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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 1. Understand the broad concepts of marketing strategy and planning. Indicative Content: 1.1 Identify and discuss societal and customer values.

• Ensure that organisations handle marketing responsibilities in a way that contributes towards the well being of society as a whole.

• Make sure that the consumer’s assessment of the product’s overall capacity satisfies his or her needs.

• Have empathy and recognise customer and other stakeholder needs.

1.2 Explain the meaning of marketing in society and for an organisation. • That organisations should determine the needs, wants and interests

of target markets and deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that maintains or improves the consumer’s and society’s well-being.

• Need to consider consumers, society and the company, especially the shareholders.

• Need to maximise the positive and minimise the negative impact on society.

1.3 Explain, identify and describe strategic marketing activities. • Candidates should be familiar with a ‘staged’ strategic planning model

of their choice. This is likely to include: o Mission, goals and corporate strategy. o Organisational opportunities and capabilities. o Strategic objectives. o Target market strategy and brand positioning. o Marketing objectives. o Marketing programmes for implementation. o Performance assessment, feedback and benchmarking.

1.4 Explain marketing’s social responsibility. • Understand the concept and dimensions of social responsibility. • Define and describe the importance of marketing ethics. • Be aware of ways to improve ethical decisions in marketing. • Understand the role of social responsibility and ethics in improving

marketing performance.

1.5 Examine the scope of strategic marketing. • Involves planning and decision-making with the aim of effectively

selecting and pursuing marketing opportunities to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

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• Be aware that in the highly competitive global market, planning cycles are shortening which is resulting in a need to modify strategies frequently and develop and implement new strategies.

• Contemporary strategic marketing development requires flexibility to react to changing market conditions.

1.6 Identify and describe marketing orientation and companies. • Be able to critically describe sales, marketing, product and production

orientation. • What are the benefits of marketing orientation? (Give examples.) • What is a marketing-orientated organisation? • What can be done to improve marketing orientation both internally

and externally? • Marketing orientation is characterised by: orientation towards the

customer, being alert to competitive situations, cooperation between functions, emphasis on profit, not turnover, and responsiveness to change.

Examiner’s Tips: Candidates need to be aware of contemporary marketing issues in a dynamic marketing environment and be able to illustrate their answers with appropriate examples. Have you tried asking candidates to bring in a contemporary issue to discuss at each session? Excellent examples (good and bad) can be obtained from quality newspapers, magazines or from within candidates’ own businesses.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 2. Critically analyse the processes of strategy development and marketing

planning. Indicative Content: 2.1 Evaluate the relevant scope of strategic marketing.

• ‘Marketing strategy is the marketing logic by which the business unit expects to achieve its marketing objectives. Marketing strategy consists of making decisions on the business’s marketing expenditure, marketing mix, and marketing allocation in relation to expected environmental and competitive conditions.’ (Kotler).

• ‘A marketing strategy is the means by which a marketing objective is achieved.’ (McDonald and Payne).

• It is an intuitive process. • It requires a proper analysis of the competitive marketplace. • It involves asking the right questions and finding solutions to a

problem.

2.2 Detail, describe and critically evaluate the function of mission statements, goals and objectives. • It is said that central to the strategic marketing plan is a clear view of

the organisational mission, goals and objectives. • Mission is about corporate values and how the organisation will

behave. • Vision is about what the organisation is going to become. • Both are important and are often combined. • The mission is defined as ‘the broad, long-term tasks that the

organisation wants to accomplish.’ (Wensley). • A mission/vision statement should become the focus of an

organisation’s direction for the coming years. • It is likely to be broad, qualitative and highlight the values/ethics of the

organisation. • An example is IBM. ‘Helping business people make decisions in a

connected world on demand.’ • Goals should specify the ends, or results, that are sought. Examples

may include profit, return on investment, increases in market share, the desire to enter new markets, etc.

• Strategic objectives – determine the most promising directions for the business and marketing activities. May include intense growth, diversified growth or integrated growth. Objectives should be SMART.

2.3 Understand and explain how companies identify and implement the marketing mix of an applied strategic plan. • The marketing strategy involves selecting the opportunities to pursue,

analysing the target market and creating and maintaining an

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appropriate marketing mix. (The tactical ‘toolkit’ of product, place, promotion, price and people.)

