Advanced Diploma in Marketing

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to enable students to operate as marketers at a higher level of marketing management in order for them to add identifiable and quantifiable value to the businesses of their employers or to their own businesses. Advanced Business Strategy IV will help students achieve a corporate strategy; develop competitive strategies; apply ring-fencing to business units; and implement operational control strategy. Advanced Marketing IV will enable students to formulate a marketing strategy; practice relationship marketing and customer care; increase market share for the organisation. Advanced Marketing Research IV will equip students with the skills of a marketing research design; data collection; data coding, editing, capturing and storage; data analysis; and compiling a research proposal for academic purposes. Advanced Promotion IV will help students achieve conceptualising and planning an event; developing a promotion budget; and developing a media plan. Advanced Services Marketing IV will equip students with the skills of creating a conducive environment for customers' pleasant experience; develop service marketing strategies; and shaping, delivering and managing service marketing programmes.

Rationale

This qualification offers students the next logical academic and career step after completing the National Diploma in Marketing since it is offered at level 4 of study in each course. It will be suitable for students who want to enhance their careers as well as those who want to venture into their own businesses. Stakeholders in industry expect a graduate at this level to operate independent from direct supervision compared to graduates that have an undergraduate qualification. It is therefore also meant to equip the student with managerial skills in marketing which is the level of operation for independent decision making, backed by relevant theory coupled with practice, is made.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

When an individual who has worked in a marketing environment and has gained experience that is deemed to warrant recognition for credit and admission to the Advanced Diploma in Marketing needs to apply, such an application will have to be made in writing. Full details of experience and work that has been done in the environment of marketing must be given. Credits accumulated from other institutions will be considered for accessing the Advanced Diploma in Marketing. The assessment of the portfolio of evidence submitted by the applicant for RPL purpose will be conducted. The assessment meeting, constituted by a committee of three i.e. the HOD, the Dean, and the Registrar will evaluate the portfolio on the basis of the clause of the Assessment Policy.

Entry Requirements

Admission is open to learners with a

• Diploma at NQF Level 6 in Marketing or any equivalent qualification.

The qualification consists of five compulsory modules at NQF Level 7 with modules worth 24 credits each totalling 120 credits.

• Advanced Marketing IV.
• Advanced Business Strategy IV.
• Advanced Promotion IV.
• Advanced Marketing Research IV.
• Advanced Services Marketing IV.

1. Formulate strategic plans for corporate competitiveness and value chain management for customer satisfaction.
2. Design management information systems (MIS) that enable supervisors, managers, and senior managers to access real time information at the touch of a button.
3. Develop an information system that is connected with business customers systems.
4. Formulate a cohesive communications strategy suitable for each brand and target market.
5. Formulate a marketing research strategy.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Differentiating factors for positioning are identified.
• Unique positioning for each brand and determining relevant target audiences is determined.
• Services mix to complement product offerings in a manner different from competition is created.
• Pricing, promotion, and distribution strategies for different seasons and different customer categories are developed.
• Product offering processes for customer convenience are designed.
• An effective management information system for honouring warranties and product maintenance is designed.
• Product returns policies for customer satisfaction are crafted and implemented.
• Customer assistance systems and delivery processes are designed to suit customer needs and enhance one stop shopping.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Operational plans to enable branch autonomy and accountability are developed.
• Branch staff and management are empowered to make decisions suitable for their branches within policy.
• Branch reporting systems are designed to enhancing autonomy and accountability.
• Branch operating systems that obviate inter-branch utilisation of resources are designed.
• Operations according to strategic planning are controlled.
• Decision Support System is designed and implemented to enable management to continuously monitor the operations according to budget.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Programmes for analysing information fed in via the information system integrated with business associates and business customers are designed.
• Structure to constantly and closely monitor the inflow of information and to report immediately on such information is implemented.
• Decision Support System is developed to communicate with Research and Development Unit for dissemination of data for product improvement.
• Information from the external marketing environment is scanned and analysed to identify new opportunities.
• In-depth expert analysis of data is collected through marketing research, MIS and marketing intelligence to identify needs for new products.
• Effective utilisation of marketing intelligence to identify areas of new investment in different markets is administered.
• Informed decisions to invest in different markets are made.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• The best combination of promotion aspects is determined for optimum utilisation of funds.
• Strategic decision on the number of product lines to offer in the market is made.
• Strategic expansion or contraction of existing product mix is designed.
• The best individual product marketing mix is determined on the basis of MIS and marketing intelligence.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Informed decision is made to an internal marketing research unit or to outsource the function.
• Strategic planning for each and every marketing research project is developed.

Integrated Assessment

Having been taught through contact lecturing, analysis of case studies on strategies, simulation sessions, and mock boardroom brainstorming sessions, students will be assessed. To establish whether they have the expected knowledge according to exit level outcomes. The assessment criteria would be the following:

> Formative assessments in the form of tests and practical business assignments for first and second terms.

> Projects on strategy for each and every exit level outcome.

> Project on corrective service strategy.

> Project on customer retention strategy.

> Project on service recovery strategy.

> Year-end examination for holistic assessment of what was learnt during the year.

NB: The projects' marks will be weighted in a manner that they cumulatively constitute marks for the third formative assessment. After completing the course content of each and every exit level outcome listed under item 29 of the programme submission template, students will be assigned to do a project for assessment. The two first and second term formative assessments will be written under invigilation whilst projects will be done on open book basis.