6 ECTS credits
152 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4015134DNW for working students in the 2nd semester at a (D) Master - preliminary level.
We start by clearly defining business strategies and position the role of marketing in strategy.
Subsequently, a thorough introduction in strategic analysis is provided, existing on the one hand of external analysis and on the other hand internal analysis. We offer frameworks and methods for (1) external and customer analysis, (2) competitor analysis, (3) market/submarket analysis, and (4) environmental analysis. Moreover we deal with the analysis of a company’s own strengths and weaknesses, that we confront subsequently with external opportunities and threats.
Once this information is gathered, we are ready to learn more about strategic options and the implementation thereof, on the basis of for example the marketing mix toolkit. Topics such as ‘sustainable competitive advantage’, ‘value propositions’, ‘brand equity’, ‘innovation’, and ‘synergy’ are introduced in order to provide the needed jargon and to offer a structured overview of the instruments available to strategic marketing managers.The theoretical part of the course will link the Strategic Marketing theory to real-life business cases, with a global perspective. The practice part of the course allows you to sharpen your skills both in identifying links between the course theory and the everyday business context as well as to strengthen your functioning in team work.
Slides from theoretical, guest, and practical lectures are posted on Canvas to the largest extent (e.g., depending on confidentiality of guest lecturer's speech). The compulsory study material will be the slides of course and the articles that will be posted on Canvas. This list is not exhaustive and throughout the lectures, additional further reading recommandations may be added.
Optionally, we intend to invite inspiring guest lecturers to complement the theoretical knowledge that is acquired in the course with enriching practical marketing testimonials. Attendance to these guest lectures is (as far as the time schedule allows for it) obligatory.
After this course, you should be able to:
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 70% of the final mark.
Practical Exam determines 30% of the final mark.
Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the Practical Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
(!) In accordance with the supplementary faculty regulations to article 8§3 of the Teaching and Examination Regulations, the examination in the first examination session for all students only takes place in the additional examination block, organized in the two weeks following the spring break.
30% of the total grade can be earned on the basis of the practical part of the course (i.e., group assignments, with optional peer assessments) and 70% of the total grade can be earned on the basis of the exam, which is individual, closed-book, containing both open- and multiple choice questions. For grading of the multiple choice questions, a higher passmark correction may be applied. The use of generative AI for making the group assignments is not allowed.
Participation in the practical part of the course, as well actively attending the guest lectures (in so far it is compatible with the official student time schedule), is compulsory. No replacement assignments will be provided.
The practice sessions (and related group assignments) cannot be retaken in second session, nor replaced by individual assignments. The partial result for this part of the course evaluation will be transferred to second session.
The partial result for the practice sessions part (group assignments) will be transferred to the next academic year, under the condition that a result on this part is obtained of minimum 10/20. The student that however does want to retake the practice sessions part (group assignments) is to send an email to the course holder ultimately on the date of the first class session of the course in the corresponding academic year.
For individual grading on the group assignments, peer assessments can be used. Students are to evaluate themselves and their members on a number of criteria. The result thereof is an individual correction factor. This correction factor will be used to adapt the group score (i.e., the intrinsic value of the group work) to the individual level. This takes place by correcting the group score with a maximum of 10% (upward or downward) to the individual level. When a student does not complete the peer assessment by the given deadline, the course holder can decide to apply the maximum downward correction of the group score. The course holder’s decision has priority and the course holder can decide to strengthen the correction factor, weaken it, or even to not take it into consideration, in case the submitted peer assessment scores are not reliable. Such a decision will normally only be taken in very exceptional cases, but will always be based on clear argumentation, analyses and/or extra observations or meetings.
The deadline for students to submit their group composition on Canvas (for the group assignments) is Friday of the 2nd lecture week of the 2nd semester.
For more information on the specific course information: see Canvas.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Management: Standaard traject
Master of Biomedical Research: Standaard traject
Master of Teaching in Economics: standaard traject (90 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)