• Businesses must determine a marketing strategy, implemented through the ingredients of the marketing mix, which aims to satisfy targeted customers.

Examiner’s Tips: Candidates need to be aware that globalisation, intensive competition and rapid technological developments are shortening planning cycles. Companies must be flexible and review their plans more frequently in order to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Answers need to reflect contemporary issues in marketing. In many businesses there is growing focus on shareholder value. Candidates need to be aware of the ‘balance’ between satisfying customer needs and satisfying shareholder value. Why not build up a portfolio of examples? This might be a good topic for discussion and debate.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 3. Understand the process of strategy development in a dynamic

business environment. (1) Indicative Content: 3.1 Examine the marketing environment.

• Define a dynamic environment. Why are markets so dynamic today? (Create a portfolio of contemporary examples for illustration.)

• All businesses operate within an environment, which directly or indirectly affects the way in which they function. Why is this the case?

• Understand the macro environment in a dynamic environment with particular reference to contemporary issues such as technology, self-regulation, customer power, regulation, laws on marketing practice, environmental issues, etc.

• Understand company-specific micro marketing environmental forces including those within the organisation, with suppliers, intermediaries, buyers, competitors, etc.

3.2 Demonstrate and apply portfolio models to the analysis of markets and competitors. • Describe, explain and show diagrammatically the tools for the

strategic planning of product and market portfolios (BCG, Directional policy matrix, PIMS, ABC sales, contribution analysis, PLC, Porter’s five forces, etc).

• Candidates must be able to critically evaluate each of the tools and consider its value in the contemporary marketplace.

• How beneficial are they to SMEs?

3.3 Explain the importance of monitoring the marketing environment. • Monitoring the marketing environment is crucial to an organisation’s

survival and long-term achievement of its goals. • This should be done through effective environmental scanning and

analysis. • Scanning involves collecting information, observing, ‘keeping an ear

to the ground’, using secondary data and market research. • Analysis involves assessing and interpreting the information to

determine possible threats, ‘fend off’ competitor actions in order to maximise marketing opportunities.

• Candidates need to be aware that this will often involve substantial information that needs to be managed. How might this be done in different sized companies?

• Evaluate the importance of learning, knowledge management and management/marketing information systems.

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3.4 Define and describe the value of market segmentation for differing circumstances. • ‘Market segmentation is the sub-dividing of a market into

homogeneous sub-sets of customers, where the sub-set may conceivably be selected as a market target to be reached with a distinct marketing mix.’ (Kotler).

• Segmentation needs a deep understanding of customers and it must recognise the diversity of customer requirements, perceptions and expectations.

• The benefits of segmentation, targeting and positioning are that if the decisions are based on rigorous analysis and understanding of the market, managers can make quality decisions about where and how to compete.

3.5 Describe the product life cycle and explain its implication for managing the marketing mix. • Explain, discuss and show diagrammatically the PLC. • What are the characteristics of each stage? • How can a portfolio be balanced through the various stages? • Not everyone believes it is a valid concept today. Why is this?

Examiner’s Tips: Recent examinations suggest that candidates are particularly weak at critically evaluating issues. This requires a balanced approach showing both the advantages and disadvantages. Future examination papers will focus on this weakness.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 3. Understand the process of strategy development in a dynamic

business environment. (2) Indicative Content: 3.6 Examine consumer markets and identify and describe the general

influences on demand for a good or service. • Many factors have an effect on demand. These will vary from place

to place and may include: availability, regulation/deregulation, living standards, lifestyle, society, green issues, consumer market forces and pressure groups, competition, technology forces/impact of technology, economic conditions, exchange rates, legislation and government policy, disposal income, price, etc.

3.7 Describe the nature and structure of competition in markets, distinguishing amongst undifferentiated, differentiated and monopoly markets. • Explain and define sustainable competitive advantage. • Explain Porter’s generic routes to competitive advantage. • Scope the nature of the market place using Porter’s five competitive

forces. • Six steps in analysing competitors: identify the competitors,

determine their objectives, determine their strategy, assess their strengths and weaknesses, estimate their reaction and select those to attack and avoid.

