Module description
The lecture course, supported by practical sessions, will consider the different activities involved in marketing and evaluate the competitive process and identify competitive strategies. Practical sessions will consider the analytical techniques that can be used to analyse the competitive environment, identify the customers and understand their behaviour.

Outcomes
Outcome 1
Define marketing and evaluate its importance to the business.
Performance criteria
a) Identify the different activities involved in marketing.
b) Evaluate and analyse relationships within the marketing system.
c) Identify and apply analytical techniques used in marketing.
Range
Business orientation: production, sales and market orientated businesses.
Marketing chain: the relationship between suppliers, producers, competitors, intermediaries and markets: flow of information, products and services.

Outcome 2
Analyse the competitive environment in which the business operates.
Performance criteria
a) Analyse the interactions of market forces.
b) Identify and evaluate how the business environmental forces affect marketing.
c) Plan and carry out a situation audit.
Range:
Market forces: economic, political, cultural, legislative, technological, implications for organisations of change in these forces.
Analytical techniques: use of indicators as predictors of market size and trends.
Data and survey planning: types and sources of data: sampling methods.

Outcome 3
Identify customers and understand their behaviour.
Performance criteria
a) Identify and evaluate criteria used to segment markets.
b) Identifying your customer and evaluating their behaviour.
c) Analyse features of consumer, industrial and service markets.
Range
Segmentation: social, economic, demographic and location classification systems: lifestyle and industrial classification.
Buyer behaviour: models of purchase behaviour and decision making units.
Loyalty and image: initial and repeat purchase patterns, brand recognition and preferences.