Marketing Minor

In this introductory marketing course, students will learn the foundations of marketing including how to develop the marketing mix (product, price place, promotion) for goods, ideas or services. Students will apply what they have learned as they respond to current issues, case study questions and develop a marketing plan for a real organization. Students will learn how to function within successful teams as they engage with actual businesses to analyze and recommend market-driven solutions to real-world business challenges and opportunities.

Business decisions begin with a fundamental understanding of the marketplace. From target market to competition,globalization to industry analysis, businesses must evaluate the marketing, organizational management, and international implications of decision-making. Students explore the behavioral and business decision-making process for marketing and management as they are introduced to these strategic processes critical to business success. Students will learn how to build and function within successful teams as they engage with Vermont-based businesses to analyze and recommend solutions to real-world business challenges and opportunities.

This course provides insight into consumer behavior, and how consumers engage in the decision making process. This includes an in-depth study of the internal, external, and situational influences on consumer behavior such as culture, learning, personality and lifestyle, values and motivations. Students will learn to assess current brands’ marketing strategies with respect to consumer behavior and develop an understanding of the impact consumerism has on various global populations.

Students will learn how to utilize digital platforms as part of a comprehensive and integrated marketing strategy. Through a mix of strategy, professional certification(s), and hands-on application, students will navigate the digital marketing ecosystem and apply best practices in the field.

Students will learn the marketing research process that underpins informed decision making by marketing managers throughout the strategic marketing process. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method analyses will be highlighted with special attention paid to the commonly used data collection methods and the criteria used to determine which is most appropriate in any given research program.

Students will develop a resonant, data-driven, and ethically sound Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign for a real-world client. Utilizing all elements of the promotional mix, they will design this IMC campaign to achieve all objectives set forth by the client.