Understanding marketing

Aims

This course aims to: 

• make you aware of the fundamentals of constructing a Value Proposition
   
• enable you to be able to use the Alphabet Marketing Model
   
• enable you to construct an appropriate marketing strategy for any product or service

Content

This course will take you through the basics of modern marketing practice enabling you to understand how marketing has progressed and to focus on the most important elements of marketing activity to maximise effect and value. Much marketing theory was generated in the last part of the 20th century when manufacturing was still driving marketing behaviour related to products. The arrival of the internet, the rise of the service economy and the provision of a whole new set of social channels, have enabled consumers to be more selective and to have more access to information, turning the tables on marketers who now have to quickly respond to consumer choice rather than being able to dictate what consumers can have. This means that you have to reinterpret the environment as a buying medium not a selling medium and you need to be sure that what you have fits the buyers needs and that you communicate this effectively and truthfully.

At the end of the course you will have a more contemporary view of what tools marketers have at their disposal and a new framework around which marketing activity can be based.

Presentation of the course 

The course is intended to be very interactive, using individual contexts to drive application of the theory and to allow each participant to actively use the frameworks that will be introduced. 

Each session will be based around the definition and description of a model element, including some examples of its use, followed by individual or group application to your own contexts to see how it works and how it may have to be modified to fit. You will be encouraged to feedback your discoveries to the rest of the class and to share any personal insights. 

It can be useful to come to the class with a project in mind, something that you can use as a context and which you can use as framework for applying some of the frameworks. 

Course sessions

1. Audience - Framework 
   This session will focus on defining the various audiences that you need to consider as a marketer including the initial and subsequent users of your product, identifying how and who they are influenced by and lastly being clear about which networks they are part of and how you access them. 
    
2. Audience – Application
   This session will apply the frameworks from Session 1 to a case study and you will be encouraged to apply them to your own context or one that you want to use to show how the theory can be actively applied.
    
3. Benefit 
   This class is focused on how you as the product or service owner can illustrate the value that your customer will get from you, driven by a clear understanding of the benefits they will access. This is linked to identifying why what you are offering is better than other options and how you make those differences clear.  
    
4. Benefit – Application
   This session will apply the frameworks from Session 3 to a different case study and as in Session 2 you will be encouraged to apply them to your own context or one that you want to use to show how the theory can be actively applied.
    
5. Content
   This class focuses on understanding how each marketer needs to become a publisher, generating, distributing and measuring effective content in a range of forms. This process involves being clear about brand values, what stories can be told, leveraging user generated content when available, picking the right media and channels and delivery quality 
   and consistency. 
    
6. Content – Application
   This session will apply the frameworks from Session 5 to a set of case studies and you will be encouraged to apply them to your own context, using your medium of choice, to use to show how the theory can be actively applied.
    
7. Data 
   This class focuses on the challenges that marketers face in collecting, understanding and analysing data generated from marketing activity and from customer responses to that activity. This drives the needs for marketers to develop a data strategy which can optimise work and focus effort on the most efficient activities whilst also ensuring a clear return on marketing investment.
    
8. Data – Application
   This session will apply the frameworks from Session 7 to a separate case study and you will be encouraged to apply them to your own context or one that you want to use to show how the theory can be actively applied.
    
9. Engagement 
   The last class is focused on how marketers stimulate engagement from their target customers and stakeholders. This is linked to creating and maintaining connections which should lead to referral activity and ultimately loyalty and advocacy through activities that include co-creation, active feedback and active customer service. 
    
10. Engagement – Application
    This session will apply the frameworks from Session 9 to a very specific case study and you will be asked to apply them to a context you are all familiar with to show how the theory can be actively applied.

Learning outcomes

Students are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course. 

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• be aware of the fundamentals of constructing a Value Proposition
   
• be familiar with the Alphabet Marketing Model
   
• be able to construct an appropriate marketing strategy for any product or service

Required reading

There is no required reading for this course.

Typical week: Monday to Friday 

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.   

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events. 

Evaluation and Academic Credit  

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.  

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay. 

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit. 

Certificate of attendance 

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.