Strategic marketing

Context

In this event, we explore the nature and meaning of strategic marketing in driving profitable growth and contributing towards stakeholder value, including consumers, channel partners, employees, suppliers and investors.

In recent years the rise of global competition, the emergence of new technologies and the prevalence of continuous innovation have combined to redefine the external business environment for most companies. These market dynamics have given customers unprecedented value and choice, both in terms of competing companies and alternative solutions to meet their needs and preferences.

In such conditions of consumer sovereignty companies must develop a sharp strategic focus and bring marketing to the fore in their organizations. Furthermore, it has been proven that an approach built upon the creation and implementation of effective marketing strategies can considerably improve business performance and profitability.

When combined with a structured and systematic strategic marketing planning system, organizations can proactively shape the business environment in which they compete, despite the complexities and turbulence of this increasingly ‘hostile’ external world. Please note also that there has been a slow but inexorable trend towards customer choice and power in public sectors such as health and education. Management in these areas are increasingly looking towards strategic marketing and management principles, particularly with reference to efficient & effective resource allocation decisions and communications strategies.

Financial and economic theory argues that it is impossible for investors or companies to continuously ‘out-perform’ the market average rate of return since any advantages they build will eventually be ‘competed away’. In this marketing strategy event, we demonstrate how the sequence of Market Analysis, Knowledge Management, Customer Focus and the building of sustainable differential advantages enable companies to break this most fundamental of economic rules.

It is an organization’s ability to master this sequence and to utilise its associated frameworks, methodologies, processes and tools to make effective and efficient strategic marketing management decisions which underpin long term competitive success in global and domestic markets.

Finally, the theory and practice of market analysis, marketing strategy and marketing management that we explore in this event apply equally to large and medium-sized companies in consumer and business sectors, to manufacturing and service industries, to not-for-profit organizations and even to the smallest of firms.

Indicative Content:

• • The central principles of marketing strategy:
    # Customer value: rational and emotional
    # Environment sensitivity
    # Market segmentation
    # Sustainable differential advantage
    # The strategic marketing mix
  • Services marketing management
  • Marketing planning
  • Marketing assets and liabilities analysis
  • Company analysis: capabilities, competencies & competitive advantage
  • Buyer behaviour & motivations
  • Dimensions of international marketing management
  • Directional policy frameworks & portfolio planning
  • Innovation strategies
  • Branding strategy & competitive positioning
  • Aligning marketing strategy (where to compete) & marketing operations (how to compete)
  • Building the value proposition
  • A brief overview of integrated marketing communications
  • Distribution channel strategy & management
  • Pricing strategy & management
  • Organisation and implementation of marketing strategies

Learning Outcomes

The Primary Objective of this Marketing Strategy event is to provide participants with the analytical skills to undertake comprehensive marketing audits, to create competitive marketing strategies and to take effective and efficient marketing management decisions.

To achieve this, participants will develop the competencies to:

• • Develop a thorough marketing plan based on detailed external market analysis and the creation of a strategically-derived, effective, targeted, flexible and well-balanced marketing mix
  • Address issues associated with the effective implementation of strategic marketing and management programs
  • Exploit marketing strategies as a route to driving long-term profitable organizational growth
  • Understand the role of each individual marketing mix element in marketing strategy creation and implementation and, specifically, to gather and process appropriate information sources to guide strategic marketing management decisions
  • Effectively apply each element of the marketing mix to carefully selected target market segments
  • Assess the role of strategic marketing thinking and practice in enabling companies to ‘out-perform’ the market and create maximum stakeholder value
  • Apply internal marketing methods to enhance external marketing effectiveness
  • Effectively apply each element of the marketing mix to carefully selected target market segments
  • Assess the role of strategic marketing thinking and practice in enabling companies to ‘out-perform’ the market and create maximum stakeholder value
  • Justify marketing investments using traditional and innovative investment appraisal techniques
  • Apply internal marketing methods to enhance external marketing effectiveness

 

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All content © Colin Edward Egan, 2020