Introductory description

The module builds on the more managerial perspective in Marketing Analysis to consider the longer term issues in the evolution of markets and competition and the ways in which organisations both sustain their own position(s) and erode those of their competitors.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The historical development of marketing strategy and the nature of evidence, research and understanding.
Market share, experience curves and cost competition.
Market segmentation, positioning and differentiation.
Market based competition: different models, analogies and their implications.
Marketing and regulated markets: issues of public policy.
The evolution of marketing strategy: planning, evaluating and control.
Market organisation, business units, firms and networks.
Market orientation: the reality of ‘market-led, customer-driven’.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Understand the basic processes underlying the evolution and development of competitive markets.
• Appreciate the nature of both sustainability and erosion in the context of competitive advantage in such markets.
• Recognise in general the ways in which both customer and technology evolution can substantially influence such processes.

Indicative reading list

David A Aaker, Strategic Market Management, 6th Edition, John Wiley and Sons, 2001.
‘Marketing Strategy’, in Dibb, Simkin, Pride and Ferrell's Marketing: Concepts and Strategies, chapters 22-24.
Other specific readings will be provided for individual sessions.

Subject specific skills

Understand and work with a set of useful and important concepts such as unmet needs, strategic groups, sustainable competitive advantage, risk, key success factors, strategic opportunities or threats, strategic strengths, weaknesses, or problems, strategic uncertainties, vision, product markets, segmentation, industry structure, portfolio analysis, and scenarios.
Apply these various concepts in a number of specific commercial situations.
Identify and address strategic questions.

Transferable skills

Analytical skills from analysing complex cases as well as from synthesising facts from research for the individual assignment, with emphasis on analyses of marketing strategy processes.
Written communication skills from individual assignment preparation.
Oral communication skills from in-class participation with cases.
Initiative from managing individual assignment tasks.
Time management from managing individual assignment tasks.
Critical thinking skills in all the above.