This course is part of the Marketing Strategy Specialization

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872 ratings

Ignacio Gafo

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Offered By

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

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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

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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

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

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.32/5 (89 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%(2,476 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Positioning introduction

2 hours to complete

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

7 videos

Trailer50s1.0 Why positioning?3m1.1 Where should we start?5m1.2 Positioning as a key element in the marketing process4m1.3 Market environment analysis: Context and Customers4m1.4 Market environment analysis: Collaborators, Competitors and Company2m1.5 What do we get from a proper positioning?3m

3 readings

Marketing in the age of fragmentation10mThe Evolution of Marketing30mMountain Dew Kickstart comes alive10m

2 practice exercises

Marketing process and Positioning30mMarketing process and Positioning30m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Segmentation

3 hours to complete

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

10 videos

2.0 What is a segment?1m2.1 Mass market, market segments, niche markets and individuals1m2.2 Segmentation levels4m2.3 Why should we segment?2m2.4 Reasons to segment3m2.5 Segmentation criteria: geographic and demographic3m2.6 Segmentation criteria: psychographic and behavioral5m2.7 How to come up with an effective segmentation?3m2.8 Segmentation models4m2.9 Expert interview; Jaime Veiga, Global Strategic Insights – Southern Europe Head at Johnson & Johnson9m

4 readings

The art and science of consumer segmentation10mPersonalised targeting: Don’t get personal get social10mHolistic segmentation10mWhy Unilever believes “consumers are dead”10m

3 practice exercises

Segmentation and targeting30mIn the following exercise you will have to identify to which segmentation criteria each sentence is related with30mSegmentation and targeting 230m

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Differentiation and Value Proposition

2 hours to complete

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

9 videos

3.0 Why differentiation?2m3.1 What is differentiation and value proposition?2m3.2 Positioning in real life: Exercise3m3.3 Frame of reference, points of parity and points of difference5m3.4 How to come up with the points of difference?4m3.5 The three circles model (Urbany & Davis)4m3.6 Differentiation strategies4m3.7 Session 3 Summary1m3.8 Expert interview; Jacobo Galvez, Marketing Director Consumer Business Unit at Vodafone Spain5m

4 readings

Denny: Fighting commoditization with differentiation10mDifferentiation that matters10mBigPond – Why Emotional differentiation wins10mDifferentiation or Salience10m

2 practice exercises

Differentiation & positioning. Please fill out the following sentences:30mDifferentiation & value proposition30m

Week4

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Positioning

4 hours to complete

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

12 videos

4.0 Introduction to the session1m4.1 What is positioning?3m4.2 Positioning examples at Citroën10m4.3 Positioning Statement3m4.4 How to define the Commercial Plan based on the positioning?5m4.5 How to come up with the value proposition? Positioning maps4m4.6 Spider Web Perceptual Maps3m4.7 Alternative Positioning Strategies6m4.8 Key trends impacting Positioning (1/2)7m4.9 Key trends impacting Positioning (2/2)7m4.10 Course wrap up4mReady to continue on this journey?50s

8 readings

Chobani Plain Inspiring10mDennys reinvents the American dinner10mPositioning Maps Multimedia10mVodafone Egypt: How to make the small seems big10mConsumers in 2016: Generation swipe10mCan big data and analysis replace intuition?10mInnovation beyond blue oceans10mSuper personalize me! When technological advance meets consumer power10m

3 practice exercises

Positioning30mPositioning30mMatch these sentences regarding Positioning30m

Reviews

4.5

183 reviews

5 stars
64.71%
4 stars
23.48%
3 stars
7.56%
2 stars
1.94%
1 star
2.29%

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

by MKSep 24, 2018

it was a great experience and modular course for to under stand market and sell the products in difference environment

by NKDec 20, 2016

Professor Ignacio elaborated the concept of positioning in a detailed manner. 5C's are very nicely explained. The videos are short and engaging which helped in increasing concentration.

by JAAug 20, 2021

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

by PKJul 8, 2017

Quite a nice overview of the basics of positioning, defining value to customers and provides a nice high level view.

On the negative side: Some of the readings are hard to access on the warc site.

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