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• Undergraduate study:
• Courses
• Order a prospectus
• How to apply
• Information for applicants
• Why choose Kingston University
• Disability and mental health support
• Accommodation
• Undergraduate fees
• Fees, funding and payments
• Access, participation and inclusion

Essentials of Marketing

• Module code: BD4003
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 4
• Credits: 30
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module is a core requirement for students studying the HND in Business. It aims to introduce you to the marketing concept and enable you to apply the learning to simulated and/or practical situations. Further, it aims to develop transferable skills that will support you in your studying and employability. To that end, the module forms part of an integrated overall level 4 and HND structure.

Aims

• To provide students with an understanding of the role of marketing within businesses and varying organisational contexts.
• To provide an overview of marketing for all students as a basis for further studying of business as a whole and more specific/specialist marketing.
• To assist in the development of transferable and key skills for future employability and successful study.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• demonstrate understanding of core marketing principles and how they apply in a variety of organisational contexts.
• refer to, and explain in their own words, marketing terminology, principles, classifications, theories/concepts, and the interrelationships between them, through practical examples. Both written and oral forms of communication, such as in business reports and professional presentations will be required.
• research, use, interpret and, where appropriate, visually represent, key data used in marketing.
• formulate simple marketing solutions to problems concerning businesses and their markets.
• work with others in assessing problems and developing solutions
• demonstrate the ability to plan a piece of academic work.

Curriculum content

• The marketing concept and how it applies in different organisational contexts.
• Marketing environment
• Marketing analysis, including interpretation of key quantitative data.
• Ethics and sustainability.
• Marketing research
• Introduction to consumer and organisational buyer behaviour
• Introduction to marketing planning and strategy
• Strategic marketing: segmentation, targeting, positioning
• Marketing mix decisions including branding
• Services marketing
• Relationship marketing
• Basic budgeting for marketing
• Introduction to digital marketing (and throughout).

Skills developed:

• Presentation skills (Comms)
• Use of PowerPoint (IT)
• Business report writing (Comms)
• Use of Word templates (IT)
• Critical writing (Comms)
• Numeracy and data analysis - eg. calculating and understanding market shares; market/segment growth rates; data classification; measures of location; profit margins
• Use of Excel to manipulate and visualise data. (IT)
• Problem solving
• Team work and interpersonal skills.
• Self-management, initiative

Teaching and learning strategy

Seminars including practical case studies. Students will be expected to work in groups and follow independent study between seminars.

In class presentations and review exercises (both within class and self-directed) will be used to provide formative and self and peer assessment. In addition, peer feedback is included within the second assessment (feedback on a presentation) in order to formerly develop this skill and encourage full participation.

Marketing games/simulations will take place in seminars to provide practical experience of integrating the marketing concepts, particularly the marketing mix.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

Assessment 1= Assignment: Business report (individual), on a chosen market to support a business' research into market opportunities and will include market analysis, using research, and understanding of numbers. Students will be required to submit a plan in advance to help them be successful (and provide feed forward opportunities); word count 1,500.

Assessment 2 = Presentation: Group presentation covering targeting and marketing mix decisions, including appreciation of budget and will include peer to peer feedback. Mix of group and individual, group presentation, and individual peer to peer feedback.

Assessment 3 = Exam: A range of concepts and principles from the course are covered based on a pre-released marketing scenario. Duration: two hours. Individual.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

Baines, P, Fill C., Page, K. and Rosengren, S. (2017) Marketing, 4th Edition, Oxford University Press.

Bibliography recommended reading

Fahy, J & Jobber, D (2012) Foundations of Marketing, (4th Edition), Maidenhead: McGraw Hill

Jobber, D. (2010) Principles and Practice of Marketing, (6th Edition), Maidenhead: McGraw Hill

Soloman, MR, Marshall, GW, Syuart, EW, Barnes, B, Mitchell, VW, Marketing Real People, Real Decisions (1^st European Edn), FT Prentive Hall, Harlow.

Zikmund, W; Babin, B Essentials of Marketing Research (5^th Edition), Cengage, Andover.

Stevens, R (2012), The marketing research guide, Routledge

KeyNote (latest databases) available using Kingston College LRC access.

Marketing and/or Marketing Week magazines

Learnmarketing (online introduction to marketing)