This course is part of the Marketing Strategy Specialization

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851 ratings

Ignacio Gafo

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Marketing Strategy SpecializationIE Business School

About this Course

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Positioning is the heart of any Marketing Strategy, the core that you must get right. It does not matter whether you start with a clearly defined target group or with a differential value proposition: you will need end up with a clear segment or segments upon which we build our Marketing Plan.
In this course - the second in our Marketing Strategy Specialization - IE professor Ignacio Gafo will guide you through the essential stages of this key marketing process, starting with the basic elements that you will require and deciding on the market segmentation and marketing. The course progresses to examine the key market trends that you will encounter and will provide you with a handy practical toolbox of skills.

The course features interviews with industry professionals as well as on location videos where we quiz members of the public on their attitude towards this key concept.  After this course you will be in no doubt of where to position your product and which segment you are going to attempt to attract.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 5 in the

Marketing Strategy Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

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Skills you will gain

Market Segmentation
Marketing Process
Positioning (Marketing)
Value Proposition

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 5 in the

Marketing Strategy Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.39/5 (82 Ratings)

Ignacio Gafo

Offered by

IE Business School

IE Business School is an internationally recognized business school where the leaders of tomorrow shape their ideas and learn to become global citizens. For over 40 years, IE Business School has promoted innovation and change in organizations, equipping managers with an entrepreneurial mindset that generates employment, wealth, and social well-being.

Regularly featured among the top business schools in the world, IE Business School has an urban campus in Madrid and a faculty of more than 400 professors who teach students from approximately 90 countries in its undergraduate and master programs. IE uses innovative online, face-to-face, and blended learning formats, including the IE Communities Platform where knowledge and experiences are exchanged with over 50,000 IE graduates that currently hold management positions in more than 100 countries worldwide.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating84%(2,424 ratings)

Week

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Positioning introduction

In the first module, the positioning concept is introduced and connected to the Marketing Process. Moreover, the market environment analysis is covered and the reasons for going ahead with the positioning are outlined.

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 25 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

Trailer50s

1.0 Why positioning?3m

1.1 Where should we start?5m

1.2 Positioning as a key element in the marketing process4m

1.3 Market environment analysis: Context and Customers4m

1.4 Market environment analysis: Collaborators, Competitors and Company2m

1.5 What do we get from a proper positioning?3m

3 readings

Marketing in the age of fragmentation10m

The Evolution of Marketing30m

Mountain Dew Kickstart comes alive10m

2 practice exercises

Marketing process and Positioning30m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Segmentation

In the second module, the focus is on the first element of positioning: The market segmentation. During the module the segmentation concept is covered, together with the reasons for segmenting, the criteria and models that could be used for running the segmentation.

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 41 min), 4 readings, 3 quizzes

10 videos

2.0 What is a segment?1m

2.1 Mass market, market segments, niche markets and individuals1m

2.2 Segmentation levels4m

2.3 Why should we segment?2m

2.4 Reasons to segment3m

2.5 Segmentation criteria: geographic and demographic3m

2.6 Segmentation criteria: psychographic and behavioral5m

2.7 How to come up with an effective segmentation?3m

2.8 Segmentation models4m

2.9 Expert interview; Jaime Veiga, Global Strategic Insights – Southern Europe Head at Johnson & Johnson9m

4 readings

The art and science of consumer segmentation10m

Personalised targeting: Don’t get personal get social10m

Holistic segmentation10m

Why Unilever believes “consumers are dead”10m

3 practice exercises

Segmentation and targeting30m

In the following exercise you will have to identify to which segmentation criteria each sentence is related with30m

Segmentation and targeting 230m

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Differentiation and Value Proposition

In the third module, the second element of positioning is addressed: Value proposition and differentiation. Both the value proposition and differentiation concepts are presented, following up with how to come up with them effectively and potential strategies to be followed.

2 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 35 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

9 videos

3.0 Why differentiation?2m

3.1 What is differentiation and value proposition?2m

3.2 Positioning in real life: Exercise3m

3.3 Frame of reference, points of parity and points of difference5m

3.4 How to come up with the points of difference?4m

3.5 The three circles model (Urbany & Davis)4m

3.6 Differentiation strategies4m

3.7 Session 3 Summary1m

3.8 Expert interview; Jacobo Galvez, Marketing Director Consumer Business Unit at Vodafone Spain5m

4 readings

Denny: Fighting commoditization with differentiation10m

Differentiation that matters10m

BigPond – Why Emotional differentiation wins10m

Differentiation or Salience10m

2 practice exercises

Differentiation & positioning. Please fill out the following sentences:30m

Differentiation & value proposition30m

Week

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Positioning

In the fourth module we speak about positioning itself. The positioning concept is analyzed and practical tools are shared to define it . Furthermore, key marketing strategies and market trends affecting positioning are offered.

4 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 58 min), 8 readings, 3 quizzes

12 videos

4.0 Introduction to the session1m

4.1 What is positioning?3m

4.2 Positioning examples at Citroën10m

4.3 Positioning Statement3m

4.4 How to define the Commercial Plan based on the positioning?5m

4.5 How to come up with the value proposition? Positioning maps4m

4.6 Spider Web Perceptual Maps3m

4.7 Alternative Positioning Strategies6m

4.8 Key trends impacting Positioning (1/2)7m

4.9 Key trends impacting Positioning (2/2)7m

4.10 Course wrap up4m

Ready to continue on this journey?50s

8 readings

Chobani Plain Inspiring10m

Dennys reinvents the American dinner10m

Positioning Maps Multimedia10m

Vodafone Egypt: How to make the small seems big10m

Consumers in 2016: Generation swipe10m

Can big data and analysis replace intuition?10m

Innovation beyond blue oceans10m

Super personalize me! When technological advance meets consumer power10m

3 practice exercises

Positioning30m

Match these sentences regarding Positioning30m

Reviews

4.5

178 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM POSITIONING: WHAT YOU NEED FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARKETING STRATEGY

by JAAug 20, 2021

I enjoyed it a lot, and learnt a lot as well! Thank you IE and Coursera for the opportunity

by KRJun 2, 2020

It was a great refresher to my Marketing Management classes in MBA. Thanks to IE for putting up this great stuff here!

by KMFeb 7, 2021

Great course to learn about Positioning and Marketing Strategy. I highly recommend this course. Thank you for offering this valuable course to me

by JMMay 4, 2020

I love the course content which combined education videos with relevant and interesting industry articles. It gives you a good overview of how to go about positioning.

View all reviews

About the Marketing Strategy Specialization

Do you hear the word “marketing” on a daily basis, but aren’t sure what marketing really is or why your business needs it? Do you know that marketing is important to your company, product, or service, but aren’t sure where to start?

Cover the concepts and tools you need to successfully develop a marketing strategy for a business, product or service. Begin by understanding consumers and the main market research techniques, then learn how to correctly segment, target and position your product to achieve success. Continue by analyzing the four critical areas in marketing, the famous four Ps of Product, Price, Promotion and Place. Finally, get the backing your ideas deserve and communicate the actions through a Marketing Plan. In the final capstone project you will develop a Marketing Plan for a product or service.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Positioning: What you need for a successful Marketing Strategy

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Skills you will gain