Marketing for Non-Marketing Professionals

Some of you may have (or have not) studied marketing before; for others it may be your first introduction to the subject. Whichever it is we hope the experience is a satisfying one and develops your interest in marketing. We look forward to working with you to be able to market yourself and your organisation more profitably for the future of your business and attract more customers. We hope the course will be a pleasurable and delightful learning adventure and you enjoy the course and find it a stimulating and rewarding experience.

1. The course will introduce all professionals to the theories, concepts, models, techniques and current best-practices for developing and implementing marketing strategies and actions. Marketing decision-making should not take place in a vacuum. Non-marketing professionals will familiarise themselves with the components of market analysis and strategy development with respect to the organisation, its customers, competitors and collaborators. There will be more in-depth coverage of marketing implementation and control issues through the concept of the integrated marketing mix: the product/service offering and customer service, communications, pricing and channels.
2. As a management function, marketing’s role is to scan the customer and competitor environment, proactively seeking opportunities and ways to cost-effectively respond to those opportunities. The impact of marketing and the contribution of marketing to organisational performance in the dynamic, globally competitive markets of today will be addressed in the course.
3. Today's markets are characterised by rapidly changing customers' wants, accelerating pace of technological advances, and intensifying competition, presenting major challenges for both incumbent and upstart enterprises alike. For most organisations, marketing is a major determinant of success.
4. Develop knowledge and understanding of key theories, concepts and models in marketing to guide the development and execution of marketing strategies, market planning and control.
5. Develop the skills to critically analyse marketing situations facing organisations including marketing communication and sales strategy.
6. Gain understanding of marketing decision options and refines decision-making and analytical skills.
7. Develop skills relating to marketing research and defending and justifying marketing case study analyses.
8. Understand other issues relating to marketing such as environmental consideration, ethics, legal, etc.
9. Demonstrate in-depth understanding of marketing functions and to critically review and explain, with reference to case-based and real-life examples, the role that marketing plays in achieving organisational success.
10. Explain the challenges facing marketing decision-makers in the modern organisation, and to characterize and discuss the responses that are appropriate in a national and international context.
11. Critically analyse the complexity of the competitive environment and to interpret its impacts on marketing decisions and activities.
12. Critically appraise and draw selectively from, the toolkit of marketing concepts and analytical tools, in order to formulate marketing plans, including marketing strategies and appropriate marketing mix policies.
13. Critically evaluate marketing problems including case-study materials, and justify proposals for marketing plans and actions, which are suitable for board level discussion.