• Explain and discuss undifferentiated markets. • Explain and discuss differentiated markets. • Explain and discuss monopoly markets.

3.8 Discuss the impact of market structure on marketing management.

• Effective organisational planning can give a company a competitive edge.

• There is no single appropriate approach. • Organisations should be considered by function, by product, by

region or by type of customer. • Cross functional relationships and internal communication are vital.

3.9 Evaluate the many social, personal and marketing influences in

consumer markets. • These may include demographics, situational factors, levels of

involvement, perception, motives, learning, attitudes, personality, role and family, reference groups, social class, culture and sub-culture.

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3.10 Identify and describe a range of company responses to the consumer buying process. • What are the types of buying behaviour? • Explain and discuss the consumer buying decision process: problem

recognition, information, search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post purchase evaluation.

• What are the factors that influence the buying decision making process? Personal factors, psychological factors and social factors.

• At a time when consumer expectations of products and services are rising, it is more important than ever to keep abreast of trends in consumer behaviour.

Examiner’s Tips: Candidates should be aware of the Value Based Marketing (VBM) concept. This recognises the need for a totally integrated marketing effort that manages the whole of the marketing process to deliver customer value and so build value for the shareholders/owners of the company. To achieve sustainable competitive advantage companies need to offer a total value proposition to their customers. Doyle (2000) says it is ‘by delivering superior value to customers that management can in turn deliver superior value to shareholders’.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 4. Examine and apply the core concepts and techniques for

operationalising marketing strategy, and the elements of the marketing mix. (1)

Indicative Content: 4.1 Explain the distinction between strategic and tactical planning.

• Strategic planning is a structured approach to the formulation of strategy, including the preparation of the plan; the intended actions required to achieve the plan objectives and forecast the consequences of these actions. It is the action that allows realisation of the long-term mission and goals.

• Tactical planning is where the ‘rubber meets the road’. It deals primarily with the implementation phase of the planning process. It turns strategy into reality and usually has a one to two year time horizon.

4.2 Explain the importance of flexibility in determining marketing objectives. • Marketing objectives are typically defined in terms of which are the

most desirable market segments to target and what market share is being sought and thereby what sales volumes are expected to be achieved.

• Marketers must specify a raft of performance metrics to measure performance and provide frequent feedback.

• In the current dynamic and complex global market that is changing rapidly through technological innovation, management must be flexible and respond to these pressures swiftly.

• These factors are shortening the traditional planning cycle. (See 1.5 above.)

4.3 Describe the full range of product/service issues and product/service management issues. • These will include:

o Product mix. o Quality management. o Product and service analysis – which products/services are doing

well/badly? o New product development – how to improve the success rate. o Innovation.

4.4 Explain branding and its purpose.

• What is a brand? (Definition.) • What is the purpose of a brand and how can it benefit an

organisation? • What are the categories of brands?

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• How are brands built, managed and valued? • What is brand piracy? • Manufacturers’ versus private brands. • What factors may contribute to brand erosion?

Examiner’s Tips: Brands are at the very heart of marketing and yet today many brands face substantial challenges. Candidates should ensure that they are capable of critically evaluating brands in the contemporary context. For further study see: Doole, I. and Lowe, R. (2004) Strategic Marketing Decisions in Global Markets, Thompson Learning, Chapter 8.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 4. Examine and apply the core concepts and techniques for

operationalising marketing strategy, and the elements of the marketing mix. (2)

Indicative Content: 4.5 Describe and explain strategic marketing communications.

• Understand the role of communications and the communication process.

• Explain internal, interactive and external marketing and their respective communication processes.

• What is integrated marketing communications (IMC) and what are the advantages/disadvantages?

• Communicating the corporate image, product and service differentiation, building relationships through channel development and building long-term relationships.

• How to communicate to the various stakeholder groups – shareholders, government departments, pressure groups, suppliers, community, staff, customers, etc.

• What are the ethical considerations associated with communication? • Describe and create a communications plan – situation analysis,

objectives, strategies (3 Ps), budgets, measurement, evaluation and control, etc.

• Be aware of the key contemporary communication models and how to use them.

