Strategy and Planning

Lecture Title: Customer Analysis

• Outline:
• Defining customer analysis and its importance in developing effective marketing strategies.
• Understanding different types of customers (e.g., consumers, businesses) and their buying behaviours.
• Key aspects of customer analysis: needs, wants, motivations, perceptions, preferences, and purchase processes.
• Techniques for conducting customer analysis: market research (surveys, interviews, focus groups), data analysis (CRM data, purchase history, online behaviour), and customer journey mapping.
• Identifying customer segments and their characteristics.
• Understanding customer value and customer lifetime value (CLV).
• Using customer insights to inform segmentation, targeting, positioning, and relationship management strategies, as discussed by Hooley et al.
• Ethical considerations in collecting and using customer data.
• Learning Outcomes:
• Knowledge: Understand the principles and importance of customer analysis, different customer types, and key aspects of their behaviour (IFATE: K1, K4).
• Skills: Be able to apply various techniques for conducting customer analysis, identify customer segments, and interpret customer data to inform marketing decisions (IFATE: S1, S2).
• Behaviours: Demonstrate a customer-centric mindset, empathy for customer needs, and an awareness of ethical considerations in data collection and usage (IFATE: B1, B4).

Lecture Title: Strategic alliances and networks

· Outline:

o Defining strategic alliances and networks and their growing importance in competitive strategy.

o Drivers for forming strategic alliances and networks (e.g., market access, resource sharing, risk reduction, technology acquisition).

o Different types of strategic alliances (e.g., joint ventures, equity alliances, non-equity alliances).

o Characteristics of successful strategic alliances and networks (trust, commitment, communication, shared goals).

o The role of marketing within strategic alliances and networks.

o Managing the complexities of alliances and networks: partner selection, governance, conflict resolution.

o The strategic implications of network structures for competitive advantage.

o Evaluating the performance of strategic alliances and networks, as discussed by Hooley et al.

· Learning Outcomes:

o Knowledge: Understand the concepts of strategic alliances and networks, the reasons for their formation, and the different types and characteristics of successful collaborations (IFATE: K1, K6).

o Skills: Be able to analyze the strategic rationale for alliances, identify key factors in partner selection and management, and understand the role of marketing within these collaborative structures (IFATE: S1, S3).

o Behaviours: Demonstrate a collaborative mindset, an understanding of the importance of building and maintaining relationships, and strategic thinking in leveraging alliances for competitive advantage (IFATE: B1, B4).

Lecture Title: Strategy implementation and internal marketing

· Outline:

o The importance of effective strategy implementation for marketing success.

o Key elements of successful marketing strategy implementation: organizational structure, resource allocation, skills and capabilities, internal communication, reward systems.

o Understanding the concept of internal marketing: viewing employees as internal customers.

o The role of internal marketing in aligning employees with marketing goals and customer needs.

o Developing an internal marketing plan: internal communication strategies, training and development, motivation and engagement.

o Aligning internal marketing efforts with external marketing strategies.

o Overcoming internal barriers to strategy implementation.

o Measuring the effectiveness of strategy implementation and internal marketing, as discussed by Hooley et al.

· Learning Outcomes:

o Knowledge: Understand the critical factors for successful marketing strategy implementation and the principles and importance of internal marketing (IFATE: K1, K6).

o Skills: Be able to analyse organizational factors that facilitate or hinder strategy implementation and develop an internal marketing plan to support external marketing objectives (IFATE: S1, S3).

o Behaviours: Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of internal alignment and employee engagement in achieving marketing success and the ability to foster a customer-centric internal culture (IFATE: B1, B4).