Diploma in Marketing Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Diploma in Marketing Management is to develop learners who can demonstrate focused knowledge and skills in the marketing field. Marketing management as a function plays a crucial role in the success of every business, and as a business discipline involves the anticipation and identification of customer needs and satisfying them profitably. It is the umbrella which covers aspects such as advertising, publicity, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, personal selling and sponsorships.

The Diploma in Marketing Management is a vocationally orientated qualification that aims to provide graduates with a sound understanding of theoretical principles and practical skills that are applicable to the field of marketing management. As such it is designed to include both breadth and depth in terms of management knowledge areas. Qualifying learners can demonstrate acquired competences in the manner they manage in their workplaces or in how they run their own businesses.

Qualifying learners would have acquired knowledge and skills which will enable them to be effective managers and successfully compete in any business environment.

Rationale

This qualification will serve the national interest by up-skilling the population and providing industry with competent professionals. The Diploma in Marketing Management has been developed with the national scarce skills in mind. It responds to the findings detailed in the Department of Higher Education's National Scarce Skills List, which identifies the "Top 100 Occupations in Demand" (Department of Higher Education and Training-List of Occupations in High Demand: 2015).

It is imperative to align education and training with the needs of the private sector and the labour market in general. education and training are essential elements of human resource development, particularly in South Africa. The Diploma in Marketing Management has been structured with a view to combine education and training. The qualification contributes positively in addressing the needs of the business sector. The modern approaches incorporated in this qualification will ensure that learners are well equipped in the competitive marketing world hence improving their employability prospects. Both marketing and business-related modules are combined to ensure a balanced perspective of modern business management.

To address the skills shortages, and the gaps in the supply of suitably qualified learners, the Diploma in Marketing Management equips learners who possess technical and/or professional competences with the managerial acumen that is required to take up some of these key management positions.

The development of this qualification also responds to the increased enrolment of learners into qualifications such as Human Resources Management, Marketing Management, Operations Management, Small Business Management, etc., across the various Educor brands. As an added advantage, the blended-learning (either: distance and using an e-learning platform; or face-to-face and using an e-learning platform) approach, will afford students the flexibility to remain economically active while pursuing this qualification. For distance learners, the support of the e-learning platform will facilitate access to peers and subject matter experts.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Students can be accepted into the Diploma in Marketing Management through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) if they are 23 years of age or older and have passed Grade 10 with at least 3 years working experience that exposed them to marketing. Students enrolling through RPL are required to submit a CV and a portfolio of evidence. Students that are 45 years of age or older are eligible for admission through mature age exemption rule without any schooling qualification.

RPL is the cornerstone on which education is based and is actively promoted as an admission tool provided students meet the requirements as stipulated in this policy.

A candidate requesting RPL would have a pre-screening discussion with the registered assessor to ascertain the viability of the application. The basis for RPL will either be that the candidate has already completed the work covered or can demonstrate knowledge acquired for which recognition is sought. The assessor/subject expert (should provide the candidate with copies of the registered standards and learning outcomes for which recognition is requested in the agreed areas of learning. The candidate would be expected to present evidence that the standards and outcomes have been covered to the required level.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement to the Diploma in Marketing Management is a National Senior Certificate with a Diploma endorsement or a National Certificate Vocational with appropriate subject combinations and levels of achievement.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Levels 5 and 6 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory modules at level 5 (180 Credits)

• Marketing 1A, 15 Credits.
• Basic Communication, 10 Credits.
• Business Mathematics, 10 Credits.
• Introduction to Business Management, 10 Credits.
• Basic Economics, 15 Credits.
• Marketing 1B (Consumer Behaviour), 15 Credits.
• Brand Management, 15 Credits.
• Customer Service, 15 Credits.
• Advertising and Sales Promotion, 15 Credits.
• Marketing 2A (Practice of Marketing), 15 Credits.
• Marketing Research, 15 Credits.
• Social Marketing, 15 Credits.
• Product Management, 15 Credits.

Compulsory modules at level 6 (180 Credits)

• Marketing 2B (Relationship Marketing), 15 Credits.
• Pricing Management, 15 Credits.
• Distribution and Logistics Management, 15 Credits.
• Marketing Communications, 15 Credits.
• Marketing 3A (Marketing Management), 20 Credits.
• Digital Marketing, 15 Credits.
• Accounting for Non-Accountants, 15 Credits.
• Project Management, 15 Credits.
• Global Marketing, 15 Credits.
• Marketing 3B (Services Marketing), 20 Credits.
• Work Integrated Learning, 20 Credits.

1. Understand the scope of knowledge of the marketing and the business-related disciplines.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of different forms of knowledge, schools of thought and forms of explanation within an area of study, operation or practice, and awareness of knowledge production processes.
3. Evaluate, select and apply appropriate methods, procedures or techniques in investigation or application processes within a defined context.
4. Identify, analyse and solve problems in unfamiliar contexts, gathering evidence and applying solutions based on evidence and procedures appropriate to the marketing discipline.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical implications of decisions and actions within an organisational or professional context, based on an awareness of the complexity of ethical dilemmas.
6. Demonstrate the ability to present and communicate complex information reliably and coherently using appropriate academic and professional or occupational conventions, formats and technologies for a given context.
7. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate performance against given criteria, and accurately identify and address his or her task-specific learning needs in a given context, and to provide support to the learning needs of others where appropriate.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the main areas of marketing management.
• Understanding and ability to apply the key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of marketing.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the marketing discipline and how that knowledge relates to other fields, disciplines.
• Describe the needs of the society and how a business organisation satisfies those needs in a market economy.
• Demonstrate an understand and harness the direct influence of email marketing on a global basis.
• Compare and contrast the main types of economic systems that are found in different regions of the world.
• Explain the nature and relevance of customer satisfaction.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Discuss the supply chain concept.
• Illustrate and discuss the value-chain concept.
• Differentiate the forms of knowledge and the schools of thought of marketing and related disciplines.
• Describe the needs of the society and how a business organisation satisfies those needs in a market economy.
• Explain the concept of exchange.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Evaluate, select and apply appropriate methods, procedures or techniques in investigation.
• Recognise the difference between customer expectations and customer perceptions.
• Understand the structure of the project management process.
• Apply the project management processes.
• Identify the major digital channels used for brief business messages, and describe the nine compositional modes needed for digital media.
• Present the stages and unique elements of the service innovation and development process.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Understand the research process.
• Identify the components of core strategy and how to test its effectiveness.
• Describe the challenges inherent in service innovation and design.
• Undertake marketing research process to identify, analyse and solve business problems.
• Explain why it's important to analyse a communication situation in order to define your purpose and profile your audience before writing a message.
• Explain value bundling as it is applied to a product or service.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Describe ethical implications of decisions and actions within an organizational or professional context.
• Identify and evaluate the ethical dilemmas faced by an organisation.
• Manage workplace ethics and conduct within organisational or professional context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies you where you will work.
• Discuss the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication.
• Identify the primary channels through which services are delivered to end customers.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Select the appropriate tools to evaluate and address learning needs in a given context.
• Develop and implement plans to address specific learning needs.
• The importance and value of life-long learning is explained.

Integrated Assessment

The institutions approach to teaching and learning is further advanced through assessment design and methods used. There are assignments in each module and the Workplace Integrated Learning Project (WIL):

The structure of the assessment is determined by the two modes of delivery

• Distance (includes an on-line component).

Or

• Face-to-face/contact (includes an on-line component).

Number and type of assessments

The following summative assessment is prescribed for this programme (depending on mode of delivery)

• Assignments.
• Tests.
• Exams (and supplementary exams).
• Workplace Integrated Learning assignment.