 9 / Chapter 1: Marketing – Creating & Capturing Customer Value.
· Define marketing and outline the steps in the marketing process
· Explain the importance of understanding customers and the marketplace, and identify the 5 core marketplace concepts
· Identify the key elements of a customer-driven marketing strategy and discuss the marketing management orientations that guide marketing strategy
· Discuss customer relationship management
· Describe the major trends and forces that are changing the marketing landscape in this age of relationships
September 15 / Chapter 3: Analysing the Marketing Environment
· Describe the environmental forces that affect the company’s ability to serve its customers
· Explain how changes in the demographic and economic environments affect marketing decisions
· Identify the major trends in the firm’s natural and technological environments
· Explain the key changes in the political and cultural environments
· Discuss how companies can react to the marketing environment
September 16 / Chapter 4: Managing Marketing Information to Gain Customer Insights
· Explain the importance of information in gaining insights about the marketplace and customers
· Define the marketing information system and discuss its parts
· Outline the steps in the marketing research process
· Explain how companies analyze and use marketing information
· Discuss the special issues some marketing researchers face including public policy and ethics issues
September 22 / Chapter 5: Consumer Markets & Consumer Buyer Behaviour
Delivered by Topic Expert Ann Walsh, Department of Marketing
· Define the consumer market and construct a simple model of consumer buyer behaviour
· Name the four major factors that influence consumer buyer behaviour
· List and define the major types of buying decision behaviour and the stages in the buyer decision process
· Describe the adoption and diffusion process for new products
September 23 / Industry Guest Speaker - TBC
September 29 / Chapter 6: Business Markets & Business Buyer Behaviour
Delivered by Topic Expert Ann Walsh, Department of Marketing
· Define the business market and explain how business markets differ form consumer markets
· Identify the major factors that influence business buyer behaviour
· List and define the steps in the business buying decision process
· Compare the institutional and government markets and explain how institutional and government buyers make their buying decisions
September 30 / Industry Guest Speaker - TBC
October 6 & 7 / Chapter 7: Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy – Creating Value for Target Customers
Delivered by Topic Expert Ann Walsh, Department of Marketing
· Define the major steps in designing a customer-driven marketing strategy: market segmentation, targeting, differentiation and positioning
· List and discuss the major bases for segmenting consumer and business markets
· Explain how companies identify attractive market segments and choose a market-targeting strategy
· Discuss how companies differentiate and position their products for maximum competitive advantage in the marketplace
October 13 / Chapter 8: Products, Services & Brands – Building Customer Value
· Define product and the major classifications of products and services
· Describe the decisions companies make regarding their individual products and services, product lines and product mixes
· Discuss branding strategy – the decisions companies make in building and managing their brands
· Identify the four characteristics that affect the marketing of a service and the additional marketing considerations that services require
October 14 / Chapter 8 (contd.)
Chapter 9: New-Product Development & Product Life-Cycle Strategies
· Describe the stages of the product life cycle and how marketing strategies change during the product’s life cycle
· Discuss two additional product issues: socially responsible product decisions and international product and services marketing
October 20 / Chapter 10: Pricing – Understanding & Capturing Customer Value
· Answer the question ‘What is a price?” and discuss the importance of pricing in today’s fast-changing environment
· Discuss the importance of understanding customer value perceptions when setting prices
· Discuss the importance of company and product costs in setting prices
· Identify and define the other important external and internal factors affecting a firm’s pricing decisions
October 21 / Chapter 10 (contd.)
October 27 / Chapter 12: Marketing Channels: Delivering Customer Value
· Explain why companies use marketing channels and discuss the functions these channels perform
· Discuss how channel members interact and how they organise to perform the work of the channel
· Identify the major channel alternatives open to the company
· Explain how companies select, motivate, and evaluate channel members
· Discuss the nature and importance of marketing logistics and integrated supply chain management
October 28 / Chapter 14: Communicating Customer Value – Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy
· Define the 5 promotion mix tools for communicating customer value
· Discuss the changing communications landscape and the need for integrated marketing communications
· Outline the communications process and the steps in developing effective marketing communications
· Explain the methods for setting the promotion budget and factors that affect the design of the promotion mix
November 3 / Chapter 15: Advertising & Public Relations
· Define the role of advertising in the promotion mix
· Describe the major decisions involved in developing an advertising program
· Define the role of public relations in the promotion mix
· Explain how companies use public relations to communicate with their publics
November 4 / Chapter 15 (contd.)
November 10 / Chapter 16: Personal Selling & Sales Promotion
· Discuss the role of a company’s salespeople in creating value for customers and building customers relationships
· Identify and explain the six major sales force management steps
· Discuss the personal selling process, distinguishing between transaction-oriented marketing and relationship marketing
· Explain how sales promotion campaigns are developed and implemented
November 11 / Chapter 17: Direct & Online Marketing: Building Direct Customer Relationships
· Define direct marketing and discuss its benefits to customers and companies
· Identify and discuss the major forms of direct marketing
· Explain how companies have responded to the Internet and other powerful new technologies with online marketing strategies
· Discuss how companies go about conducting online marketing to profitably deliver more value to customers
· Overview the public policy and ethical issues presented by direct marketing
November 17 / Chapter 17 (contd.)
November 18 / Chapter 19: The Global Marketplace
· Discuss how the international trade system and the economic, political-legal, and cultural environments affect a company’s international marketing decisions
· Describe three approaches to entering international markets
· Explain how companies adapt their marketing mixes for international markets
· Identify the 3 major forms of international marketing organisation
November 24 / Chapter 20: Sustainable Marketing – Social Responsibility & Ethics
· Define sustainable marketing and discuss its importance
· Identify the major social criticisms of marketing
· Define consumerism and environmentalism and explain how they affect marketing strategies
· Describe the principles of sustainable marketing
· Explain the role of ethics in marketing
November 25 Course Review & Examination Preparation
Course Material / Once you have registered for the course you will be able to access lecture notes and assignments via http://blackboard.nuigalway.ieOrla Higgins | Marketing Principles | MK 204 Page 2 of 6