In our rapidly evolving digital world, marketing efforts are impacting more than ever before. This course is designed to be an introduction to marketing, for both students who are interested in pursuing marketing and those who wish to be better informed consumers.
In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of business and marketing. They will gain knowledge and skills in economics and the marketing of goods and services including advertising, promotion, product pricing, distribution, selling, management and the impact of global business. This course incorporates current topics and news from the ever-changing world of business and marketing as well as real-world simulations to facilitate student learning and engagement.
Students will begin by considering how the Marketing Concept enables analysis of customer needs and exploring the role of core standards and finance in marketing. Next, students will dive deeper into the Marketing Mix, exploring customer needs and considerations, and exploring the business behind marketing, including economics, financial analysis, and risk management. Students then shift their focus to the product, by investigating the Product Mix, including development of product lines and brand, and considering channels of distribution. Students complete the first term with a focus on business ethics, social responsibility, and pricing strategies.
In the second half of the course, students will turn their attention to promotion and sales, including advertising, sales promotion, publicity, successful sales approaches, and the concept of personal selling. They will then explore the process of market research, as well as the impact of international marketing on the global economy, before considering entrepreneurship and the variety of career opportunities associated with marketing.
Throughout the course, students will explore examples of marketing and consider impacts both locally and globally. Students will conduct research to create their own marketing plan for a specific product. Upon completion of this course, students will have a better understanding of how and why they are being targeted through marketing efforts on a regular basis, as well as how their response impacts these efforts.
About the Self-Paced Course Model
Self-Paced courses are designed for students who need flexibility in their academic schedule. Teachers answer questions and interact with students in Private Topics, provide feedback on work, and host weekly office hours. Students work independently on course activities; the course does not include class discussion assignments or other collaborative work.
This course has start dates on each Wednesday throughout the year. Students must maintain enrollment for a minimum of 4 weeks and have up to 16 weeks to complete all assignments in the course. It is expected that students will work for approximately 90 hours to complete this course, though the amount of time may vary depending on a student’s work habits and comfort with the material.
