Course Syllabus
Course Instructor
Stephan Sorger, MBA, MS, PE is an award-winning serial marketing executive, an adjunct faculty member of several major universities, the author of multiple marketing textbooks, including the recommended textbook for this course, "Marketing Analytics: Strategic Models and Metrics," a popular speaker on marketing topics, and a member of several advisory boards.
Contact: If you have a question, please post it in the discussion forum instead of contacting the instructor directly. Due to the large number of students enrolled in the course, the instructor simply cannot provide individual content and technical help. By asking your question in the discussion forums, everyone can benefit. Besides, if you have a question on something, other people probably do as well. In the discussion forums, you can discuss content, ask questions, and comment on other student posts. You might even be able to do some networking!
Course Description
This course is the third of a four part XSeries. This third course covers four essential topics in marketing analytics: 1) Competitive Analysis, which shows how to identify and combat competitive threats; 2) Strategic Models, showing you how to apply different models for strategic decision making; and 4) Market Segmentation, with an emphasis on different methods to divide large, general markets into smaller, specific market segments for greater profitability and customer satisfaction.
Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing the required course content, students will be able to:
- Gather competitive intelligence and apply it to gain competitive insight
- Apply models to make major strategic decisions
- Use advanced tools to identify and analyze market segments
Weekly Time Commitment
- Approximately 5 to 7 hours each week.
Prerequisites and Course Materials
- This course does not have any particular academic discipline prerequisites; although, proficiency using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets will be helpful.
- All instruction is in English, so students should be sufficiently fluent to understand written and spoken English.
- This course is self-contained, meaning all content necessary to successfully complete the course certification requirements are shared in the course, no additional materials need to be purchased.
Recommended Textbook (Optional)
If you are having problems in the course, or simply want a more thorough learning experience, we recommend purchasing the recommended textbook: Marketing Analytics: Strategic Models and Metrics by Stephan Sorger (Admiral Press / CreateSpace, 2013). Each module in this course (and in the other courses that make up this series) includes reading assignments from the book. The book is packed with examples and illustrations to relate the content to real-world problems. Again, this book is not required for completion of the course, but is a good reference for any learners looking to go deeper into the course content.
Course Structure
This course takes place over a four week period and is the second in a four-part Xseries. The course consists of 4 modules of study plus a summary quiz. All 4 modules and the quiz must be completed by the end of the 4 weeks. All of the course lectures are pre-recorded and there are no real-time, synchronous meetings in the course.
Each module consists of:
- A short overview
- An optional reading assignment
- One or more recorded lectures
- A case study assignment
- A discussion forum for questions about the module's case study
In addition to the case study discussion forums, the course also includes a discussion for students to introduce themselves to one another, and a general discussion.
Grading
The course contains 5 graded activities:
- 4 case study assignments worth 20% each (4 x 20% = 80%)
- A final course summary quiz worth 20%
In order to receive a Verified Certificate students must pass the course with an average score of 70% or higher on these graded activities. Verified students can then request and download their certificates from their progress page.
In order to receive an XSeries Certificate, all four courses in the series must be passed with a score of 70% or higher.
Please note: On all graded activities, students will have only 1 opportunity to provide a correct answer, and all graded activities must be completed before the course end date (August 29, 2016).
Course Schedule and Outline
Module 1: Competitive Analysis
- Module 1 Lectures:
- Competitive Analysis
- Principle Competitors
- Competitive Strategies
- Module 1 Case Study
- Module 1 Case Study Q&A Discussion
Module 2: Business Strategy: Strategic Decision Models
- Module 2 Lectures:
- Business Strategy: Business Models
- Strategic Decision Models
- Module 2 Case Study
- Module 2 Case Study Q&A Discussion
Module 3: Market Segmentation: Segmentation
- Module 3 Lectures:
- Segmentation
- Market Segmentation Techniques, Part 1
- Market Segmentation Techniques, Part 2
- Handouts: R Essentials and R Segmentation
- Module 3 Case Study
- Module 3 Case Study Q&A Discussion
Module 4: Marketing Segmentation: Targeting
- Module 4 Lecture:
- Segmentation: Targeting
- Module 4 Case Study
- Module 4 Case Study Q&A Discussion