MKTM028 Strategic Marketing Module Guide Developed for all MKTM028_1617 cohorts by Module Director: Dr Stephen Castle University of Northampton Email: [email protected] Strategic Marketing: Strategic Marketing is an essential management & leadership competence to guide senior management in today's increasingly dynamic & complex environment. The strategic marketing module will equip senior and aspiring senior managers with the skills to help shape organisational success. A cornerstone of this is the value of leadership and planning of marketing activity. Strategic Marketing is a critical organisational mechanism for creating & sustaining superior performance in the marketplace. The module will centre around two central tenets of marketing strategy formulation: (1) Focus on the customer (2) The creation of competitive differentiation and competitive advantage. Moreover, the module will give participants a strategic perspective of marketing management with respect to the analysis, planning, implementation and control of marketing activities. Aims of the Module: • To develop a critical understanding of the value and benefit to an organisation of a marketing orientation, the underlying justification for such a management approach and its implications in practice. • To enable participants to critically evaluate the tasks, responsibilities and value of marketing (as a philosophy, as well as an activity) to create a customer-focused and competitively robust marketplace strategy Key topics and focus (weekly schedule of lectures/activities) Wk1 – What is marketing & a market orientation? Wk2 – Strategic Marketing Planning Wk3 – The external environment Wk4 – Customer analysis & Behaviour Wk5 – Effective competitor analysis Wk6 – The drive for marketing value Wk7 – Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning Wk8 – Creating sustainable competitive advantage Wk9 – Competing through the new marketing mix Wk10 – Service marketing & the service economy Wk11 – Marketing sustainability Wk12 – 21st Century Marketing Wk13 – The importance of implementation Learning outcomes: On successful completion of the module, participants will be able to: Knowledge and Understanding a) Justify, using robust practical and theoretical evidence, the application of marketing across a variety of orgainisational contexts b) Critically select and apply relevant marketing theories, conceptual models and frameworks in the development of marketing strategies within a dynamic business environment to produce superior marketplace performance. c) Demonstrate knowledge applied to evaluate marketing practice in relation to the cross-functional aspects of business & management with the goal of enhancing long-term shareholder value Subject Specific skills d) Synthesise complex organisational based information, together with dynamic external data into effective marketing lead strategies. e) Demonstrate an ability to work effectively in a leadership role in order to carry out marketing tasks linking theory to practice Key Skills f) Make discriminating use of a range of learning resources in order to solve organisational marketing related problems g) Communicate the solutions arrived at, and the thinking underlying them, in verbal and written form. Study Hours Teaching, learning + assessment activities Study hours All contact hours: (total) 39 Lecture 13 Workshops 26 Independent study hours (total) 111 Workshop preparation 13 Independent study 98 Assessment Hours 50 Assignment 1 20 Assignment 2 30 Total 200 CONTEXT* This module is delivered in a face to face, guided tutor, guided learning materials and self-directed/independent form, delivered to student cohort(s) taught by UN and non-UN staff. ASSESSMENT STRUCTURE* Assessment Items Units Weighting Learning Outcomes AS1- Assignment 2,000 words 2.0 40 b,c,d,f,g AS2- Assignment 3,000 words 3.0 60 a,c,d,e,f,g AS1 is due in week 7 from the start of the module delivery. AS2 is due in week 16 from the start of the module delivery. This module also has a dedicated NILE (Northampton Integrated Learning Environment) site which will be used to post material for the sessions and as a vehicle for communication between you and the course team. We welcome and encourage your participation and comments. Reading Core text (supplied as e-book at UoN) Hooley,G. Piercy,N. & Nicoulaud,B (2012) Marketing Strategy & Competitive Positioning. Harlow Pearson At master’s level, you must read more widely than the core texts if you are to succeed in passing the assessments, as well as being a successful marketing practitioner. You are, therefore, offered a range of other reading material below. It is vital that you read from the core texts and other specified articles or journals prior to each session in order to be able to fully participate in and benefit from the sessions. In addition, however, you must also acquaint yourself with other authors on each of the subjects studied. Your assessed work will not pass if it relies solely on references to the core texts. If you have problems accessing reading material please consult with the Faculty Librarian - Joanne Farmer - based in the main Northampton library. Assessment Strategy You are required to undertake two assessments for this module, outlined above. Assessments will be available to students via NILE on a timely basis, and will test the understanding & application of key strategic marketing principles. Assessment one constitutes 40% of the overall grade & assessment two 60%. More details are given under the assessment tab on the NILE site University of Northampton Harvard referencing system is used at all times for the recording & citing of all academic theory. It is an important academic skill & principal to follow and observe. Students must familiarise themselves with Harvard referencing and make the time to understand & apply it. Assignments should be accurately and appropriately referenced. Marks may be deducted for poor or inadequate referencing. The work submitted must be authentic and original, in other words, the assignment should be your own work. • Where there is concern over the authenticity of an assignment, it will be referred to the Faculty Academic Integrity Officer (FAIO). Work that has been plagiarised will be dealt with very severely. You may fail the complete module if you cheat. • All completed work must be submitted Electronically through the NILE site for the Module. Details will be issued in due course. • It is important that you plan your time professionally, and comply with assignment submission dates as these are non-negotiable. Extensions will not normally be given. If an extension is given it will only be in exceptional circumstances and be a maximum of two weeks. Lost work, crashed computer, poor time management, are NOT valid reasons for an extension. • If you are unable to submit your assignment by the required date and have legitimate grounds you will need to make an application through the university mitigating circumstances policy, details of which are outlined on the university web site. Academic Obligations Students who enrol on a course at The University of Northampton are expected to fulfil the academic requirements for the course and meet any associated forms of professional or vocational conduct. These include: • attendance at all scheduled lectures, seminars and other similar teaching sessions • participation in and engagement with all scheduled teaching sessions, including completing appropriate preparatory work • providing prompt explanations for unavoidable absence from such sessions Where a student is found not to be meeting these requirements she/he will be subject to the procedure for Failure to meet Academic Obligations. University policies and procedures The Academic Registry intranet site can be accessed by accessing the university web site on www.northampton.ac.uk and then clicking on ‘Academic Registry’ under ‘Schools and Departments’. This contains information on University policies relating to issues such as: Academic regulations and appeals Mitigating Circumstances procedures – crucial to consult and use if you think you cannot submit an assignment on time or cannot sit an exam for a legitimate reason Academic Misconduct, Misrepresentation and Cheating You must abide by The Student Code of Conduct including your academic obligations as a student, details of which are outlined on the University web site.