Overview

Good marketing is no accident. It is both an art and a science, and it results from careful planning and execution using state-of-the-art tools and techniques. Skillful marketers are continually updating classic practices and inventing new ones to find creative, practical ways to adapt to new marketing realities.

In this first week of the study, we lay the foundation for sound marketing practices by reviewing important marketing concepts, tools, frameworks, and issues. Note that marketing applies to a variety of different areas and is increasingly involving many levels of the organization. In addition, together, we will explore the buying dynamics of individual consumers. Adopting a holistic marketing orientation requires fully understanding customers and gaining a 360-degree view of both their daily lives and the changes that occur during their lifetimes to ensure that the right products are marketed to the right customers in the right way at the right time.

This week perhaps might be the most difficult of all for some to grasp as it delves into psychological theories surrounding our understanding of our own minds. It can be, however, an interesting one for us as it opens up and fosters us to think like consumers. Students new to marketing or new to psychology as science may benefit from a full and comprehensive review of the theories and ideas expressed in the two chapters I have assigned you to read.

Module Objectives

In this module, the activities, content, and assignments will guide your learning process to ensure you can:

1.1 Define the scope of marketing.
1.2 Describe the new marketing realities.
1.3 Explain the role of marketing in the organization.
1.4 Illustrate how to organize and manage a modern marketing department.
1.5 Explain how to build a customer-centric organization.
1.6 Identify the key factors that influence consumer behavior.
1.7 Explain the role cultural, social, and personal factors play in consumer behavior.
1.8 Explain how consumers’ needs, emotions, and memory influence their behavior.
1.9 Illustrate the key stages of the buying decision process.

Module To-Do List

Here's everything you need to do and remember for this module:

READ the selected textbook chapters and case study
- Chapter 1 and Chapter 3
- Case Study: Brannigan Foods: Strategic Marketing Planning
WATCH the selected Video Assignments and complete their associated comprehension questions
- 1. Apple Unveils the Latest Apple Watch
- 2. Jones Soda: Marketing and Consumer Behavior
THINK about the Concept Check questions and their connections to the module material and objectives before attending the Live Session
ASSESS your understanding of the module material and objectives in the 2 quizzes related to Chapter 1 and Chapter 3, respectively
- Week 1 Quiz
APPLY your understanding of the module material to the real world by completing and submitting a case report
- Brannigan Foods: Strategic Marketing Planning