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Understanding Marketing Basics

Grow your marketing skills and learn to connect your business with your target audience.

1,626 enrolled on this course

Understanding Marketing Basics

1,626 enrolled on this course

  • 2 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more

Learn the key marketing principles and apply them to your business ideas.

Marketing is one of the most important functions in a business, determining how your audience connect with your product, and influencing the success of your business.

This course has been designed to take you through the basics of marketing. From the key concepts to marketing plans and strategies, you’ll develop the core marketing skills you need to grow a business.

Discover the importance of customer segmentation and how to choose the right target market

On this course, you’ll learn the techniques needed to profile and break down customer groups into segments. By using customer segmentation, you’ll be able to market your product around the needs of your target audience.

Lay the groundwork with the principles of the marketing mix

The marketing mix makes up the core foundation of every marketing endeavor. It consists of the 4Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Promotion, and Place.

This course will take you through each part of the mix to help you identify the key features and how to utilise them when developing your business.

International marketing: is it that different?

Different markets, just like individual customers, have their own wants, needs, and perceptions. It’s crucial to understand the distinctions between domestic and foreign markets to have the best chance of success.

You’ll compare the key differences between domestic and international marketing to learn how to approach expansion from a marketing perspective.

By the end of this course, with your new marketing skills in tow, you’ll be able to begin piecing together effective marketing plans and strategies to tackle different customer groups and markets.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Introduction to Marketing

    • A student studying on their laptop in the evening.

      Welcome to Introduction to Marketing

      This activity will introduce you to marketing and the themes of Course 2.

    • Marketing brainstorming session using sticky notes and 'buzzwords'.

      What is Marketing?

      In this activity, you will learn about key concepts in the study of marketing.

    • A shop owner having a friendly conversation with a customer.

      Customers and Markets

      In this activity, you will consider the decision making factors that influence purchase decisions.

    • A student relaxing after having finished studying for the week.

      Weekly Wrap Up

      This activity will summarize and conclude the week.

  • Week 2

    The Marketing Mix

    • A student studying in their kitchen.

      Welcome to Week 2

      This activity will introduce you to the week.

    • "Big Ideas" Lemonade Stand.

      The Marketing Mix: Product

      In this activity you will learn the principles of the marketing mix in relation to product.

    • A person paying for a product using a credit card.

      The Marketing Mix: Price

      In this activity, you will identify the key features of price within the marketing mix.

    • A person shouting through a megaphone.

      The Marketing Mix: Promotion

      In this activity, you will identify the key features of promotion within the marketing mix.

    • Kabukicho in Shinjuku district, Tokyo, Japan.

      The Marketing Mix: Place

      In this activity, you will identify the key features of place within the marketing mix

    • The city of Tokyo with a map showing showing global connection lines.

      International Marketing

      In this activity, you will compare the key differences between domestic and international marketing.

    • A student relaxing after having finished studying for the week.

      Weekly Wrap Up

      This activity will summarize the week.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify the key concepts in the study of marketing.
  • Compare the key differences between domestic and international marketing
  • Explain the principles of the marketing mix

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in understanding more about marketing and how to use marketing effectively within businesses.

This may also be of extra interest to anyone studying business at degree level or business at level 3.

If you want to further your understanding of this subject, you may be interested in these courses. They’re from the same provider and share the same learning outcomes:

Who will you learn with?

Imran Butt

I am a Tutor in Business Management at the University of Kent, and have been working within higher education for almost 20 years. I also work as a consultant and run my own consulting boutique.

Who developed the course?

The University of Kent logo

The University of Kent

The University of Kent, the UK’s European university, is one of the country’s most dynamic universities. Established in 1965, it now has 19,850 students studying at its various campuses.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$54/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 26 Feb 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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