Module Description:
This module reinforces what Marketing is for the student by getting to grips with the practicalities of Marketing via a marketing plan. This modules explores what marketing planning is and how it works, how to carry out a marketing auTU Dublin, how to set objectives and strategies, how to schedule and cost out what has to be done to achieve objectives and how to design and implement a marketing planning system.
Module aim
The module is both process and output based. It aims to familiarise students with the process of strategic marketing planning in a practical and applied manner. In terms of output the aim of the module is to enable students to generate a real time marketing plan for a company of their choice which will reinforce the key steps and issues to consider in the process of developing a marketing plan.
Module Content:
The Marketing Planning Process
Introduction to marketing planning. The main steps in the marketing planning process. Defining marketing planning. The strategic and tactical marketing plan. Key components of the strategic marketing plan. Barriers to be overcome in the planning process; confusion; too much detail; separation of strategic and operational planning; failure to integrate strategic market planning into corporate planning; weak support from management.
The Customer, Market and Product
Defining customers and consumers. The market segmentation process; market mapping. Defining the products and brands sold. Key diagnostic tools include; life cycle analysis; the Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG); the directional policy matrix.
Setting marketing Objectives and Strategies Defining marketing objectives and their relationship to corporate objectives. Exploring competitive strategies to secure competitive advantage. Using “gap analysis” to start the process of market planning. New product development as a growth strategy. How to set marketing strategies.
Developing the communication plan: Advertising and Sales promotion
The difference between personal and impersonal communications. Methods for deciding on the mix. The preparation of an advertising plan. Advertising objectives how to set them and use them. How to prepare and set a sales promotion plan.
Developing the communication plan: The Sales plan
Role and importance of personal selling in the marketing mix. Setting quantitative and qualitative sales objectives, improving sales force productivity, managing a sales force. Preparing a sales plan and integrating marketing communications.
The Pricing Plan.
Pricing approaches. Portfolio management, life cycle analysis, product positioning and pricing implications. Pricing for channels, for competitive advantage. How to prepare a pricing plan.
The Distribution and Customer Service Plan
Components of the distribution mix, routes to market (channels) including electronic options. Reconfiguring the market map. Selecting the most appropriate channels. Components of customer service.
Marketing information, forecasting and organising for marketing planning
Marketing research; approaches, budgets. Marketing information systems (MIS). Data warehousing; mining. Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Forecasting techniques. Organisational structures for marketing planning.
The core steps of the marketing planning process will be delivered in lecture format. Guest lectures from companies engaged in the marketing planning process will also be invited to address participants.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |