Good to see many candidates can define marketing as planning to ensure customer value and satisfaction.

Transcription

1 Module report Level: Certificate in Professional Marketing Module: Marketing Please refer to the December 2014 assessment This was the first session of the Marketing multiple choice question paper. Generally, the candidates appeared to have good underpinning knowledge of the key principles of marketing, individual and organisational buying process, marketing mix and some elements of the environmental impacts on the customer and marketing activities. However, there was a lack of understanding of the basic theory, models and principles used within marketing when these aspects were put into any type of context. Candidates received the new style paper well and most were successful. The examination paper was split into two parts, although all tasks were awarded two marks and there were 50 tasks in total. The first 40 tasks were short definitions, or mini examples, of using marketing principles. Tasks 41 to 50 were based on two mini case studies and looked to assess the ability of candidates to contextualise the marketing theory, or practice, in real life situations. This report will look briefly into some of the 50 tasks and make comments about areas of the syllabus that appear to be well covered within the learning process; however, there are areas that could be improved. This report will only highlight some key tasks that were not answered well and look to give recommendations of the teaching and learning process that may improve the achievements of candidates in the future. Task Task 1 Task 11 Task 22 Task 29 Strengths Good to see many candidates can define marketing as planning to ensure customer value and satisfaction. Many candidates were able to see that the specification will define the organisational purchasing process. Candidates could identify telecommunications numeric data provided by the trade and industry sector as being secondary data. Candidates had a good understanding of the 3Ps of the service marketing mix, identifying people as the most important element of inseparability in a service.

2 Task 36 Task 37 Task CS1.1 Task CS2.5 When asked about distribution, candidates could identify that manufacturing of gas turbines would be a business customer. People were also identified by many candidates as being the most effective way of building and maintaining customer relationships. Most candidates could see that the government department report would be seen as secondary research by PTB Banking Group. Many candidates could identify the most useful audit tool to be PESTEL within the organisational context of SnackWell. Task Weaknesses Recommendations Task 8 Task 10 Task 13 Candidates did not always see that reference groups would be a social factor involved in the consumer buying process for a holiday package. In a similar way, this task looked to identify the personal rather than social factors that may influence the purchasing process. Life cycle was the only one that would not be seen as an outside influence. Candidates found it difficult to identify common issues encountered in a business to The task is clear but it would appear that some candidates have a holistic view of socio-cultural elements and were therefore unable to make the distinction between more individual effects on the buying process than social factors. Accredited Study Centres will need to work on this area by looking at individuals buying process and identifying personal and more widely social influences. Candidates have looked at factors that may influence buying behaviour, although it is clear the separation of outside or external influences, against internal or personal influences has been missed. Every candidate purchases products so it is a simple process to look at the influences advertising, peer pressure, their position within their lives, their beliefs and the economic climate and then put these into internal or personal factors and those that are external and outside their control, for example. Candidates need to look across the syllabus area and consider purchasing in different

3 business (B2B) organisational purchasing environment when compared with a business to consumer (B2C) context. environments. The learning opportunities that exist within the candidates own experience can be used. Individual candidates will purchase products and services themselves for their own consumption; however, in their working environment they will purchase products or services because they are required to make their business function. It is then simple to consider an increase in demand for the product they provide, which will directly increase the business requirement for their raw materials leading to derived demand. Task 31 Task 36 Many candidates found it difficult to answer many of the tasks within the marketing mix set of tasks. Task 31 was an example of where candidates were unable to see that price discrimination is a way an organisation would set prices for different groups of customers. More than half the candidates achieved the two marks in this task; however, some candidates made the mistake of not reading the whole task. This could be as simple as an increased number of burger buns being required from the bakery because the local football team is playing at home on Saturday. This will see derived demand for flour and all that is required by the bakery to provide these additional buns. Although some may feel that the Kotler and Armstrong definition would suggest that price segmentation would be the correct answer many other texts do make it clear that changing the price of a product/service for different groups of customer would be seen as price discrimination. It is therefore important that candidates look in depth at different marketing principles and use a range of different learning resources. This must include books such as Kotler and Armstrong, together with web based resources and their experiences. The task looked at distribution channels, but importantly required the candidate to complete the statement. Business customer can therefore be considered a

4 Task CS1.4 Task CS1.5 It was important that Billy s company operated in which distribution channel? Producer to:... This clearly required an answer that completed this statement. The mini case study tasks were where many candidates missed marks, unfortunately once again, reinforcing the lack of contextualisation of the theory. PTB Banking Group needed to look at environmental scanning as a way of seeing changes inside and outside the organisations. The other options were all much too specific to either external customers or internal planning processes. Candidates were unable to see a fundamental marketing tool, the marketing mix. All the others were analysis tools and therefore the only tool that would ensure success would be an appropriate marketing mix to deliver the product to the customer base. distribution channel that a gas turbine manufacturer would sell to a range of other businesses directly and not use distributors or agents, and definitely any type of national retailer. Once again, it is important that candidates read the task and practise identifying key and command words that lead the candidate to the correct answers. Candidates need to practise short answer tasks as part of the learning process. Although many candidates got this task right others may have seen that the SOSTAC model could look at the whole environment. In that on its first S (for Situation) candidates/organisations would ask where are we now?. This would include looking at both external and internal aspects of the organisation. Although a more detailed understanding of environmental scanning will give a better understanding of changes that will allow Jake (from the case study) to understand its organisation s environment. So candidates must use a number of different marketing techniques to find the most appropriate. Although all four options could be seen as correct, as the setting of objectives requires some sort of analysis, it seems that the most influential is the marketing mix. Therefore, once again, highlight the requirements of the teaching/learning process: one the candidates understand how to use the marketing tools, and Two learn to read the task in full, the most influential.

5 Tutors must look to develop the context of using marketing models rather than just the basic models themselves. Use the resources available online at CIM, or the BBC, for example.