Part Time Chartered Institute of Marketing: Professional Certificate in Marketing

Chartered Institute of Marketing: Professional Certificate in Marketing
The Professional Certificate in Marketing gives you the practical skills and knowledge to devise and execute marketing activities and gain marketing credibility. It also aims to provide a practical insight into the principles and application of marketing at a tactical level.

The syllabus has been updated recently to reflect the changing issues and practices within marketing and to reflect employers' views of marketing in today's business environment. The Qualification is ideal for junior marketers, those working in marketing support roles (like personal assistants); or if marketing plays some part in your current job description.

By the end of this qualification you should be able to:

• Understand the function and fundamentals of marketing in some depth - including how to write and execute a marketing plan
• Know the many different ways of understanding and communicating with customers, and the function these methods serve
• Understand your organisation's marketing environment, its many constituent parts, and how they work in unison
• Apply practical knowledge - including the collecting and analysing of data, and the establishment of marketing budgets

PART TIME EVENING

Course Content:
Unit 1 - Marketing Essentials
The aim of this unit is to provide a detailed explanation of the key theories and practice behind marketing as an exchange process and a business function. This unit introduces individuals to the importance of the marketing planning process and the role of marketing across the organisation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explain how marketing has evolved and the importance of market orientation in creating customer value
• Assess the importance of marketing, its cross-functional role and the contribution it makes to the organisation and society
• Identify and explain the stages in the marketing planning process
• Assess the key elements of the internal and external marketing environment that impact upon the organisation, its objectives and its activities
• Identify and describe the characteristics and applications of each element of the marketing mix (7Ps)

Unit 2 - Assessing the Marketing Environment
The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the nature and scope of the internal and external marketing environment with broad consideration of the impact of international and global marketing. The unit addresses the key characteristics of the marketing environment and assesses the impact of market forces that are uncontrollable and how an organisation responds to them.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the nature and scope of the internal marketing environment, including the resource perspective
• Distinguish between the types of organisation within the public, private and voluntary sectors and understand the different influences and challenges they face and how their objectives differ as a result
• Identify and explain the different characteristics of the micro environment and recognise the sources of information required to gain a good understanding of it together with its drivers and challenges
• Assess the importance of and potential impact on a market oriented organisation of key trends in political, economic, social, technological and legal/ethical/regulatory environment
• Consider the implications for organisations pursuing both economic and environmental sustainability as part of its agenda for CSR

Unit 3 - Marketing Information and Research
This unit focuses on the importance of marketing information in gaining a more indepth understanding of both the market in which the organisation operates and the customers it seeks to serve. The unit explores different research methodologies and encourages consideration of complementary approaches to collecting a range of market and customer information.

By the end of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding in the ways of collecting and manipulating information to support and justify key marketing decisions.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify appropriate information and marketing research requirements for marketing decision making
• Evaluate the importance of customer databases and their contribution to providing detailed market information to support marketing decisions
• Review the processes involved in establishing an effective database
• Explain the nature and scope of the research industry and discuss the importance of working in line with the industry's code of conduct
• Explain the process for selecting a marketing research supplier, in domestic and international markets, developing the criteria to support that selection
• Explain the process for collecting marketing and customer information, utilising appropriate primary and secondary sources
• Appraise the appropriateness of different qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to meet different research situations

Unit 4 - Marketing for Stakeholders:
The focus of this unit is to recognise the nature and scope of an organisation's diverse range of stakeholders (of which customers are part) and their relative importance to the marketing process and the market oriented organisation.

The unit considers how to manage stakeholder relationships effectively, in terms of utilising a marketing mix that influences and satisfies stakeholder needs in line with the organisation's business and marketing objectives.

On completion, students should be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the importance and status of different stakeholder groups and the priorities for managing an effective marketing and communications mix to aid relationship development.

Learning Outcomes

• Assess the relative importance of organisational stakeholders on the marketing function, and the impact they have on the organisation's marketing activities
• Explain the importance of relationship marketing in the context of the organisation's stakeholders in achieving stakeholder interest, involvement, commitment and loyalty
• Explain how the marketing mix can be effectively co-ordinated to support internal and external stakeholder relationships
• Explain how to co-ordinate the communications mix to communicate effectively with the organisation's stakeholders in line with budget and time requirements
• Evaluate key methods for measuring the success of marketing mix and communications activities

SCQF Level: 6

Entry Requirements:
This is an 'open' qualification, which means you do not need any previous qualifications or marketing experience. However, if you are working or have some business experience, this will certainly help you put your learning into context.

If English is not your first language, you will also need to provide evidence of at least IELTS 6.5 or Trinity ISE III/IV.

Assessments:
Both units will have their own assessment and be as follows:

Unit 1 - What is Marketing? 1 hour online test
Unit 2 - Understanding Customer Relationships: Assignment

Progression To:
Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma in Marketing.

Career Paths:
Employment in managing the marketing process at an operational level.

Start date:
August and January

Duration:
1 - 2 Years

Study Mode:
Part Time Evening