Learn about the marketing world.
Study this course to make better decisions about how and where to market your products or services.
Marketing involves every aspect of getting a product or service from a
supplier to the consumer and includes advertising, promotions, packaging
and distribution, sales and after-sales services. There are endless options of how these can be combined and categorised to market a product or service. These different ways of marketing are sometimes put into categories, or classifications of systems that share common features.
Marketing Systems can operate locally, nationally and internationally; can be simple or complex; have a retail or wholesale orientation etc.
In the past, marketing systems were well established, and
change came slowly. Today though, nothing is quite as certain as
change!
This course is not going to show you a system or formula that has
operated for a long time that can be copied and used. Because of the rate of change we see in the modern world, this isn't possible.
As a student of this course, you will explore a range of systems that
have existed, and the various ways they have operated. This will give
you a broad understanding of Marketing Systems and lay a
foundation for you to understand those you encounter, or to develop new
marketing systems as you find the need.
If you haven't studied marketing before, this course would be a good place to start. It is a standalone program and can be studied separately and can be included in a longer study program, with other
marketing or business courses.
Lesson Structure
There are 10 lessons in this course:
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Marketing Systems
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Innovation
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What is a marketing system
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Choosing the right system
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Types of customers
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Pure competition
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Monopolistic competition
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Oligopoly
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Monopoly
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Globalisation
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Internet marketing: demographics, promotions, targeting internet users
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Supply systems
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Retailing Systems and Strategies
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Types of retail systems: shops, markets, traveling salesmen, pyramid schemes, shows, telephone sales, etc
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Retail life cycle
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Factors influencing retail strategy
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Terminology
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Wholesale Systems and Strategies
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Self marketing
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Cooperatives
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Agents
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Regulated systems
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Independent intermediaries
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Manufacture owned intermediaries
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Agricultural marketing legislation and marketing boards
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Livestock selling systems -case studies
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Product Presentation and Packaging
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Specialist marketing services: packaging, labelling, display, signs, public relations
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Merchandising
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Principles to follow when buying
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Selling: credit or cash?
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Personal service, mail order or self service?
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Shop layout
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Packaging and labelling
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Branding
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Negotiation Skills
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Understanding customers and markets
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The local environment
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Personal selling skills
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Marketing Organisations
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Distribution enterprises
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Advertising agents or departments
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PR enterprises
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Sales enterprises
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Marketing tasks : Market research, Merchandising, Promotion, Transport, Records
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Marketing strategies
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Diversification
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International Marketing I
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Introduction
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Why enter the international marketplace
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Alternative ways to trade internationally
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Degrees of export marketing
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Pitfalls
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Significance of the internet
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Analyzing the Market Market analysis
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Trend analysis
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Market research
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Analysing the Market
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The Marketing Mix
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Marketing mix and checklist
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Strategic planning
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Tactical planning
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International Marketing II
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What countries
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Restrictions to international marketing
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Economic communities
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Strategies
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Market entry strategy
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Implementing a strategy
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PBL project
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Explain the difference between the consumer market and other markets.
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Draw a chart showing the market channels followed by a product or service.
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Explain the differences between retailing and wholesaling.
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Explain procedures, stages and concepts involved in retail marketing a product.
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Explain the wholesale marketing system of this business.
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Explain the core, tangible and augmented product of a favourite product which you buy and use frequently?
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Suggest alternative ways that products might be packaged and presented in the retail situation.
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Assess the marketing performance of two different companies.
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Decide what preparatory studies should be made of a country before making a decision about whether to export there or not?
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Explain procedures, stages and concepts involved in the marketing internationally of a product.
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Suggest a product or service which you think has potential for marketing in another country.
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Write a report on the marketing profitability of a business.
COMPETITION OR MONOPOLY?
When one supplier (of particular goods or services) is able to control some aspect of either production or marketing (related to their product), they are able to exercise excessive influence upon the supply of that product. In effect, they have created a situation where they can stop supply, or control supply, irrespective of what anyone else does. This is a monopoly.
Examples:
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If all meat is transported by rail and there is only one railway then the railway is monopolising part of the meat distribution system. The railway can thus charge whatever it chooses to charge, and the other businesses involved in the meat industry are left with no choice but to pay.
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If there is only one baker supplying bread to a country town, that baker monopolises bread supply to that town. The bakery can then increase their price on bread, and the community must pay or go without bread.
When there are many suppliers of goods and services, the customer has a choice, and competitive forces will encourage suppliers to be more efficient and keep their prices lower.
There are in fact four different types of competition:
1. Pure Competition
Here there is an unlimited number of competitors. It is relatively easy for new competitors to emerge if old ones disappear, partly because the product is generally relatively easy to supply, and undifferentiated. Price is not usually very important, and promotion is not a key factor in success.
Businesses such as lawn mowing or cut flower growing may always be subject to pure competition. For most people, variations in price or service are relatively unimportant, and buying cut flowers or having the lawn cut is not something we usually do as a response to an expensive advertising campaign.
2. Monopolistic Competition
This occurs when there are many competitors, but it is not always easy for a new business to enter the market. If someone wants to enter this type of market, they will probably need time, money, and perhaps some level of expertise before they can commence business. Price competition and promotional campaigns are not very important, but the market place does tend to be differentiated, and there are often optional products or services which a customer could easily choose to buy in place of your product or service.
3. Oligopoly
In an oligopoly there are relatively few competitors, and it is difficult for new businesses to enter the market place and secure any significant proportion of the market. There may be many barriers to entry (eg. a large financial investment may be required), price competition can be strong, and promotion can become very important.
4. Monopoly
In a monopoly, there is only one supplier of a particular type of service or product; and as such entry of new businesses into that market is restricted, sometimes by law (eg. public utilities), or sometimes because of the overwhelming economic dominance of the supplier.
GLOBALISATION
We used to think of markets as something that existed in regions, districts or countries. For example, there would be a market for books in the UK, and another market for books in the USA. In the modern world, markets are losing this geographic differentiation, and we are moving increasingly towards global markets. In the past when someone wanted to buy fruit in Australia, for example, they would naturally look to buy from Australian producers - but today they may consider buying from producers anywhere in the world.
The process of globalisation is being fostered by:
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changes in world politics (ie. reduction of tariffs)
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improvements in international communications
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the internet
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improved shipping (more reliable shipping, more cost-effective transportation, etc)
WHY THIS COURSE?
Every successful business must have someone who understands all of the things covered by this course.
You don't necessarily need to be a marketing expert or top salesperson
to work in business. If you want to work in sales or
marketing, this course is recommended
Start Here
Unless you have studied marketing previously, this is probably the first marketing course you should do.
It may well be taken as part of a longer study program, with other
marketing or business courses following on after you complete this
course. It also stands alone as a complete vocational training or
personal development course by itself.
MARKETERS ARE NEEDED
Really good marketing staff are rare. To be good at marketing, it
takes a certain personality combined with a positive attitude, an
awareness of the product and market place you are working with, and
finally a broad understanding of marketing practice and theory.
Understanding marketing theory and practice comes from study; and
everything else develops afterwards, if you commit and apply yourself to
building experience.
AFTER YOUR STUDY
Graduates will have increased knowledge, a greater understanding and a
growing awareness of marketing. in a way that can be applied to any
product or service whatsoever.
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Some graduates will use this to start or speed up a career as a
marketing officer or salesperson. Effective marketers or sales people
can command very attractive rates of pay.
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Other graduates will use this course to make significant changes to the way they operate their own business.
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