Introduction to Marketing Communications

This course provides an overview, as well as a foundation, for further studies of key aspects of marketing as practised today. The course focuses on developing competencies in understanding the business environment and applying the tools and techniques of marketing research and analysis to develop effective marketing strategies. Legal, social, cultural and other elements of the marketing environment are considered in cases requiring research of current materials and practical application of course studies. Product, price, promotion and distribution frameworks are examined both as separate and integrated subsets of the marketing mix within strategies oriented toward satisfying consumer wants and needs to achieve organizational objectives. The student gains insights into the complex and interdependent variables involved in developing successful marketing strategies. The strategic planning process is introduced along with the specific concepts and principles involved in the development of successful marketing strategies. In addition to understanding why people buy things, this course uses case study to examine how products, services and consumption activities all contribute to a broader social world.