This course introduces undergraduate students to essential marketing insights. This introductory course covers marketing’s role in the global economy and society, consumer behavior, the marketing mix components, and key concepts for business growth. Through focused discussions and practical examples, students gain fundamental skills in marketing management, enabling them to analyze marketing challenges, understand consumer behavior dynamics, and apply basic marketing strategies for business growth in diverse contexts. 

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Apply the role of marketing in the global economy, society, and individual organizations. 
2. Explain the role of consumer behavior in marketing. 
3. Describe the components of the marketing mix. 
4. Illustrate key marketing concepts utilized to promote business growth. 

Course Schedule and Topics

This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time).

Week 1: Unit 1 – Introduction to Marketing

Week 2: Unit 2 – Strategic Planning in Marketing

Week 3: Unit 3 – Consumer and Business Buying Behavior

Week 4: Unit 4 – Market Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning 

Week 5: Unit 5 – Product Management Essentials: From Branding to Lifecycle 

Week 6: Unit 6 – Value Creation through Marketing Channels and Supply Chains

Week 7: Unit 7 – Marketing Research, Intelligence & Integrated Marketing Communications

Week 8: Unit 8 – Integrated Marketing Strategies: Aligning Service, Pricing, and Digital Marketing

Week 9: Unit 9 – Course Review and Final Exam

Learning Guide

The following outlines how this course will be conducted, with suggested best practices for students.

Week 1: Unit 1 – Introduction to Marketing

1. Explain the concept of marketing and its value-creation process.
2. Identify components of the marketing environment.
3. Describe the role of the 4Ps of marketing in consumers’ needs and wants.
4. Apply concepts of marketing evolution and its broader themes to demonstrate their importance in practical contexts.

Week 2: Unit 2 – Strategic Planning in Marketing

1. Explain the major steps in the strategic planning process. 
2. Describe the role of marketing in the strategic planning process.
3. Identify the structure and different metrics of a marketing plan.
4. Explain the role of ethical marketing in an organization’s overall growth.

Week 3: Unit 3 – Consumer and Business Buying Behavior

1. Explain consumer decision stages: need recognition, search, evaluation, purchase, post-purchase, and disposal. 
2. Explain the fundamentals of business-to-business (B2B) marketing, including buyers, buying situations, influences on buyer behavior, and buying process stages.  
3. Describe ethical dilemmas and how to avoid them in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing.

Week 4: Unit 4 – Market Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning 

1. Apply various segmentation techniques to consumer and B2B markets effectively.
2. Explain Positioning strategies integrated with market targeting for effective differentiation. 
3. Apply ethical principles to address ethical dilemmas in marketing strategies. 
4. Identify key factors contributing to successful market segmentation initiatives.

Week 5: Unit 5 – Product Management Essentials: From Branding to Lifecycle 

1. Explain the core concepts of products, services, and experiences. 
2. Describe the stages of the product life cycle and associated marketing strategies. 
3. Explain branding fundamentals and brand development strategies. 
4. Identify new product development processes and the importance of packaging, labeling, and ethical concerns in creating value for products.

Week 6: Unit 6 – Value Creation through Marketing Channels and Supply Chains

1. Identify major types of marketing channels, retailers, and their functions.  
2. Explain factors influencing channel choice, retail strategy decisions, and distribution management. 
3. Describe the functions of logistics and the supply chain in distribution and retail operations. 
4. Discuss ethical issues in supply chain management.

Week 7: Unit 7 – Marketing Research, Intelligence & Integrated Marketing Communications

1. Explain the significance of marketing research, big data, and various sources of marketing information. 
2. Describe steps for designing and implementing successful marketing research plans. 
3. Discuss ethical dilemmas and how to avoid them in data collection, and dissemination of marketing information. 
4. Identify the elements of the promotion mix and the communication process.

Week 8: Unit 8 – Integrated Marketing Strategies: Aligning Service, Pricing, and Digital Marketing

1. Explain the classification of services, the service-profit chain model, and the service marketing triangle.
2. Apply the gap model of service quality for service improvement. 
3. Describe pricing strategies for new products and existing products.  
4. Explain social media, mobile marketing, and metrics used to evaluate the success of online marketing.

Week 9: Unit 9 – Course Review and Final Exam