Principles of Marketing

Principles of Marketing-BBA 4th Semester, Pokhara University

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Principles of Marketing is a foundational course that explores the essential concepts and strategies involved in marketing products and services. The course introduces students to the core principles of marketing, including market research, consumer behavior, segmentation, product development, pricing strategies, promotion, and distribution.

Marketing is essential for businesses to understand consumer needs and create value through effective communication and strategies. This course provides a comprehensive overview of how businesses can design, implement, and evaluate marketing plans that align with both customer expectations and business objectives.

Syllabus of Principles of Marketing

Course Objectives of Principles of Marketing

This is the foundation course on marketing. It aims to build students’ understanding of the marketing process and principles. Through this course, students also acquire skills to design marketing strategies for SMEs.

Course Description of Principles of Marketing

This course focuses on the operation of the marketing function in a dynamic and competitive environment. It deals comprehensively with issues of emerging marketing practices and challenges, the dynamics of the marketplace, and the designing of the marketing mix. The course includes topics that help students to understand the marketing process and environment, information systems and buyer behavior, segmentation, targeting, positioning strategies, and strategies related to marketing mix variables.

Course Outcomes of Principles of Marketing

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Describe the tasks of marketing management in the modern organizations;
  • Understand the development of the marketing philosophies and their relevance in the contemporary business world;
  • Identify the challenges faced by marketers in the 21st century;
  • Identify the micro and macro environmental forces that determine the success of marketing efforts;
  • Examine the role of marketing information systems in designing marketing strategies;
  • Understand the buying process and influencing factors related to individual consumers and organizations;
  • Design basic strategies related to market segmentation, targeting, and product positioning;
  • Analyze the strategies related to marketing mix variables.

Course Contents of Principles of Marketing

Unit I: Marketing and Marketing Environment

Introduction to Marketing and Marketing Management: Meaning of marketing; Evolution of the Marketing philosophies (marketing concepts); Basic principles of the marketing concept and holistic marketing concept. Meaning and tasks of marketing management. Marketing in the Contemporary World: Marketing challenges of the 21st century and firms’ responses to the challenges; Concept, relevance and practices of relationship marketing, green marketing, e-marketing, pyramid (C2C) marketing and rural marketing.

Marketing Mix: Components of the marketing mix for products and services. Marketing Environment: Meaning and scope of marketing environment; Microenvironment variables, and Macro environment variables; Reactive and proactive marketing. Marketing environment in Nepal.

Unit II: Marketing Information System and Buyer Behavior

Marketing Information System: Concept and relevance; Components of the marketing information system; Marketing research areas and process.

Buyer Behavior: Organizational buyer behavior – Buying process and influencing factors.

Consumer behavior – buying process and influencing factors. Consumer movement and consumer protection.

Unit III: Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning Strategies

  • Segmentation: Concept, process, and requirements; levels of segmentation; bases for segmenting consumer and organizational markets.
  • Targeting: Segment evaluation, analysis and selection.
  • Positioning: Concept and types of positioning; product positioning process.

Unit IV: Product, Pricing, Distribution and Promotion Strategies 22 hours

  • Product: Concept and levels of the product; product classifications; Product life cycle stages and strategies; New product development process; Branding strategies – branding objectives, types of brand, and concept of brand equity; Packaging: functions and levels of packaging; essentials of a good package; Product line and mix strategies; Service product strategies: service marketing concept, characteristics of services and marketing strategies; management of people, physical evidences, and process.
  • Pricing: Concept of price and pricing; Importance of pricing; Internal and external price factors;
  • Pricing approaches – cost-based, demand-based, value-based and competition-based approaches;
  • New product pricing; price lining, price adjustments, initiating and responding to price changes.
  • Distribution: Concept and objectives; Channel functions; Channel designs for consumer and industrial products; Channel selection factors; Channel conflicts and their resolution.
  • Marketing logistics: Concept, nature and objectives; major logistics functions – transportation, warehousing, inventory management, order processing, and customer services decisions.
  • Promotion: Concept; Marketing communication process and systems; promotion mix components; promotion mix determination factors.
  • Advertising: Nature and objectives; Advertising budgeting approaches; Adverting message design factors; Advertising media selection factors. Personal Selling: Nature and relevance of personal selling; Types of personal selling. Sales Promotions: Nature and objectives; Sales promotion tools and techniques. Public Relations: Nature and objectives; tools of public relations. Direct marketing: Concept and relevance; Methods of direct marketing. 

Basic Texts

1. Kotler, Philip, Gary Armstrong, Prafulla Agnihotri and Ehsan ul Haque. Principles of Marketing: South Asian Perspective. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India.

2. Essentials of marketing: Baines, Paul, 1973-: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

References

1. Koirala, K.D. Principles of Marketing: Kathmandu: Buddha Academic Publications.

2. Kamarulzaman, Yusniza and Nor Khalidah Abu. 

Conclusion

The Principles of Marketing course provides students with a solid foundation in understanding how marketing drives business success. By exploring key concepts such as consumer behavior, market segmentation, product strategies, pricing, promotion, and distribution, students learn to apply these principles in real-world scenarios.

In today’s dynamic marketplace, effective marketing is essential for creating value, building strong customer relationships, and maintaining competitive advantage. Through this course, students gain the skills to design and implement successful marketing strategies that not only meet customer needs but also align with organizational goals. The knowledge acquired will serve as a valuable asset for anyone looking to pursue a career in marketing or business management.

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