This course is designed to give the student a good understanding of how marketers develop and implement marketing strategies and programs to meet with the needs of their customers, while achieving their business objectives. The focus is on understanding of the basic concepts and application of the concepts in the form of case analysis, discussion of real-world examples, decision-making using game simulations, and development and presentation of marketing solutions. The course emphasizes the following key elements: 1. Strategic Analysis of Market Opportunities: Issues of focal concern include analysis of company, industry, competitors and customers, segmentation analysis, target segment selection, and product positioning; 2. The Marketing Program/Mix: The important elements include the 4 P’s of marketing mix, viz., product, price, promotion, and place (channels of distribution): and 3. Marketing Decision Making Process: This process enables the marketing manager to systematically organize the relevant issues to make appropriate decisions on marketing strategies and programs based on analysis of the market situation. The major emphasis of this process is on application of the relevant marketing tools of analysis to the marketing decisions. Financial analysis of marketing decisions is stressed. The course also highlights special topics in marketing such as digital or online or interactive or direct or Internet marketing, services marketing and international marketing, which are weaved into the course in the form of cases and industry examples.
