ENGINEERING TRIPOS PART IIA – 2012/2013

Module 3E2 – Marketing

AIMS

Among business disciplines, marketing is the primary contact point between a business and its customers. Business majors and non-business majors will benefit by taking this course because nearly everybody wears a marketing hat during their career. Understanding marketing will help you whether you want to be an accountant, a movie producer, an engineer, a programmer, a doctor, or a museum curator. Understanding customer needs and how to marshal the resources of an organization to meet those needs will enhance your chances of career success.

This course develops a general management viewpoint in planning and evaluating marketing decisions – decision areas that include target markets, product, pricing, channels, and promotion. This course will also help you understand how marketing decisions are affected by organizational and environmental influences. To develop your ability to contribute to general management, this course will help you develop the following:

• Your understanding of fundamental marketing terms, concepts, principles, and theories
• Your understanding of the close relationship between marketing and other functions within an organization
• Your critical thinking and communication skills relating to marketing

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this module, students should display a fundamental understanding of the marketing management process in different environments, contexts and situations enabling students to use marketing approaches to facilitate goal achievement. This should provide a solid ‘first principles’ foundation for those wishing to pursue a career in marketing, and a sufficient understanding of marketing for those pursuing other career paths to be able to interact effectively with marketing personnel in cross-functional activities..

Teaching Methods

16 Contact Hours + 3 Supervisions mixing lectures, case analysis and class discussion.

SYLLABUS

• Introduction to Marketing.
• Understanding Customer and Context.
• Marketing Research.
• Understanding Company and Competition.
• Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning.
• Product and Place.
• Price and Promotion.
• Customer Loyalty and Relationships.

REFERENCES

Indicative texts and a list of readings for each topic are given in the 3E2 Booklist, available via the Booklist for Part IIA Courses. These include major readings that will be handed out in class, as well as some extra readings. Students are NOT required to do the extra reading or purchase any of the books, but are encouraged to draw on them if they wish to explore some of the topics further.