This unit is assessed via a 3 hour controlled piece of assessment.
You will need to ensure that you have covered the following subject content in advance of taking this assessment. It is advised that you will have practiced producing many examples of the assessment before completing the actual task.
| Learning Aim | Content | Resources | |
| A Introduction to the principles and purposes of marketing that underpin the creation of a rationale for a marketing campaign. | |||
| A1 The Role of Marketing | Principles and purposes of marketing:o anticipating demand o recognising demand o stimulating demando satisfying demand.• Marketing aims and objectives:o understanding customer wants and needso developing new productso improving profitability o increasing market share o diversificationo increased brand awareness and loyalty.• Types of market – mass and niche market.• Market segmentation.• Branding, brand personality, brand image, unique selling point (USP), implications ofbusiness size for marketing activity, budgetary constraints, availability of specialist staff. | ||
| A2 Influences on marketing activity | • Internal influences: o cost of the campaign o availability of finance o expertise of staff o size and culture of the business. • External influences: o social o technological o economic o environmental o political o legal o ethical. | ||
| B Using information to develop the rationale for a marketing campaign | |||
| B1 Purpose of researching information to identify the needs and wants of customers | • To identify target markets. • To identify size, structure and trends in the market. • To identify competition. | ||
| B2 Market research methods and use | Primary research, to include survey, interview, observation, trials, focus groups. • Secondary research: o internal – business data on customers and financial records to include loyalty cardsand sales records o external – commercially published reports, government statistics, trade journals,media sources. • Importance of validity, reliability, appropriateness, currency, cost. • Quantitative and qualitative data, when and where used. • Sufficiency and focus of the research. • Selection and extraction. | ||
| B3 Developing the rationale | • Interpretation, analysis and use of data and other information to make valid marketingdecisions. • Identification of any further sources of information that may be required. • Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the information obtained. • Product life cycle. | ||
| C Planning and developing a marketing campaign | |||
| C1 Marketing campaign activity | Selection of appropriate marketing aims and objectives to suit business goals.• Situational analysis: SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and PESTLE(Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental).• Use of research data to determine target market.• Use of research data to conduct competitor analysis. | ||
| C2 Marketing mix | Product development: form and function, packaging, branding.• Pricing strategies: penetration, skimming, competitor based, cost plus.• Promotional advertising, public relations (PR). Sponsorship, use of social and other media,guerrilla marketing, personal selling, product placement, digital marketing, corporateimage.• Place, distribution channels: direct to end users (mail/online/auction), retailers,wholesalers.• Extended marketing mix: people, physical environment, process. | ||
| C3 The marketing campaign | • Content of the marketing message.• Selection of an appropriate marketing mix.• Selection of appropriate media.• Allocation of the campaign budget.• Timelines for the campaign, including monitoring.• How the campaign is to be evaluated. | ||
| C4 Appropriateness of marketing campaign | How far the marketing activity reinforces and supports brand value.• The sustainability of marketing activities.• Flexibility of the campaign to enable response to both internal and external changes.• Relevance to organisational goals.• Appropriateness to target market.• Legal and ethical considerations. | ||