The first part of this course focuses on achieving sustainable differentiation at the line-of-business level. This requires the simultaneous evaluation and management of the organization’s internal (processes, structures, resources) and external (competitors, suppliers, other stakeholders) environment to satisfy the selected primary customer needs that guide the business strategy. A methodology that systematically aligns the customer needs, internal measurable outcomes, and operational activities is employed. The second part of the course focuses on achieving sustainable marketing differentiation by managing the marketing function within the organization. Areas to be investigated include: internal/external assessment (customers, competitors, collaborators, company, context), creating value (market segmentation, target market, positioning), and managing the marketing mix (product, place, and price, promotion) to capture and sustain value for the firm.
Course Code: MKT 652
Credit Hours: 3
Level: Graduate
Program Placement: Semester II
Course description sourced verbatim from the official Northwood University 2025–2026 Academic Catalog and program curriculum guide. Northwood reserves the right to revise course content between publications.