Marketing Management Module: Role, Challenges, and Strategic Planning

The module is designed to enable students develop an appreciation of the role of marketing and the management of marketing functions in the modern organisation. It will focus on what being "market oriented" means, in practice, to contemporary organisations. The module helps you understand the challenges of marketing management such as: analysing marketing environments; evaluating strategic alternatives and designing and implementing marketing programmes involving decisions about products/services, pricing, distribution and promotion. We will explore the concept of strategic marketing planning and tactical marketing decisions and discussing some of the key challenges facing marketers, including CSR, global decision-making, government involvement and changing legislation in today’s post pandemic world.

On successful completion of this learning, and this module, you will be able to:

1. Critique key theories, concepts and models in marketing and its role in the achievement of organisational objectives.

2. Critically evaluate organisational current markets and/or sectors within which it operates.

3. Develop, implement and evaluate a marketing plan that contributes towards achieving strategic organisational objectives.

For the organisation you used in CW1 you will develop a Marketing plan that contributes towards achieving strategic organisational objectives. The Marketing plan should make use of various strategy models and discuss the implementation and evaluation of marketing frameworks and tools. In your Marketing plan you should show that it:

? Supports the organisational objectives

? Demonstrates understanding of the stakeholder needs

? Is in line with the marketing objective(s)

? Shows consideration of external and internal environment – identified in CW1

Introduce the organisation, its background, history, products/services and main market(s). Introduce the objectives and the scope of the report.

Section 1: Strategies for Growth and Marketing Objectives

Application of the BCG matrix, the Ansoff Matrix / Porter’s Generic Strategies will enable you to identify areas of risk and growth within the organisation and possible strategic directions. This section also gives you the opportunity to discuss the strategy based on the SMART marketing objectives for the organisation.

Sensitivity: Internal

The SMART objectives will be one short-term (up to 1 year), one medium term (1-3 years) and one long term (3 years+). You need to demonstrate how these objectives will sustain/improve the success of the organisation and how they meet the stakeholders’ needs.

Section 2: The Marketing Mix

This is your opportunity to explore the 4Ps, or 7Ps, as you currently see them. You can suggest changes to any or all of the components, if these would help to achieve the objectives you have set in Section 1. Remember that the marketing objectives should be in line with the chosen marketing strategy, so refer to the targeting of the company, as well as its positioning, to support your arguments.

Section 3: Communications and marketing planning

Explore the communications mix and how this is already used and make suggestions for future marketing planning. You will discuss the importance of marketing analysis and make recommendations for further communications.

The report needs to be well-presented and well-structured, with good vocabulary and grammar. Citing sources of concepts/theories/models is essential. When you first introduce them, you should also briefly explain their purpose and meaning – this can be done via the citation of an academic source (a book or a journal article, or a report). All citations should feature at the end of your work as a List of references. 

Critically analyse the macro environment using PESTLE or PEST framework.

What factors and trends are most relevant for the organisation, and why? Which are likely to posethreats / offer opportunities?