• What are standardisation and adaptation? Create a portfolio of examples.

4.6 Identify and evaluate the key factors in deciding the promotional mix. • The specific combination of ingredients an organisation uses to

traditionally promote a product/service are advertising, personal selling, publicity and sales promotion.

• Sponsorship, direct mail, direct marketing and the Internet are recent additions to the promotional mix.

• Define/explain the characteristics and where/how to use each tool and how they can be integrated (IMC).

• In determining the promotional mix, consideration must be given to promotional resources, objectives, policies, the characteristics of target markets, the characteristics of products/services, costs/budget availability and promotional methods.

• Describe and demonstrate ‘Push,’ ‘Pull’ and ‘Profile’ strategies. • Explain and discuss communication issues within the product life

cycle.

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4.7 Describe the nature of channel decisions in strategic marketing management and practice. • What channels are available? • The role of intermediaries: o Dis-intermediation or re-intermediation. o Value contribution of intermediaries.

• The role of technology, especially the Internet, as a distribution channel.

• Channel motivation and management. • Evaluation and control.

4.8 Explain the role of price in strategic marketing management and practice.

• Price competition. • Pricing policy/objectives – cost, other marketing variables, buyer

expectations, competition, legal and regulatory issues, perceived value.

• Pricing strategies. • Pricing for business markets – discounting, transfer pricing,

geographic pricing, price discrimination, etc. • Price management. • International pricing problems and decisions. • Position in the product life cycle.

Examiner’s Tips: The Internet is becoming an important distribution channel. Candidates should be able to illustrate how organisations can use it to gain growth and sustainable competitive advantage.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 5. Evaluate the applicability of strategic marketing to a range of business

contexts. Indicative Content: 5.1 Describe and explain the appropriateness of strategic marketing across

all sectors of business. • Candidates are likely to face questions from within a wide range of

business contexts or be asked to choose a context of their choice. In many cases they will be required to illustrate their answers with contemporary examples from within the sector chosen. Substantial marks may be lost if answers do not reflect the chosen context. Questions are likely to cover the following contexts: o Domestic/regional/global (local to multinational). o Small, medium or large companies. o Profit and not for profit. o Private or public sectors. o Limited companies, partnerships or sole traders. o Organisations at different stages in the life cycle (introduction to

decline). o B2B, B2C, C2C (i.e., eBay), C2B (i.e., letsbuyit.com).

5.2 Examine the increasing importance of services marketing within the context of strategic marketing. • Define and explain services marketing. • What are the 7Ps of services marketing? • Understand the nature and characteristics of services: intangibility,

inseparability, perishability, and heterogeneity. • Explain the problems involved in developing a differential advantage

in services. • Examine the crucial concept of service quality. • Customer evaluation of service quality: o Tangibles. o Reliability. o Responsiveness. o Assurance. o Empathy.

• Evaluate service encounters. • Be able to illustrate, using contemporary examples, some

organisations that provide excellent service and quality and some that do not.

• Understand the meaning of not for profit marketing. Why is it different?

Examiner’s Tips: Candidates should understand the service gap model of service quality, be able to identify the five problem areas and use the theory in a practical application. (Zeithaml, V.A. and Bitner, M.J. (2003)).

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 6. Assess the appropriateness of strategic marketing theories to small to

medium sized businesses. Indicative Content: 6.1 Describe the increasing role that small to medium sized businesses play

in both developing and established economies. • Define SMEs – wide span of businesses, 0–249 employees. This

means that some are very small (low turnover and no employees) others may employ substantial numbers and have high turnover (particularly within the high-tech sector).

• When answering a question in an SME context it is important to specify the size, type, geographic location and sector being discussed.

• Market approaches – domestic, exporting, international niche marketing, direct marketing, participation in the international supply chain of a multinational enterprise.

• Technology (especially electronic trading) allows SMEs anywhere to sell and import globally.

• SME characteristics provide some competitive advantages over larger companies (see 6.2 below).

• SMEs can evolve very quickly (candidates should have examples of fast growth SMEs).

