Course content

The course aims to provide students with key basic skills through a broad presentation of the marketing discipline, develop students understanding of the topics presented and to develop students ability to apply knowledge in realistic marketing situations. There will also be an emphasis on developing a market-oriented attitude among students. The realization of these objectives means that students at the end of the course should be able to reproduce and explain the theory and solve practical marketing problems.

Topics:

The course is based on a planning perspective and the goal is to show how to proceed in planing an organization's marketing activities and develop a strategic marketing plan for a company:

• Internal and external analyzes - from information to action
• Development of corporate targets; vision, mission, core values and management objectives
• Market-oriented leadership
• Segmentation, positioning and differentiation of the product throughout the product lifecycle
• Purchase behaviour, customer satisfaction and values (B2C and B2B)
• Product strategy
• Distribution strategy - the way to the consumer
• Pricing strategy
• Sales, communication and digital-marketing strategy
• Relationship strategy
• Financial implications of marketing decisions
• Corporate social responsibility, ethical and issues of sustainability
• Service marketing and quality
• New market offerings
• Marketing of "high technology products"

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

Students will acquire the knowledge necessary to understand a marketing plan using the following criteria:

• Understand marketing's history, traditions, characteristics and place in society.
• Understand what marketing and market orientation entails.
• Understand key issues and methods in marketing.
• Understand the principles for analyzing markets.
• Understand the principles behind the development of a marketing strategy with special focus on distribution-, price, communication, product and brand strategy.
• Understand what affects marketing efficiency and profitability.

Skills:

The student can master the relevant professional tools, techniques and forms of expression and should be comfortable with interpreting the contents of a marketing plan that addresses the market challenges businesses face. Included in this is to recommend measures that will allow the business to meet it's market objectives.

General competence:

The core of the marketing profession is the marketing plan. Markets are constantly changing and require continuous analysis of the market situation in order to develop an effective marketing strategy. Students can also convey key subject matter, such as theories, issues and solutions both in writing and orally.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, discussion and cases. Mandatory written submission of a case (group submission).

Compulsory assignments

• Mandatory assignments

Course materials

Required:

Runar Framnes, Håvard Huse, Arve Pettersen & Hans Mathias Thjømøe (2021), Markedsføringsledelse, Universitetsforlaget, 10. utgave

Credit reductions