Postgraduate

Marketing in a complex world

On this page

• What you will study
• Entry
• Qualifications
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Study materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Students also studied
• Future availability
• How to register

This course does not suggest that there are simple solutions, but puts forward concepts and analytical techniques that will help managers to make marketing decisions against a background of complexity and uncertainty. It expands into a broad discussion of complexity theory and its application to marketing strategy. You’ll discuss external change drivers, focusing on economics and scenario planning, and deal with advanced marketing concepts and techniques – emphasising relationship marketing, and brand strategy and management. By the end, you’ll be able to prepare strategic scenarios with an understanding of how relationships influence current marketing theory and the issues involved in marketing communications.

Course facts

Register for the course

This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.

What you will study

This course is for managers who have a role in planning or developing marketing activities, or who work alongside colleagues responsible for marketing. It deals with three areas of uncertainty that affect the development of strategic marketing decisions: uncertainty arising from the volatility of the external environment; uncertainty arising from the changing relationship between suppliers and customers; and uncertainty arising from the internationalisation of business and trade.

By the end of the course you should:

• be aware of the difficulties of planning in conditions of uncertainty
• be able to prepare strategic scenarios
• understand the processes involved in marketing research
• see how an understanding of relationships influences current marketing theory
• be familiar with the strategic process of brand building
• understand the issues involved in undertaking marketing communications
• understand the impact of internationalisation on domestic as well as global operations
• be aware of the impact of emarketing in organisations’ marketing activities and the ways in which organisations can construct strategies and tactics to adapt successfully to the internet age
• understand the complexity of the new service development process and the issues involved in delivering high quality services
• have a good grasp of the principles of complexity theory.

The course has nine units.

Units 1, 2 & 3 ask how external factors affect organisational performance and planning. As well as introducing the course as a whole, this first book looks at the process of marketing research and the techniques for planning in conditions of uncertainty to develop robust strategies. It also introduces complexity theory by looking at the lessons that managers can take from the natural sciences to help them to improve their understanding of managing complex systems in a volatile environment. Techniques and concepts to assist the development of marketing strategies in conditions of uncertainty are introduced.

Units 4, 5 & 6 cover relationship marketing, brand building and integrated communications. The first unit develops the concepts of relationship marketing in considerable detail. Drawing on the latest research, it discusses how our understanding of consumers’ behaviour is changing, and how organisations need to adapt their policies and programmes accordingly. The unit on brand building demonstrates that brands are of great importance in determining the success or failure of organisations in consumer, industrial and non-profit markets. This unit, based on the results of recent research, offers guidance on developing and maintaining brands. Communications are the key to successful marketing. As technology becomes more complex, integration of communications becomes both more difficult and more important. The unit on marketing communications brings together the latest thinking in this field.

Units 7, 8 & 9 looks at contemporary challenges in marketing. The first text examines the impact of globalisation on all organisations, including those that at present operate in a purely domestic context. You will see the difficulties, as well as the opportunities, arising from new technology that is eliminating barriers of time and geography. We also consider the implications of political changes that affect trade. The further two units deal with the challenges facing firms that are involved in services marketing and emarketing respectively. Marketing practice and theory have developed very quickly in both areas and the units deal with some of the key issues facing managers.

Entry

You can take this course on its own, or as part of a number of postgraduate qualifications. If you are taking the course as part of our MBA (F02) (now no longer open to new entrants), we expect you to have already completed the discontinued Stage 2 course B820.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Qualifications

BZX825 is an optional module in our:

• MBA (F02)
• Master of Public Administration (F44)
• MBA (Technology Management) (F03)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Information Systems (E10)
• MSc in Information Systems (F37)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice (C72)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice (E28)
• MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice (F47)

Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this module can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

Excluded combinations

Sometimes you will not be able to count a module towards a qualification if you have already taken another module with similar content.  To check any excluded combinations relating to this module, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

The study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. If you are a new student, or new to study using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.

You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Study materials

What's included

Course books, other printed materials, online forums, a dedicated website.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the course and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. You will contact your tutor by telephone, correspondence, email and online forums. There is a day school that you are encouraged to attend. This consists of interactive work that draws on and develops the study materials. It is an opportunity to put into practice things you have learnt from the course as well as to work on some of the skills and behaviours associated with successful marketing strategies. Where your day school is held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Making a difference (BZX830)
• Creativity, innovation and change (BZX822)
• Financial strategy (BZX821)
• Making a difference (B830)
• Creativity, innovation and change (B822)

Future availability

The details given here are for the final course start in May 2012. 

How to register

To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.

Study explained

Course

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- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.

Study explained

- all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.

Your questions

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