6.2 Explain the key characteristics of the small firm context. • Often have small share of the market – have little influence on the

market but may dominate in a niche. • Often lack resources (funding, skills, professional expertise, limited

time, etc). • More tactical than strategic – often an emergent culture. Many have a

tendency to firefight. • Flexible culture – often faster at making decisions/responding to

challenges in the market environment. • SMEs are often effective at innovation – some large companies

create SMEs to handle NPD and benefit from the SME characteristics. (Candidates should obtain examples.)

• Often lack a formal knowledge system – but gain knowledge through networking.

• Often personally owned. Owner usually involved in strategic and tactical levels – multi-tasking.

• Successful SMEs may evolve very quickly, often through direct marketing and e-commerce.

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6.3 Explain the suitability of the key theories and approaches of strategic marketing in the small to medium firm context. • Many key theories/approaches were developed in the 1980s for large

organisations when the market was relatively stable. There is much debate as to their relevance to SMEs in today’s dynamic marketing environment.

• Take for example the BCG matrix; many marketers believe that market attractiveness equates to more than simply growth rate and respective market share. It does not take into account issues such as technological changes, barriers to entry and environmental factors.

• Many SMEs do not use the key theories because the required data is complex, expensive and difficult to obtain and costly to implement. For example, most SMEs find it almost impossible to obtain market share data. Many of the models tend to focus on current issues but provide little advice for future planning.

• The key theories are supplements to, not substitutes for, decision-making. Many SME owner/managers are very reactive and tend to make decisions without using such tools. (Candidates need to be able to critically evaluate.)

Examiner’s Tips: Have a look at the specimen examination answers (www.abeuk.com). Many candidates fail to set the scene with a suitable introduction or summarise their answer with an appropriate conclusion. This leads to the loss of valuable marks.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 7. Apply and implement strategic marketing plans. (1) Indicative Content: 7.1 Describe and explain strategic marketing issues of implementation,

performance and control. • Implementation and performance. o Be able to turn marketing strategies and plans into marketing

actions in order to accomplish strategic marketing objectives. o Address who, where, when and how – it is about ‘doing things

right’. o Create the five key elements to successful implementation:

• An action programme. • The right organisational structure. • A decision and reward system. • Human resource planning. • Appropriate company culture.

o Be able to construct a Gantt chart to display work/time sequences.

o Have an understanding of budgets and budgetary control. • Measurement and control. o Be able to measure and evaluate the results of marketing

strategies and plans, and take corrective action to ensure that marketing objectives are obtained.

o What is operating control? o What is strategic control? o Describe and explain the Balanced Scorecard approach (or

another appropriate method of measurement). o Have an understanding of the key financial ratios. o Be able to measure a range of non-financial activities including:

• Customer satisfaction/loyalty. • Innovation. • Brand equity. • Customer and staff attitudes. • Staff effectiveness.

7.2 Make decisions on how companies develop an organisational

commitment to marketing. • What are the barriers to organisational commitment to marketing/how

can they be overcome? • Discuss the effect that corporate culture, management style and

emergent or rational strategies may have on the organisation. • Define and describe internal marketing. • Be able to create an internal marketing plan for a company of choice.

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• Discuss and describe the various tools that can be used to help create a commitment to marketing.

• How can it be measured?

7.3 Assess the important role of human resources in the implementation of marketing strategy. • Recruitment/selection. • Salaries and benefits. • Employee relations. • Working practices. • Training and motivation. • Disciplinary issues.

Examiner’s Tips: Candidates in this programme are expected to be able to demonstrate an understanding of the financial implications of the strategic decisions they make. Future examinations may test this knowledge.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 7. Apply and implement strategic marketing plans. (2) Indicative Content: 7.4 Describe an organisational structure consistent with effective strategic

planning. • What are the strategic objectives – how can they best be met? • Where does marketing fit within the organisation? • Centralisation versus decentralisation. • Organisation by function. • Organisation by product. • Category management. • Organisation by region. • Organisation by customer type.

7.5 Explain the characteristics of implementing and controlling marketing

strategy. • Understand the various issues that may affect the successful

implementation and control of marketing strategy. o External factors: social, legal, economic, political, technological. o Internal factors: leadership, organisational culture, organisational

design, financial policies, resources, evaluation and control, procedures.

o Within the marketing function: interface with other functions, the role of marketing and the marketer, marketing feedback, budgets, management style and motivation.

