Marketing

Why do marketers (and marketing) exist? And how do they impact firm outcomes, above and beyond experts from other functions? First-Year Marketing is designed to provide foundational understanding of the unique contribution marketers make to firm performance. While there is significant variance in how the marketing function is structured from firm to firm, we will introduce you to a general management marketing mindset – one in which marketers drive the strategic direction of the firm to identify, create, and deliver superior value for consumers, enabling firms to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace. In short, general management marketing is a strategy course focused on creating sustainable firm value by understanding and delivering value to consumers.

This course is designed to provide students with a framework for understanding marketing’s contribution to firm outcomes and a general overview of key concepts related to the value creation process. Each class session will focus on a different core marketing concept that transcends across industries to provide students with key, foundational knowledge.

Key themes presented throughout this course:

a. How can firms create and sustain superior value for their consumers?

b. How can firms use segmentation and targeting strategies to better position their brands and products relative to rivals?

c. How can firms identify a superior position in the marketplace?

d. How can firms convert positioning decisions into superior marketing plans, including pricing, promotion, product, and place (i.e., distribution)?

e. What are the tools marketers use to analyze, assess, and measure marketing?

f. How do marketers integrate conceptual, strategic, and analytical thinking to develop and deliver superior marketing plans?