COMM_V 296 - Introduction to Marketing

Course Description

This course is designed to provide a broad introduction to the field of marketing. Marketing is far more than just selling or advertising within a business setting; it is a major part of everyday life. This course will illustrate the importance of marketing and will help students develop fundamental marketing knowledge and skills applicable to all specializations within business. Topics include context analysis; consumer behaviour; marketing research; segmentation, targeting, and positioning; product, price, distribution, and promotion strategies; and ethics and sustainable marketing. Content is delivered through lectures, in-class activities, and multimedia resources. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and practice, preparing students to maximize the value of marketing across wide-ranging industries and organizations. Assessment methods may include quizzes, in-class exercises, group projects, exams, and discussions.

Responsible Business Content

This course addresses responsible business and sustainable development by examining how marketing decisions, from analyzing the external environment to designing the marketing mix, shape outcomes for consumers, organizations, and society. Topics include the macroenvironmental factors shaping sustainable production and consumption, sustainable and circular supply chains, and sustainability marketing strategy (Environmental Sustainability); equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenous reconciliation, examined through segmentation, targeting, and positioning and marketing's broader social impact (Indigenous + Equity, Diversity and Inclusion); and marketing codes of conduct and the study of consumer behaviour to understand how to encourage and support responsible decision making (Responsible Business and Ethics).

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

• Understand marketing's role in creating value for consumers, society, and organizations, including its ethical responsibilities.
• Analyze the micro- and macro-environmental factors and consumer behaviour influences that shape marketing strategy.
• Conduct marketing research and apply the segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) process to identify target markets.
• Integrate the four elements of the marketing mix into a balanced, strategic marketing plan for a product/organization.
• Understand the capabilities, limitations, and responsible use of generative AI in marketing.

Corequisite: COMM_V 293 and one of COMM_V 295, ECON_V 201, ECON_V 301.