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Introduction to marketing

• Market orientation versus product orientation
• Market share
• Market growth
• The importance of market share and market leadership (HL only)

Marketing planning

• The role of marketing planning
• Segmentation, targeting (target market) and positioning (position maps)
• The difference between niche market and mass market
• The importance of having a unique selling point/proposition (USP)
• How organizations can differentiate themselves and their products from competitors

Market research

• Why and how organizations carry out market research
• The following methods/techniques of primary market research:
1. Surveys
2. Interviews
3. Focus groups
4. Observations
• The following methods/techniques of secondary market research:
1. Market analyses
2. Academic journals
3. Government publications
4. Media articles
5. Online content
• The difference between qualitative and quantitative research
1. Quota
2. Random
3. Convenience

The seven Ps of the marketing mix

• Product
• The relationship between the product life cycle, product portfolio and the marketing mix
• Extension strategies
• The relationship between the product life cycle, investment, profit and cash flow
• The following aspects of branding:
1. Awareness
2. Development
3. Loyalty
4. Value
• The importance of branding
• Price
• The appropriateness of the following pricing methods:
1. Cost-plus (mark-up) pricing
2. Penetration pricing
3. Loss leader
4. Predatory pricing
5. Premium pricing
6. Dynamic pricing (HL only)
7. Competitive pricing (HL only)
8. Contribution pricing (HL only)
9. Price elasticity of demand (HL only)
• Promotion
• The following aspects of promotion:
1. Below the line promotion
2. Above the line promotion
3. Through the line promotion
• Social media marketing as a promotional strategy
• Place
• The importance of different types of distribution channels
• People
• The importance of employee–customer relationships in marketing a service and cultural variation in these relationships
• Processes
• The importance of delivery processes in marketing a service and changes in these processes
• Physical evidence
• The importance of tangible physical evidence in marketing a service
• The importance of tangible physical evidence in marketing a service
• Appropriate marketing mixes
• Appropriate marketing mixes for particular products or businesses