Strategic Marketing

MKT 401 – Strategic Marketing provides students with an advanced understanding of how marketing drives sustainable business growth in an increasingly data-driven, global, and competitive environment. The course equips students with both classical and modern strategic marketing frameworks, and emphasizes the strategic integration of analytics, AI, and global perspectives into marketing decision-making.

Through case studies, interactive discussions, and applied projects, students will learn to connect corporate strategy with marketing strategy, develop customer-centric value propositions, build strong and differentiated brands, and design innovative communication and growth strategies across diverse cultural and global contexts. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze complex marketing challenges, craft data-informed marketing strategies, and lead marketing initiatives that create measurable business impact.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Strategic Foundations
   • Explain the evolving role of marketing and the CMO in driving corporate strategy and sustainable growth.
   • Apply key strategic marketing frameworks (STP, SWOT, PESTEL, BCG, Porter’s Five Forces, Business Model Canvas, VRIO, 7S, Balanced Scorecard) to assess markets, companies, and competitors.
2. Analytics & Data-Driven Marketing
   • Evaluate different types of marketing analytics (descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive) and their application to strategic decision-making.
   • Translate data into actionable insights using predictive analytics, testing methods, dashboards, and storytelling.
   • Assess the impact of AI, automation, and generative technologies on personalization, content, and marketing systems.
3. Branding & Brand Strategy
   • Develop brand positioning strategies using frameworks such as perceptual maps, brand pyramids, value proposition canvases, and archetypes.
   • Design brand strategies that build equity, extend product lines, and foster customer loyalty.
4. Marketing Communications
   • Formulate advanced marketing communication strategies, including influencer partnerships, community-building, crisis management, and real-time reputation management.
   • Critically assess communication tactics within the context of brand equity and market positioning.
5. Global & Cultural Strategy
   • Analyze challenges and opportunities in global and emerging markets, including cultural adaptation, geopolitical risks, and digital leapfrogging.
   • Design glocalized strategies that balance global brand coherence with local market needs.
6. Applied Strategic Marketing
   • Synthesize frameworks, data, and brand strategies into cohesive, actionable marketing plans.
   • Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate case studies, anticipate market shifts, and propose innovative, competitive strategies in real-world contexts.