Marketing: Customer Needs and Wants from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview & Week 1

Welcome! Before you start today's videos, please have a look at the syllabus. In this first session, I'll give you an overview of what marketing is all about and why it's key to communicating a company’s value proposition. You’ll also get a grasp of marketing essentials, particularly how to frame challenges and what to think about when making decisions. Objectives: To gain insight into the basic pillars of marketing.

Week 2: Product, Pricing & Channel Design

It’s hard to remember what the world was like before iPods, iPhones and iPads. But when Apple released the first iPod in 2001, it was not an automatic blockbuster. The product was great, but it took a lot of marketing savvy to set it on it’s successful path. All companies – whether selling electronics, gastronomic experiences, or credit cards – need to worry about making product, pricing and channel decisions. In this second session, we will explore what a product really is, how to estimate its demand and manage it. In addition, we’ll discuss the fundamentals of pricing, channel design and channel management. Objective: To gain an understanding of what a product really is, how to manage pricing and make decisions about channels.

Week 3: Building Strong Brands

Strong brands make a great impact on individuals and society; they are key to communicating value and getting the word out about a product or service. In this session we will explore the importance of brands as assets and branding in general. We will define the concept of brand equity and the essence of managing brands for value. Objective: To understand how branding contributes to a company’s value and how to go about developing a strong brand.

Week 4: Communication Strategy

Once a company has a good grasp of its customers, it can now develop a communication strategy to appeal directly to their interests and needs. In this session I will introduce a framework that will show you how to organize your communication strategy in order to successfully launch a product or service. We will also discuss what the objectives and target market of that strategy should be. Mapping the decision-making process is also key since you will need to learn to adapt the message and content to each stage of the customer journey. Objective: To define the elements and list the steps for building a sound communication strategy.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores marketing fundamentals, which is standard in business and commerce

Examines product, pricing and channel decisions, which are critical for marketing managers

Develops strategies for building strong brands, which is essential for brand managers

Outlines communication strategy principles, which is helpful for marketing and advertising students

Taught by Mario Capizzani, who is recognized for his work in marketing

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Marketing: Customer Needs and Wants with these activities:

Review Statistical Software

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Ensure you have a strong foundation in using statistical software, such as R or Python, by reviewing tutorials and practicing basic operations.

Browse courses on Statistical Software

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Review online tutorials or documentation for the statistical software you plan to use.
Practice importing data, creating visualizations, and performing simple statistical analyses.
Seek assistance from online forums or instructors if you encounter any issues.

Review Probability Theory

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Probability theory forms the foundation for statistical analysis. Strengthen your understanding by reviewing tutorials and practicing problems.

Browse courses on Probability

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Identify online tutorials or textbooks that cover probability theory concepts.
Work through the tutorials, taking notes and completing practice exercises.
Review probability axioms, conditional probability, and Bayes' theorem.

Refresh Notes

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Prepare for the upcoming course by gathering and reviewing notes, assignments, and graded materials from previous statistics courses.

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Gather notes, assignments, and graded materials from previous statistics courses.
Review the materials to refresh your memory on key concepts and methodologies.
Identify areas where you need additional support or clarification.

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Join or Form a Study Group

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Enhance your learning by discussing concepts, sharing insights, and working through problems with peers in a study group.

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Identify peers in your course or online forums who are interested in forming a study group.
Establish regular meeting times and agree on study goals.
Take turns leading discussions and presenting on assigned topics.

Career center

Learners who complete Marketing: Customer Needs and Wants will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Marketing Research Analyst

A Marketing Research Analyst conducts research to gather data about consumer trends, market conditions, and customer satisfaction. This course can help you develop the skills you need to design and conduct marketing research studies, analyze data, and present findings to stakeholders. The course also covers topics such as customer segmentation, survey design, and data analysis, which are essential for success in marketing research.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Research Analyst

Marketing Manager

A Marketing Manager develops and executes marketing campaigns designed to promote products and services, increase brand awareness, and generate leads. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as product development, pricing, distribution, and communication, all of which are essential for success in marketing management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Product Manager

A Product Manager is responsible for the development, launch, and marketing of a product or service. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as product development, pricing, distribution, and communication, all of which are essential for success in product management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Brand Manager

A Brand Manager is responsible for developing and managing a brand's identity, image, and reputation. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as brand development, brand equity, and brand communication, all of which are essential for success in brand management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Brand Manager

Marketing Consultant

A Marketing Consultant provides marketing advice and services to businesses. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as market research, competitive analysis, and marketing plan development, all of which are essential for success in marketing consulting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Consultant

Customer Success Manager

A Customer Success Manager is responsible for ensuring that customers are satisfied with a company's products or services. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as customer relationship management, customer satisfaction, and customer retention, all of which are essential for success in customer success management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Success Manager

Sales Manager

A Sales Manager is responsible for leading and managing a sales team. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as sales management, customer relationship management, and negotiation, all of which are essential for success in sales management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Account Manager

An Account Manager is responsible for managing relationships with key customers. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as customer relationship management, account planning, and negotiation, all of which are essential for success in account management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Account Manager

Business Analyst

A Business Analyst analyzes business processes and systems to identify areas for improvement. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as business process analysis, data analysis, and project management, all of which are essential for success in business analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Market Research Analyst

A Market Research Analyst conducts research to gather data about consumer trends, market conditions, and customer satisfaction. This course can help you develop the skills you need to design and conduct marketing research studies, analyze data, and present findings to stakeholders. The course also covers topics such as customer segmentation, survey design, and data analysis, all of which are essential for success in market research.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Research Analyst

Data Analyst

A Data Analyst collects, analyzes, and interprets data to identify trends and patterns. This course can help you develop the skills you need to work with data, including how to collect data, clean data, and analyze data. The course also covers topics such as data visualization, data mining, and machine learning, all of which are essential for success in data analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Management Consultant

A Management Consultant provides advice and services to businesses on how to improve their operations and achieve their goals. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as business strategy, operational improvement, and change management, all of which are essential for success in management consulting.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Project Manager

A Project Manager is responsible for planning, organizing, and executing projects. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as project management, risk management, and stakeholder management, all of which are essential for success in project management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Financial Analyst

A Financial Analyst analyzes financial data to make investment recommendations. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as financial analysis, investment analysis, and portfolio management, all of which are essential for success in financial analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Operations Manager

An Operations Manager is responsible for planning, organizing, and controlling the operations of a business. This course can help you build a foundation in marketing fundamentals, including how to identify and classify customers, understand their needs and wants, and develop effective marketing strategies. The course also covers topics such as operations management, supply chain management, and quality management, all of which are essential for success in operations management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager