Introduction to Marketing
An introduction to the role of marketing in a competitive marketplace.
About this course
Do you want to learn how successful businesses use marketing to increase revenue, share, and profitability?
In an increasingly competitive market, marketing skills are vital to help organizations stand out, win customers, build loyalty, and sustain long term impact and returns.
This Introduction to Marketing course will help you understand the role of marketing and introduce you to the latest tools to help create value and competitive advantage. We explore how new businesses can achieve impact through marketing, providing you with unique insight to apply within your own business.
Learn how to build a compelling value proposition, establish a presence in a market, and compete effectively against rivals. Learn how marketers use segmentation, targeting, positioning, branding, design, pricing, communication channels to win against competitors, attract customers, and build brand loyalty.
Using real businesses as case studies, you will learn how companies such as Skyscanner, Vegware, and Social Bite utilize marketing to build their brand, reach new customers, and future-proof their businesses.
Through this course, you will develop a set of practical skills to set an enterprise apart.
No previous knowledge of marketing is needed. All you need is an open mind and the ability to think creatively. This is the first of two courses that form the Professional Certificate in Digital Marketing Strategy. Upon completion of this course, you will be well-positioned to learn about digital marketing.
What you’ll learn
- How marketing creates value
- How marketing can influence perceptions, purchasing, and loyalty
- How segmentation, targeting, and positioning can lead to more effective and profitable marketing
- How successful brands are developed and sustained
- How design, pricing, distribution, communication, people, process and physical evidence can be used to build compelling and profitable marketing strategies
- How to develop digital marketing strategies, particularly through gamification
Sponsored by: EdinburghX

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Meet your instructors
Ewelina Lacka
Dr Ewelina Lacka is a Lecturer in Digital Marketing & Analytics at the University of Edinburgh Business School. Her research provides insights into major streams in digital marketing, in particular the adoption and use of digital technologies. She also investigates issues related to the use of user-generated content and Big Data. Over the past few years, Ewelina has gained significant teaching experience and effectively implemented and managed a range of digital technologies to enhance students learning experience.
Malcolm Kirkup
Malcolm Kirkup is Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor at Westminster Business School. He received his BA (Hons), MSc and PhD from Exeter, Cranfield and Lancaster Universities in the UK.
Asanka de Silva
Business School alumnus and associate, Asanka is a marking practitioner with experience of leading change in global brands such as Coca-Cola, John West and the Famous Grouse.
Antonia Gieschen
Antonia’s academic background includes a BSc in Business Administration with a focus on marketing, as well as an MSc in Marketing and Business Analysis from the University of Edinburgh. She has previously worked in the banking industry where she analysed large-scale customer data, and is currently working as a doctoral researcher on projects tackling challenges in the tourism industry and access to finance.
Course Features
- Lectures 0
- Quizzes 0
- Duration 18 hours
- Skill level All levels
- Language English
- Students 0
- Assessments Yes
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Week 1: Role of Marketing 0
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Week 2: Consumers and Consumption 0
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Week 3: Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning 0
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Week 4: Designing Products and Services 0
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Week 5: Pricing and Channels 0
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