Marketing

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Course Descriptions »

Marketing is a central function in any business or organization and affects nearly every aspect of the operation; a company can have the best product or service in the world, but if people don't buy it, it's worthless. To identify and satisfy customers in a way that creates profitability for the firm is the major function of marketing. As a manager in any enterprise, you must know how to win and keep customers in increasingly competitive, globalizing markets. Understanding marketing's power and developing powerful marketing strategies is crucial in dealing with both customers and competitors.

The term marketing is often used interchangeably with sales, but in reality sales is just one step in the marketing process. Marketing includes continuously finding out what customers need or want so the company can supply it. It starts with product development and includes pricing strategies, building awareness of the product, obtaining customer reactions to the product and figuring out how to maintain demand for the product. Marketing includes community relations, customer service, quality assurance and internal communications as well as traditional promotional techniques such as advertising, public relations and sales promotion. It also includes coordinating the company's marketing plan with its business plan so that the marketing plan will be an effective tool to help the company meet its overall goals.

In the marketing concentration, students will delve into the mysteries of buyer behavior, consumer and business relationships, and strategy. They will learn the tools businesses use to identify potential customers, introduce new products to the market, and analyze their performance. Courses cover topics such as marketing research, integrated marketing communications, business-to-business marketing, international marketing and marketing management. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to begin a career that leads to managing advertising, channel relationships, product development, and, eventually, the company's overall marketing effort. In fact, many top-ranking executives have been directly involved with the company's marketing efforts and possess a strong background in this function.

Students who graduate with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in marketing have earned positions with Primerica, May and Co., Macy's, Ames Department Stores, Alsides, Northwest Mutual, Olde Discount Corp., Phillip Morris, Sherwin-Williams, Standard Register, Stearn's, Pfizer, Com Doc., NPD, Trans World Entertainment, Eastman Kodak, and many other firms. Employers count on the marketing department in the School of Business to provide students with a solid foundation so that they can quickly progress in their jobs.

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