Examiner’s Tips: NOTE: Very few candidates appear to be able to write business style reports. Tutors should ensure that all candidates are familiar with the business report format. Have a go at this: You are the CEO of a local hospice (a health care facility providing care and support for the terminally ill) that relies on substantial donations. You recognise a need to adopt a more professional approach to marketing and prepare a report to the Board of Trustees. This report proposes a new organisational structure to undertake innovative approaches to fundraising through a variety of activities using contemporary marketing tools. You are aware of strained relationships between the current fundraising team and the medical staff. Design the organisational structure and write that report.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 8. Critically evaluate the impact of technological advances on strategic

marketing. Indicative Content: 8.1 Describe and explain the role of information technology in strategic

marketing management and practice. • Why does the implementation of many marketing strategies depend

upon the effective utilisation of sophisticated Internet technologies? • The rapid growth of the Internet and Internet marketing suggests that

information technology has an important role to play in the process of implementing online marketing communications, information dissemination, file transference, information gathering, search and browsing activities, product display, payment and delivery. Why is this the case?

• How can the strategic use of IT help gain competitive advantage/reduce competitive disadvantage?

• It is said that IT is now a key driver in many businesses and many are conducting business through cyberspace. What are the risks?

• Technology advances have influenced: o Information gathering, business intelligence and knowledge

management. o Dissemination of information across departments. o Internal marketing. o Integrated databases. o Drive for cost reductions – have lead to redundancies/electronic

delivery. o Changes to intermediaries. o Reductions in geographic boundaries (particularly beneficial to

SMEs). o Ways of informing, entertaining, persuading target markets to

accept an organisation’s products. o Size and effectiveness of traditional media efforts. o Customer relationships, CRM, loyalty promotions, lifetime value,

one to one marketing. o Database analysis. o Mobile technology/‘Blue tooth’ devices. o Payment systems/electronic commerce. o Interactive TV. o Market research/surveys. o Ethical issues, privacy, spamming, self-regulation or regulation. o Permission marketing. o Database protection legislation.

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Examiner’s Tips: • Have a look at John Lewis online services (www.johnlewis.com). John

Lewis is a typical UK-based upmarket departmental store selling a wide range of merchandise. o How do you rate its online ‘shop window?’ o How user friendly is the site? o What could be done to improve it? o What percentage of its total business is achieved online?

• Now do some secondary research to establish how online sales at John Lewis have increased over the past three years.

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Unit Title: Strategic Marketing Management Unit Code: MM Level: Advanced Diploma in Business Management Learning Outcome: 9. Critically evaluate the influence of increasing levels of management

education on strategic marketing management and practice. Indicative Content: 9.1 Describe and explain the influence of management education on the

structuring of organisations. • How important are knowledge and learning? Can they create

competitive advantage? • Is the growth in management education improving business

performance? • What effect is it having on the employment market? • Is it having the same effect on large and small companies? • What effect is it having on salaries/packages? • Is it changing corporate culture/company tradition? • Is it improving overall performance? • Is it improving cross-functional relationships? • Is it creating cross-border movement? • Do academic qualifications match business needs? • Can business afford higher qualified employees? • With more employees increasing their management education what

effect is this having on the competitive forces? • Is business better with a higher educated workforce?

9.2 Draw conclusions as to the overall impact of strategic marketing

education on strategic marketing practice. • Growth in global marketing education is providing better qualified

employees. • Skill levels across all sectors are improving. • Traditionally marketing graduates focused on large companies –

many now join SMEs. • Substantial movement across geographic boundaries. • Can small businesses afford highly qualified employees?

Examiner’s Tips: Examination requirements: Candidates must read each examination question very carefully. Questions often contain two or three parts and may require a practical solution to a problem. They also often need to be answered within a specified context and illustrated with appropriate contemporary examples. Many candidates still fail to answer the question set and produce generic descriptive answers with outdated and inappropriate examples. Such answers are unlikely to secure a pass grade. If more attention is given to reading the questions and planning the answers many candidates will achieve much higher grades.