Level 4 Extended Diploma in Marketing

The continual growth and development in the 21st century requires an accompanying increase in the supply of competent knowledge workers to operate within business organizations. Marketing is one of the most critical and important aspect of any business organization. Communicating the value of a product or service to customers effectively is one of the key for organizational performance and profitability.

This Extended Diploma is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of practices underpinning Marketing.  It is designed to equip those who are keen to take up employment in marketing within the business sector. Those who are keen to further their education can progress on to either the Higher Diploma in Marketing or gain entry and acceptance into Year 2 of a Bachelor degree.

Overall Programme Outcomes

On completion of this programme, learners should:

• Be able to identify core concepts of marketing and the role of marketing in business and society.
• Have business related knowledge and an understanding of the practices linked to the marketing function.
• Be able to examine how consumer buying behavior impacts marketing.
• Be able to examine promotional marketing practices and strategies based on marketing mix.

Assessments

Assessments are based wholly on course work, assignments and work based reports submitted by a learner.

Entry Requirements

Applicants should normally be at least 16 years old.  No prior knowledge is required, but applicants will only be admitted on evidence to show they are able to fulfill and benefit from the objectives of the programme and achieve the standards required.

Programme Structure

The Level 4 Extended Diploma accrues 120 credits over 8 Modules. Each Module carries 15 credits and is in:

• Module 1 – Business Accounting
• Module 2 – Business Economics
• Module 3 – Principles of Marketing
• Module 4 – Principles of Management
• Module 5 – Promotional Marketing
• Module 6 – Information Systems in Business
• Module 7 – Buying Behaviour
• Module 8 – Business Law

Module 1 – Business Accounting

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Practice the basic concepts of accounting and comply with accounting regulatory and legal framework.
• Comprehend basic steps of the recording process in the accounting cycle
• Prepare various accounts for transactions including relevant financial statements.
• Apply the important practice of internal control

Module Content includes:

• Basic Accounting Concepts
• The Accounting Equation
• Analyzing Transactions: Journalizing and Posting
• Accounting Cycles
• Accounting for Merchandising Business
• Prepare Accounts for Transactions
• Prepare Financial Statements for Single Entity
• Accounting Systems and Internal Controls
• Cash and the Internal Control
• Bank Reconciliation

Module 2 – Business Economics

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Acquire relevant knowledge on how economics decision can be made in managing and making management decision pertaining to price-output-cost behaviour of firms aimed at profit maximisation with or without government trade policies or other measures such as monetary and fiscal policies.
• Analyse how the market determines both prices of final goods and services as well as prices/cost of factors of production.
• Evaluate the limitations of the free market which lead to market failures and its impact on prices, efficiency of market operations and economic welfare and how the government can response to market failures.
• Analyse how macroeconomic forces at work in an open economy determines the level of business economic activities including its impact on the equilibrium national income, economic growth, employment level, balance of payments as well as on the general price level.

Module Content includes:

• How markets work for determining prices of final goods and services as well as factors of production
• Market failures and the economics of the public sector
• Firm behavior and the organization of industry
• The determination of macro-economic variables
• National Income Determination
• International trade and balance of payments
• The trade cycles and economic activities fluctuations

Module 3 – Principles of Marketing

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Identify the differing nature of customer needs and wants within a chosen marketing environment;
• Recognise the important role of market segmentation, pricing, targeting and positioning process in a firm’s sustained success;
• Analyse the marketing environment; and
• Understand the marketing planning process and marketing.

Module Content includes:

• Marketing Definition and Marketing Orientation.
• The Marketing Environment.
• Overview of Marketing Planning.
• Consumer Behaviour.
• Marketing Research and Information Systems.
• Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning.
• Introduction to Marketing Mix.
• Creating Customer Value

Module 4 – Principles of Management

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:
• Identify and differentiate the managerial functions;
• Apply and use the concept of management functions; and
• Analyse the environment and use it in management activities.

Module content includes:

• Introduction to Management
• Organisation and Environment
• Foundation of Planning
• Planning Tools
• Organizational Structure and Design
• Communication in Organisation
• Leadership
• Managerial Control

Module 5 – Promotional Marketing

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Identify and explain the fundamental aspects of an Integrated Marketing Communications strategy
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different marketing communications strategies and tools and the metrics used for measuring communication effectiveness
• Describe how consumer insights are minded to develop a communications/promotional strategy and how this strategy is executed across various channels and media

Module content includes:

• Introduction to marketing communications; Communication theory; The marketing communications industry
• Understanding how marketing communication works
• Customer decision-making and information processing
• Managing marketing communications
• Integrated Marketing Communications; Branding; Corporate Reputation management; Evaluating and measuring communication effectiveness
• The tools of marketing communications
• Advertising; Sales promotion; Public Relations; Sponsorship; Direct marketing; Interactive marketing; Personal selling
• The Media and Marketing Communications
• Traditional media; Digital Media; Interactive marketing communications; Media planning

Module 6 – Information System for Business

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Apply the use of IT/IS applications to facilitate business process
• Identify the current technology trends and IT
• Help the organization to evaluate and purchase a new system that is high quality and consistent with business goals
• Identify the needs of organizations in order to develop the information vision, IT architecture and strategic operational plans

Module content includes:

• Introduction: Business and Information Technology
• Organizations and Information Technology Support
• Managing Organizational Data and Information
• Functional and Enterprise System
• Strategic Information Systems and Reorganization
• Implementing IT: Ethics, Impacts and Security

Module 7 – Buying Behaviour

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Identify and discuss the major ideas and theories that characterise the consumer behaviour field  Examine the relevance of consumers’ personal and social make-up and consumers’ behaviour, attitudes, and culture for marketing tactics and strategy
• Discuss the effect of promotional and marketing activities on consumers’ lives

Module content includes:

• Consumer perception and brand images
• The ‘why’ in consumer behaviour and researching consumer motives
• The consumer’s self-concept and body image
• Consumers’ attitudes: how they develop and how they’re changed
• The decision process: stages and limitations
• Purchase and post-purchase stages
• Consumer memory
• Reference groups, families and social class
• Consumer innovation and diffusion of innovations
• Income and consumer behaviour
• Age and consumer behaviour
• Consumer culture

Module 8 – Business Law

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Identify the main sources of commercial/ business law in which behavior within society is regulated
• Understand the meaning and applications of the different provisions of the law of contract in business transactions including standard and exemption clauses, conditions and warranties, remedies and breaches of contract
• Identify relevant employment law provision which governs the employer and employee relationships
• Application of the appropriate laws relating to the financing and management of companies limited by share

Module content includes:

• Introduction to the Concept and Sources of Law
• Offer and Acceptance
• Consideration
• Other Essentials of a Contract
• Contents of a Contract
• Void, Voidable and Unlawful Contracts
• Discharge or Contracts
• Employment Law
• Company Administration
• Finance and Management of companies